From the Hill Country to the canyons of the West and the Gulf Coast, departing from Houston and Dallas
Campervan hire in Texas opens up a territory that lives up to its reputation: the wildflower-covered hills of the Hill Country, the missions of San Antonio and the music of Austin, the beaches of Galveston and Padre Island, then, far to the west, the desert mountains of Big Bend. Our rental partners await you in Houston and Dallas, with Class C motorhomes sleeping four to seven.
The two cities are about four hours' drive apart and each opens up its own horizons: Houston faces the Gulf and the south, Dallas the Panhandle, Route 66 and New Mexico. Here more than anywhere, distances shape the choice of route: a Texas road trip is planned in weeks, not weekends.
Choose your departure city: the map shows where rental companies hand over their vehicles.
The heart of Texas can be explored without long driving days: Austin and its music venues, the limestone hills of the Hill Country, Fredericksburg and its German heritage, the granite dome of Enchanted Rock, then San Antonio, its River Walk, the Alamo and its World Heritage-listed missions.
The narrow, rolling country roads of the Hill Country are best taken slowly. RV parks abound around Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, on the banks of the Guadalupe and Comal rivers, where people float downstream on inner tubes in summer.
The great Texas journey: the road runs west across almost empty plains to Big Bend National Park, where the Rio Grande carves Santa Elena Canyon on the Mexican border. You then head north via Marfa and Fort Davis to the cliffs of Guadalupe Mountains, then to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.
The steep, winding Chisos Basin road is not recommended for the longest motorhomes: check with the park. The return to Dallas runs via Midland and Abilene, through the oil fields of the Permian Basin.
South of Houston, the Texas coast is a string of barrier islands and lagoons: Galveston and its Victorian mansions, the fishing port of Rockport, the dunes of Port Aransas, then Padre Island National Seashore, often described as the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. The trip ends at South Padre Island, near the Mexican border.
The free ferry linking Aransas Pass to Port Aransas is part of the experience. On beaches open to traffic, check that your contract allows driving on sand, which is often excluded.
From Dallas, the road climbs to the high plains of the Panhandle: Amarillo and the half-buried cars of Cadillac Ranch, the red canyon of Palo Duro, then historic Route 66 to Tucumcari and Santa Fe. In New Mexico, Albuquerque comes before the white gypsum dunes of White Sands, with the return via Roswell and Lubbock.
On the high plains, crosswind gusts buffet large vehicles: ease off when they pick up. Palo Duro Canyon State Park has campgrounds on the canyon floor, reached by a winding road.
The best time for Texas as a whole: mild temperatures in Houston and Dallas, a desert that is still bearable in Big Bend and Hill Country hills at their greenest. March does, however, bring spring break and its crowded beaches on South Padre Island, and May is the wettest month in both cities, with sometimes violent storms and hail in the north.
The American holidays coincide with heavy, humid heat in Houston, drier heat in Dallas and crushing heat in the lowlands of Big Bend. The heights of Fort Davis, Guadalupe Mountains and northern New Mexico then offer a little relief; on the coast, beaches and RV parks are fully booked at weekends.
Autumn brings pleasant days back across the state and reopens the prime season in Big Bend. In October, the State Fair of Texas livens up Dallas; in early November, the maples of Lost Maples in the Hill Country take on colours rarely seen at these latitudes. October remains rainy in Dallas, with a few stormy spells.
Winter is mild on the coast and in the Rio Grande Valley, where “Winter Texans” from the north of the continent fill the RV parks. Further north, Dallas and above all the Panhandle get cold snaps, sometimes with ice or snow that paralyses the roads: check the forecast before each stage.
Houston for the Gulf Coast and the Hill Country, Dallas for the Panhandle, Route 66 and New Mexico. Both work for Big Bend, one or two long days' drive from either city.
Compare mileage packages, the excess, insurance and the kitchen and bedding kits, then search with your exact dates: the cost varies greatly depending on the season and the length of hire.
First secure campgrounds in Big Bend and the most popular state parks, such as Palo Duro Canyon or Garner, then coastal stops in summer. Elsewhere, the many RV parks leave you plenty of flexibility.
Depots are on the outskirts: Kingwood, north-east of Houston, and Carrollton, McKinney and east Dallas. Plan the journey from the airport, the pick-up time, your licence and a credit card in the driver's name.
