Visiting one of the many theme parks around the country is a great way to spend a family vacation. Using your RV as home base lets you have a place to wind down in familiar surroundings and avoid expensive restaurants. Theme parks are very expensive, although they do offer a lot of entertainment for the whole family.

Disney World

Disney World in Orlando, Florida, leads the list in theme parks for families, especially for RV families. Disney World has some of the best hotels in the Orlando area and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is their offering for RV travelers. They boast 784 private back-in lots that are equipped with hookups for essentials like water, electricity, and sewer. You'll have a level, paved driveway pad, parking for one vehicle, a picnic table, and a charcoal grill.

Fort Wilderness is one of the more expensive campgrounds. Its prices range from around $40 per day in the off-season to over $80 per day during the most popular times of the year. It also books up quickly for certain periods; the most popular vacation times, such as the week between Christmas and New Year's, are often booked a year in advance.

The resort features two swimming pools, nightly campfires, and many daily activities. This is a great choice for families with children. Disney does vacations the right way — though you will pay top dollar for it.

There is free transportation to and from the various Disney parks available from this RV camp. Especially appealing for families with young children is the opportunity to visit the theme park at your leisure. If a young one is getting tired and cranky, just hop on the shuttle back to your RV for a nap or just to wind down after the excitement of the rides. You can return to the park later in the day for more fun. Just be sure that you get your hand stamped for re-entry.

Remember that there are many other attractions in the Orlando area besides the Disney World attractions. Universal Studios and its Islands of Adventure are entertaining and popular family theme parks you may want to visit. If you plan on including these attractions in your visit, make sure there is transportation available when choosing a place to stay. If you stay at Disney's Fort Wilderness, you will be on your own for transportation to other attractions in the Orlando area.

The Disney theme park in California is much older and in an area that is more built up and urban. It does not have its own RV resort, but there are many very nice RV campgrounds in the vicinity. Southern California is another very popular tourist area that offers many amenities to the traveler. Once again, check for transportation to the various local attractions.

Travel to these popular tourist destinations requires advanced planning. If you are able to travel off-peak, you will find a better selection of places to stay with better rates. If you are traveling at peak times, you will pay premium rates.