Summer is almost here and it is time for many families to begin their summer holiday planning. Between the economic downturn and the threat of contacting some horrible disease, vacationing abroad may not be an option for most families. If you have children the thought of a staycation, staying at home for the holidays, will most definitely be met with moans, groans and sad faces. But, a staycation doesn’t have to mean you stay locked up in your home for 2 weeks. It could mean that you simply don’t leave the country, like a family camping trip or an RV excursion to popular destinations like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore or even Alaska.

While considering today’s gas prices, RV and camping trips remain one of the least expensive vacation types. One of the financial advantages of camping or traveling in an RV is not having to eat every meal in a restaurant. While on the road you could even pick up a local paper and search the flyers for discounts or coupons from local grocers.     

Camping opportunities are abound with more than 16,000 campgrounds on America's public and private lands. At the nation's 384 national parks there are over 440 campgrounds offering 29,000 campsites. There are many affordable campgrounds through out North America. An excellent resource is the Trailer Life Campground/RV Park and Services Directory (www.trailerlifedirectory.com). It provides all the information you need to select an RV park or campground that offers the location, facilities and rates that will best suit your needs and budget.

Obviously, it helps to have camping gear, a trailer or RV to make your camping adventure as comfortable as possible. Although, some camping items will need to be purchased, almost everything you need can be rented. Many companies across North America specialize in renting gear for camping, trailers or RV motor homes. Two RV rental companies with branches throughout North America are El Monte RV and Cruise America. However, there are many small companies that populate the market in specific areas. You can locate a local RV and camping equipment rental company on the largest rental search engine in North America-www.rentcharlie.com.

The most common rentals are RV’s. They are easier to drive for the novice RV’er since they handle more like a car, although sometimes like a car designed for giants! However, on www.rentcharlie.com you will find all variations available for rent from tent trailer’s to 35-foot fifth wheel trailers. Costs are dependent on the size and age of the rental you choose, the season that you want it, the length of time you will rent it, and additional services like delivering it to a certain location. Some RV rental companies also have rental specials available.

So next time you plan a vacation at home check out www.rentcharlie.com and see what else you can rent for your next staycation holiday.