Traveling without reservations

[Janss]

What is your strategy if the campground you plan to go to is full? For example, we want to go to West Yellowstone on a loop route of western states this summer. We'd really like to camp in Baker's Hole CG, and we need electric hookup. They don't take reservations. We know we should try to arrive by early afternoon on Sun.- Wed. for best chances. But what if it's full when we arrive? Do you all just hope there is another site at a campground/RV park somewhere in the area and start calling around? Do your plans for staying in an area ever get ruined because you can't find a place to camp?

We used to travel without reservations in the past when we had a small Class C without tow car, and didn't need electric hookup in high elevation (due to health problem). Great times and discoveries back then. But now is a different story.

[JimBollman]

We try to stay away from high demand campgrounds in the peak season so can't address your Yellowstone problem but like "tatest" wrote you need to adapt to the problem. We did Yellowstone in early June, no problem with camping but it was cold at night and the upper road had just opened. We almost never make reservations and if we do, it is mid afternoon when we know where we plan to be. When we could not find a campground with space, we have driven much further than planned, stayed in motels a couple of times, stayed in some very questionable campgrounds, rest areas, Walmart, etc. It helps to be able to live self contained for a day or so when necessary, we can go about a week if needed.

[Greyghost]

We seldom make reservations. The main reason is that because of how we travel (stop & see the sights) we really don't know where we'll be in the evening. Once we're ready to stop for the night, my wife will look in the travel guide and find something up the road. If she can't find anything we'll look for a place to spend the night. This could be a big box parking lot or off the road somewhere. This is quite normal due to the fact the 40% of the campgrounds do not call us back. We have adequate solar and batteries to get us through the night or even for a longer if necessary.

[2gypsies1]

We love Baker's Hole c.g. but realistically, if you need electric you'll need to arrive early morning not in the afternoon. Folks in some dry camping spots the previous night will gobble up the electric sites as soon as folks leave. We don't have a problem because we like the dry camping spots. You might have a list of RV parks in the area ready to call for a site if you can't get one at Baker's Hole.

[JW_of_Opechee_S]

That is the reason we have a generator. We can always find a place to wait if need be and can stop pretty much anywhere that it is leagal to park the rig.

[camperpaul]

I usually travel to arrive at the campground on a Monday or Tuesday and get a FCFS campsite.

[CloudDriver]

We travel Spring and Fall while families with school age kids are stuck at home. Makes it much easier to get campsites, even inside Yellowstone, with little to no need for reservations.

July and August we stay home.

[84bob]

X2. Remember it's the journey.

[darsben]

tatest wrote:
Traveling without reservations, I take what I can get, along with the risk that it will sometimes be nothing, and I'll have to move on down the road for the night. Works that way with or without the RV. Have spent some nights sleeping in a car in a parking ramp, and napping at rest stops so I could move on.

Plans get cancelled, changed, adjusted. Not too long ago, got trapped in Europe by a volcano. Ten years ago, had much of my May Day holiday in China cancelled, modified, as hotels, transportation systems, and attractions were shut down to help control the spread of the virus that got called SARS in the West. Last summer had to drive another hour down the road because everything in the town where I had planned to stay was filled by the people who had come for cattle auction.

You've been there, as you say, and if those risks are no longer acceptable, then you change your travel lifestyle to make plans to stay at, and visit, only those places where accommodations can be assured. Been there too, when my wife was sick and dying, and yet wanted to travel. I've learned that life changes, what I can do changes, as I get older, so I adjust to what can do, rather than what I used to do. That would be the strategy.

WOW Well put

[loulou57]

We only make reservations if we have to be at a certain place at a special time. Otherwise we just take whatever. It is so much more fun that way. We took a 6 week trip once and our decisions on what way to go were when we had to turn right or left or we felt like the road was calling us, LOL!
If you need hydro then you are limited. I have a CPAP now so that may change things. I may just not use it on occasion.

[tatest]

Traveling without reservations, I take what I can get, along with the risk that it will sometimes be nothing, and I'll have to move on down the road for the night. Works that way with or without the RV. Have spent some nights sleeping in a car in a parking ramp, and napping at rest stops so I could move on.

Plans get cancelled, changed, adjusted. Not too long ago, got trapped in Europe by a volcano. Ten years ago, had much of my May Day holiday in China cancelled, modified, as hotels, transportation systems, and attractions were shut down to help control the spread of the virus that got called SARS in the West. Last summer had to drive another hour down the road because everything in the town where I had planned to stay was filled by the people who had come for cattle auction.

You've been there, as you say, and if those risks are no longer acceptable, then you change your travel lifestyle to make plans to stay at, and visit, only those places where accommodations can be assured. Been there too, when my wife was sick and dying, and yet wanted to travel. I've learned that life changes, what I can do changes, as I get older, so I adjust to what can do, rather than what I used to do. That would be the strategy.