The Ultimate Guide on How to Plan a Road Trip

Want to plan the perfect road trip?

Everyone loves a good road trip, but without a plan, it can quickly turn into a chaotic mess. This guide will help you cover the road trip planning process from start to finish, ensuring your next adventure is nothing but memorable and fun!

How to plan a road trip

Map your route and stops along the way

Mapping your route is the first step to a great road trip. If you’re planning to travel across the country, these road trip routes break down the best roads to take by season. During the spring, a road trip from Barstow, CA to Wilmington, NC would be ideal. Or for autumn travel, Atlantic City, NJ to San Francisco, CA would be nice. If you plan by season, you can make the most of the sights along the way.

Another road trip planner is Roadtrippers.com. This site gives you options to show attractions, natural wonders, hotels, and much more on your route, making it easy to plan where you’ll stop for fun and rest along the way.

Whatever route you choose, use a GPS or navigation system (like Google Maps) to stay on route, or to get back on track if you get lost.

Choose your ride

Depending on a few factors, it might make sense for you to rent a vehicle instead of driving your own. Consider these points to help you decide what’s best:

Vehicle size. Choose a vehicle large enough to accommodate everyone in your group comfortably. Also consider a vehicle that has plenty of room for everyone’s luggage.

Depletion. The vehicle you drive will rack up miles and natural wear and tear as you travel across the country. If you would rather not put your personal vehicle through the trip, consider renting.

Fuel efficiency. You could lower your gas cost just by driving a vehicle that gets great gas mileage. For example, it costs $173.63 for a trip from Boston to Seattle in a 2012 Toyota Prius V vs. $317.05 in a 2012 Toyota Venza. That’s a savings of almost $150! Try the My Trip Calculator from Fueleconomy.gov to see your estimated fuel price.

Get your vehicle ready for the road

Perform basic car maintenance to ensure your vehicle’s ready to drive. Here are some things you can check yourself, or have your local auto shop check for you:

Fluids (oil, gas, antifreeze/coolant, brake, transmission, windshield wiper, power steering)
Hoses and belts
Tires for traction and pressure, tire rotation
Headlights, wiper blades, horn, turn signals, reverse lights, brakes, battery, AC, air filter, and gauges

Clean and pack your car

It’s a good idea to clean your car before your trip. Remove trash, clean up any messes, take it through the wash, and organize the glove box for easy access to registration. Once the car is clean, pack it up! Here are some things to consider taking with you:

A travel trash bag or container
Blankets and travel pillows
A cooler with bottled water
Plenty of snacks
Essentials like chargers, hand wipes, GPS or road map, etc.
An emergency kit (flashlight, blanket, first-aid kit, basic tools, reflectors/flares)
Jumper cables and car jack
A spare tire with good traction and pressure
Daily medications

Here are some more road trip packing tips:

Set a limit of one bag per person to prevent over-packing and conserve space
Pack belongings into soft duffel bags and backpacks for tighter packing instead of bulky suitcases
Keep the load light, as extra weight in your vehicle can reduce your MPG
Secure loose items – if you end up in a fender-bender, loose items can be a danger to everyone in the vehicle
Pack plenty of chargers to keep all your devices ready to use

Create a road trip budget

Keeping your costs under control is definitely doable if you budget for it. Here are some costs to plan for:

Gas. Determine what gas prices will look like along your route (gasbuddy.com is a good resource). Simply enter the city, state, or ZIP to see the average regular gas price by area. Try these extra tips for other ways to save money on gas:

Look for exits with multiple gas stations – the prices should be very competitive
If you’re a member of a warehouse store (like Sam’s Club or Costco), plan to stop there for gas since it’s typically cheaper
Avoid excessive idling, as it can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour
Turn off your engine when the vehicle is parked
Use cruise control on the highway to maintain a constant speed
Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage usually decreases at speeds above 50 MPH
Avoid aggressive driving such as speeding and rapid acceleration and braking. It can lower your gas by 33% on the highway and 5% in town. It’s also safer for you and others on the road

Food. Trying out new foods is practically a road trip requirement, but it’s a good idea to plan ahead to avoid ending up with a hefty tab. Here are some tips for saving:

If you plan to eat out every meal, set a budget and stick to it. Plan for a few splurges to help you resist overspending on treats
Buy food at a grocery store and pack meals or snacks in a cooler
Pre-plan where you’ll stop to eat instead of just pulling off somewhere – this will help you stay on schedule and prevent any arguments about restaurant choices
If you know where you’re going to eat, look online for coupons
Snack on healthy foods that can tide you over till the next big meal (here’s a big list of healthy road trip food)

Lodging. A good night’s sleep is essential to a successful road trip! Here’s what you can do to catch some ZZZs for cheap:

Use online hotel sites like Expedia, Trivago, Kayak, and Priceline to compare rates
Find a hotel online, then call the manager at the hotel directly to see if they can offer a cheaper rate than what the online site offers
Sign up for hotel rewards programs for extra perks
Look for hotels on the outskirts of big metro or tourist areas to score better rates
If you’re arriving at your next hotel stop late at night, ask for a discounted rate—they might be more apt to comply if there are empty rooms to fill
Choose hotels with free breakfast and WIFI to save costs
Use the hotel’s ice machine to fill up your cooler instead of buying bags of ice
Take free tourism guides and pamphlets from the hotel – you might find something fun to do before you hit the road
Try Airbnb. You can rent someone’s unused space (like an apartment, townhouse, or spare room)
Road trips provide opportunities to visit family and friends you haven’t seen in a while; consider stopping in for a visit (and bonus: you can likely spend the night in their place for free!)
Use the National Parks Service Website to plan camping stops along your route

Activities. What’s a road trip without fun stops along the way? To budget for this, consider three types of fun: the free, the planned, and the unpredictable.

