At the foot of the Sierra Nevada, between Lake Tahoe and the Great Basin
Compare campervan and motorhome rental companies in Reno to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a motorhome in Reno puts your starting point at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, just a few kilometres from California. The casino city nicknamed “The Biggest Little City in the World” stretches along the Truckee River less than an hour from Lake Tahoe; in summer, Tioga Pass opens the road to Yosemite, while to the north-west rise the volcanoes of Lassen and Mount Shasta. Our partner Cruise America welcomes you in Sparks, the neighbouring city, east of Reno.
From there, Interstate 80 runs west to San Francisco and east across the Great Basin to Salt Lake City: Reno suits a loop as well as a one-way trip.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter January | Spring April | Summer July | Autumn October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large motorhome | from €92/day median €96/day | from €80/day median €82/day | from €115/day median €133/day | from €67/day median €72/day |
Daily prices observed on October 29, 2026 for a 14-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 1 rental companies compared. 0% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €450.
Heading south, US-395 runs along the eastern side of the Sierra: Genoa, Nevada's oldest settlement, the meadows of Bridgeport, then Mono Lake, bristling with limestone columns. The June Lake Loop comes before the climb to Tioga Pass, the Tuolumne Meadows and the descent to the granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley. The way back crosses Gold Country via Sonora, then heads up to South Lake Tahoe.
The Tioga Pass road is only cleared of snow in the warmer months, usually from late May or June until November: check its opening date with the park. Some campgrounds in Yosemite Valley limit vehicle length.
To the north-west, US-395 and then mountain roads lead via Susanville to Lassen Volcanic National Park: the fumaroles and mud pots of Bumpass Hell and Sulphur Works, alpine lakes at the foot of Lassen Peak. You then reach Burney Falls, the snowy cone of Mount Shasta and the lava tubes of Lava Beds, before heading back down via Alturas and the high plateaus of north-eastern California.
The road through Lassen often stays snowbound until June: aim for summer and early autumn. At Lava Beds, ask at the visitor centre about the conditions for visiting the caves.
Heading east, Interstate 80 follows the old emigrant trail along the Humboldt River: Lovelock, Winnemucca and its Basque restaurants inherited from the sheepherders, then Elko, which hosts a cowboy poetry gathering every winter. The detour through Lamoille Canyon, a glacial valley in the Ruby Mountains, offers the finest mountain scenery of the trip. After Wells, the white expanses of the Bonneville Salt Flats herald Salt Lake City, another departure city of our partners.
At West Wendover, you switch to Mountain Time. Never leave the tarmac to drive on the salt with a rental vehicle.
The best months to leave from Reno: dry, sunny days, cool nights and Sierra passes usually clear from June, when Yosemite's waterfalls are still in full flow. Autumn, quieter once American schools are back, brings crystal-clear light over the Great Basin; bring heating into your plans, as October nights drop to around 6 °C.
Peak season: dry heat, hardly any rain and the biggest crowds at Lake Tahoe and in Yosemite. It is also the time when all the high passes are open, from Tioga to Lassen. Drive in the morning, book Sierra campgrounds well ahead and consider national forest campgrounds, which are less in demand.
Reno then sees frost and snowfall, which close the Tioga and Lassen passes; Lake Tahoe turns into a ski area. With lows below freezing from December to February, ask the rental company whether the motorhome's water system can be used or is drained for winter. April brings the thaw, but the High Sierra stays white.
Most pleasant months: May to June, August to October.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 °C | -3 °C | 80 mm | 8 h/day |
| Feb | 8 °C | -2 °C | 71 mm | 9 h/day |
| Mar | 10 °C | -0 °C | 68 mm | 10 h/day |
| Apr | 17 °C | 3 °C | 26 mm | 12 h/day |
| May | 21 °C | 8 °C | 23 mm | 13 h/day |
| Jun | 28 °C | 13 °C | 6 mm | 14 h/day |
| Jul | 33 °C | 17 °C | 3 mm | 14 h/day |
| Aug | 32 °C | 16 °C | 7 mm | 13 h/day |
| Sep | 27 °C | 13 °C | 14 mm | 12 h/day |
| Oct | 19 °C | 6 °C | 36 mm | 10 h/day |
| Nov | 11 °C | 2 °C | 35 mm | 9 h/day |
| Dec | 6 °C | -2 °C | 81 mm | 7 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
The Cruise America depot is on South Rock Boulevard in Sparks, right next to Interstate 80: within minutes you are on the freeway towards California or heading east. Reno-Tahoe International Airport is only a few kilometres away, by taxi or ride-hailing; arrange in advance with Cruise America when the keys will be handed over.
