Whether you are taking a road trip, living out of your car, or exploring the country in your camper van, you will eventually need a shower. There are a ton (well 15 to be exact) public shower options near you… some might just take a little creativity. Others, a little money. However, there are a few free shower options on the list.
1) Shower at large, nation-wide gym chains
Gym’s may be the most reliable and common ways to find a public shower on the road.
I have a membership to Planet Fitness. For 20$ / month I have access to unlimited showers, massage beds, tanning booths (although I’ll pass on that)… and even those weight things. Not only that! You can bring one guest every day… for FREE. Now I just need to find a friend.
Many of these gyms can be found all over the country, which makes them perfect for van life or showering while on road trips. Some of them even offer free passes. The most popular big nationwide gyms are:
- Planet Fitness
- 24-Hour Fitness (3-day guest pass offered)
- Anytime Fitness (7-day guest pass offered)
- LA Fitness (5-day guest pass offered)
- Life Time Fitness
Although they are far from free, the money spent on a gym might be worth it to get a reliable way to shower on the road.
Also, if you have a YMCA near you, they offer financial aid on memberships. So that is yet another gym option.
2) Campground showers
Many established campgrounds have showers available. Although, they might not be free to the public. This means that you might have to spend money on a campsite overnight or talk to the campground host to see if they will let you take a free shower…
You never know unless you ask.
Then again, I’m sure there are people that don’t ask and just do. Although I don’t avocate that.
3) Smaller local gyms
Local and regional gyms are another way to find a free shower. Many of these smaller chain gyms offer trial passes just like the larger ones.
Obviously, you wouldn’t want to head straight to the showers. Take the opportunity to get a work-out in. And if you are going to be in the area for a while, consider actually signing up and supporting the smaller guys.
4) Truck stops
Truck stops are a great way to find a public shower. Although they won’t be free, these showers are often some of the cleanest you will find.
Seriously, I was blown away at how well taken care of these showers are. And they arn’t just for truckers.
If you haven’t checked out a truck stop yet, go do it… bring a date! Make a night out of it!
Seriously though, truck stops really try to take care of their customers. Not only will you find spotless showers, many of these places have restaurants, stores, laundry services, WIFI, massage chairs, and TV theatre rooms. They will even let you stay the night for free! Just call to make sure it’s okay.
Hint: Many truckers have free shower passes for these places. I’ve been told they are often more than happy to give you one if you ask.
Some of the most popular names in the truck stop world are:
- Loves
- Pilot Travel Center
- Little America
5) Get a portable shower
There are a TON of different portable showers available. Many of these are solar shower bags. They are cheap, effective, and easy to use, making them great options for showering on the road.
Check out our list of 8 of the Best Portable Solar Showers
When I’m not showering at Planet Fitness, I’m usually using my solar shower bag. I hang it on the side of my campervan if it’s sunny, letting the sun heat up the water.
If it’s not sunny, I simply boil a bit of water with my jet boil or on my stove-top and add it to my shower bag.
If a gravity-fed solar shower doesn’t appeal to you, they also have pump showers. These tanks can be filled like mentioned above and you can pressurize the tank with a hand/foot pump.
The beauty of your own portable shower is that you can bathe any time, any place… well, maybe not ANY place.
Here are some of our top choices for a portable solar shower bag:
6) Free showers at the beach!
If you are near a public beach, chances are you will be near a free shower. These are usually used for washing off sand and salt water, and they don’t cost a cent!
Next time your #vanlife adventures take you to the beach, keep these showers in mind!
Just make sure you are respectful to those around you, it is public after-all.
7) Public swimming pool showers
Do a quick google search and see if there is a community pool near you. Where there is a public pool, there’s also a public shower.
Community swimming pools are an easy and inexpensive way to get a shower if you aren’t trying to shower every day (because day passes do begin to add up).
8) Boat marinas' public showers
Boat marinas are a great option to find a cheap public shower if you are traveling along the coast. I’ve showered in my fair share of boat marinas on my campervan travels. The cleanliness can be hit or miss, depending on the area. Overall, however, they tend to be pretty clean.
They are coin operated and cost anywhere from 50 cents to a couple of bucks, so keep some coins handy.
9) Hostels
I’ve stayed at many hostels around the world and some of them actually offer their shower services for a small fee. You can even get towels and soap!
If you are sick of sleeping in your van or car, you can always get a bed there as well.
Hostels can be ridiculously cheap depending on where you are. In Japan, I was staying at $15/night hostels and they were remarkably clean.
However, in the States you might be spending a bit more.
10) Get a room in an AirBnB
If you are on the road or living out of your van, perhaps springing for a one night Airbnb stay won’t be a terrible idea. If not for the comfort, then for the private shower.
The beauty of living the van life is that it affords you the freedom to splurge every now and then.
Airbnb doesn’t even have to be that expensive! Depending on where you are, you could potentially find a cheap room to rent for the night.
Not only would you get a nice hot shower, you would get a nice warm bed.
11) Spring for a motel room
Just like above, but maybe you want a bit more privacy. Motel’s can range in price greatly but if you want a private room and a private shower after a long road trip then perhaps spending a bit of money won’t be such a bad thing.
12) Bathe in a river or lake
What did we do before we had nice warm showers? We jumped in the river of course!
I mean, if you’re already going to be living in a van down by the river, might as well bathe in one too!
Disclaimer: Be super careful about introducing chemical products to the water source. Even a small amount of environmentally friendly soap can cause damage to the natural organisms.
13) Bike wash shower
Yes! I said it. If it’s good enough for my mountain bike, Stumpy, then it’s good enough for me!
Some mountain bike parks and trails have a little bike wash station to rinse off your muddy bike. Why not turn it into a make-shift public shower.
Be warned, it will be cold!
And don’t hog it for those who need it!
14) Baby wipe baths
Music festival goers around the globe know that baby wipes arn’t just for babies. In fact, most of them arn’t even marketed as body wipes or shower wipes.
I spent a large portion of my 20’s going to music festivals. I’ve gotten very accustomed to baby wipe showers.
Yes, I still call them showers.
I always keep a pack of baby wipes around on road trips… and I have many packs in my van. I use them almost daily.
15) Sink baths (like a bird bath!)
I saved the best for last. If you can’t find a shower, just take a sink bath somewhere. Better than being stinky, right?
Conclusion
The moral of the story is this:
Don’t let the worry of finding a public shower and staying hygenic on your road trip hold you back. If you are hesitant about committing to the “van life” because you don’t know where you will shower, rest assured there are many-many options.
If you thought of any public shower options that we didn’t list, please let us know in the comment section below!
Now that you have some places to take a shower, check out your different camper van toilet options below:
