All my life I always wanted to do a cross-country road trip, and this past August I actually did it! It was an amazing experience and even though mine required almost 120 hours of driving, I highly recommend it. If you’ve dreamed about a trip like this too, here’s my guide for making it happen!
1. Make a list of your dream stops
When my boyfriend and I planned this trip, this was our first step. We listed out all the places we really want to see, and even though we only made it to about half of them, it’s better to start big and narrow it down as you go. If you need some inspiration, our favorite stops were The Grand Canyon, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Yosemite!
2. Decide how long you’re planning to go for, and what your budget is.
This will help you narrow your stops down and have a clearer picture of what your trip will look like. A tip: when you’re planning out your budget, plan a range of prices not a max price point. This will help you see how much you’ll spend based on if you’re frugal vs if you splurge a bit, and realistically the actual amount will be right down the middle. In terms of the length of your trip, take into account how much driving time you’ll be doing, and how long you are planning to stay at each stop.
3. Use a platform like RoadTrippers to plan out your route
RoadTrippers is both a website and an app and was crucial to the planning of my road trip. It’s easy to use- just make an account and type in locations you’re interested in. RoadTrippers will plan your route, show you an estimated gas price for the trip, locate hotels, activities and campgrounds off of your route, and show you how much time your trip requires. If you’re planning a long cross-country trip, you should definitely use this or a similar program.
4. Once you finalize your route, make an itinerary
This is the logical next step- when are you leaving? At what time? And when will you get to your destination? Keep in mind that with a trip of this nature, your itinerary WILL change. Give yourself two extra days at the end of the trip to use as emergency days. These days can be used for any number of reasons- if your car breaks down, it rains at your favorite destination or you just get tired and need to stop driving for a while. Another important thing to keep in mind with an itinerary is time zones! I recommend you print out a time zone map to bring with you on the trip.
5. Plan activities- but give yourself options
Next up is to decide what you want to do at each location! What I recommend is to make a list of multiple different options- some strenuous or fast-paced and others more relaxed- and then on the day you arrive you can decide what you’re up for. This is what we did and it worked really well! Some stops we had lots of energy and wanted to see all the sights, but others we wanted a more relaxed experience.
6. Decide what you need to pack
Depending on the size car you are taking, you will need to carefully plan out how much you can fit. We did our trip in a Toyota Camry with limited space, but we were still able to pack everything we needed! Some of my packing tips:
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Bring food! We took a cooler with sandwich fixings and changed out ice every day and it was a great decision and very helpful on long drives. We also packed snacks like chips and muffins which was great!
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Stay organized with plastic bags! Buy gallon plastic bags at the grocery store and put your outfits in them. It might sound weird, but you’re able to label the bags and it makes it so that you don’t have to dig through your suitcase.
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Keep only the necessities in the front seat- Since the front seat will be your new home for the length of your trip, you’ll want to keep it neat. Make sure that you keep most of the items you brought in the back seat and trunk
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Know how much space you have- DON’T PACK TOO MUCH!! Before you actually buy things for your trip, make sure you have enough room in the car for all that you’re bringing.
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Bring activities- If your trip is like mine, and you’re spending over 100 hours in the car, you’ll need to plan out some activities. We brought a book of crossword puzzles, some trivia games and TONS of music to keep us busy.
7. Have fun!
Make sure that you enjoy your trip and live in the moment. Don’t forget to breathe and take in your surroundings. Don’t worry too much about your budget or about time- this is a once in a lifetime vacation and you should focus on enjoying it!
General Tips:
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Don’t book hotels in advance! Your trip WILL change, and a lot of hotels are non-refundable
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Look into hotel rewards programs- we used Hotels.com and got our 11th night free! There are lots of programs out there though, so do your research before you go
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Don’t overbook yourself in the car! If you’ve never done a trip like this it can be hard to know what your limits are, driving-wise.
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Try not to schedule any overnight drives, it’s exhausting and dangerous. Late night drivers are often tired or not paying attention to the road, and its best to try to keep driving to the day time.
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If you do decide to drive through the night, listen to a podcast to help you stay awake- music can get boring or tiring while a podcast requires your attention.
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Make time for spontaneous stops! If you see something interesting off the highway, don’t be afraid to explore!