Passport America

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1PlasticMan1

1PlasticMan1

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Posts
295
Location
Pocono Pines, PA
I purchased a two year subscription based upon people's comments about how it paid for itself in a few uses.  Wish I had investigated it further.  Recently in FL could not use it because it was a weekend.  Now planning a trip west, and find that not only can't I use it on weekends where I would like to stay, many times I can't make a reservation ahead of time, or it is "high" season and discounts will not be allowed.  Tried to get a refund, but because I got it over thirty days ago (March, 2016), they would not refund even though I have never used it.  "If it sounds too good to be true---------------"
 
Sure, it does not work for every single night, or in every town that you stop in...but
we have used it on 9 out of the last 21 nights and saved $258.40! ;)
Sure works for us! ;D ;D
Just arrived at an RV park a few miles from New Orleans which offers unlimited PA stay, $25 per night and close to all services.
 
We found way to many restrictions also, and therefore don't use it.
 
we purchased it last year and have save 30.00 so far this year, our trip to Mammoth Cave will more than pay for it. yes there are a lot of restrictions, so far we have been able to work around them.  I will see the end of this year if I renew or not, going to see how they work with the Ohio state parks this year.
 
My first one not only saved me money -- it was free for a year's worth of discounts.

When I asked a campground owner if I could use it that day if I purchased one from him he said sure and I'll do you one better.

He explained that CG owners receive a "few" free PA one year subscriptions to hand out at their discresion and that nobody had asked for one for awhile. So, he enrolled me for free and gave me the discount for the three days I stayed.

Sometimes, when it looks too good to be true... .
 
I bought it last year and have not been a good experience for us. I got the book and many times when I called it was no longer accepted or only Monday-Thursday.
 
It sounds like you did not research it enough to know what you were getting into. Does that make it a bad deal? Maybe for you, but for many others it seems to have worked just fine. It appears that you need to do more research into offers like this. Live and learn. Life isn't fair either.



The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.





 
We have subscribed to Passport America three times in our eleven years of RVing.  We first signed up when we were going to stay at a park that accepted Passport America, so we knew we would get at least one night out of it.  We would then use it as we could for the year, and then let it expire until we wanted to stay at another Passport American park, where we would renew again and so on for the last eleven years.  In the time we were subscribed, we always saved a lot more than the price we paid for it.
 
We've looked at PA a couple of times, but have never joined. Why? Because all too often, there are no campgrounds in their system that are where we need one...or else the restrictions on weekends (not all campgrounds bar use on weekends, but most do) kept us from using it.

Is it a good deal? Perhaps...as long as it fits your needs.

 
Just about every Passport America thread mentioned here also mentions the potential restrictions. They certainly are a part of the program, as campground owners could not afford to always offer 50% off.  PA is mostly a way for campgrounds to get people in the door during off-peak days.

When we bought our first motorhome in New York and drove back to Illinois, we purposely scheduled our return trip around PA campgrounds. It paid for itself in three days and we saw a couple of great spots. It was all in the planning.
 
It worked for us, especially when we full timed. Even when part-timing, never failed at the very least to "save our money back", essentially making it free. You DO need to read the information, plan, and see if it works for you as far as area goes.

As far as "too good to be true", I find it to be exactly as represented.
 
Passport America is best suited to the traveler, not people looking for an extended stay.
 
We are travelers, not looking for extended stay, so thought that it would present some real cost savings for staying at nice facilities.  Unfortunately haven't been able to connect as of yet.  Thanks for your comments (except for the Happy Prospector), will keep trying.
 
We use PA and it has saved us a lot. If you're using the book try using the online version instead. It's more accurate. We've stayed in CGs for two weeks or more and paid the PA rate for Mondays-Thursdays and then the weekend rates. It's a substantial savings.
 
Some years our PA subscription has barely paid it's own way, while other years it has paid for itself ten times over. All in all, we've been more than happy with it.
 
I suppose advertising gives the impression you'll save 50% any and all the time you're out. Its not going to happen for someone who has some standards about where and when they stay. As noted the parks that I would want to stay in (they have a lot that get poor reviews) are not always where I want them, with the discount in place when I want them. Still, I've never lost money and sometimes I've saved a bunch - and the investment is what 40 something dollars? Not a bad bet if you ask me.
 
We had PA for a few years and left the membership expire. Most places that were supposed to honor it didn't, or had restrictions. We stay with KOA and Good Sam. That's all we need.
 
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