Cross-country travel on the cheap

It occurs to me I should say a few words about how I travel cross-country multiple times per year on the limited budget available to a senior citizen on a fixed income.

I often talk to people who say, “I want to get an RV, pack up and just go!”  Unfortunately, as a registered citizen it’s never that easy – see “Your first hurdle: Permission to leave town” on my main page.  Once you’ve jumped over that hurdle, an RV can be an expensive to maintain gas-guzzler.  You can’t park it at just any campground because you’ll need water and electric hook-ups.  And if it’s your only vehicle as you travel cross-country you’ll have trouble finding parking for it at in-city destinations.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.  I use a standard minivan, from which I have removed all the middle and rear seating to create a wide open flatbed space, into which I slide a standard twin size mattress, made up just like I would at home.  In my case that’s plenty of room because I usually travel alone, but if you are a couple “traveling on the cheap” you should be able to make do with it too.   Remember to bring a few extra blankets in case you run into a little cold weather.  There’s enough room left over for suitcase(s) and other belongings.  Now I have a minivan with a bedroom in back that can go anywhere and do anything.

Because I bring my bedroom with me I don’t need a tent, sleeping bag or blow-up mattress.  This eliminates a lot of daily campground prep and clean-up.  At the end of a relaxing evening I just climb into bed behind my driver’s seat.

If you are over 60 years old you should know that the National Park Service offers a “Senior Inter-agency Pass” available at any park office.  At $80 for a lifetime pass it’s a real bargain because it lets you into every national park for free – some of the more popular national parks can be $50 or more per vehicle per day!  Also, every National Park or National Forest or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campground is half price!  What a bargain!

But what about a bathroom and shower?  The good news is that almost any improved campground will have a bathroom of some kind.  The bad news is that while most state and national park campgrounds have hot-water shower houses with electricity and sinks so you can shave and brush your teeth, most national forest and BLM campgrounds do not.  You get what you pay for, because these campgrounds are also super cheap.  With your Inter-agency Pass you may pay only $5-10 per night.  Just get used to the idea that you won’t be showering every night.  Plan your trip accordingly and throw in a state or national park campground or cheap motel every few days.  Or go to a truck stop, most of which offer very nice showers and overnight parking for a low price.

Many travel destinations have museums, aquariums, theme parks, trolley tours, historic railroads, private cave tours and other attractions that can be pricey.  But really, it’s up to you how much you want to spend on that stuff, depending on your budget.

What about food?  Well that’s up to you.  Some states or cities have cuisine you’re supposed to indulge in so you can tell your friends and relative you did it – lobster in New England, Creole in New Orleans, barbeque in Memphis, Kansas City and elsewhere, perhaps a buffalo burger in Denver etc. etc.  That can add up but the truth is that Americans in the 21st Century do a lot of expensive eating out or delivered food anyway.  Bottom line – food needn’t be an extra expense when you travel because you’d have to eat even if you stayed home.

If you’re looking for cheap eats on the road there’s always drive thru fast food.  You’d probably be eating that at home anyway.  Also, supermarket delis have a lot of prepared foods you can buy in bulk, store in a cooler and eat over a few days.  I’m so lazy I don’t want to be bothered building a campfire and cooking food after a long day of travel, so I usually stop at the last town before the campground and pick something up.  Then I relax at the campsite picnic table and chow down.

Having cut back on expenses everywhere else, that leaves the cost of gasoline.  If you’re dragging a big RV across the U.S. it’s gonna cost you a bundle.  Even with my old minivan gasoline is the biggest travel expense.  So that’s something you have to budget for no matter what.

Lastly, I always have a print-out of my 50 state visitor guide on hand to refresh my memory about the laws that might affect me whenever I enter a new state.  Remember, you have to obey all relevant laws of the state you are traveling in.

Enjoy your trip!