Great value rentals from the United States’ most trusted RV hire providers
For visitors who want to tour the Big Apple, an RV rental in New York can help you get around and experience many great attractions. VroomVroomVroom can help you find and compare motorhome deals that will suit your budget and needs. If you prefer a smaller vehicle, we also compare rental cars in New York.
New York City is famous around the world as being a center for arts and finance. The USA’s biggest city is home to many iconic attractions like the High Line, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Grand Central Terminal and Brooklyn Bridge. New York City is a great destination to pick up your RV rental and explore upstate New York and New Jersey. If you’re looking for the best road trip itineraries from "The City That Never Sleeps," click here.
Some of our favorite things to do year-round in New York are:
Summer (June, July, August): The city is jam-packed with music festivals, events and outdoor concerts, including the Governors Ball, Hot 97 Summer Jam, NYC Pride Week, Afropunk Festival and CityParks SummerStage. Of course, it wouldn’t be the 4th of July in New York City without the annual Macy’s fireworks display. Only a 2-hour drive following I-495 E, the Hamptons is a favorite destination to take a day trip from NYC. Relax and enjoy some of the best beaches here like Cupsogue, Tiana, Ponquogue and Coopers Beach.
Fall (September, October, November): Celebrate Oktoberfest and raise a glass of your favorite German beer at Watermark Bar in the famous South Street Seaport. Make sure to visit the Queens Night Market for a solid mix of food and arts. Or join the oldest and largest street festival in New York, known as the Atlantic Antic held every year on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Only a 2-hour drive from NYC via I-87 N, check out the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Hudson Valley for some Halloween fun.
Winter (December, January, February): Plenty of outdoor rinks in the city are open for winter fun. These include The Rink at Rockefeller Center, World Ice Arena, Riverbank State Park Ice Skating Rink, Staten Island Skating Pavilion, and Wollman Rink in Central Park. Make sure to visit some of the city’s best holiday markets or drive to the Windham Mountain Resort in the Catskill Mountains for a ski getaway.
Spring (March, April, May): Admire the famous cherry blossom festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden in April. Popularly known as Sakura Matsuri, the event celebrates Japanese culture with marvelous entertainment. The annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is another sight not to be missed. Springtime also marks the return of Major League Baseball. Make sure to cheer for the Yankees and the Mets during your NYC trip.
Year-Round: There are many attractions that you can explore in New York City for free. Check out the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center Public Art, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Bronx Museum. Other favorite highlights in the city include the famed Central Park, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Times Square, and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Of course, no trip to NYC is complete without seeing an award-winning Broadway musical.
New York City North / Newburgh KOA is less than an hour’s drive from New York City and can be found near the Catskill Mountains. The park on Freetown Highway has approximately 65 acres dedicated to resort-style camping. Guests can take advantage of this site’s daily tours of famous New York landmarks like Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty.
Black Bear Campground is located on Wheeler Road in Orange County, which is only an hour away from New York City. The park has a lot to offer RV travelers, starting with a swimming pool and recreation area. Families will enjoy the playground, mini-golf course, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. Pets are welcome in this park.
Eastern Long Island Kampgrounds is a family-owned campsite for trailers, tents, and RV rentals. Located in Queens Street in Greenport, this RV park aims to pamper campers with facilities including a swimming pool and game room. Families with children can make use of the playground while enjoying the rest of the campground. This park is within walking distance to Long Island South, and nearby sandy beaches.
Heckscher State Park is located in East Islip, New York and is about 50 miles away from downtown New York. The park lies on 1,600 acres of land and is a suitable place to park an RV on the south shore of Long Island. Families can have picnics in the shady groves, while spacious, open fields can be used for sports like soccer and football. The park has multi-purpose trails for campers who love to go biking or hiking.
Rockefeller Center is a complex spanning 22 acres and 19 commercial buildings located in mid-town Manhattan, between 5th and 6th Avenue. Visitors can see an amazing view of the city on Top of the Rock, a rooftop observation deck at Rockefeller. In winter, tourists flock to Rockefeller Center for a chance to skate on its popular ice rink. This famous tourist attraction became a historic landmark in 1987.
