Dan Cartwright has over 12 years of experience in the caravan and motorhome industry. He is a judge for a number of prestigious leisure vehicle awards and regularly heads off in his motorhome with his family. Every week, Dan shares his insights with the community. Here’s what he has to say this week.
I’ve recently returned from a short holiday with my family to Orlando, Florida. I’m lucky enough to have relatives out there to stay with, but it’s one of those all-time holiday destinations that offers everything from wildlife and beaches to Disneyland and Universal Studios. On top of that, it’s sunny all year – take it from someone who’s brought his kids to a water park on Christmas Eve and spent the entire day reapplying sun cream!
Most families that can afford to visit Orlando want to do it all, but something people don’t always realise is how spaced out the main attractions are from one another. This can really limit your ability to cover everything in one trip if you don’t have a vehicle to get around in.
On my holiday, I was struck by the increasing cost of hiring a car. For a family-sized vehicle, I paid around $60 to $70 per day (£48 to £56), but this got me thinking – what about a caravan or motorhome trip for the perfect Florida vacation?
Well, I’ve done a fair amount of research on this and visited a few RV and caravan rental companies during my holidays. It’s a viable prospect from both a financial and comfort standpoint, so here’s what I found out. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to stay with family in Orlando, so let’s talk about touring options.
Vehicles
There are gazillions of makes, models and brands of leisure vehicle out there, so I’m not bothered about looking at specific examples. Essentially, your standard family caravan is nine metres long – exactly the same length as an RV. So, expect a rig of this size. Pretty much everything I’ve seen comes with air conditioning, a gas supply and usually a generator, as lots of RV parks don’t have electric hookups available.
Caravans
In terms of which vehicle you choose, it depends on how comfortable you are towing and the size of your family. The only real benefit to picking a caravan is that they can sleep up to nine people. Renting a pickup truck in the States is relatively cheap compared to cars, but hooking up, manoeuvring, towing and filling up gas on a combined 15 to 20-metre rig is challenging and probably not suited to just a few days per destination.
Additionally, the cost of a hire car combined with the price of a caravan makes it more expensive. However, if you are a large family, it’s worth looking into. In terms of money, the typical rental is around $140 (£112) per night for a caravan, but you’ll be spending roughly $70 (£56) on a car or truck too, although the caravan can act as your accommodation.
RVs and motorhomes
Prices tend to start from around $130 (£104) for a small RV, then $150 to $200 (£120 to £160) depending on the size, spec and level of luxury in a coach-built motorhome. At the top end, you’d be likely to pay $200 to $250 (£160 to £200) per day for the quintessential American tour bus-style, fully-integrated motorhome.
You might choose to take out an additional insurance policy to reduce your excess, either with the rental company or through your own provider – which is a lot cheaper. These vehicles are mile-limited depending on the supplier and most offer the opportunity to purchase these in advance, at a cheaper rate. If you go over the set limit, it generally costs about 40 to 50 cents per mile.
Within roughly 12 miles of Orlando International Airport (MCO), there are at least seven RV and caravan rental companies. They will bring a caravan directly to a place of your choosing, whilst for RVs you can take a short taxi there or arrange to pick one up directly from the airport.
I’d recommend going to the rental company if you’re collecting an RV. This way, you can choose to swap vehicles if needed and the staff will have more time to give you a proper induction before you set off with it.
Is touring the way to go?
Once you’ve figured out the costs, touring Florida means you can head to the Atlantic coast one night and the Gulf coast the next. You can make a stop at the Kennedy Space Center, then head to Disneyland and leave your accommodation right in the car park, before getting a shuttle straight into the resort.
The roads very easily accommodate larger vehicles and, considering driving is almost a must within America to see different locations, the price of renting an RV is incredibly competitive compared to hiring a car and a hotel.
An RV will sleep up to six people, so depending on your family size, everyone could have their own bed. Parks are actually really nice, especially in tourist areas, but if you’re heading to more remote destinations make sure to do a bit of research to find out where things are and avoid getting lost. Caravans and RVs are popular among Orlando natives – they’re actually remarkably versatile vehicles for that climate.
So, if you’re thinking about that next big family holiday to Orlando, I strongly recommend that you consider an RV rental for a fantastic experience.
Photo credit: Caroline Cagnin / Pexels
