The holidays are a truly magical time of year. Whether it’s a big feast prepared for Thanksgiving or the twinkle of Christmas lights in every downtown of small town America, you can’t help but feel festive. For many, the holidays mean gathering with loved ones and spending quality time. For you, this may mean gathering in your RV! Albeit non-traditional, there are still ways to make this time of year special on the road. If you’re planning on spending the holidays in an RV this year, we’ve gathered some of our best tips.

Easy Ways to Embrace the Holidays in an RV

While Christmas is often associated with extravagance and material goods, spending the holidays in an RV can be a great reminder of what’s really important during the holiday season. Whether you are planning to get cozy in a travel trailer or are comfortable in your Class A, there are some unique challenges to RVing at Christmas that you wouldn’t usually encounter if you were to spend it in a sticks-and-bricks home! Not to worry, we’ve laid out everything you need Space might be tight, you can still make it merry and bright.

Map Out a Festive Road Trip

If spending the holidays in an RV isn’t exclusively associated with boondocking in a family member’s driveway for a few weeks, why not plan to visit a destination that brings out the festive spirit? Choose an RV park that holds special holiday events or go to a destination like Christmas, Florida that makes the holidays their whole personality. Picking a location with a festive feel will help set the tone for great holidays in your RV.

Decorate Your Campsite

It doesn’t matter if you’ll be there for a few days or a few weeks – nothing brings out the Christmas spirit like a little festive décor! Deck your RV halls with simple, easy-to-store decorations like these RV décor finds from our friends at RVUSA. You can choose from hanging lights outside your RV and decorating your campsite to selecting a few intentional touches inside, such as a Christmas garland or a mini tree. Do whatever helps you feel the cozy holiday vibes! 

Plan an RV-Friendly Menu

One of the biggest challenges of spending the holidays in an RV is the cooking. RV kitchens are understandably smaller than sticks and bricks kitchens. There’s less counter space for prep, and some may or may not have kitchen appliances like ovens that work overtime during the holidays. This fact alone can dissuade some RVers from choosing an RV Christmas.

Don’t stress though! Having a tasty Christmas dinner is absolutely possible in an RV kitchen. The key is in planning the right menu. Search blogs for RV-friendly Christmas foods like this blog about Christmas recipes for the RV. Many classic holiday foods can be adapted to be made in a Crock Pot, Instant Pot, Air Fryer, or other easily portable appliance you can pack with you on your holiday travels. There are even some that work great in a Dutch oven over the campfire! It simple requires a little planning ahead.

Pro tip: prep as much in your sticks-and-bricks home as you can! Unless you are a full timer, take advantage of the kitchen you have at home to do things like prep sauces and chop veggies. Your future self will thank you!

The More the Merrier

To our last point, living space inside RVs can be limited. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to keep your RV Christmas small! One of the things RVers love is the ability to enjoy the great outdoors. Take advantage of getting outside with loved ones! Most campgrounds will have picnic tables or gathering spaces where you can enjoy meals with fellow campers or even invite family and friends to the RV park to celebrate with you. Don’t feel like you can’t have guests for the holidays in an RV. Community is one of the best parts of RVing, so the more the merrier!

Don’t overcomplicate it

At the end of the day, remember the reason for the season. While you may want to try and make your holidays in an RV absolutely picture perfect, that isn’t the most important part. What matters is enjoying yourself and having quality time with your loved ones. When you focus on the deeper meaning of the holidays, the little nuances of being on the road don’t get to you as much.

Spend the Holidays in an RV That’s Perfect for Your Family

Still need to find the right RV to take on your holiday adventures? We can help! At Courvelle’s RV, our expert sales staff can match you up with the perfect new or used RV to meet your needs. There are many perks to buying an RV in winter and we’re here to guide you through it!

Changing leaves, bonfires and pumpkin spice everything! Obviously, we love all that October brings, but most of all, we love Halloween. Whether you’re a full-timer or enjoy weekends in your RV, you can experience many different Halloween RV adventures!

