Booking with Pine Road
What is included in the cost? +
- A personal Trip Planner
- Custom, personalized day-by-day itinerary
- All nightly accommodations (campsites and hotels)
- All-inclusive RV rental
- Driving directions
- Activity suggestions
- National Parks Pass
What is not included in the cost? +
- Airfare to/from your starting city
- Fuel for the RV
- Park entrance fees not covered by the National Parks Pass
- Personal items such as laundry, groceries, meals, gratuities, etc.
How far in advance should I book my trip? +
Reservations should be made at least 60 days prior to your trip start date, but we highly recommend booking your trip at least 6 months in advance. Most national park campgrounds are open for reservations 5-6 months prior to your arrival date, and they tend to sell out that same day, so it is imperative that you book early. Less lead time also means a reduction in available RVs and excursions.
We have our own RV, can you still plan a trip for us? +
Absolutely! Contact us for more details, we may be able to provide a discount.
Can I bring my dog? +
This is a hard question to answer... so we'll say maybe. This really depends on where you want to go, and what company you are renting your RV from. While some RV rental companies will allow dogs (usually for an additional fee), others do not allow pets in their rentals. If the RV we rent for you does allow pets, most national parks and many other locations are very restrictive on where your pets are allowed to go, so you are forced to leave them in your vehicle. This presents a problem for several reasons. First, your vehicle can get very hot when parked in the sun and this could be dangerous for your pet. Also, many national park campgrounds do not allow you to leave your dog unattended. So you can’t bring your dog with you, but you can’t leave your dog behind. See why we said this is a hard question to answer? Let's chat more if you want to bring your furry friend along.
How do I book a trip with you? +
Easy! You have two options.
- Choose from one of our suggested itineraries. These are some of the most popular routes to some of the best destinations in the West. We call them our "tried and true".
- Let us plan a custom route for you. Browse our destinations and tell us where you would like to go. We will do our best to accommodate any request, but if we feel that we aren't experts in the location, we may have to say no.
Whichever option you choose, please fill out the Trip Itinerary Request Form and let us know where you want to go. We'll solidify details, talk about your RV rental options, what activities you may be interested in... basically, we want to know what you like so we can design a custom vacation just for you. Once we have all the details, we take it from there! All you need to do is show up on the first day of your trip and go!
What forms of payment do you accept? +
Deposits and final payments can be paid by personal check, bank transfer (ACH), Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Credit cards and bank transfers will incur an additional 3% processing fee, so we do recommend paying by check.
What is your cancellation policy? +
Cancellations must be received at our office in writing - by email or mail.
No refunds or other compensation will be offered in the event that inclement weather, fire or smoke conditions, or other natural causes lead to travel delays or prevent customer from participating in scheduled activities. If your trip needs to be rerouted due to weather-related conditions, we will do so.
If for any reason you need to cancel your Pine Road vacation, fees are as follows:
More than 60 days prior to your departure date, the cancellation fee will be 50% of the price of your trip.
60 days or less prior to your departure date, the cancellation fee will be 100% of the price of your trip.
Pine Road Travel Co. strongly recommends that you purchase travel insurance from Travel Guard providing coverage for loss of Deposit, cancellation fees, medical expenses, lost baggage and other potential travel-related losses under certain circumstances. The scope of coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of the insurance policy. If you choose to purchase this insurance, please do so no later than the time of your final payment.
Can I contact you during my Pine Road vacation if anything goes wrong or I have questions? +
Of course! We are available during normal business hours by phone, and after hours by text or email. We send you your itinerary and other trip information through an App, and there is a texting tool within the App that allows you to send us messages whenever you need to. If you have any issues with your RV, you should contact the RV company directly.
What happens if I want to change my itinerary once I'm on the road? +
Decide you want to stay in a destination for one more night? See a turn off you just couldn't resist? We'll do our best to adjust your itinerary or help you find new accommodations, but please be aware that we won't be able to give you a refund for a campsite or hotel reservation that you didn't show up for. We may also need to charge you an additional fee for this last minute planning. All of this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Camping & Hotels
Can you arrange a hotel for us? +
Yes! Just let us know when and where and we can take care of that for you.
Can I book my own hotel stay? +
Of course! Just let us know.
What is the difference between a hookup and no-hookup campsite? +
Full hookup sites include electric, water and sewer attachments for the RV. This makes your RV completely self-contained. Partial hookups to electric and water provide unlimited use of both, so you don’t have to ration.
No-hookup sites, as they sound, do not have any hook ups to electric, water or sewer. Although this may sound scary or intimidating, they can be just as comfortable as those with hookups, you will just have to be a little bit smarter and conserve what you have in your RV. It also means that your AC and microwave oven will not operate without running the generator (not allowed in some campgrounds due to noise, or only during specific generator hours) or external electricity.
Can I still use the shower in the RV at a no-hook up site? +
In most RVs, you will have a fresh water tank which contains a limited supply of water that you will use for drinking, cooking, washing, showering, and flushing. If you’d like to take a shower while at a no-hookup site, you will want to use as little water as possible - unless you have potable water available close by to refill your tank!
Where do we wash our clothes while on the road? +
Many private campgrounds have washers and dryers for laundry, or you can find a coin-operated laundromat in most towns. We recommend bringing a few laundry pods with you (they take up less space than liquid soap), as well as quarters.
RV
Can I tow a car? +
Most RV companies do not allow you to tow a car behind your RV rental, but we would be happy to check for you with the specific company you are renting from.
What does the standard RV rental come with? Do we have to bring our own cooking and sleeping supplies? +
Most RV rentals will come with a fairly extensive “Convenience Kit” which will include kitchen utensils, pans and pots, cups, bowls, etc, and Sleeping Kits, sheets, blankets pillows, towels, etc.
We will give you an exact breakdown of what your specific RV will come with once we have reserved your RV for you.
What is the gas mileage like when driving an RV? +
Gas mileage will vary greatly based on the vehicle you rent. For larger vehicles, it will probably be between 7-9 mpg, while diesel vans (Class Bs) may be closer to 20 mpg.
Why don’t you recommend RVs longer than 31 feet in length? +
RVs over 31 feet in length will have limited to no access on certain back roads (which can be some of our favorite drives), and will be harder to navigate on windy, narrow roads like Highway 1. Some campgrounds will have limited or no spots for larger RVs.
How does "dumping" your tanks work? +
Your RV renter or rental company will give you instructions on how to empty your holding tanks. We recommend buying a pair of heavy duty yellow rubber gloves for this task. When your black tank (which holds your sewage from your toilet) starts to get full, you will pull to a dump station at a campground and empty that tank, along with your grey water tank (which holds the sink and shower water). Once you have placed your deposit, we will give you tips and tricks for how to best do this!