Considering Coachella camping for the festival this year?
Starting from a dispute between Pearl Jam and Ticketmaster, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has become one of the largest and most popular festivals. Coachella attracts thousands every year to its five main stages. You can hear rock, indie, hip-hop, and electronic dance music artists for two whole weekends in April!
Not only does the festival feature some of the most popular musicians of our time, Coachella also hosts up-and-coming musicians and artists from all around the world. Showcasing everything from installation art to sculptures, the festival’s goal is to showcase bigger, more creative, and more shocking music and art year after year.
If you’ve already got your Coachella tickets in hand (congratulations!), you may be wondering what you need to know to properly plan your Coachella camping adventure.
Since typical festival digs include a tent and sleeping bag — or at the very least a yoga mat on the bare ground — taking an RV to the event is definitely doing it in style. You’ll be the envy of all your friends with a real, soft bed to crash in after a day of music and dancing.
But there are some things you need to know before you pack up and head for the valley. For one thing, on-site Coachella camping can accommodate cars and campervans but not RVs. You’ll need to make arrangements with an off-site campground if you have a camper, RV, or trailer. That’s pretty important to know ahead of time!
Here are some more tips and tricks to making the most of your festival experience at Coachella.
Camping at Coachella
As mentioned above, there isn’t any RV camping available on-site at Coachella. If you want to stay on the festival grounds, you can choose from car camping, van camping, tent camping, or use pre-arranged accommodations including Safari tents and teepees.
Traditional camping can be done comfortably if you have the right gear on hand. A quality tent and sleeping bag are musts, but you’d be surprised by how much a good inflatable sleeping pad can improve your experience. Although this part of California tends to be dry, a rainstorm could easily turn your campsite into a soggy mess! It’s a good idea to bring along some tarps or rain flies to ensure you stay nice and dry no matter what Mother Nature decides.
If you do camp on-site at Coachella, you’ll have access to a farmers market that sells fresh fruits and vegetables, a camp store stocked with other supplies, and free shuttles that take guests to local grocery stores. You’ll also find multiple showers and restrooms as well as Wi-Fi from an on-site internet cafe and stations for charging mobile devices.
However, if you want to bring the comfort of an RV to the festival, there are several options for campgrounds near Coachella, which are still convenient enough for you to get to the shows. You can look in nearby towns like Palm Springs, and some festival-goers even end up camping at Joshua Tree. Although it’s about 70 miles away, you sure can’t beat the view — or the price!
Festival Camping Essentials
Whether you’re traveling in a motorhome, travel trailer, or even just in your car, there are a few pieces of festival camping gear you need on your checklist. After all, being outside partying for a whole weekend may sound like fun, but it can be tough on your body!
The most important thing to remember is to wear sunscreen at all times and drink lots and lots of water — especially if you’re planning on drinking alcohol. Carrying a refillable water bottle is a great way to ensure you stay hydrated. Keep in mind that glass and metal bottles may not be allowed on the festival grounds, so choosing a plastic bottle may be your best option. (Besides, they’re a whole lot cheaper and harder to break!)
Food is also a big deal at a festival. There are plenty of indulgent treats available from vendors, but after a hard day of wandering around the festival grounds, you’re going to want some real nutrition. Keeping yourself stocked up on easy, high-energy snacks like trail mix is important, but a camp stove can mean the difference between a humdrum dinner and a delicious, gourmet meal. Keep in mind, however, that the camping rules prohibit open flames.
Festival Gear
Your festival survival kit doesn’t stop at the bare camping necessities! There are plenty of other fun accessories that can help make your Coachella experience feel more authentic.
For instance, think about your wardrobe. You want to look stylish but still be comfortable in the California sun. That’s why many festival-goers end up wearing jean shorts and breezy tops; not only are they cool festival fashions, they’re cool to wear in the desert heat. And don’t skip out on your footwear, either. You might even consider hiking boots; they’re not the most stylish, but you’ll be able to survive the all-day lineup!
It can also be fun to experiment with makeup, costume items (like tutus or flower crowns), and face paint while you’re at Coachella. Think about it: there’s a whole lot you can get away with here that you probably can’t in the “real” world. Why not take advantage of that opportunity?
Luxury Camping
RV camping at a music festival is an experience you won’t forget, and it’s also a good way to make sure you’re well-rested and feeling fabulous. After all, sleeping on the ground is hard even when you don’t have a whole lot of music to hear in a very short space of time. You need your sleep!
Coachella typically takes place over two weekends in April and the lineup is identical on both weekends. If you’re lucky enough to go, be sure to take lots of photos! We’ll be here living vicariously through your Coachella RV camping experience.
