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Explore California With Us!

Embark on an RV rental in California journey with Indie Campers and discover the Golden State's endless adventures. Cruise Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, explore Yosemite's granite cliffs, or surf San Diego's sun-soaked beaches. Choose from our range of reliable RVs equipped with unlimited miles, flexible one way options, and 24/7 assistance. With thousands of five star reviews, Indie Campers is your perfect partner for California's coast, mountains, and deserts.

RV Road Trips Across California

California contains more distinct road trip landscapes within a single state boundary than most countries contain within their national borders. The Pacific Coast Highway runs 1,055 miles (656 miles) of two-lane coastal highway from the Oregon border to San Diego, passing through redwood forest, sea cliff, and chaparral-covered headland continuously. Fifty-four kilometers east of the coast, Yosemite Valley sits at 1,200 meters in the Sierra Nevada. Six hours southeast of San Francisco, Death Valley drops to 86 meters below sea level and regularly records the highest air temperature on Earth. The same state park system that manages beachside campgrounds in Malibu manages alpine campgrounds at 2,400 meters in the southern Cascades. No other state in the US network asks you to make this many decisions about what kind of landscape you want to sleep in.
The three Indie Campers pick up centers are in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Between them, they cover 1,127 miles (700 miles) of California's coastline and position travelers for every major California sub-region: the Bay Area and Marin Headlands from San Francisco, the Central Coast and Mojave from Los Angeles, the Sonoran Desert and Baja border from San Diego. The Sierra Nevada is accessible from all three, with drive times ranging from 3.5 hours from San Francisco (Yosemite Valley) to 4.5 hours from Los Angeles (Sequoia). The northernmost Redwood groves are 5.5 hours from San Francisco via US-101.
California's campground infrastructure is the most developed in the United States: over 15,000 individual campsites across 280 state parks, nine national parks, 20 national forests, and several million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. The campground density on the coast between San Francisco and San Diego means you are never more than 60 miles from a legal overnight with electricity. The same is true along US-395 on the Sierra's eastern face. The infrastructure argument for a campervan in California is not theoretical; it is structural. A coastal California road trip in summer without advance campground reservations is a different trip than one with them.
RV Road Trips Across California

California by Sub-Area: Where to Go and What to Expect

Northern California: Redwoods to Mount Shasta
Bay Area and Wine Country
Central Coast and Big Sur
Sierra Nevada

Nearest pick up center: San Francisco
Distance across sub-area: Approximately 500 miles (310 miles) from San Francisco north to the Oregon border
Character: Old-growth coast redwood forest is the defining landscape: Sequoia sempervirens, the tallest living species on Earth, grows in a narrow fog-fed coastal belt running from Muir Woods (26 miles north of San Francisco) to Jedediah Smith Redwoods on the Oregon border. The redwood zone averages 60-100 meters canopy height. Inland, the Klamath Mountains and Shasta-Trinity National Forest transition to volcanic plateau; Mount Shasta (4,322 meters, GPS: 41.4092° N, 122.1949° W) is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and visible for 160 miles on a clear day. US-101 north of San Francisco alternates between coast-hugging bluff sections and inland valley segments; the Avenue of the Giants (32 miles, GPS south entrance: 40.3245° N, 124.0650° W) runs beneath the tallest unprotected redwood grove remaining in California.

Best for: Travelers who have already done Yosemite and the PCH; first-timers who specifically want old-growth forest and dramatic coast with low crowds
Signature route: US-101 north from San Francisco to the Oregon border (650 miles, 4-6 days)
Don't miss: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the Fern Canyon slot canyon, Trinidad Head Trail
Best months: May through October; summer marine fog clears by mid-morning most days; July-September has the longest clear windows

One of the most memorable things to do in California is to rent a campervan or RV and visit the national parks. National parks are very distinctive in the United States, particularly in California, as they all have original features that will leave you in awe. 

Frequently Asked Questions in California

Do I need a special licence to hire an RV in California?

In general, a special licence is not required to rent our RVs in California. However, a valid driving license is required to operate our vehicles. For some non-EU citizens, a IDP is required, in addition to their home country's drivers licence. Other considerations such as a valid vehicle licence to the vehicle type (manual or automatic) will also be required. For more information regarding our licence requirements read this.

Are pets allowed in your RVs?

Yes, our RVs are pet-friendly. Just make sure to purchase the extra cleaning service during your booking. This service includes professional anti-allergic cleaning after your trip. Please note that only one pet is allowed per motorhome, and it must weigh no more than 30kg. Keep in mind, we are not responsible for any legal fees related to traveling with your pet. For marketplace bookings, check the "vehicle rules" section for the pet-friendly icon to confirm if pets are allowed in that specific vehicle.

How many people can sleep in an RV/motorhome?

The number of people who can sleep in our RVs will depend on the size of the vehicle and the model. In general, our class C motorhome models can sleep up to 4-8 people, whereas our class B motorhomes can sleep up to 2-4. For cars with a rooftop tent, around 2 people can sleep in this vehicles. More details on our models and sleeping capacities can be found here.

Where can I stay overnight in California with an RV rental and is it safe?

If you are travelling in an RV, motorhome or caravan around California, it is important to understand official camping rules of the country you are visiting. As natural areas are generally protected by laws, using an official campsite or designated overnight parking area is highly recommended. This helps protect local communities and ensures you can all enjoy safely. Read more safety tips and protocols here.

Is it safe to hire a RV in California, will I be protected?

We offer three protection plans to cover incidents and damages during your rental period. All Indie Campers motorhomes come with insurance for third-party vehicles and property damage (valid insurance will depend on the country). For marketplace vehicles, insurance options may vary based on the host.

Learn more about our protection plans here.

Can I hire an RV rental near me?

Yes, our search filter allows you to find an RV near your location using a 60km radius system. This means depending on the location you are searching from, you will be able to find an Indie campervan rental pick-up center near you.

Do your RV rentals in California come with unlimited mileage?

Yes, a selected number of Indie Campers RV rentals in California include unlimited mileage, allowing you to explore freely and make the most of your road trip! Please note that unlimited mileage applies exclusively to Indie Campers RVs and is subject to responsible use.

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