Campervan and RV Rental Tampa — Gulf Coast Beaches, State Parks and Tips for 2027

Tampa is the base for Florida's Gulf coast: within an hour you are on the white-sand barrier islands off Clearwater and St. Petersburg, and within two at the springs of the Nature Coast to the north or in Sarasota to the south. The city sits at the head of Tampa Bay, and the beaches are on the far side of it, across long causeways and bridges. A campervan pays off here because the best places to stay are campgrounds in county and state parks right on the water, the kind of location no hotel can offer. The beach towns themselves are tight for large vehicles, so decide where you will sleep first and plan the days around it.

The beaches across the bay

• Fort De Soto Park (about 60 km, under an hour): five connected islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay, south of St. Petersburg. Long undeveloped beaches, a fort from the time of the Spanish–American War, bike paths and kayak trails, plus a county campground with sites right on the water.
• St. Petersburg (about 35 km, half an hour over the Howard Frankland Bridge): the Dalí Museum, the pier and a waterfront downtown you can explore on foot. Leave the campervan at the edge of downtown.
• Clearwater Beach (about 40 km, 45 minutes on the Courtney Campbell Causeway): the busiest beach on the coast, where people gather for the sunset at Pier 60 every evening. Space for large vehicles is scarce; arrive early, or leave the campervan on the mainland and take the bus to the beach.
• Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island (about 45 km): two state parks north of Clearwater. Honeymoon Island is reached by road, Caladesi only by ferry or kayak. Both are for day visits; there is no campground.

North to the springs, south to Sarasota

• Weeki Wachee Springs (about 80 km north, an hour's drive): a spring-fed river so clear that you can see the bottom. Book the kayak trip downstream in advance, because the number of launches per day is limited; the park's mermaid show has been running since 1947.
• Crystal River (about 130 km north, an hour and a half): from mid-November to March, hundreds of manatees gather in the warm springs of Kings Bay. The area is known as the only one in the United States where a guided tour lets you get into the water with them.
• Over the Sunshine Skyway to Anna Maria Island and Sarasota: Interstate 275 crosses the mouth of the bay on a bridge almost 7 km long. Anna Maria Island is about 85 km from Tampa, and Siesta Key beach near Sarasota about 110 km.
• Myakka River State Park (about 105 km south): one of the largest state parks in Florida, with wetlands full of alligators, a treetop canopy walkway and campgrounds with electric hookups.

Where to stay overnight

• Fort De Soto campground. The best-located campground on the coast; it is run by Pinellas County and has more than 200 sites, many of them on the water. Reservations open six months ahead, and winter and spring weekends fill quickly.
• State parks. The nearest is Hillsborough River State Park, about 30 km north-east of Tampa, a good choice for the first or last night. South of the bay are Little Manatee River and Myakka River. Reservations open ten to eleven months ahead.
• Private RV parks. Full hookups: electricity, water and sewer. Many around the bay live off winter guests from the north who stay for months, so book short stays from January to March early.
• No sleeping at the beach. Beach car parks close at night, and sleeping in a vehicle on the street is prohibited in the beach towns.

Driving and costs that guests forget

• Tolls. The Selmon Expressway and the Veterans Expressway are tolled electronically only, with no booths, and the Sunshine Skyway is tolled as well. The rental company bills the tolls afterwards, usually with a daily fee. The causeway to Clearwater and the bridges to St. Petersburg (Howard Frankland, Gandy) are free.
• Wind on the Skyway. In strong winds the bridge is closed to traffic, and a high-sided motorhome feels the gusts long before that. Ahead of a storm, check the conditions before you cross.
• Vehicle size. A typical American Class C motorhome is seven to nine metres long. Beach car parks are laid out for cars, and parking garages have height limits. A smaller campervan is easier to drive and park.
• Mileage and generator. American rental companies often charge separately for miles driven above the included allowance and for generator hours. Read the quote to the end.
• Driving licence. An ordinary car licence is enough for a rental motorhome. A foreign licence is valid; if it is not in English, bring an international driving permit as well. The minimum driver age is usually 21, in some cases 25.
• Afternoon storms. From June to September thunderstorms build almost every afternoon, and the Tampa area has some of the most lightning strikes in the United States. Leave the beach when you hear thunder, and do your driving in the morning.

When to go

The best time is from November to April: it is dry, days are 21 to 27 °C and the air is not humid. The Gulf is cool for swimming in January and February and comfortable from April. March and April are the busiest months, because of spring break, and the most expensive. Summer is hot and humid, with storms every day; hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, peaking from August to October. In some years, most often in late summer and autumn, a red tide appears along the coast, an algal bloom that irritates the airways and kills fish; check the current report before you pick a beach.

A campervan in Tampa through Crystalium Booker

We are still building our campervan offer in Tampa. Send us your dates and group size through the contact page and we will look for a vehicle for you, and keep an eye on the campervans in Tampa page for new listings. Do you rent out a campervan in or around Tampa? List it with us.