Free activities include: natural sites( such as a scenic views or national parks), some museums, and national landmarks
Plan for fun activities: visiting a theme park along your route, stopping at outdoor shopping malls, or catching a concert or performance along the way
Plan for unpredictable activities: seeing a billboard for the world’s largest shoe house in York, PA –there’s no way your group would miss that, right?

Other road trip costs. Of course, there are always other costs that can spring up during a road trip, such as:

Start-up costs (a new cooler, car maintenance, camping essentials)
Tolls (pack a few rolls of quarters so you can roll on through, or set your navigation to avoid tolls entirely)
Souvenirs

Follow the rules of the road

Here are some rules to consider putting in place before you drive even one mile:

No texting or cell phone use while driving: check out the distracted driving laws by state
Always wear your seat belt (view seatbelt laws by state).
No speeding or aggressive driving
No one drives individually more than 3 hours without a break
No more than 500 to 600 miles per day to avoid exhaustion

Download these road trip apps

These are the 10 best apps you can take with you on your trip:

1. Roadtrippers: Download your route and planned stops to your phone (iOS/android)

2. Google Maps: For when you get lost or need to know what’s around (iOS/android)

3. GasBuddy: Find the cheapest gas prices near your location (iOS/android)

4. AccuWeather: Because you need to know what Mother Nature’s up to (iOS/android)

5. SitorSquat: Locate the cleanest public restrooms (iOS/android)

6. HotelTonight: Get last minute hotel deals (iOs/android)

7. Waze: See live traffic reports according to those around you (iOS/android)

8. Yelp: See reviews for almost any type of business (iOS/android)

9. Along the Way: Discover venues, attractions, and hidden gems (iOS/android)

10. Audible: Read a book without getting carsick (iOS/android)

Have an app to add to our list? Let us know in the comments below.

Plan for a road trip with kids

Traveling with kids requires a little more planning. Here are some ideas:

Make sure you’re using your child’s car seat correctly; go to safecar.gov to look at car seats by child’s age and size, then check car seat laws by state
Give the kids plenty of rest breaks and time to run around – maybe pack a football or frisbee for a quick game of catch
If your child sleeps well in the car, consider leaving in the early morning or around bedtime
Dress your kids in comfy clothes, like a t-shirt, shorts, and shoes that are easy to take on and off for maximum comfort
If you’re driving a larger vehicle, space your kids out so they have plenty of room to themselves
Pack a prize bag and reward good behavior
Look for exits with local parks nearby so the kids can take a play break and burn off energy
Bring sunscreen for extended periods of time outside
Try to stick to usual nap and bedtime routines so it doesn’t make for an unhappy child the next morning
Let each child pack their own bag with a few things they want to bring

Preparing for your road trip

Before you take off, make sure you tie up loose ends at home:

Clean your house before your trip so you’ll return to a clean house (and have plenty of time to unwind)
Place your mail or newspaper subscription on hold for the length of your trip
Set your alarm system
Switch off the water and gas to avoid a potential flood or gas leak
Lock windows and external doors
Store valuables in a secure location out of sight
Schedule bill payments for bills that will be due while you’re gone
Put your landline phone on soft ring or mute so anyone around your home won’t hear it go unanswered
Leave a set of keys with someone you trust in case anything goes wrong
Fill up your car the day before you leave

Road trip entertainment

It can be easy to get bored on a road trip for kids and adults alike. Here are some easy road trip ideas to make the time fly by:

Listen to music or podcasts through the car speakers or your personal music device
Watch a movie on a portable DVD player
Read a book on your tablet (or listen to a book using a service like Audible)
Play road trip games
Work a crossword puzzle or Sudoku game
Color in a coloring book
Read your favorite magazine

Don’t forget about pets!

Sometimes, people aren’t the only ones going on the road trip. If you plan to bring Fido or Fluffy, take a look at these resources:

Use gopetfriendly.com to find pet-friendly hotels
Learn how to pack for your pet
If you’re not taking your pet, arrange care with a friend or pet boarding business.

Other Road Trip Tips

These useful tips and tricks are sure to make your road trip even better:

Notify credit cards that you’re traveling out of state
Be flexible – road construction, traffic accidents, and even weather can cause delays
Make sure all travelers agree on the start and end point for the trip
Plan some free time in your itinerary for unexpected stops
Ask your cellular provider about roaming fees and nationwide coverage to make sure you won’t incur extra charges
Anticipate traffic in big cities, like morning and evening rush hour
Avoid these 10 most dangerous roads in the U.S.
Check that your vehicle registration and driver’s license is up-to-date
Sign up for a roadside assistance service in case you need a tow or get locked out

Enjoy the trip

A road trip isn’t as much about where you’re going, but the fun you’ll have along the way. If you do even a little planning and prepping, you’ll be set for a very enjoyable trip!

If you have any questions about how to plan a road trip, or you want to share your best road trip tip or idea, let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

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