Motorhomes and campervans for Virginia, the Shenandoah and the Chesapeake
Compare campervan and motorhome rental companies in Washington DC to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Hiring a motorhome in Washington DC opens the road to Virginia, Maryland and the Appalachians from the federal capital of the United States, not to be confused with Washington State on the Pacific coast. To the west, Skyline Drive follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains above the Shenandoah Valley; to the south, Richmond, Williamsburg and Jamestown tell the story of colonial Virginia; to the east, Chesapeake Bay unfolds fishing harbours and wild islands.
Our rental companies have no depot in the District itself: pick-up is in Manassas, Virginia, 41 km (25 miles) as the crow flies to the south-west, a town known for the two battles of Bull Run.
No branch in Washington DC: these companies have a branch within 100 km.
From Manassas, I-66 runs to Front Royal, the northern gateway to Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive then follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, dotted with overlooks above the valley; leave it at Thornton Gap for Luray Caverns, then spend the night at Big Meadows, a meadow frequented by deer. At Rockfish Gap, at the southern end of the park, head down to Charlottesville and Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.
George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomac, opens this journey through American history. Fredericksburg and its Civil War battlefields come before Richmond, the capital of Virginia. The Colonial Parkway then links Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, the reconstructed colonial town of Williamsburg and Yorktown, where the War of Independence ended with the support of the French fleet.
After Annapolis, the capital of Maryland and home of the Naval Academy, the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge leads to the bay's Eastern Shore. St. Michaels, a former shipbuilding port, then the marshes of Blackwater refuge near Cambridge, teeming with birds, come before the Atlantic. On Assateague Island, wild horses roam among dunes and campgrounds, as far as Chincoteague, on the Virginia side.
The best time to set off from Manassas: mild days, cool nights and the Shenandoah park campgrounds open. May, fairly wet, turns the ridges green and brings azaleas and mountain laurel into bloom in the woods, while October sets the forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains ablaze, the most popular sight on Skyline Drive.
Washington summers are hot and muggy, and July, the wettest month of the year, brings late-afternoon thunderstorms: the motorhome's air conditioning is used every day. Look for cooler air on the Shenandoah ridges, several degrees fresher, or for a sea breeze on the beaches of Assateague, then in full season.
Two changeable transition months, cool and unsettled, when night frosts are still possible. In late March or early April, the Japanese cherry trees given by Tokyo in 1912 bloom around the Tidal Basin and draw huge crowds. In November, once the leaves have fallen, Skyline Drive grows quiet again, but several park campgrounds close for the winter.
Winter remains cold, with nights around or below freezing and occasional snow or ice. Shenandoah National Park then closes sections of Skyline Drive at the first bad weather: favour the historic Virginia loop further south, where Richmond and Williamsburg can be visited without the summer crowds.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 °C | -2 °C | 82 mm | 6 h/day |
| Feb | 10 °C | -0 °C | 88 mm | 7 h/day |
| Mar | 14 °C | 3 °C | 91 mm | 8 h/day |
| Apr | 19 °C | 8 °C | 96 mm | 9 h/day |
| May | 23 °C | 13 °C | 150 mm | 9 h/day |
| Jun | 29 °C | 18 °C | 128 mm | 12 h/day |
| Jul | 31 °C | 21 °C | 189 mm | 12 h/day |
| Aug | 29 °C | 20 °C | 159 mm | 11 h/day |
| Sep | 26 °C | 17 °C | 132 mm | 9 h/day |
| Oct | 21 °C | 11 °C | 93 mm | 8 h/day |
| Nov | 14 °C | 4 °C | 83 mm | 8 h/day |
| Dec | 8 °C | -0 °C | 99 mm | 6 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Central Washington is poorly suited to a motorhome: scarce, time-limited parking, active towing and streets often closed for motorcades or demonstrations around the Capitol and the White House. Leave the vehicle at the campground and visit the city by Metro, or explore it before picking up the motorhome and after returning it.
