Holiday RV Travel Statistics: Which Holidays Book Fastest, Where People Are Going and For How Long

Holiday RV travel booking trends and statistics are more than just fun facts. They can also help you determine how early you should be planning your own festive getaways, whether you’re planning to travel for a winter holiday, like Christmas or Thanksgiving, or a summer holiday like Juneteenth or Memorial Day.

Below, you’ll find real data gathered from RVshare bookings that will help you determine the ideal booking window for many of the most popular travel holidays. Along with revealing which holidays book up the fastest, we’ve also gathered the details on the most popular destinations for each holiday — and how long people tend to travel for Christmas versus Thanksgiving, for example. 

Along with seeing where your own RV travel plans fall in the lineup, you’ll also be well prepared to plan your own can’t-miss trip. Hint: While many travelers do book out their rental RV and other services weeks or months in advance, our data shows that last-minute bookings (zero to seven days before the vacation) remain highly active, even during the most popular and crowded travel times. In other words, no matter when you’re planning, chances are you’ll be able to find the perfect vacation vehicle for your needs on the peer-to-peer market at RVshare.

Now, let’s dive in.

Holiday RV Travel Statistics: At a Glance

Before we break everything down, here are some of the most pertinent details at a glance. Some of the data may surprise you!

How We Analyzed Holiday RV Booking Trends

Using real RVshare booking data from 2025, 2024 and 2023, we looked at what proportion of RV renters booked their vehicles on short-, medium- and long-term bases, as well as last-minute bookings. These time frames are defined below:

• Last-minute bookings: 0–7 days before trip
• Short-term bookings: 8–30 days before trip
• Medium-term bookings: 31–90 days before trip
• Long-term bookings: 91+ days before trip

For the winter holidays, we also took a look at the average number of nights rented, the average effective nightly rate, and the most popular destinations (along with the average number of nights for each).

The study revealed some surprising trends, so let’s take a closer look!

When it Comes to RV Rental, Which Holidays Book Fastest?

For many, winter holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving loom large in our imaginations. These are the trips where we might be traveling to meet up with family or taking more time to rest and recuperate in the company of loved ones. 

But according to RVshare’s data, Christmas and Thanksgiving are not the holidays for which RV rentals book up the fastest — or the furthest in advance. In fact, Labor Day is actually in the lead in that regard, with an average booking lead time of 74.1 days. That’s more than two months!

Meanwhile, the majority of renters who booked an RV for Thanksgiving or Christmas did so on the short term, between 8 and 30 days before the trip was set to begin. For Thanksgiving travel, long-term planning, between 31 and 60 days before the trip was set to begin, was slightly more common, but medium-term planning still led the way.

Perhaps most surprising of all: For both Christmas and Thanksgiving, last-minute bookings, with a week or less between the reservation and the trip, were very popular. In fact, renters were nearly as likely to book a last-minute reservation for winter travel as they were to plan it more than 90 days in advance.

So, while booking in advance can give you more choices and be less stressful for those who like to have things set up ahead of time, if you feel like you just can’t get anything done until the eleventh hour, you’re in good company. And with the peer-to-peer rental market, you’re still likely to find an RV that will work for your needs!

Where Do RV Travelers Go for the Winter Holidays — and for How Long?

Now, let’s take a closer look at those two big winter holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We’ve already mentioned that most renters plan for these trips on the short and medium terms. In fact, it was almost as common for renters to book last-minute as it was for them to book more than 90 days in advance — and in some cases, like Christmas 2025, last-minute bookings were far more popular.

(Note: The figures in this chart are based on data from 2023 to 2025, with rentals expressed as a percentage of total bookings in each year.)

As you can see, it was generally more common for renters to book their rig at the very last minute than to be planning their Thanksgiving or Christmas RV trip while the summer is still winding down. Along with simply being a lot to think about a busy time, the delay in winter holiday travel could also be owed to larger family groups figuring out how to make their plans work together — anyone who’s ever tried to get everyone in a big family on board knows how time-consuming that process can be!

What Do RV Renters Spend on Their Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays?

Our study also took a look at how long the average RV renter keeps their rental rig for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as the effective average nightly rate.

We found that, on average in 2025, Thanksgiving renters kept their RVs for 4.4 nights, and spent $253.65 per night, for a total cost of $1,116.06.

Meanwhile, Christmas renters kept their RVs slightly longer, for 5.2 nights, at a slightly lower average effective rate of $246.20 per night, for a total cost of $1,280.24.

Note: Data in this chart comes from 2025 RVshare bookings only.

While prices can vary substantially, additional analysis by RVshare shows that RV rentals are likely to be more affordable than airfare and hotels or even vacation rentals. That’s especially true if you’re traveling with a group of adults and splitting costs multiple ways.

Where Do RVers Travel During Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Now for the really fun stuff: Where, exactly, are all these holiday travelers going?

RVshare bookings don’t lie, and our proprietary data proclaims the truth loud and proud: Most winter travelers are heading for sun-drenched, natural settings, including national parks, state parks, and outdoor sporting and events areas like motocross tracks and dunes.

Most Popular Thanksgiving RV Holiday Destinations, 2025

Most Popular Christmas RV Holiday Destinations, 2025

Surprising Statistics about the Summer Holidays

Now that we’ve taken a deep dive into the winter holidays in all their glory, let’s turn our attention back to the fleeting summer holidays. How quickly do they book? How popular are they to travel on? Here’s what you need to know.

Independence Day: The Busiest RV Travel Holiday

Everyone knows that Fourth of July is high summer mayhem in the best way. But if you’re planning to travel for America’s Birthday, you’re going to be facing high demand. And that means it’s a good idea to book early. 

Independence Day sees the highest volume of bookings on RVshare, and renters are making those reservations with an average 64.3-day lead time. That means the dates are both popular and well-planned for, so if you’re wanting to getaway this year on the Fourth, start planning now!

Labor Day: One of the Earliest-Planned Trips

Seems like everyone wants to plan to send out their end of summer with a bang — well ahead of time! Along with being the summer holiday with the second highest booking volume here at RVshare, Labor Day also has the longest booking window: travelers are planning their getaways an average of 74.1 days ahead of time. That means if Labor Day is on September 7, as it was this year, you’d be booking on June 25! 

Memorial Day: Consistent Summer Demand

The kickoff to summer, Memorial Day sees consistent demand with a relatively lengthy lead time (61.3 days), and strong booking volume to boot. 

MLK Day: A Short-Notice Getaway

A quick, mid-January blip is the perfect way to slough off the holiday blues, and an MLK Day getaway can, according to our data, be made on relatively short notice. This holiday saw an average lead time of just 40.3 days, meaning you’ll likely be able to book at the last minute and still find flexibility in both rental rigs and campsites.

What These RV Booking Trends Mean for Travelers

So, what do these insights mean for you as someone looking to plan your picture-perfect RV getaway?

• If you want to travel in the summer, plan earlier. Because it’s such a popular travel time anyway, summer holidays have some of the longest lead times in the game.
• High-demand dates = limited inventory. When everyone’s booking way out ahead of time, rentals (and other resources) simply disappear, which makes booking even earlier more important!
• Shorter lead times don’t always mean lower demand. Which is to say, if you really want to go, the time to book is almost always sooner than later.
• But, if you’re booking last-minute, take heart. You’re certainly not alone — and plenty of other travelers have been able to find vehicles to suit their needs at the last minute!

Rules of thumb:

• Book your summer holiday plans at least two months in advance, though longer is even better.
• Expect limited options for peak weekends, especially those around major holidays.
• Stay flexible. Flexibility around dates, RV type, and other details  increases your chances of finding availability and making your trip happen.

When to Book Your Holiday RV Trip

At a quick glance, here’s when to book your holiday RV trip, depending on which holiday, exactly, you’re trying to travel for:

• 2+ months ahead:
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
• 1–2 months ahead:
  • Memorial Day
• ~1 month ahead:
  • MLK Day
  • Christmas
  • Thanksgiving

Tips for Booking RV Travel During Holiday Weekends

It can be difficult to compete with others for limited travel resources over busy holiday weekends. But you can still make the trip of your dreams come true if you follow these insider tips.

• Book early for the best RV selection, especially if you have your heart set on something specific
• Be flexible with both dates and pickup locations to increase your odds
• Consider extending your trip beyond peak dates, or skipping peak dates altogether
• Look for less crowded nearby destinations (think: state parks rather than national parks)
• Choose the right RV for your group size (smaller RVs can be more readily available and are often more than suitable for solo travelers and couples!)

Browse RV rental listings early to secure your perfect rig on your preferred dates!

Start Planning Your Next Holiday RV Trip

When it comes to holiday travel, the earlier you plan, the more options you have — though maintaining flexibility and open-mindedness can lead you into adventures you might otherwise have missed out on. 

RV travel gives you the highest level of agency and comfort when you’re traveling during busy seasons and holidays, and when you rent through RVshare, you access the largest nationwide selection of peer-owned RVs in the U.S. We also offer roadside assistance and support throughout your trip, so you can kick back, relax, and keep a holiday smile on your face!

Holiday RV Travel Statistics: Frequently Asked Questions