Thanks for the tips! Another thing just as an idea for you which a buddy and I have done recently is the halfway mark between camping and hotels. I have the KOA app on my phone and usually check there for their camping cabins when on a motorbike trip. It does necessitate packing a sleeping bag and an inflatable pillow on the bike, but you don't necessarily need all the other camping equipment you would if tenting. Typically, we look for KOA cabins first. If nothing available, then start hotel searching. The cabins offer most of the amenities you mentioned like restrooms, laundry facilities, heat/ac, electric, on-site convenience store, etc. We've typically found them to run $50-$80 per night which when divided between 2 of us becomes really reasonable. Just another idea for you!
Now a days, KOAs are charging almost the same as a brand name hotel, the issue with KOA is that you have no restrooms or showers in the cabins, I pay $20 more and get them at the brand name hotels. KOAs have become greedy, I ditched my membership with them.
Spot on advice. I don't camp either for all the reasons you mention...We use Wyndham and have been satisfied. Another discount I use all the time is to just ask. Many Americans don't do this, but in other countries it's a common occurence. I walk up to the window, and with my biggest smile, ask "Hey, do you have a great rate for me tonight?" Marina and I stayed at Ragged Point on the Big Sur Coast on a rainy Tuesday night. $235 per night for a basic room...I went out in the rain, and talked to the front desk, and to make a long story short she upgraded us to a $475 room just for me asking! We had a great evening. Another great trick is to be a senior, LOL.
Mario, great topic. I like motorcycle camping but, true, the gear is a pain at times. Sad truth is, the sub $50 motels are flea bags/ bed bug infested places these days. You are right on all the points, less gear, definitely saves time, plug in time, likely a better night's sleep. I hate paying $80 -$200 per night.... Will do it when the weather is really raunchy. Typically, the first two nights from home (and returning) I use the motels until I get to the mountains and camping country. Used to ride with three others.... but they've gotten old and given up riding. Really miss that room sharing you mentioned. Also allowed us to buy the beer in bulk.
Absolutely brilliant!! All of this is right on target. Instant sub! This almost exactly described my travel behavior. Incredibly useful. I have done a lot of this already. I use IHG a lot and recently got their card. Works well for me... 10x for every room I book with them and I blew through the $3k in 3 months to get 125,000 points just by using for normal purchases (2x on gas... man is THAT paying off right now!). I like the idea of getting every rewards program possible so I increase flexibility of travel planning. A friend of yours directed me to your channel and, damn... was it worth it! Starting my first big multi-day trip tomorrow (20-days, 3000miles). Will check out all of your other stuff when I return. I'm sure this vid is a good example of all the work and effort you put in. Much appreciated!
Weather consideration: Riding all day in the cold rain then on top of that, camping all night in the rain can test your patience. Alternatively, riding all day in the heat and camping where there is no shade and the temp doesn't drop at night can be no fun if you are not expecting it.
Getting around time in the morning: At the motel, the bathroom is 10' away and the breakfast is downstairs. Camping can be packing up a dew covered tent in the dark and finding food and bathroom at a gas station later.
AARP, that one hurt :) Excellent video and worthwhile tips and tricks regarding lodging. Started doing some camping last year more to enjoy unique outdoor locations and campfire camaraderie than cost savings. That said I do appreciate the convenience and comfort of a hotel and being within walking distance of food and beverages that someone else is preparing!
I’m a fan of the American Express and Hilton honors program. I typically have enough points to take a week long vacation using points. Best Western is the other one I use a lot. Thanks for the video. Ride safe.
Great video, Mario! I love the idea of camping and I've built up a very lightweight setup over the years since I last thru-hiked the AT. Now 20 years later, I've brought my camping gear with me with the intent to camp a few nights on tours. Unfortunately after riding all day in temps of 90-100, the last thing I want to do is lie down in a tent when the temps still haven't dropped. I like to ride long days and just walk into the hotel and have a nice shower and meal and then head off early in the morning for my next destination without any fuss.
what ever your preference, Get out there have fun enjoy it while you can, eat some great food , take your time if you can, makes for a really enjoyable trip. Thanks Mario for some good tips !