Empire State Building is often called the world’s most famous building. Situated on the west side of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, between 33rd and 34th Streets, see the rest of the city from approximately 305 meters above the street level.
Statue of Liberty which stands in Upper New York Bay symbolizes hope and freedom. Made of copper, the colossal statue lights up the night and has been a New York City (and American) classic landmark since 1886. Visitors can get to this famous statue by ferry and it is the perfect spot to snap a few photos while on your vacation.
On hiring an RV in New York City
Unlike when hiring a rental car, people tend to book an RV a bit further in advance, and there are a few reasons for this.
When you’re hiring an RV, you’re not simply hiring something with four wheels to buzz around a city for a few days, instead you’re hiring a vehicle that you could well be living in for days, weeks, or even months. As such, people tend to have far more specific needs — some may require a certain number of berths, perhaps an onboard kitchen, or more comfortable living space. All this means that doing your research to find the right RV for you can pay off handsomely — but it also means that supply is more limited. When supply is limited, it is a good idea to book as far in advance as possible so that you know that the RV you need will be waiting for you when you arrive.
With this in mind, while it isn’t unusual for people to book a hire car the day before they need it, with RVs, people often book their vehicle months in advance. So our advice to you is if you’re planning to rent an RV, start researching today, and when you find the right RV for you, book it!
One more point, another way RV rentals differ from regular cars, is that bookings are not instant. Once you make an RV booking it will need to be approved by the provider. Yet another reason not to leave your RV rental until you’re sitting in the airport boarding lounge.
If you’re new to RVs and not sure where to start, please give our RV rental information page a read as it explains many of the basics you’ll need to know to make an informed decision.
We could start off by telling you that a typical customer hiring an RV in New York City tends to look at RVs with two or four berths (including a toilet and shower). This isn’t really all that helpful though, as they type of RV you should hire in New York City depends very much on the type of RV you — rather than a typical customer — needs. Consider the following questions:
How big is your travel group? What is your budget? What facilities do you need — or not need? Where are you planning to go? How long for? Knowing the answers to these questions — and plenty more — is the best way to make sure the RV you hire in New York City is the right one for you.
Solo travellers or couples might find a compact RV to be more than enough, while families — especially those with young kids — or larger groups might prefer a more spacious motorhome with multiple sleeping areas.
Next, consider the facilities you need and the facilities you want. These might sound the same, but they are very different! Basic RVs often include a bed and simple cooking gear, while more luxurious options feature kitchens, bathrooms, and comfortable bedding. For example, if you’re planning on camping, perhaps paying the extra for comfortable beds isn’t really necessary, but if you’re not even packing a tent, then the extra expense required to get more comfortable beds might be a smart choice.
Where you’re going also matters. If you’re planning to just potter around New York City and its immediate surrounds, then you could probably get away with a standard RV. That said, if you’re planning to drive from New York City to Denver — or Los Angeles — something more spacious would be a sound investment.
Think about your budget, as RVs vary in cost depending on size, amenities, and rental duration, and while shortening the length of your trip might bring different options within your budget, spending more to get a bigger van may mean you’ll spend even less on hotels. Either way, do the math!
In conclusion, when you’re booking an RV for pickup from New York City, it pays to be honest when considering what you need versus what you want, along with what fits with your budget and overall travel plans. It’s the best way to maximise your chance of getting the perfect RV for you.
For most rental RV providers, the minimum age to rent an RV is the same as for car rentals — 21 years of age. Depending on the RV rental supplier, those under 21 may only be able to rent certain vehicles. Double check with the RV rental provider to see what their specific requirements are.
In most cases, you won’t need to present a special type of licence to rent an RV — you’ll only be asked to present your standard and valid full driving licence. Keep in mind that a probationary, learner permit, or provisional licence are not accepted for RV hire. If your licence is in a language other than English, you’ll need to provide an International Driving Permit in conjunction with your valid licence. If you’re unsure as to whether your licence will be accepted, you should contact your prospective RV provider prior to booking.
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