From June to September, the heat weighs on the vehicle as much as on the travellers: drive early in the morning, carry plenty of water and choose RV parks with electric hook-ups to run the air conditioning at night. In Big Bend, low-altitude hikes become dangerous in the afternoon.
From June to November, hurricanes and tropical storms can strike the coast from Galveston to South Padre Island, especially in August and September. Follow National Hurricane Center bulletins, obey evacuation orders and look out for the “Hurricane Evacuation Route” signs along coastal roads.
Around Houston, Dallas and Austin, several toll roads have no booths and work by tag or licence plate reading. Texas tags such as TxTag are in principle accepted on these networks, but the rules change: ask your rental company whether the vehicle has one and how tolls will be charged back to you.
West of San Antonio, towns grow further apart and so do petrol stations, especially between Del Rio, Big Bend and Van Horn. Fill up at every opportunity, download offline maps, as mobile coverage disappears in places, and plan for long days behind the wheel.
Our rental partners have depots in Houston and Dallas. Cruise America is present in both cities, in Kingwood for Houston, in Dallas itself and in Carrollton; El Monte RV, Britz and Mighty share a depot in McKinney, north of Dallas. The exact address and pick-up time are in your confirmation.
It depends on the rental company and the period. Enter a different drop-off city when searching: available one-way offers are displayed with their fees. Between Houston and Dallas, or towards Albuquerque, a departure city for our rental companies 944 km from Dallas as the crow flies, a one-way hire avoids long empty return drives.
The offers found are Class C motorhomes, from the Class C Small sleeping four to the Family Sleeper or the C30 Large Motorhome sleeping seven. For a couple, a small model slips more easily through the Hill Country and the state parks; for families, a large vehicle stays comfortable on the long stages heading west.
One week is enough for the Hill Country, Austin and San Antonio, and the same again for the Gulf Coast. Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains require at least two weeks from Houston or Dallas, and a month lets you link West Texas and New Mexico without wearing yourself out at the wheel.
Bluebonnets, the blue lupins that are the emblem of Texas, usually bloom from late March to mid-April, alongside red Indian paintbrush and many other species. The finest roads run around Fredericksburg and Llano or along the Willow City Loop, and Ennis, south of Dallas, marks out trails in April. Abundance depends on the winter rains.
Very good, your service is always attentive to our needs...thank you.
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!
An ordinary car licence is generally enough for the Class C motorhomes available for hire. With a licence issued outside the United States, also bring an International Driving Permit, which some rental companies require. The minimum age, how long you must have held a licence and the documents needed at pick-up are set out in each offer's conditions.
RV parks are plentiful, from the edges of cities to the riverbanks of the Hill Country, and state parks offer pitches with hook-ups that can be booked online. At Padre Island National Seashore, camping is allowed on certain beaches. In towns, overnight parking is often restricted: check the signs and local rules before settling in.
None of the offers found for departures from Houston and Dallas include unlimited mileage: miles are paid as you go or in packages. In Texas, where Big Bend is nearly 900 km by road from Houston, estimate your total distance before booking and compare the packages on offer.
US rental contracts generally prohibit it, even for a short trip from Big Bend, Del Rio or South Padre Island. Check the excluded areas in the offer's conditions; to visit the other bank of the Rio Grande, leave the vehicle on the US side and find out about the formalities for crossing on foot.
On West Texas highways, speed limits are among the highest in the country: a motorhome is better off driving below them. Frontage roads, which run parallel to the highways, serve exits and shops. Slow down or change lanes when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, and never text while driving, as it is prohibited.
Several months ahead for summer and for March, when spring break and the Hill Country wildflowers draw the crowds. From October to February, there is still a wide choice of vehicles a few weeks before departure, except around Thanksgiving and Christmas, periods in high demand in the parks.
Texas brings together landscapes that seem borrowed from several countries: the beaches and lagoons of the Gulf, the hills and rivers of the Hill Country, the vast plains of the West, then the canyons and desert mountains of Big Bend. A campervan matches this sense of scale: you travel at your own pace, sleep on the banks of the Rio Grande or facing the sea, and every evening an RV park or state park offers a place to stop.
From Houston and Dallas, each trip takes on its own character: the culture of Austin and San Antonio, the coast in winter, Route 66 and New Mexico in summer, Big Bend in spring or autumn. A land of wide open spaces, hospitality and barbecue, made for the longest road trips in North America.
