Editor’s Note: This Q&A first appeared on the Matador Network.
Usually, planning a trip seven months in advance would give you plenty of time to book your hotels, activities, and transportation without worrying about everything being sold out. But when it comes to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, being held throughout 16 North American cities in June 2026, you’ll want to make your plans as soon as possible. Many cities have already reported huge increases in bookings over World Cup dates, with some hotels already sold out — and pricing rising on those that still have rooms left.
But let’s say you want to catch a World Cup match or two, but don’t want to fly in for just a night or two, watch the games, and immediately leave again — but nor do you want to pay inflated rates for a week of hotel rooms. In that case, while you may have options like clean but cheap motels, you could instead turn the opportunity to see the 2026 FIFA World Cup by RV, turning the global competition into a full-on road trip.
Matador Network spoke with Jen Young, co-founder of Outdoorsy, to get the scoop on how to rent an RV for a big event like the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Outdoorsy is a peer-to-peer RV rental service similar to Turo, but with RVs. According to Young, inquiries for the summer of 2026 are already 11% higher than this time last year. While that’s not just due to the World Cup — 2026 is also the anniversary of historic Route 66 and the 250th birthday of the USA — she advised that these three “mega events” may be spurring a rise in summer travel.
“This event is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to truly experience the depth and diversity of North America,” says Young. “An RV trip turns the World Cup into an immersive, shared cultural experience and an opportunity to explore the country before and after the event.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Matador Network: Have you noticed any increase so far in interest around World Cup rentals, or have you noticed any trends based on similar events?
Jen Young: Excitingly, we are already seeing an 11% spike in bookings for summer 2026 travel compared to last year. The 2026 World Cup’s massive scale across three countries offers a unique chance for millions of fans to see the best of the US. When you look at where the host cities are located, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing the greatest reservation spikes in Florida, Washington, California, Pennsylvania and British Columbia.
