How to Road Trip Like a Pro
In 2017, my husband and I packed up our Dodge Ram, our new home on wheels, and headed out for the ultimate road trip. We spent a year going across America and visiting every cool spot we could find. I learned a lot about road tripping that year and, as we are entering the year of the road trip (thanks COVID), I wanted share what I learned on the road.
Tip #1: Do Some Light Research: Spontaneity is my lifeblood, but trust me, you don’t want to find out that you don’t have enough money for a hotel because gas was more than you anticipated. GasBuddy has a free Trip Calculator where you can enter your trip details and your vehicle model to get a pretty accurate estimate of your gas prices. It takes less than a minute and will give you a better idea of the bare bones of your budget.
Tip #2: Bring a Cooler: I love this one because it fits perfectly between the front seats of a minivan. You never know where your trip will take you, and it might just take you past an amazing cheese shop or a salami outlet. If nothing else, it’s always nice to keep a few drinks cool riding shotgun to help limit how many stops you need to make.
Tip #3: Wear comfy clothes and bring layers: Even if you’re staying in nice hotels along the way, you still need to get through long stretches in the car. It doesn’t have to be sweats or PJs, but make sure that your clothes have some stretch or fit you loosely so you’re comfortable even after a full day in the same seat. Also, the comfort of the driver is more important than anybody else, so be prepared to take off a cardigan if the sun is on your side of the car, or throw some socks in your bag in case the AC is higher than you’d like.
Tip #4: Pack Snacks: If you decide to stock up at the first gas station, you’ll be paying twice as much and miss out on things like fruit or sandwich fixings. Gummy worms are fun, but you’ll be happier if you bring options that aren’t entirely sugar or made of corn. For longer trips, I always bring a loaf of bread and some peanut butter. Assuming it’s within your dietary restrictions, spending a few bucks on some bread and bringing a jar of peanut butter can save you when someone gets hangry or when the small town diner you planned on closed early.
Tip #5: Collect Something: On our road trip, we bought stickers for our Nalgenes at every National Park we went to so they would remind us of our trip whenever we used them. We also obnoxiously honked our horn as we crossed into a new state. You could take a video of you or your group in front of each new state welcome sign. You could buy a disposable camera or an Instax camera and snap a picture of the group at regular intervals, no matter if you were on a cool hike or just in the car. Whatever you do, try to give it some forethought so you’ve got a plan to make your trip as special as possible starting from Mile 1.
Tip #6: Download Music and Podcasts: Make sure you have an aux cord if you need one, and make sure you have chargers for whatever will be playing your music. Sometimes music can get monotonous, especially if you’re with a group that has differing tastes. I always like to have some podcast episodes on deck. If you’re going solo, an audiobook can be a great option to keep yourself engaged and attentive during more tedious parts of the drive. Make sure you have all of these things downloaded to your phone before you go. You’ll be surprised how many random stretches have spotty coverage.
Tip #7: Keep your Google Maps OPEN: It’s tempting to close the app when you’ve got another 200 miles before your next turn, but if you run into an area with no coverage, the directions are lost. If you keep Google Maps open, it will continue to navigate for you even if the signal is completely gone—I don’t understand why, I think it has to do with science. If you don’t have the battery or data to make that happen, take screenshots of the turn by turn directions.
Tip #8: Take more pictures that you think you should: Sometimes on a road trip, the new scenery creeps up on you. The ocean turns to desert slowly over days, and you might miss how strikingly different the view is. I spent almost 8 months on a road trip and I still managed to not take enough. It can happen to any of us.
Tip #9: Take the Long Way: If you have the time and some wiggle room in your gas budget, take the long way there. Even if it’s just for one day of your trip, turn on the “avoid tolls” function on Google Maps. It’s a completely different experience to take the backroads. You’ll feel more like you’re in a movie montage and end up seeing things you’ll never see again. You’ll eat at local diners and get a truer feel of the area.
If you want more tips on a group trip, check out this blog post on how to travel with friends. If you’re looking to take a road trip in the US, our Quick & Dirty Guide on taking a Road Trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway is in our shop now.
