Where to go on fall break by RV or camper

Wondering where to go on fall break by RV or camper? October is a great month for road trips: the big summer crowds are gone, the light turns golden and the forests change color. The Mediterranean often stays warm, with water that still invites a swim. In the north and in the mountains, days get shorter and colder, and the first campgrounds and high passes close for the season.

The routes below are the ones our season estimate rates as good in October, limited to trips of up to about two weeks. Our tip: many campgrounds in central and northern Europe close during the fall, so check opening dates before you go. In return, you’ll often find a spot without booking. Bring warm sleeping gear and a reliable heater, because nights cool down quickly.

How we work: data and estimates

FAQs

Where is it still warm on fall break?

In southern Europe. Andalusia, the Algarve, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece and Cyprus often have warm, sunny days in October, and the sea is still mild after the summer. Southern France and northern Italy are pleasant but cooler. In the US, the desert Southwest is comfortable again, and New England’s fall colors draw crowds, with cool nights.

Are campgrounds still open in October?

Many are, but fewer every week. In southern Europe, most campgrounds stay open through October, and some are open all year. In central and northern Europe and in the mountains, many close during the fall. Check opening dates and facilities before you go, because some sites already shut pools, restaurants or parts of the restrooms.

USA · 229 routes

The Blue Ridge Parkway, end to end

Utah's five national parks, in one loop from Las Vegas

Death Valley loop

Lake Tahoe loop

Sequoia and Yosemite

Red rock Arizona

Utah Scenic Byway 12

San Juan Skyway

Top of the Rockies to Aspen

High Road to Taos

Texas Gulf Coast

Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific

Chihuahuan Desert parks

Natchez Trace Parkway

Route 66, part one: Chicago to Oklahoma City

Arkansas Ozarks

Lowcountry: Charleston to Savannah

Outer Banks

Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica

Florida’s Forgotten Coast

Pacific Coast Highway south: Malibu to San Diego

Lassen Volcanic loop: Burney Falls to the mud pots

Yosemite end to end: sequoias, Glacier Point and Tioga Road

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest

Europe · 298 routes

Tuscany and Lazio by motorhome

Sicily loop: temples, Etna and Baroque towns

Riviera di Ponente: Genoa to the French border

Sardinia’s Orientale Sarda

Puglia: trulli, white towns and the heel of Italy

Montefeltro: Rimini to Urbino and Gradara

Conero Riviera and the Frasassi caves

Cilento and Maratea: the quiet side of Campania

Monti Sibillini: Ascoli to the flowering plain

Trabocchi Coast to the Molise and Abruzzo mountains

Gargano: forest, cliffs and sea stacks

Castles and ravines of the Alta Murgia

Basilicata: Matera, ghost towns and the Lucanian Dolomites

Calabria’s Coast of the Gods

Pollino and Sila: Calabria’s mountain heart

Western Sicily: Segesta, Erice and the salt pans

Inland Sicily: mosaics, majolica and the Madonie

Sardinia’s west coast: Alghero to Barumini

Langhe and Roero: Barolo country

Gallura: granite coast of northern Sardinia

Maremma: cypresses, hot springs and tuff towns

Italian Riviera: Genoa to Lerici

Italy’s Food Valley: Parma to Ravenna

Umbria’s hill towns

Oceania · 93 routes

From the Bay of Islands to Cape Reinga and back

The Kauri Coast and Hokianga from Kaikohe to Matakohe

Three days in the Bay of Islands: Waitangi to Kerikeri

Auckland and the wild Waitākere west coast beaches

Auckland to Whangārei by the north-east coast

The Coromandel Peninsula loop from Thames to Waihī

Waikato circuit: Hobbiton, Waitomo caves, Kawhia and Raglan

Two days along the Bay of Plenty from Waihī to Te Kaha

The East Cape road from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne

Rotorua, Taupō and Tongariro: a volcanic plateau road trip

Tongariro National Park, Whakapapa and Ōhakune in two days

Waitomo caves and the SH3 coast road to New Plymouth

Around Mt Taranaki on the Surf Highway and mountain roads

The Forgotten World Highway from Stratford to Taumarunui

The Whanganui River Road from Whanganui to Ōhakune

Hawke's Bay: Napier, Hastings, wine and Cape Kidnappers

Wellington to Wairarapa wine country and Cape Palliser

Surf breaks, limestone stacks and sandstone ridges – by camper along the Great Ocean Road to the Grampians

Taihape to Wellington through Manawatū and the Kāpiti Coast

From Picton Through the Marlborough Sounds to Nelson

Along SH1 from Picton through Marlborough Wine Country to Kaikōura

From Nelson to Abel Tasman, Takaka and the Top of the South

From Nelson to Westport via Nelson Lakes and the Buller Gorge

Sugar cane, the Coral Sea and cassowaries – up the Queensland coast by camper to Cape Tribulation

Other holidays

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