Getting Started

When I‘m planning a road trip, I spend hours and hours sorting through blogs and websites trying to find the best off the beaten path restaurants and attractions. These guides will be consolidating the hours of research I've done into easy-to-follow guides for you.

It can be overwhelming thinking about how to begin planning a road trip. (Note: this guide was created for a USA-specific road trip.)

The first step is to decide what kind of planner you are.

Do you just hop in the car without planning a single thing? Do you and plan out the stops, the reservations, the route, the dates, and a general sense of the location? Do you do a little of both- planning the dates and general direction but not specifics? None of these options is better than the other- it completely depends on what you and your travel companions prefer.

I’m a planner- I like to "get to know" a destination beforehand. I find that it helps me from

feeling overwhelmed by all the things we need to see and do if I know what to expect. You can’t do everything in 1-2 days, so doing the research ahead of time will help you prioritize and hit all the spots you want.

I know plenty of people that would be happier just hopping in the car and figuring it out along the way and I think that's incredible- I find that by pre-planning, I am able to be more flexible on the trip and avoid feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Decide what works for you and who you're traveling with- I hope this blog provides guidance no matter what kind of planner you are!

Step 2: Decide how much time you have to travel

This may not be as flexible if you're not a student/recent grad/retired/etc. You can still have an incredible trip if you only have a week for vacation. The determining factor in how much you can see in a shorter amount of time is if you're going to fly out and rent a car, or drive from your home.

I just recently graduated and have not taken a full-time job yet, so I have been lucky enough to travel during summer breaks and winter breaks. You don't have to travel for months at a time to see beautiful places. You can fly and if you're older than 25 you can easily rent a car. (In a separate post, I will be providing the information about our rented camper van, since that company rents to under 25s.)

Step 3: Decide your priorities

• How many people are you traveling with?

• What activities do they enjoy?

• Are you more interested in seeing cities or nature?

• Would you be open to camping?

• Are you only interested in staying in hotels?

• Are Airbnbs an option?

• How much time do you like to spend in one place?

• Are you able to drive long distances multiple days in a row? (i.e. Do you need rest days for kids/parents)

These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you start planning. For instance, my cousin and I are in our early 20s, we can still spend 5+ hours in a car for multiple days in a row, I am interested in spending more time in the National Parks, we want to be safe during COVID and avoid huge city activities and rural towns, she is interested in spending more than a half-day in one place. These are all factors to consider when planning your route.

Step 4: Starting with a map

Read "Making a Map"

Step 5: Time Budgeting

Read "Time Budgeting"