Great video and sound advice. I used to travel a bunch for work. Enough that I am lifetime Platinum with Marriot. I like camping off the bike at times, but a hotel room is sooo much more comfortable. The one thing I miss when I use a hotel is the campfire time. I have stayed in some campgrounds that have those little sheds with heaters and beds. They are not bad and most have a fire ring in front of each. I am leaving this weekend for Death Valley with a buddy. He likes hotels so that's what we will be doing. And you are correct, traveling with someone to share the room expense is a huge savings. Keep up the great content.
Thanks Mario, heading over to the states from the UK in March for a coast to coast motorcycle trip so this info will come in really useful. I've already cut my packing down to 5 days from one of your earlier tips. We're there for 21 days but I'll just use a laundry service every 4 days and should be sorted :)
Great points, Mario. During my 50on50 ride in 2019, I brought camping gear on the Indian. Got it into one saddlebag. I like to camp..and didn't have enough Hilton points for every night. Learned just before the trip that I could split points and dollars with Hilton. I was able to spread my points out (plus a few airbnb stays and staying with family and friends a few nights). Ended up shipping my camping gear back to Tennessee from Colorado, lol (that wasn't cheap either). Made room for more souvenirs!
Nice video Mario, Some good tips. We accumulate a ton of points during the tour season. Jamie and I will choose to camp when available. Keep up the great work my friend.
If I’m riding for a few days and staying in a certain area, I don’t mind moto-camping. When I’m hauling the mail (7 days Florida to New Mexico and back) I’ll be staying at hotels. Sign up for a hotel loyalty program and earn reduced, or occasionally free, nights.
Making frugal part of the adventure: It can be a fun game to leave home with some money and see how much you have when you return. No motels. Free "camping" on rest stop picnic tables, simple food from grocery store. Gas ($40-$60 per day) is the main expense.
Great Tips well I'm headed out west leaving Kansas City like on the 23rd although I will have to ride from Little Hocking Ohio to Kansas City a couple weeks before that and I will stay in Lyman Colorado with the second night being in Moab for a couple nights working my way to LA welcome to come along I think a second person can lower hotel bills maybe maybe your sister's ready to sell her bike it's all those electrical problems
Do you know anything about electronic transponders or whatever they are to pay the tolls as you ride along like I have a prepass in a semi is there something that you're aware of that I can get to put on a motorcycle for multiple States
So it's to some extent state-by-state. My EZPass works in many states but no all. When riding through FL, may roads allow it to be done by tag so you get a bill in the mail later (slightly higher than if you had one of their passes). I keep my EZ pass in my tank bag in the "map" top section and it reads fine.
I'd kind of like to ask if well what's the earliest in the year you ever traveled out west here I'm a truck driver sitting in Winslow Arizona right now the last week of April I plan my motorcycle trip if the winds are like this I don't think I could do it
Late June at the earliest tho depends how region out west, further south and not passing through the mountains you may be able to get away with a few weeks earlier. The sweet spot for the US is late June - late August/early September is good for about anywhere.
Thanks for the tips! Can you show the back side of your Amex card next time? I think I have the same version, just want to verify the customer service number.…
Warning! Very good idea to travel with a friend to cut some of the expenses by half. This ideas works well if you're traveling with your sister but results in death if you are traveling with your girlfriend. 🤣
I know this is a long video so I put time stamps in so you can jump ahead to specific parts you may want to watch.
Thanks for the tips! Another thing just as an idea for you which a buddy and I have done recently is the halfway mark between camping and hotels. I have the KOA app on my phone and usually check there for their camping cabins when on a motorbike trip. It does necessitate packing a sleeping bag and an inflatable pillow on the bike, but you don't necessarily need all the other camping equipment you would if tenting. Typically, we look for KOA cabins first. If nothing available, then start hotel searching. The cabins offer most of the amenities you mentioned like restrooms, laundry facilities, heat/ac, electric, on-site convenience store, etc. We've typically found them to run $50-$80 per night which when divided between 2 of us becomes really reasonable. Just another idea for you!