Experience Coachella in an RV
Coachella truly is a one-of-a-kind experience and for those looking to get out there in style this year! Here’s how you can get the best deal on Coachella RV rentals, find great RV resorts to stay at around the area, and more.
Coachella RV Rentals
Preparing for a trip to the California desert, especially for such a jam-packed weekend, is exciting, but can also be a ton of work. Thankfully, at RVshare, we make renting an RV for Coachella the easiest part. Right from our homepage, you can search through thousands of high-quality motorhomes to rent anywhere in the US.
It’s simple.
- Whether you search from the homepage or the page you’re on, just locate the bar that says “Search by City, State” and enter where you’re located, or where you’re planning to pick up and drop off the rig. Next to that, just enter your expected date range and click “search.”
- When you’re on the page, you’ll see that you have a plethora of options available to you, all high-quality, and all different classes.
- Use the filtering options to narrow down the choices, pick the one you want, and request to book.
If you’d like to check out RV rentals right in Indio CA, you’re in luck. We have over 500 RVs ready to rent in the area. The selections range from fifth wheels to Class Cs, to Class A’s and pop-up campers! No matter how many travelers you’re bringing, what budget you’ve got, and what luxuries you can’t do without, we’ve got you covered.
Our prices are some of the lowest in the industry. If you’re on a budget, or would rather spend most of your cash on awesome Coachella souvenirs, we’ve got tips for that too.
Coachella RV Resorts
Once you’re done looking through all of your options and you’ve selected the perfect RV, the next thing you need to know is where to stay. The area is loaded with great camps and resorts for travelers with different budgets, off-site.
If you’re willing to stay just a minute away, Coachella Shadow Hills RV Resort is an excellent option for many. It’s the only RV resort in the area that offers official Coachella shuttle services. It has full hook-ups, showers, and complimentary coffee every morning. As far as fun, the park has pool parties and after-concert BBQs!
Another option is Indian Waters RV Resort & Cottages. This oasis is located right in the heart of Indio. Activities here include movie nights, hiking excursions, live entertainment, and ice cream socials!
Staying at either of these two camps will provide an authentic Coachella RV camping experience. Plus, they’re comfortable resting spots when you’re not dancing your feet off at shows! The best part is that partying and meeting cool new people doesn’t have to end at the venue, since these resorts encourage socializing and having a great time!
Prices at off-site campgrounds generally range from $500 to $600 for four to five days at a time.
Coachella RV Rental Rates
As the cost of attending the show is high, especially if you want to be there every day, you probably want to know how much the total trip will cost you when you factor in the price of your rental. Larger RVs with multiple beds will cost more than a basic camper, but you can fit more people inside a larger camper and split the total cost to bring down the price of your trip.
The cost will also go up when you book your camper at the last minute, closer to the festival. Staying in a Coachella RV camping area during a different time of the year will help you save on the cost of the camper as well as the price of the spot that you want for the weekend or week.
Camping Coachella Vehicles
To get a better idea of how much this trip will cost you, you should give some thought to what type of camper is suitable for your group. Class A campers are elaborate and actually similar to the ones your favorite singers and bands will use at the festival. These RVs come with amenities like private bedrooms, full kitchens, and bathrooms with attached showers.
A larger camper or motorhome is best for those traveling to the Coachella Valley outside of festival days. You can relax in the AC, escape the California heat, and watch television before going to sleep at night.
If you plan your trip around the festival, you might save some money and still have a good time in a campervan or a pop-up camper. These campers have less space and fewer amenities and generally have space for 2-3 guests. Since you’ll spend less time back at your campsite, you might not care much about the amenities included.
Coachella RV Pass & Camping
If you want to camp on-site, you’ll want a Class B motorhome since full-fledged RVs aren’t allowed in the camping area. The way it works is that along with your standard tickets, you can purchase passes for any extra amenities you want to add.
To camp at Coachella, you have options for car or van camping or tent camping. Look through the site to buy tickets and to see additional pricing for things like VIP passes, dinner, etc.
Thankfully, Coachella has a step-by-step guide on its site that explains how to purchase passes and more.
Wrap Up
Coachella is a super large event that attracts over half a million excited partiers a year. It’s important that they’re organized! There is plenty of information on their site that explains how you can get the most from your experience.
As you can see, the price for the festival and everything around it will add up quick! The best way to save as much as possible is to make sure you do all of your Coachella Valley RV rentals with RVshare. You’ll save on travel, rooms, and food by renting from the best RV rental marketplace in the industry!
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