North America is such a huge continent, there is no chance of seeing it all in one trip – but you can still make the airfare worthwhile. Helen Raine looks at three RV road trips that would take you its length and breadth.

Taking a motorhome for a US road trip is a rite of passage for many Americans.

This vast country has desert, prairie, mountain ranges, wild forests, crazy cities and pretty much everything in between.

An RV (recreational vehicle) can take you places other modes of transport just can’t get to, providing a roof over your head even in the most remote locations and making city stops considerably cheaper.

Here are three ways to live the dream.

1. East to West is best

This northern route from Chicago to Seattle is a long haul, but it’s worth it.

Start off with a few days in the Windy City checking out the gallery district and the 29km bike trail around Lake Michigan.

When you start rolling, it’ll be through the beautiful dairy lands of Wisconsin’s Door County. Continue up through Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes (this is canoe country), then west through South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore.

The enormous sculpted faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are not the only attractions in this mountainous park, so pack your hiking boots and take some time to explore the area.

The Badlands are next, a stark and lovely national park with one of the world’s richest fossil beds.

Ancient rhino, horse and sabre-toothed cat have been found here. These days, you’ll come across bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets in the mixed-grass prairie.

After crossing eastern Montana’s prairies, drop south into the incredible Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

It was the first national park in the US and remains the most visited for a reason. It sits on top of a dormant volcano that powers the Old Faithful geyser and other hydrothermal marvels.

Visitors also have the chance to spot wolves, elk and grizzly bears.

RV facilities are excellent, although you’ll need to book in advance (www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com).

There’s more natural beauty on the way. Via the gateways of Missoula, Whitefish and Kalispell, you can access the incredible beauty of Glacier National Park’s protected forests, meadows, rugged mountains and glacial lakes.

Turn west now, across northern Idaho's Coeur d’Alene region, through Spokane and on to Mt Baker and Mt Rainier.

Seattle is worth a stop for the Space Needle and a tour on the Washington State Ferries among other big city attractions.

Then bear north on to Whidbey Island for the scenic Artist’s Colony, home to many working artists and performers, and finally west, into the Olympic National Park.

A single day here can take you from flower-studded mountain vistas to ocean tide pools, via pockets of ancient woodlands.

Drop off your RV in Seattle and you could even duck over the Canadian border to check out the lovely Vancouver and fly home from there.

A 29-night RV rental from Chicago costs €2,800 (plus one way surcharge) and will accommodate five people. www.cruiseamerica.com.

2. New York to New York

Start off with the bright lights of The Big Apple: there’s even an RV park for €65 per night, which has views of the Statue of Liberty and easy transport links to Manhattan (www.libertyharborrv.com).

After the city that never sleeps, your first destination is the calmer Rhode Island, where a network of heritage trails will help you discover the area’s gastronomy, scenery and culture.

Vermont is all about the great outdoors

Then it’s on to Cape Cod National Seashore, where you’ll find 64km of gorgeous sandy beaches, interspersed with marshes, ponds and wild cranberry bogs.

It’s the perfect place to hike and swim as you discover Martha's Vineyard and the quaint villages of the Cape.

Pressing north, you’ll arrive in Boston, one of the oldest US cities. Walk the Freedom Trail to experience some of its history.

The seaside journey continues through the towns of Gloucester, Ipswich and Newburyport, then north into Maine past rugged ocean scenery.

Now it’s time to turn west, into Vermont. This state is all about the great outdoors, with farmers’ markets to visit, hiking trails to follow and little back roads to drive down.

Towns worth a visit include Montpelier and Burlington.

Cross New York State to Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains, where you’ll find a 6,100,000-acre park with remote hiking trails, old growth forests, 3,000 lakes and ponds and more than 48,000km of streams and rivers. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are popular activities.

You can also try out the Adirondack Scenic Railroad.

Continue south through Saratoga Springs, for posh shops, horse racing and a lesson in the Revolution War history, returning finally to New York City for the red-eye flight home.

www.motorhomerepublic.com has a 6.7m classic motorhome available. Two weeks in June for four adults would cost €853.

3. Roll through the Rockies

This epic journey begins in Denver, the jumping-off point for the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and a fun city to visit in its own right.

Those mountains stretch for an eternity (well, make that 4,830km) peaking in Colorado at Mount Elbert (4,401m).

As the different ecosystems segue from montane to alpine to tundra, you’ll be surrounded by wildlife, including elk, deer, moose, bighorn, bears and cougars. The mainly Mormon state of Utah is next for the magnificent Arches and Zion National Parks.

Contrast all that natural beauty with a crazy few days under the neon lights of Las Vegas. Win or lose, your next destination is Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona for boating, hiking and photography.

This is the land of desert plants and animals, all perfectly adapted to survive in arid climates when the thermometer soars. Perhaps the pinnacle of this trip is the Grand Canyon. Its sheer immensity will boggle your mind. Watch the red, ochre and sepia tones of sunset fade to black, and you’ll have a memory that will last forever.

Flagstaff, Arizona, is next up, on Route 66. It’s at 2,135m and is surrounded by the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest.

The town has made itself a hub of outdoor activity, so take the opportunity to go mountain biking, play disk golf or challenge yourself to some rock climbing.

Finish by pushing east to Albuquerque and then Santa Fe in New Mexico. Contemporary art is big and there are also some intriguing remnants of ancient Native American communities, as well as pueblo communities that are still vibrant.

www.heightsrv.com have motorhomes from around €200 a day in summer (with almost 50 per cent off in low season). Contact them to discuss one-way drop-offs.