That way will definitely save some money and make it more comfortable than tent camping.
Now a days, KOAs are charging almost the same as a brand name hotel, the issue with KOA is that you have no restrooms or showers in the cabins, I pay $20 more and get them at the brand name hotels. KOAs have become greedy, I ditched my membership with them.
Spot on advice. I don't camp either for all the reasons you mention...We use Wyndham and have been satisfied. Another discount I use all the time is to just ask. Many Americans don't do this, but in other countries it's a common occurence. I walk up to the window, and with my biggest smile, ask "Hey, do you have a great rate for me tonight?" Marina and I stayed at Ragged Point on the Big Sur Coast on a rainy Tuesday night. $235 per night for a basic room...I went out in the rain, and talked to the front desk, and to make a long story short she upgraded us to a $475 room just for me asking! We had a great evening. Another great trick is to be a senior, LOL.
Mario, great topic. I like motorcycle camping but, true, the gear is a pain at times. Sad truth is, the sub $50 motels are flea bags/ bed bug infested places these days. You are right on all the points, less gear, definitely saves time, plug in time, likely a better night's sleep. I hate paying $80 -$200 per night.... Will do it when the weather is really raunchy. Typically, the first two nights from home (and returning) I use the motels until I get to the mountains and camping country. Used to ride with three others.... but they've gotten old and given up riding. Really miss that room sharing you mentioned. Also allowed us to buy the beer in bulk.
Beer in bulk is always a plus!
Absolutely brilliant!! All of this is right on target. Instant sub!
This almost exactly described my travel behavior. Incredibly useful.
I have done a lot of this already. I use IHG a lot and recently got their card. Works well for me... 10x for every room I book with them and I blew through the $3k in 3 months to get 125,000 points just by using for normal purchases (2x on gas... man is THAT paying off right now!). I like the idea of getting every rewards program possible so I increase flexibility of travel planning.
A friend of yours directed me to your channel and, damn... was it worth it!
Starting my first big multi-day trip tomorrow (20-days, 3000miles). Will check out all of your other stuff when I return.
I'm sure this vid is a good example of all the work and effort you put in. Much appreciated!
Enjoy your trip and welcome to the channel!
Weather consideration: Riding all day in the cold rain then on top of that, camping all night in the rain can test your patience. Alternatively, riding all day in the heat and camping where there is no shade and the temp doesn't drop at night can be no fun if you are not expecting it.
Getting around time in the morning: At the motel, the bathroom is 10' away and the breakfast is downstairs. Camping can be packing up a dew covered tent in the dark and finding food and bathroom at a gas station later.
Great info, thanks a bunch!
Hope it was helpful
Well done video! I will definitely utilize these tips. Thank you sir
There is just something comforting about being small spoon after a long day's ride. 😂
😂
AARP, that one hurt :) Excellent video and worthwhile tips and tricks regarding lodging. Started doing some camping last year more to enjoy unique outdoor locations and campfire camaraderie than cost savings. That said I do appreciate the convenience and comfort of a hotel and being within walking distance of food and beverages that someone else is preparing!
I’m a fan of the American Express and Hilton honors program. I typically have enough points to take a week long vacation using points. Best Western is the other one I use a lot. Thanks for the video. Ride safe.
Great video, Mario! I love the idea of camping and I've built up a very lightweight setup over the years since I last thru-hiked the AT. Now 20 years later, I've brought my camping gear with me with the intent to camp a few nights on tours. Unfortunately after riding all day in temps of 90-100, the last thing I want to do is lie down in a tent when the temps still haven't dropped. I like to ride long days and just walk into the hotel and have a nice shower and meal and then head off early in the morning for my next destination without any fuss.
You and me both!
Nice vid! Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
Great Video. I use some of this to save money. Going to up my game. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
what ever your preference, Get out there have fun enjoy it while you can, eat some great food , take your time if you can, makes for a really enjoyable trip. Thanks Mario for some good tips !
Great video and sound advice. I used to travel a bunch for work. Enough that I am lifetime Platinum with Marriot. I like camping off the bike at times, but a hotel room is sooo much more comfortable. The one thing I miss when I use a hotel is the campfire time. I have stayed in some campgrounds that have those little sheds with heaters and beds. They are not bad and most have a fire ring in front of each. I am leaving this weekend for Death Valley with a buddy. He likes hotels so that's what we will be doing. And you are correct, traveling with someone to share the room expense is a huge savings. Keep up the great content.
Thanks Kevin and hope you have a great trip!
Thanks Mario, heading over to the states from the UK in March for a coast to coast motorcycle trip so this info will come in really useful. I've already cut my packing down to 5 days from one of your earlier tips. We're there for 21 days but I'll just use a laundry service every 4 days and should be sorted :)
Hope you enjoy your time here!
Great points, Mario. During my 50on50 ride in 2019, I brought camping gear on the Indian. Got it into one saddlebag. I like to camp..and didn't have enough Hilton points for every night. Learned just before the trip that I could split points and dollars with Hilton. I was able to spread my points out (plus a few airbnb stays and staying with family and friends a few nights). Ended up shipping my camping gear back to Tennessee from Colorado, lol (that wasn't cheap either). Made room for more souvenirs!
That's one thing I like about Hilton's points system over Marriott's; the ability to split points and dollars. Marriott's is all or nothing.
Nice video Mario, Some good tips. We accumulate a ton of points during the tour season. Jamie and I will choose to camp when available. Keep up the great work my friend.
Thanks Jerry
If I’m riding for a few days and staying in a certain area, I don’t mind moto-camping. When I’m hauling the mail (7 days Florida to New Mexico and back) I’ll be staying at hotels. Sign up for a hotel loyalty program and earn reduced, or occasionally free, nights.
Making frugal part of the adventure: It can be a fun game to leave home with some money and see how much you have when you return. No motels. Free "camping" on rest stop picnic tables, simple food from grocery store. Gas ($40-$60 per day) is the main expense.
Google one gives you discounts on hotels as well.
Dang, I was in Charleston the same time you were, staying right next door!
That's crazy!
Interesting video thanks for sharing
Nothing against people who camp, but I did my camping in another part of my life to do me for the rest of my life.
Great Tips well I'm headed out west leaving Kansas City like on the 23rd although I will have to ride from Little Hocking Ohio to Kansas City a couple weeks before that and I will stay in Lyman Colorado with the second night being in Moab for a couple nights working my way to LA welcome to come along I think a second person can lower hotel bills maybe maybe your sister's ready to sell her bike it's all those electrical problems
Appreciate it and hope they're helpful. Surprisingly, didn't have any fob issues on this trip.
Do you know anything about electronic transponders or whatever they are to pay the tolls as you ride along like I have a prepass in a semi is there something that you're aware of that I can get to put on a motorcycle for multiple States
So it's to some extent state-by-state. My EZPass works in many states but no all. When riding through FL, may roads allow it to be done by tag so you get a bill in the mail later (slightly higher than if you had one of their passes). I keep my EZ pass in my tank bag in the "map" top section and it reads fine.
I'd kind of like to ask if well what's the earliest in the year you ever traveled out west here I'm a truck driver sitting in Winslow Arizona right now the last week of April I plan my motorcycle trip if the winds are like this I don't think I could do it
Late June at the earliest tho depends how region out west, further south and not passing through the mountains you may be able to get away with a few weeks earlier. The sweet spot for the US is late June - late August/early September is good for about anywhere.
Thanks for the tips! Can you show the back side of your Amex card next time? I think I have the same version, just want to verify the customer service number.…
LOL! I do like that most companies started putting the number on the back of the card.
Camping cost: Some of the chain camping companies aren't cheap. Also, some state parks charge approx $12 to enter then $35 to camp. Ouch.
Socialization: When camping you can meet your neighbors. Most camping people are good story tellers.
Warning! Very good idea to travel with a friend to cut some of the expenses by half. This ideas works well if you're traveling with your sister but results in death if you are traveling with your girlfriend. 🤣
😂😂
Brian as the little spoon is weird.
*😂*