whats the favorite way to stay when traveling.

[pete42]

No trailer means motels or hotels.
nice bed, someone else cooks the food, television, pool swimming
loading and unloading suitcases night after night loading unloading my mobility scooter
dag-nab it I need a camper..............

Pete

PS
I have stayed in rest-stops, truck-stops, flying J, cracker barrel, McDonalds 24 hour one, I would use Wal-Mart if needed

[jss06]

I prefer camp grounds. Walmarts are normally too busy.

[GuitarPhotog]

Campgrounds first choice
RV parks second choice
Never Walmart

But I schedule my trips a little more than most people do, and I generally know in advance where I'm going to stay every night of a trip, regardless of length.

<Chas>

[Woodbutcher]

So far only camp grounds.

[AlgoDan]

Campgrounds all the way

[S. Heisley]

Mostly campgrounds and RV resorts, with an occasional short snooze in a rest area, if needed. (But only if it looks very safe!) Here, in California, self-contained RV's are allowed to be parked overnight at rest areas and some road-side day parks (unchained entrances) as long as they leave that area by 8 AM the next morning. Also, on long travel trips, KOA parks can be a God-send to a tired traveler. I've never stayed at a Walmart and doubt I would do that.

[Wolfgang92025]

Does Wal-Mart serve up breakfast in the morning

The Mickey D's inside most wal-marts do.......


to the original question...
Campground 1st
Road site rest/big rig parking lots (usually a gas station)
So far, never tried wally world.

[mary and bob]

Did a Walmart once, only because we got lost, it was late, and no campgrounds nearby. Went in and asked the manager if it was OK. You can find all kinds of stories, some real bad, about overnighting at Walmart, online. One I read where someone in a camper shot a guy that was trying to break in, and then sued Walmart. Have you ever looked at any of those you tube videos of weird people at Walmart, and then think about staying there. We also did one night at a Pilot/Flying J truck stop, it was OK but on a hill so there was a lot of shifting and Jake brake noise. But there were restrooms, and food, and Wifi you had to pay for. First choice is to stay in a campground, have done a few KOAs.

[Socal Tom]

I've driven cross country twice now this way. First time was in a Class C RV, we stayed in Walmart parking lots. It turns out they are very loud and very bright pretty much all night long. If I were desperate, just wanted a quick nap or something I might do it again. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it in my tear. That was about 10 years ago. It was handy for picking up what ever you needed each night.

Last year I pulled the TD from North Carolina to California. I basically planned my trip to arrive at KOA campgrounds each evening ( headed west bound so I got daylight for arrival). It cost about 30$ a night on average, it was more comfortable ( nice to shower each night), and I was traveling with dogs, so there was somewhere to let them out and walk around. The last night I stayed at a mom & Pop campground in Deming NM. The weather was horrible, but the tv cable and wifi worked, ( never did get them to work at either of the KOAs I stayed at. Nice people, but the KOAs were better maintained.
Tom

[stumphugger]

I like state park campgrounds. Oregon has the best of the 5 states I've used, and the worst was in California, which was also the most expensive. Oregon doesn't charge for showers, if you stay at a state park that has them. They also have reduced rates in the winter.

Washington's are sometimes run down and have pay showers.

The one I stayed at in Montana was squeaky clean, friendly hosts, not crowded---in fact almost empty, but had pay showers.

The one in Idaho had free showers, but they were a bit rundown.

CA is spendy, and one place was creepy--no hosts, pay shower drain plugged, so so clean on the bathrooms. The other was the same price but had volunteers in residence and was squeaky clean.

[Vedette]

Hard to group together (tar with the same brush). No two campgrounds are the same!
Even KOA's..............you can check out what is there in your KOA directory, but cleanlyness you won't be able to evaluate until you are already there.
I have stayed in some State parks in Washington that are spectacular.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[indycamper]

Favorite place to stay is Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World! But can't do that all the time, so have tried several alternatives. KOAs have always been good for me. Stayed at a Cracker Barrel the first night of my fall trip - checked with the manager when I arrived for dinner as I'd heard they were usually OK with it. He just asked that I buy one meal meals there - I did dinner and breakfast, since CB is one of my favorite places! I also stayed a night at a rest stop near Jacksonville, FL - was too tired to head out much further, hadn't seen any signs telling me I couldn't, so asked the security guard if it was OK. He said they were OK with people spending the night, as it was better than filling out accident reports! He promised to keep an eye on me all night, and I felt very safe with all the trucks rumbling a lullaby during the night!

[Bogo]

When burning up the miles, I'll often sleep at a rest stop, but never one near a big city.

If I'm meandering in a destination area, I'll stay at campsites, campgrounds, or if available distributed camping. If at campsites, or campgrounds I'll pitch the tent, and still sleep in the back of the truck. The tent is setup to mark my place. I don't have a TD or TTT yet, but I'm seriously thinking about one to allow for more space when camping than the back of the truck provides.

[canned o minimum]

Lemme see... Sum a the places I've taken a nap on a long trip.. usually late at nite...at a gas station, behind a closed Carl's Jr.,truck stop, parking lot,in front of a house, at a police station parking lot.. to name a few.

Usually it's only to take an hour nap. I set my alarm clock for an hour and then "down the road" I go.