South of Thornton Gap, Skyline Drive passes through Marys Rock Tunnel, which has a limited height clearance: check your motorhome's height with the rental company before entering the park. The speed limit is low and deer often cross, especially at dawn and dusk. Entry to the park is charged per vehicle.
Between Manassas and Washington, I-66 and the Capital Beltway (I-495) have dynamically priced express lanes, signed "Express", free only for vehicles with several occupants and an E-ZPass Flex transponder. Without a transponder, stay in the general lanes. The Dulles Toll Road, the Dulles Greenway and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge are also tolled: ask the rental company how these tolls are recharged.
Virginia and the District of Columbia ban radar detectors, even in private vehicles, and Virginia treats major speeding offences as reckless driving, a criminal misdemeanour. Holding a phone while driving is prohibited. Traffic drives on the right, with speeds and distances shown in miles.
None of our partner companies is based in the District: motorhomes are handed over in Manassas, Virginia, 41 km as the crow flies south-west of the centre, about three quarters of an hour via I-66 outside rush hours. The exact meeting place and the agreed time are sent to you with the confirmation.
The price depends on the month, the model chosen, the number of nights and the return location. Run a search with your dates and Manassas as the pick-up point: you get today's prices, mandatory fees included, bookable straight away, including for a trip that does not end in Manassas.
Our rental companies also start from Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Boston. Towards Pittsburgh, the road follows the Potomac via Harpers Ferry, where it meets the Shenandoah, and Cumberland, then reaches Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's house over the waterfall. Enter the arrival city when searching: any one-way fee then appears in the price.
The Greenbelt Park campground, run by the National Park Service in Maryland, and Cherry Hill Park, in College Park, are the closest to the capital and are linked to the Metro by bus. On the Virginia side, near Manassas, Bull Run Regional Park and Prince William Forest Park welcome motorhomes for the first or last night.
North of town, Manassas National Battlefield Park protects the site of the two battles of Bull Run, in 1861 and 1862, where Confederate general Thomas Jackson earned his nickname "Stonewall". Marked trails start from the Henry Hill visitor centre. Old Town Manassas, around its railway station, keeps a few shopping streets.
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.
For a rental motorhome, a valid car driving licence is enough. An international driving permit is recommended whenever your national licence is not written in English or in Latin characters. Minimum age, years of driving experience and additional drivers are set by the rental company's conditions, to be read in the offer before booking.
In Shenandoah National Park, vehicles may only stay overnight in campgrounds; backcountry camping is reserved for hikers on foot, with a permit. The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, further west and south, do allow dispersed camping outside prohibited areas. In towns and in commercial car parks, check the local rules.
No: park campgrounds such as Big Meadows, Loft Mountain or Mathews Arm open in spring and close in late autumn, on dates that vary by site. Sites are mostly booked on Recreation.gov, the federal reservation website. They have no hookups: fill the fresh water tank and charge the batteries before you arrive.
Washington Dulles International Airport is the closest to the pick-up point: Manassas lies to the south, about half an hour away by taxi or ride-hailing via Route 28. From Reagan National Airport or Baltimore-Washington Airport, the journey is considerably longer. Let the rental company know your flight time: the handover is arranged around your arrival.
Washington and its surroundings draw crowds at several times of the year. For summer, and especially around the Fourth of July, the national holiday celebrated with a big fireworks display on the National Mall, as well as for autumn weekends on Skyline Drive, book several months ahead. In winter and early spring, a few weeks is usually enough.
Washington DC combines a capital full of museums and monuments with very varied landscapes a few hours away: the wooded ridges of Skyline Drive, the battlefields and colonial mansions of Virginia, the harbours and marshes of Chesapeake Bay, the wild beaches of Assateague. A single trip can mix American history, hiking in the Appalachians and the seaside.
Pick-up is in Manassas, Virginia, on the western side of the metropolitan area and away from downtown traffic jams: Shenandoah National Park is only about an hour's drive away and Dulles Airport is close by. Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Boston, where our rental companies also have departure points, open up one-way trips north along the Atlantic coast or south and west through the Appalachians. Spring and autumn, mild and bright, offer the best conditions.
