Navigate Your Next Road Trip Like a Pro: Tips for an Unforgettable Ride

Summary: There are so many interesting things to see across the country, and a road trip is the best way to explore them. Here are some tips for an unforgettable road trip.

Road trips are a great way to get out, see the country and spend quality time with the people you love as you take in the sights. It’s also an enduringly popular way to spend a vacation. In fact, in 2023, more than 100 million Americans went on road trips.

Road trips are nothing if not versatile. You can choose to chart a detailed route in advance, complete with different sites to hit. Or, you can pick a direction and see where the open road takes you, figuring out food and rest stops along the way. Both options have their appeal.

But whatever you choose, whether you’re hitting the road with friends and family or going solo, there are certain road trip tips to keep in mind when preparing for your journey.

What is the Best Way to Plan a Road Trip?

From a safety and comfort viewpoint, it’s best to plan ahead before you embark on a road trip. Here are some tips for planning your next road trip:

1. Plan your Route

Before your car leaves the driveway, you should ideally have a good idea of the route you will take. Even if you don’t have a fixed destination, it’s helpful to map out the general direction you’re going in so you can schedule rest and food stops.

For long trips that take two or three days, decide how long you want to drive each day and where you can stop for the night. This way, you can book your accommodation in advance, and you’re not suddenly faced with an overbooked hotel and no place to sleep.

It’s also helpful to figure out when you’ll hit busy metropolitan areas, so you can steer clear of roads with heavy traffic.

If you plan on driving straight to your destination, you can still determine where you want to stop for breaks to stretch your legs, hit the restroom, or grab something to eat. Mobile apps like iExit are great for showing you what restaurants, gas or charging stations, and hotels are off each exit, making it easier to plan your trip.

2. Tune up Your Car

The last thing you want on your road trip is car trouble. To ensure a safe road trip without unexpected breakdowns or other issues, get your vehicle in for a tune-up before you leave. Check your tire pressure and make sure your windshield wipers are in good shape and working correctly. You may even want to get an oil change or vehicle inspection.

Of course, even the best-laid plans can go awry, so make sure you’re equipped with a spare tire and a roadside emergency kit. Roadside assistance on your car insurance can be a real savior here. It means you can quickly resolve car troubles and continue making your way on the road.

3. Stick to a Budget

Budgeting is an important part of good vacation planning. So set a budget for your road trip and stick to it.

If you’re traveling through several states, gas prices may fluctuate, but you can still estimate how much you will spend based on how many miles you travel. Pre-booking hotel stays along your route can also help prevent you from spending too much on pricey accommodations because nothing is available in your budget.

Finally, account for the food and drink you’ll need to purchase en route. If you’re traveling with children or people with dietary restrictions, it might be a good idea to pack food and snacks before your road trip.

Road Trip Ideas

Are you looking to drive through some of our country’s majestic national parks or plan a ‘Taste America’ style road trip centered around food? Here are a few road trip ideas for your next journey.

Route 66

You can ‘get your kicks on Route 66,’ a 2,448-mile road that travels through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Originally established in 1926 to connect Chicago to Los Angeles, the U.S. Highway 66 has been realigned in some areas over the years.

However, about 85% of the original path remains.

National Parks

What better way to explore nature’s beauty than on a road trip to visit this country’s national parks. For example, in Utah you can visit Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef national parks all within a couple of days.

Off-Beat Museums

Have you ever been driving through a town when a sign for some off-beat museum or attraction caught your eye? A fun road trip would be to stop at those weird attractions you see along the way. For example, if road-tripping down I-75 through Georgia, you can stop and see the World’s Largest Peanut, the Crime and Punishment Museum and the Tellus Science Museum.

Rollercoasters

Do you love the thrill of rollercoasters? Then plan a road trip where you hit up several of the country’s most thrilling rollercoasters along the way. The website RVTravel outlines some of be best roller coaster road trips in the U.S.

History Sites

History buffs may want to plan a road trip where they can visit different historical sites. For example, you can visit sites from the Civil War when traveling U.S. Route 15 from Manassas, Virginia to Antietam, Maryland.

How Long Should a Road Trip be?

There’s no one answer to that question. How many miles you can cover within one day on a road trip depends on your comfort level and how many drivers are on the trip to take turns at the wheel. It’s usually recommended that drivers keep their drive time to eight to nine hours, or about 500 miles, with at least a couple of breaks in between.

Older adults may want to reduce their drive time and take more frequent breaks. But whatever you decide, make sure you drive for only as long as it is safe, comfortable and legal. So with that in mind, pack your bags, fuel up and enjoy the ride.