Indeed, there are so many fun ways to experience Halloween RV style. However, there are some things to consider when making your holiday plans. First, location matters — so plan where your Halloween RV stay will be in advance as you may need a reservation. Once you’ve chosen your destination, we can talk about RV Halloween decorations and how to create some Halloween magic. Then, after you’ve set the spooky mood, we can get to the fun Halloween activities and snacks!

So, let’s get started! Here are a few of our favorite tips, tricks and ways to celebrate Halloween in your RV.

Plan Ahead To Maximize Your Halloween RV Festivities

First, ask yourself, “where does a skeleton go for a fun night?” …The answer is simple… “Anywhere, as long as it’s a hip joint.”

In all seriousness, location really can matter when planning a Halloween RV vacation. Hence, we recommend doing some research and making reservations to ensure you can get a spot at your chosen destination. You can plan to visit campgrounds that offer fall festivities or investigate locations with haunting histories. We recommend trying to camp around the most haunted spots in Louisiana or at one of our favorite Louisiana campgrounds for fall.

Find An RV Park With Festivities

There are some RV parks that plan the pumpkin carving, hayrides and other fun fall activities for you. So, if you’re feeling like a “lazy bones,” plan Halloween RV stay at one of them! There are some amazing Halloween RV destinations that go all-out for the holiday. Here are some of our favorites.

Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge

First, at Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge, every weekend in October transforms into a festive Halloween playground. This campground is a family favorite for its full slate of spooky activities designed to entertain guests of all ages. From ghostly campsite decorations and golf cart parades to costume and pumpkin carving contests, there’s no shortage of festive fun. Children can enjoy slime-making workshops and trick-or-treating, ensuring a candy-filled adventure. Adults and kids alike will delight in the haunted trail and magical pumpkin patch. Each themed weekend, from the Beastly Bash to the Spooktacular Soiree, offers unique attractions, making every visit a new discovery. Wrap up the days with ghost stories around the campfire under the starlit sky.

Kentucky Horse Park Campground

Next up, celebrate Halloween with a unique equestrian twist at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington! Get into the festive spirit at the Kentucky Oktoberfest Horse Trials and don’t miss their annual Hallowhinny show. Get dressed up in your Halloween best, trick-or-treat around the park, and enjoy the stunning fall foliage. Kentucky Horse Park offers a picturesque setting that’s perfect for an RV Halloween getaway. If your fall schedule is flexible, make sure to add this destination to your travel plans!

Harold Parker State Forest, Massachusetts

Lastly, located less than an hour away from Salem, MA, is Harold Parker State Forest. Also known as Lorraine Park Campground, this site sits on 3,000 acres of hardwood, hemlock and white pine forest. Whereas some other campgrounds have frills, this site will provide you with a real “forest” camping experience. We think this is the perfect spot for sharing scary stories around a campfire or a game of flashlight tag! Plus, location matters, remember? You are only about 35 minutes from Salem, MA, which is renowned for their Haunted Happenings! After a day trip to Salem, we think you’d be truly bewitched over this campground find! Thus, we deem this a perfect spot for a Halloween RV trip.

However, if you are looking to stay local for your Halloween RV celebration, we recommend doing some research to plan your trip. Specifically, you will want to see drive times for day trips and what festivities the campgrounds offer. You can read our blog about weekend destinations in Louisiana for more ideas. Regardless of where you stay, you can create your own Halloween magic!

Plan A Spooky Day Trip

Obviously, your day trips are dependent on where you are setting up camp. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not spend the day diving into a new and mysterious adventure? Again, the activity you choose will depend on your location, but Halloween is time to seek out the paranormal! You already know that we highly encourage a trip to Salem, MA but what about a trip to New Orleans? It doesn’t get much spookier than haunted history tours in The Big Easy! Historic cities like Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina have some tales to tell as well. Additionally you could opt for specific spooky locations, like the site of the unsolved crime at the Villisca Axe Murder House in Iowa or the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. The beauty of a Halloween RV holiday on the road is that your options are endless!

