How To Plan Your Road Trip Across America

April 30, 2016

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Road trips can give you loads of great memories (and hopefully photos) that you will cherish for the rest of your life, but those great memories can easily become terrible ones if you do not plan the trip properly. One major point to remember is that you will be in a confined space with other people for hours at a time — this can be remedied slightly if you rent a bus from GOGO Charters Las Vegas, but even renting a larger vehicle will not change the fact that you and any friends who are along for the ride will still be confined to it for hours.

Step One

The first thing to do is work out what kind of trip you want to take. Do you want to take in major cities? Small towns? Historical monuments? The best restaurants? It does not need to be set in stone, but having a basic idea of what you want to do and the order in which you want to do it will help avoid any scheduling arguments down the road.

Step Two

Make a point of stopping at welcome centers and rest stops on the highway rather than simply passing them by. The staff there will be able to answer questions and give travel advice and news, and the centers themselves will often have brochures and maps, which can help you when traveling. Rest stops are also handy for bathroom breaks.

Step Three

Pack a cool box with some drinks and snack food. If you break down at any point, having food and drinks available to you will be helpful in keeping you calm. Alternatively, having a fully stocked cool box will allow you to cut down on meals, since you can take advantage of picnic areas rather than stopping at restaurants. This will also allow you to take in some scenery.

Step Four

Join an association, which provides roadside service, such as AAA. This will give you access to people who will pick you up and tow your car to a repair shop, as well as possibly offering other perks which might come in handy.

Step Five

In the days of iPod, headphones, and car music systems, which will synch with anything on the planet, it may not seem important to plan a music mix, but the gesture will still be appreciated. Since you will be sharing a fairly confined space for long periods of time, it is important to make sure that everyone’s tastes are considered. If you are bringing children, either let them have a part in creating the music list or make sure that they have good headphones so everyone can listen to their own music in peace.

Step Six

Make sure you have an up-to-date map. Not only will this allow you to plan your trip more effectively, it will also keep you straight during the trip itself. Yes, a Sat Nav is a good tool, however it can run out of power or malfunction. Paper maps will not do that, so get yourself one!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

One thought on “How To Plan Your Road Trip Across America

  1. Pingback: Make Your First Trip To The US Really Count | TheSocialMagazine - News And Social Updates

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *