If you're planning to hit the road, you should hit these books first! These are the best travel guides for RVers…
They say for one to travel, all they have to do is open a book. I, myself, have discovered incredible places, both real and imaginary, thanks to countless books I’ve read over the years.
As RVers, Jennifer and I are always looking for resources to improve our travels, and books have been a big part of our travel kit.
So, we’ve put together a list of must-have travel books for RVers. This list includes incredibly helpful atlases and guides for any RVer or road traveler.
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21 of the Best Travel Guides for RVers
To make it easy for you, I’ve made a “shopping list” of these books on Amazon. So you can just click that shopping list link if you want to buy one or more of these books. Or, you can buy them individually by clicking their titles below.
At the end, I grouped a bulleted list of very thorough travel books under one category: the RV Lifestyle guides. These are topic- and region-specific travel books that will help you beyond guiding you where to go on your travels.
1. Guide to National Parks of the United States
National parks are perhaps the biggest inspiration for people to jump in an RV and hit the road. There is no better way to see the vast variety of gorgeous landscapes our country has to offer than by visiting its national parks.
This best-selling guide was created by the leader of all things natural: National Geographic. With that of authority behind it, you know it’s very well-researched with enticing photos to get you excited.
It has over 300 photos and 80 colorful maps of the 59 national parks in the United States. Its useful content includes travel planning tips, itineraries, professional insights into the parks, and more.
It’s truly a must-have for every RVer, both new and veteran.
2. 50 States 5000 Ideas
This is another National Geographic guide that’s definitely worth buying. As you know, Jennifer and I love serendipitous travel, where we just stumble upon and embrace unexpecting things. But this book is excellent for creating a loose or even detailed itinerary.
It outlines where to go, when to go, what to see, and what to do. Its suggestions include everything from dude ranches to out-of-the-way museums, beaches to national parks, dinosaur trails to the oldest street in NYC, and more.
It definitely has something for everyone in each state.
Mike and Jennifer's RV Lifestyle hat collection
Who needs a hat? You do! Dad hats aren't just for dads. This comfy one's got a low profile with an adjustable strap and curved visor. Just the thing to wear on your next RV Lifestyle adventure.
3. Where Should We Camp Next?
This camping guide is for people who are planning a “family-friendly budget-conscious summer camping trip.” It features more than 300 of the best camping and glamping spots in all 50 U.S. states.
(Check this out if you don’t know the difference between glamping vs. camping.)
Whether you like to camp or glamp, this is a useful resource for finding amazing campgrounds and unique accommodations.
4. National Geographic Road Atlas
Every RVer needs a quality atlas. Yes, our electronic devices and GPS systems are incredibly helpful for finding our way. However, devices and GPS fail. Phone signals fail, and batteries die.
That is why every responsible RVers should own a road atlas, and this is the one we recommend. To no surprise as to why we like it, it’s created by National Geographic.
This atlas, of course, includes detailed maps, but it also has guidebook-like recommendations. That’s why we recommend this road atlas more than any other.
Well, this and one other really great atlas…
5. Rand McNally Large Scale Road Atlas
Rand McNally is known for mapping, navigation, and road travel so it’s no surprise they’re on this list. They have quite a few resources available for RVers, but we like this large-scale road atlas.
The maps of every U.S. state in this atlas are 35% larger than the standard atlas version. So, it’s perfect for older travelers or road-weary eyes.
It also includes over 350 detailed city inset and national park maps. This one features: “Rand McNally presents The National Parks by Decade, a review of park history that begins more than a century ago, with the first wild and wonderful place to achieve park status—Yellowstone.”
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6. Casino Camping
It’s no secret that a lot of RVers like to gamble. So, this is an excellent resource for those who want to shape their travel plans around slot machines and table games.
But, this is actually also a great resource for boondockers or anyone looking for a free or cheap place to park overnight. This guide outlines RV-friendly casinos throughout America.
Each casino description includes:
- Contact information
- Description
- Gaming, food & entertainment
- Lodging & RV parking information
- Driving directions
7-21. RV Lifestyle Guides

If you didn’t know already, Jennifer and I created an entire series of RV travel ebooks. From beginner guides to 7-day adventure itineraries, we’ve used our decade of living the RV lifestyle to help you make the most of yours.
You can see our whole assortment of RV Travel ebooks here.
Our guides include:
- RV Buying Secrets
- The Beginners Guide to Boondocking
- The Complete Guide to Boondocking (Print Version)
- The Ultimate Guide to Cheap or Free RV Camping Sites
- Boondocking & Free RV Camping Ebook Bundle
Our adventure guides outline complete itineraries for a wide range of beautiful destinations. They cover things to do, places to see, where to stay, and so much more! The destinations include:
- Adirondack Park and Finger Lakes
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida Keys
- Florida’s Atlantic Coast
- Florida’s Gulf Coast
- Great Lakes
- Southern Utah
- Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
- Yellowstone National Park
It may seem self-serving to include our ebooks on this list, but, in truth, we painstakingly created these guides with fellow RVers in mind. We created these guides for you.
These aren’t just some 10-page ebooks that other sites try to pawn off on you, but rather highly in-depth travel guides. We experienced all of these things first-hand, putting us in a unique position to highlight the best things to do and see.
Our goal was to save you hours (if not days!) of planning and hand you tried-and-true itineraries on a silver platter. If you’re interested in more than one, be sure to check out the bundles. We hope you enjoy these adventures as much as we have and still do!
Looking for exciting RV trip ideas and travel suggestions?

We've written a library of RV Travel books that lay out guided RV explorations of scenic areas of the US that we'’ve explored and think would make an excellent RV trip for you.
In each location, we provide a suggested route and itinerary (7 stops in each guide, one for each day of a week trip!) as well as links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, local tips, and interesting things to do at each location.
You can hit everything in seven days, do a whirlwind weekend tour, or you can take your time and explore the area over a 2+ week period.
Planning an RV trip can be very time-consuming so that’s why we’ve done the research for you! Just take our guides and use them. We’re sure you’ll have an RV trip for the ages! Instant download. CLICK HERE for information on our RV Travel Guides
June 20, 2023at8:43 pm, Amy Nichols said:
All the books listed here are good. We usually cross-reference across many resources. My favorite atlas is DeLorme’s. I always have it open on my lap when we are traveling, and keep an eye out for the next unexpected adventure. We are slowly building our collection for all the states we travel through. DeLorme’s gives us the detail we can’t get from atlases with one-state-per-page (or two), and includes a lot of interesting information. If you can afford them (about $25/state), I recommend them.
June 23, 2023at10:18 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
Thanks for sharing this, Amy! Team RV Lifestyle
March 29, 2022at4:25 pm, Fred Bretzloff said:
Hello my name is Fred Bretzloff. and I will be in Tennessee looking at property on from the 14th to the 18th and was curious whether you would be in town my wife and I would love to have the opportunity of meeting you so if you could let me know I would appreciate it thank you.
April 01, 2022at9:09 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
Hi Fred — Mike and Jen really don’t know their schedule right now for those dates. They tend to do a lot of things spontaneously. If they do any meet and greets they will be sure to let everyone know – but they rarely have anything locked in that far ahead and right now aren’t sure. Team RV Lifestyle