Road trips are one of my favourite ways to travel and to explore the USA. The freedom of being out on the open road and the incredible feeling of having control over what you see, where you stop, where you stay and how long your each of your days are is simply one of the best ways that you can get to see so much of a country that you might not have been able to see otherwise.

Over the years I have done some amazing road trips across the USA covering over forty different states. I have also in that time made a number of mistakes which I have definitely learnt from allowing me to try and make each subsequent road trip even better. Road trips are hard work and can be tiring but with a little knowledge and a little forward planning, they can be some of the most memorable trips you will ever take.

For me planning a road trip is easy now as I have the knowledge of what it takes to make each trip as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. Planning a road trip does not need to take a long time either – in fact our next road trip was planned and booked in the space of one day!

So here are my top tips on planning your US road trip:

First Things First

Whilst planning a road trip is fun, before doing anything else the first things you need to decide are when you want to do your road trip, how long do you want your road trip to be and what area of the USA you want to drive such as Route 66, the Pacific Coastal Highway, a trip visiting National Parks or a trip trying to visit as many different states as possible or from coast to coast.

This is also the time if travelling with friends to decide how you will split the driving as well as deciding how to split travel costs such as fuel, food and hotel bills on the trip as well as each person having a say of what or where they would like to visit. Having these decisions made ahead of time will help to avoid any arguments or disagreements in the car.

How to Plan Your Route

After deciding where, when and how long your road trip is going to be, the next decision to make is after picking up your rental car whether you want to do a round trip or start and finish your trip in different cities. Whilst the latter will normally incur a one-way fee from the car rental company, it can often mean that you can cover more distance and get to see a lot more in the same amount of time.

We have always used the same process when planning a road trip which is to sit down with Google Maps and “Favourite” our start and end points of the trip as well as all the places that we want to visit – this will leave a little trail of yellow stars on Google Maps which will help you see your potential route very quickly. You will also be able to see immediately anything that you will not be able to see or do on your trip as either it is too far from the route or you won’t have enough time to see it. However every now and then there is somewhere when it is worth driving out of your way just to say you’ve been – we drove a two hour round trip just to go to the Four Corners Monument and it was completely worth it!

For myself personally, a road trip in the USA is not a proper road trip without finding as many random roadside attractions as I can. To find out where these are located, I use Instagram, Pinterest, read other travel blogs and whenever I see somewhere that looks interesting, I again favourite it on Google Maps so it is always marked in preparation for the next road trip.

Once this is done and you can see your potential route, you can then start to plan each day of your trip, your drives as well as book hotels to stay in on the way.

How to Work Out Each Drive on Your Road Trip

The next stage of the planning is to work out how long each of your driving days will be and where you will stay each night. To do this you need to know how many hours you can personally drive safely in a day and you also need to allow time for any stops along the way (including unexpected ones) as your day will be a lot longer than you think – what does not seem like a long drive could easily turn into a very long day once you add in several stops.

Also whilst driving distances do not seem far when sitting at a computer and planning, they can be the total opposite once you’re in the car and this is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve personally made over the years and something I never want to do again. What sounds completely doable and easy might not be after several days of driving and being tired.

Our rule of thumb is that we try not to drive more than six to seven hours a day between us in a single day and that is only on days if we need to drive a long distance to get somewhere. On any other day we prefer to have less driving time and shorter travelling days which allows us to enjoy the journey and have time to explore everywhere properly and not arrive at each destination exhausted. We also plan to never drive more than two hours after landing from a long haul flight as you will be jetlagged and a lot more tired than you think you will be.

When planning you also need to find out whether the roads you want to drive will be open – this is especially important if planning trips to the National Parks in the winter months. I would also suggest when planning to take the road less travelled and not use the interstates, freeways or toll roads unless you have to as there is far more to see on the local roads – this is the reason why roadside attractions on Route 66 exist!

Plan for Days Off Along the Way

To be able to enjoy your road trip, you need to make sure that you plan days off especially after a long drive or several days of short drives. This will allow yourself to rest and to explore the area where you are staying. Try not to spend every day of your trip driving just to squeeze more miles in and make sure you have enough time everywhere to be able to see everything that you want to see without having to rush.

Plan several nights in the most interesting places along your route where there are plenty of things to see and do and after a few nights of rest and relaxation in the same place, you can then start the driving once again feeling refreshed.

Another way to help with the potential tiredness that you will feel whilst on the road is to plan for some lazy mornings and lay-ins as you will find that getting up early every day becomes harder and harder as the trip goes on.

Where to Stay on Your Road Trip

After we have planned our driving route, the next thing we do is book hotels as we like to set off every day knowing exactly where we will be staying each night. We have found that it is always worth spending a little extra money on nicer accommodation to be able to get a good nights sleep – we also do not mind driving a little further to be able to stay at a better hotel especially if staying there for several days. Picking a hotel with a swimming pool and a hot tub is a great way to relax at the end of each day of a road trip.

We always book our hotels in advance (especially if travelling in peak season or close to National Parks) and will only book refundable and changeable hotel rates in case we decide to change our plans nearer the time.

To save money, look for hotels outside of big cities and always check to see if there are any parking charges wherever you plan to stay.

How to Pick Your Car

Picking the right car for the type of road trip you are doing and the number of people with you is essential and could actually make or break your trip. You also need to think of how much fuel will cost for your journey and be prepared to spend more than you think especially if renting a larger car such as an SUV.

Spending a little extra money to get a bigger car with more features and a little more space than what you think you need is always a good idea. On our previous road trips if any part of our journey has involved anything “mountainous”, we have always rented an SUV. However if our journey has been mainly on flat roads with easy drives between each stop, we have rented a full size saloon car instead.

Not all cars are practical and even though renting a convertible seems like an amazing idea at first (and I rented two when I first started doing road trips), it is probably one of the worst cars you can have on a long road trip. Not only is there no space in the boot (trunk) of the car for your bags, it is also a huge waste of money as I found that you will rarely put the roof down except for a few photo stops along the way. You will also stand out like a sore thumb as a tourist.

Remember to only rent your car from large reputable companies for added peace of mind and always book your car in advance for the best rates. Bigger rental companies have more depots around the country which makes it easy to swap a car at any time during your trip if you have any problems with it.

Tips for on the Road

Stopping frequently during long drives is key on road trips. Every time you stop, swap drivers (we try to swap every hour or so) and get out of the car and go for a quick walk around, get some fresh air, use the bathroom or grab a drink. If you are driving and feel tired or if you notice that the driver is starting to get tired, say something and then swap as soon as possible.

On long days, we always try to start driving as early as possible in the morning to enjoy the roads when they are much quieter and you are wide awake. It is best to try and avoid driving in rush hour traffic wherever possible if driving near a big city and remember to think of daylight hours as well as driving in the dark which after a long day on the road is not fun.

Before your road trip, make sure to download Google Maps, Waze and Maps.me onto your phone to use for directions on your drive. With the Maps.me app you can download maps which can be accessed offline in case of driving through any remote areas with no mobile signal or data service.

If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting the USA, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

I know lots of people say to always have a paper map as a backup but I honestly cannot even remember the last time I used one.

Taking Photos of State Signs

One of the reasons I love doing road trips in the USA so much is to be able to explore all the different states and I have made it my mission to visit them all – I even have an app on my phone where I can colour in each state once I have visited.

I always take a photo of the welcome signs so I use Google Streetview in advance to check where the state signs are located (as you will not find them on all roads especially smaller ones) and even see if there is another route nearby with a bigger or better sign. If there is a Welcome Center as you cross into each state, they often have a state sign on display which saves any stress of trying to take a photo as you drive past on the road.

At the time of writing this blog, I only have six states left to visit. It should have been only five left as I was due to visit Hawaii last month – damn you Coronavirus! Still it just means that I have to make even bigger and better plans for the future.

Eating on a Road Trip

After we have collected our car, we make a stop at a supermarket (usually Target or Walmart) to stock up on snacks for whilst we are driving. We usually buy crackers, cheese, hummus and dip as well as some chocolate (obviously) and we bring a collapsible cooler bag to store everything in. We also buy milk so we can make tea and coffee at the hotel each morning which saves a lot of money from constant visits to Starbucks every day.

I have found over the years that avoiding fast food as much as possible whilst on a road trip will make you feel a lot less lethargic. Make sure to eat breakfast every morning even if that means eating on the go and if you have a hotel where breakfast is included, even better. On longer days, always stop somewhere and eat a proper meal for lunch or dinner. On our last trip, I found that even just a hearty bowl of soup at lunchtime made me feel immediately better.

If we know there will be limited places to stop on a long driving day, we visit a supermarket and stay in a hotel with cooking facilities the night before so we can make proper food for the next day on the road – this helps us to be able to eat as healthy as possible during our trip.

Pack as Light as Possible

Once you have done a road trip with a large suitcase, you will never want to pack that heavy again. Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. Having to lift a large and heavy bag in and out of the car and to and from your hotel room nearly every day gets old very quickly!

Now we try to only pack one smaller bag each as you do not need to bring that many clothes with you. Bring comfortable clothes that you can layer and make full use of any laundry facilities at hotels. We also pack a foldable holdall bag in case we need any extra space to bring any shopping home.

Buy an America the Beautiful Pass

If you are planning to visit several National Parks on your road trip then it is a good idea to buy an America the Beautiful pass. This will allow you to maybe visit other parks on your route that you might not have originally planned to at no extra cost – on our last road trip we took a slower alternative route one day through the Grand Canyon to get to our destination just because we could.

On our last road trip, we used the pass a total of five times and if we had paid for each of the visits, we would have spent $155. We also had planned to use the same pass twice more in Hawaii this year which would have been another $60. The America the Beautiful Pass costs $80 for one year so the savings really do add up.

Be Realistic

The best thing you can do whilst on a road trip is to keep an open mind, be patient as well as be flexible. Things will go wrong that you have no control over such as bad weather, road works and traffic jams. You also might have to stop more than you wanted to and your day could end up being much longer than originally planned.

Places you want to visit could also be closed when you get there no matter how much planning you have done – we were on a road trip through Arizona, Utah and California when the 2013 US government shutdown happened which closed all National Parks!

You will miss exits and turnings you need to take – it happens.

You will also be tired but remember that everyone else in the car will also be tired too. Remember that being in a small area with others for long periods of time can be hard if you are not used to it.

The best mindset you can have on any road trip is to just to relax, accept that these things happen, laugh it off but above all, enjoy every minute!

Since this blog post was written back in 2020, some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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