Also worth mentioning, if spooky is not your vibe, you could also plan an outing that is more family friendly. We are always game for a hayride with the family. You could also plan an interactive outing like visiting a pumpkin patch, going apple picking or attending a local fair. Because it’s fall, there should be no shortage of choices as many festivals and carnivals are available in October. Likewise, we recommend researching your location to look for old graveyards to tour or family friendly haunted houses. However, if you are at a campground that offers RV trick-or-treating and you leave, don’t be a “jerk-o-lantern!” Remember to leave candy for the trick-or-treating and costumed campers!

RV Halloween Decorations

Oh, my Gourd! We love to decorate and RV Halloween decorations are so fun! No matter where you end up camping, RV Halloween decorations are one way to make your trip festive! Many campgrounds are known to host decorating contents or trick-or-treating activities, but honestly, decorating is for you. Personally, we love string lights and the classic cobweb aesthetic. Whatever your preference for decorating, Halloween camper decorations set the mood for a fantastic time!

Though you can easily find pre-made décor, we love to get crafty. You could plan a family activity to make your own decorations or put out your carved pumpkins. Bonus points if you visit a local pumpkin patch to pick your pumpkins! Regardless, whether you purchase or make your Halloween RV decorations, we hope they lift your spirits.

Halloween RV Activities

Though there are many campgrounds and location-based activities that can make your Halloween RV experience memorable, they are not necessary. With your RV Halloween decorations up, you can make your night spectacular anywhere, on site. It is easy to get caught up in the seasonal offerings, but memories are made when doing things together. Here are some of our favorite Halloween RV-friendly activities.

Trick Or Treat In The Campground

If you’ve got little ones in tow, this one is for you! While going door to door might look a little different, trick-or-treating in a campground can be a ton of fun. While this is a Halloween tradition, you can still partake in this even while living the RV life. Just remember to prepare your costumes and make sure you have a bag of candy at the ready! More than likely, there’ll be other families with kids in the campground who want to join the trick-or-treating fun. Try collaborating ahead of time with the RVers in your campground to make it night the kiddos will remember.

Surely, they will love going RV door-to-RV door in their costumes on the search for treats. While, it may not be the typical neighborhood, if you choose the right campground, you are guaranteed a fun time!

Swap Scary Stories

First, there is no better ambience than the light from a campfire! Although we love sharing toasty s’mores treat, we are feeling the spirit of ghost stories. Halloween is the perfect time to light a fire and gather around to swap scary stories.

Halloween Movie Marathon

Next, if your RV is your home away from home, ask yourself this: where is the best place to hide from ghosts? Surprisingly, it’s the living room… And is there a better way to stay safe from the than by killing time watching some scary movies? Our next favorite RV Halloween activity is “goblin” up some candy during a movie marathon. Remember the importance of snacks. We like to eat, drink and be scary! Thus, prepare some snacks ahead of time, hot chocolate, apple cider and any of your favorite cozy fall RV recipes. Whether you’re watching family favorites or hiding under the covers to horror classics, an indoor or outdoor RV Halloween movie night eerie-sistible!

Stage a Halloween Hike

Feeling Witchy? This is an idea if you want to give your friends or family a scare. Although it does require some pre-planning, you could make it so fun! That being said, you will need to set aside some time during the day to sneak off and set it up. You can craft your own props or pick them up from a party store, but you will want to have a variety. Look for props like fake gravestones, fake body parts or giant spiders. Next, you are going to need to be stealthy and hide them in the forest. Post them along the trail to create your own outdoor haunted house. Additionally, you can create a task list and make it a scavenger hunt. Then, join back with the group and bring them to the trail you’ve “decorated.” Surely this would be after dark! So, equip your party with flashlights, plant a few scary details and lead them to the ultimate scare. Just be sure to collect your props from the trail once you’re finished and leave nature as you found it.

What Will You Plan For Your Halloween RV Adventure?

If you’re living in an RV or celebrating at the campground, there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate Halloween. Regardless of where you are at, you can plan these activities make your Halloween RV experience one to remember. We hope our list of tips and tricks help you have a fantastic RV Halloween!