Towards San Francisco, Interstate 80 crosses the Sierra at Donner Pass, where winter storms often bring chain controls, or even closures lasting several hours. Check Caltrans road conditions before setting off, ask the rental company whether chains are allowed on your motorhome and keep a spare day on a one-way trip.
Between Reno and Carson City, Interstate 580 crosses Washoe Valley, swept by violent gusts, especially in the afternoon. During high-wind warnings, the road may be closed to high-profile vehicles, motorhomes included. Watch the Nevada Department of Transportation alerts and postpone your departure south if the wind picks up.
The Sierra roads around Reno drop several hundred metres in just a few kilometres: the descent from Tioga Pass to Lee Vining or down Kingsbury Grade, from Lake Tahoe to Carson Valley, put the brakes of a loaded motorhome to the test. Shift down before the slope and use the turnouts to let traffic pass.
Our partner company, Cruise America, has its depot at 465 South Rock Boulevard in Sparks, the city adjoining Reno, a few kilometres east of downtown. It is well placed for setting off towards Lake Tahoe, California or the Great Basin. The address and handover arrangements are shown in your booking confirmation.
The rate varies with the season, the length of hire, the size of the motorhome and any one-way fees. A search with your dates shows the actual rates of the Sparks depot, mandatory fees included, which you can book straight away. For a trip to Yosemite, Lassen or Salt Lake City, check on the offer whether miles are included or charged on top.
Depending on the rental company, yes: San Francisco is 299 km away as the crow flies, a day's drive via Interstate 80, Donner Pass and Sacramento. Along the way you can linger in Gold Country, in Nevada City or Coloma. Any one-way fees are added to the total automatically when you select San Francisco as your return city.
Las Vegas, another departure city of our partners, is 555 km away as the crow flies. The most direct road, US-95, crosses the desert via Walker Lake, Hawthorne and Tonopah, in two comfortable days. Longer but spectacular, the route along US-395 follows the Sierra to Lone Pine before turning off towards Death Valley, best avoided in midsummer.
Yes, about an hour from Reno. The Mount Rose Highway, the most direct, climbs very steeply: with a large motorhome, prefer Interstate 80 via Truckee or US-50 via Carson City. Around Emerald Bay, parking areas are small and full by mid-morning in summer: arrive early, or visit the north-east shore beaches, such as Sand Harbor, on a weekday.
The rental in the US went well. Although I had some trouble reaching people to clarify a few points once on site, there were no issues in the end. The RV on-site was great, spacious, fully equipped, and met our expectations.
Everything went well with Cool Drive!
Vehicle compliant with the request. Lack of clarity on the additional insurance taken out.
A valid driving licence from your country is generally enough: rental motorhomes do not require a heavy-vehicle category in the United States. Also bring an international driving permit, useful if your licence is not written in English or in the Latin alphabet. The minimum age and driver requirements are set out in the rental company's offer.
The national forests around Lake Tahoe and on the eastern side of the Sierra offer many rustic campgrounds, often open from late spring to autumn. To the east, the federal lands of the Great Basin often allow dispersed camping. At Pyramid Lake, on the Paiute reservation, a tribal permit is required to camp. Always check local regulations.
It is better to leave the vehicle at an RV park in Reno or Sparks, some of which belong to hotel-casinos. You can then explore downtown on foot: the Virginia Street arch, the Truckee River walk and the National Automobile Museum, with its rich collection of vintage cars. Casino parking garages are too low for a motorhome.
Yes, black bears roam the Lake Tahoe basin and Yosemite, attracted by food. Never leave food, coolers or rubbish outside, use the campgrounds' bear-proof lockers and close the doors and windows of the living area. In Yosemite, food storage rules are strict and violations are penalised.
Coming from Reno, Interstate 80 and US-395 pass California agricultural inspection stations. Officers ask whether you are carrying fruit, vegetables, plants or firewood that could spread pests. Buy your fresh produce once in California and your firewood locally, near the campground: a quick stop, with no customs formalities.
Summer is booked months ahead, and late August even earlier: the Burning Man festival, in the Black Rock Desert, takes up a large share of the region's motorhomes. The Hot August Nights gatherings and the Great Reno Balloon Race also fill the RV parks. In winter, a few weeks' notice is usually enough.
Reno is one of the few departure points in the American West where high mountains begin at the city limits. In a day, you can go from the casinos of Virginia Street to the turquoise waters of Lake Tahoe, from the salt lakes of the Great Basin to the granite of Yosemite via Tioga Pass, or to the fumaroles of Lassen. Few cities offer so many different landscapes within a few hours' drive.
With the Cruise America depot in Sparks, close to the airport and Interstate 80, getting started is easy. And since our partners also depart from San Francisco, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Portland, the trip can end far from the Sierra, on the Pacific coast or at the foot of the Rockies. Aim for the fine season, from May to October, when all the Sierra passes are open and nights stay cool.
