If You’re Planning To Go On A Road Trip Across America This Year, Then Read This Article
The Great American Road Trip has never been more popular. With so many airports and borders closed across the world due to the pandemic, people are returning to more traditional forms of the holiday.
We completely understand why – we would happily swap a day spent by the pool for an afternoon spent cruising along the highway, taking in the breathtaking American countryside and listening to our favorite tunes.
We are lucky enough to live in a country that can offer it all – snowy slopes, deserts, flower-covered mountain ranges, big cities, and small villages. Driving North to South, or East to West offers such a vast change in the landscape that if you didn’t know better, you could believe you were on the other side of the world.
If you want to experience something new and can’t travel abroad because of global circumstances, budget issues, or just because you don’t like planes – well, don’t panic, because America really can offer you it all.
A road trip is one of the best ways to get bang for your buck when it comes to traveling. If you travel in a car, then you will mostly be spending money on motels and gas. If you chose to go in an RV then you will only have to worry about gas as camping prices usually come in at under $10 a night.
America also has some of the best driving roads in the world. Route 66 is one of its most famous roads, but this country has much, much more to offer. We also make some of the best cars to drive on a road trip.
If you like the sound of going on a Great American Road Trip then you have come to the right place. Today, we are going to show you how to plan a trip, keep it on budget, and even recommend some amazing places to visit in the USA.
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The secret to a great road trip is to plan it out, that way you can guarantee you will have a good time before you even turn your engine on.
While you should definitely leave some space in your schedule for spontaneous activities and for taking a day or two off – when you make your plan, you should try and pack in as many fun activities and trips as you think you can handle.
Let’s take a look at this foolproof guide to planning a road trip before we go any further.
They say life is about the journey and not the destination – the same goes for road trips. However, if you want to make your trip feel even more satisfying then you should choose an exciting or sentimental destination.
For example, you should decide that the destination of your road trip could be a family member’s home, Disney World, the Grand Canyon, or somewhere else you have always wanted to go.
Knowing that you have a final destination will add more purpose to your route planning, and will allow you to really narrow down what you want to see and where you want to go.
The last thing you want to do is leave for a road trip with no route planned.
Without a route, you do not know how long your journey will take, what you will see along the way, how much your journey will cost you, and where you will stay while on the road trip.
It is also really important that you pick out a route and share it with your friends and family for your own safety. If something goes wrong, they will be able to track you down more easily based on your plan. Google Maps is a great option for this.
When you are planning your route make sure that you are using up-to-date maps and information. You should also check that there is no planned construction along these routes during your trip.
Once you have planned which route you are taking, you can start booking places to stay.
If you are trying to plan a road trip on a budget then you are going to need to know what you will be roughly spending on gas and lodgings. This will allow you to budget for food and activities throughout the trip.
This tool will help you to do that.
Now, it is time to decide what vehicle you are going to take on your road trip.
Are you planning to go in an RV or in a car?
If you are going in a car then you are going to have to make sure that your car is prepared for a long journey. It is best to have your car serviced before a long trip, even if it is not due for a couple of months.
You will want to make sure that your engine, tires, and brakes are all in good working order before you set out.
Now, it’s time for the most exciting part of planning your road trip – researching and planning all of your side adventures and places where you are going to eat.
Hop online and take a look at the recommended tourist attractions, beauty spots, and restaurants along your route.
You may want to leave a couple of evenings free to explore towns and find something unexpected. However, you may find that planning your breakfasts and lunches means that you won’t go hungry during the day before you get to your overnight stop.
When you are on a road trip, it can be hard to stop and repurchase items that you have forgotten to bring with you.
So, to avoid this happening, after you have finished planning your trip, it is time for you to put together a packing checklist.
You may want to print this checklist out and physically tick it off as you pack up your car. This will make it less likely that something is forgotten – especially if there are a few different people coming on the trip with you.
A checklist will help to keep everyone organized and on track.
In the section above, we talked about how choosing the right destination can add a huge amount of excitement to your trip. Here are 10 ideas of places you could travel to on your Great American Road Trip.
Yellowstone is home to some of the most spectacular views in the country, if not the whole world. This is a volcanic area that is home to all forms of wildlife, features hot springs, and towering waterfalls that can be heard from miles away.
In this area, you can spot wolves, bears, deer, bison, and much more. There is a series of great walks through the park and even a few top-notch restaurants.
What makes this an even better destination for a road trip is that the countryside around it and leading up to the park is also breathtakingly beautiful.
Unless you love the cold, you will want to visit in the summer.
This is a bit of a personal suggestion that will look different for everyone but why not make a road trip out of going to see a relative or friend who lives a long way away.
You can plan the most scenic route over to their house – making sure to stop off at some places that you have always wanted to visit on the way.
The best part is that you know at the end of your road trip you will be greeted by a friendly face and a warm meal.
If you have never visited the Grand Canyon before then you must do it on your next road trip. The Canyon itself is 6 hours drive away from the nearest town – but it is well worth the journey. Once you arrive you can make a day of it and go on a full canyon tour.
The Grand Canyon can be found in the red rock area of Arizona – one of the most beautiful parts of the world to drive through. This area has many other activities to offer as well as the grand canyon, so you can make it well worth the trip.
People travel from across the world to see the Golden Gate Bridge – it is a real feat of engineering and is rightfully celebrated.
What makes the Golden Gate Bridge one of the most exciting and popular bridges in the world is its location. It sits on Marshall’s Beach and links San Francisco Bay with Marin County. Both Route 66 and the California State Route cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
You can also drive along the legendary Pacific Coast Highway to get to the Golden Gate Bridge – this has been voted the best driving road in the world multiple times.
Speaking of the Pacific Coast Highway, if you wanted to drive it up the coast of America (in the opposite direction), then you could end your road trip in Seattle. This is a gorgeous city with lots to do and amazing food.
You can also enjoy driving around through several of the national parks that can be found in Washington State. Visit the locations where the Twilight films were made. Watch some football, basketball, baseball, or ice hockey. And, of course, see the Seattle Space Needle.
Seattle is also home to the first Starbucks and the home of grunge music.
We’ve talked a lot about the West Coast, so now, let’s look at what the East Coast has to offer.
There are a series of amazing road trip routes all along the East Coast – meaning you can travel south into New York City, or travel north into it and still enjoy some breathtaking views.
The best part is that when you get to New York City you will have a nearly infinite amount of things to see and do. There are so many amazing restaurants, museums, old buildings, tourist attractions, and parks to spend your time in – where will you start?
The Brandywine Valley is one of the most beautiful 20-mile stretches of road that you will find in the country – and it is well worth planning an entire road trip just to drive along it one or two times. Maybe if you’re like us, you drive up and down the valley quite a few times before you are ready to leave.
This drive can be found on Route 100 spanning across Pennsylvania and Delaware. There is also an amazing garden called Longwood Gardens that you must stop at while you are in the area. You could spend a whole day there. It is so stunning.
Why not end your road trip in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and enjoy the beauty of Cape Cod.
If you want to enjoy a different kind of coastal escape than the one offered to you by the Pacific Coast Highway then check out Route 6a along Cape Cod. This route reminds us of driving in places like Iceland or the Scottish Highlands.
Oh, and don’t forget to stop at the local restaurants along the way. You can find some of the best fresh fish in America along this route and eat it in the most spectacular locations.
Would this be an article about the Great American Road Trips if we did not talk about Route 66?
Generation after generation has fallen in love with this amazing route. If you want to go on a long drive – and we mean long, 2, 451 miles (3, 945 Kilometers) – then you should try out the original Chicago to Los Angeles Highway.
We recommend renting a classic American car so that you can enjoy this route in its full glory. This road trip should be on any car lover’s bucket list.
One tip – make sure you fill up as much as you can before crossing the state line into California. The gas is so much more expensive there.
If you want to add a little bit of history to your trip then why not plan to end your trip at a historic American landmark.
The Alamo is a great place to stop if you want to know about the history of the relationship between the US and Mexico. This was a key location in the Texan Civil War.
You might want to visit other historic locations like the city of Boston, Mount Rushmore, or the Hoover Dam.
When you head out on your road trip we would recommend that you leave with three forms of maps – just in case something happens and you lose one or your electronic map stops working.
We recommend using a GPS satnav or app to guide you while you are driving. We also recommend that you buy paper maps that cover all the states you are planning to travel through.
Finally, we recommend you plot your route on Google Maps and then print it out with the instructions. You can refer to these if your electronic map stops working.
When you are sitting down to plot the route of your road trip there are a few things you should bear in mind.
Firstly, think about how long you want to spend driving each day and how many days you want your road trip to take. This will give you a good idea about how far you can travel in total. You might also want to think about how much you want to spend on fuel.
Secondly, you should bear in mind the time of year that you want to travel during. If you travel during the peak Summer (between the end of June and the start of September), then everywhere is going to be busy and you might have to book activities and motel rooms in advance.
Thirdly, you should also do some research into your chosen route and make sure that there are no planned road works along it when you want to travel.
We recommend that you let friends and family know where you are going and when you plan to check into each location. This will help them to track you down if something goes wrong at home or it will make it easier for you to be found if they are worried you are in danger.
When putting together your road trip budget you will need to consider 6 different areas.
Firstly, you will need to set aside some money to prepare your care for the journey. More on this in the next section.
Secondly, you will need to think about how much money you want to spend on clothes, bedding, and other items to bring with you on your road trip. Many people forget to budget for this as all of the shopping will be done before you leave for the trip.
You will need to plan how much money you want to spend on food while you are on the road. Work out how many days you will be on the road and times that by 3 – that will be how many meals you have to budget for.
Fourthly, you will need to budget for all the activities you want to do while you are out. If you plan the majority of these before you leave, you will have a better chance of sticking to your budget.
Next, you need to think about accommodation costs – will you be camping to save money, or do you plan to check into a motel or hotel every night?
Finally, you will want to budget for fuel – we would leave a lot of wriggle room for this, as there is always a chance that fuel prices will continue to go up. This might be one of your biggest expenses while on the holiday.
Before taking any long trip in your car, you will need to make sure that it is properly prepared. You should also take a closer look at your insurance to make sure that you have a comprehensive cover that is suited for a road trip.
Before you leave you should check the fluid levels in all parts of your car – make sure to top up any that need to be.
You should also take your car in for servicing. The mechanic can make sure that your lights, brakes, engine, and AC are all working properly and are suitable for your road trip. They may also be able to give you some tips about how to look after your car while you are out on the road.
Check that your tires do not need to be changed and that their air pressure is high enough. You should check this again after you have fully loaded your car, as the extra weight can affect the pressure of your tires.
Your road trip should be about more than just driving, you want to make it an exciting and memorable experience. Here are 5 things you can do to help make your trip special.
If you are not the one driving on the road trip then you might be wondering what you can do to pass the time – especially if there is a group of you. So, here are 10 ideas to help you pass the time.
This is a small list of items that we think everyone should bring on a road trip. This list is inspired by our own road trips and we hope you find it helpful.
If you are looking to enjoy some of the most beautiful sights this country has to offer but don’t want to spend too much then you should go on a road trip.
A Great American Road Trip is the perfect way to spend a Spring or Summer Break with your family or friends. You will be able to enjoy amazing views, food, and activities across this beautiful country.
The secret to a great road trip is to plan it out, that way you can guarantee you will have a good time before you even turn your engine on.
