Road trips are fun. With warmer weather on the horizon and children’s summer vacations approaching, more Americans are traveling. I have always dreamed of driving cross country and recently had the opportunity to travel from New York to California to watch WrestleMania 39 with my son. This 2,800-mile trip of his took a lot of planning and money, but it was a dream come true for me. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again someday. In the meantime, if you’d like to plan your own adventure, I’ll share some road trip tips!
1. Start planning early
No matter how much time you have before your trip, do your research. Planning for his three-week road trip from New York to California got off to a late start. When we finally started, it took us two weeks (a few hours per day) to research all the stops, compare prices and confirm. I know people who hop in their car, hit the road, drive for hours, stop at an old hotel, and do the same thing again the next day.
I could have done it for a few days, but this trip was on a tight schedule, so there was something I wanted to see. I left New York on Wednesday and needed to meet my son in Phoenix, Arizona the following Tuesday. I needed it.
determine the route
There are many ways to get around, so the next step is to decide on a route.For me, I had to decide between driving From New York to Phoenix, either travel south through Colorado, via Alabama and Mississippi, or take a more direct route through Ohio and Indiana to Route 66. Route 66 was my travel destination, so I chose that route.
This is what author John Steinbeck called Route 66 after researching the Mother Road. Grapes of Wrath – Once I decided which attractions I wanted to see, I decided to go back the same route to catch what I missed on the way back. Note: Route 66 is slow, so if I had stayed on 66 the whole time, it would have taken me longer to get to Phoenix. Instead, I hopped off if necessary, saw legendary kitschy attractions, and arrived in Phoenix in time to meet my son.
2. Use apps and websites
Travel apps and websites can help you plan your trip. Google Maps has My Maps where you can customize your itinerary and mark places you’ve been. What I couldn’t find was a list of recommended places to see when driving from point A to point B.
road tripper
To fill in this blank, I used road tripper The site is the perfect solution for me. There are different tiers of membership, including the free version. I liked that when I entered my destination and clicked ‘Sightseeing’, I was presented with a list of recommended places. So are restaurants and hotels. Road Tripper taught me a charm I didn’t know about yet during my research. You can click the ones you want and add them directly to your itinerary.
I also downloaded the Route 66 app because I used to drive Route 66. trip bucketWe visited several national parks along the way. National Park Service The app provided me with all the park information I needed on my phone.
Other apps to help you on your road trip
Other pre-downloaded apps include Uber and Lyft (used to get around Los Angeles), McDonald’s, and Dunkin Donuts. Saved money by earning points on the food app to get free food and drinks. upside is an app I heard on the RV podcast and it became my favorite. I found a cheap gas station wherever I was and cashed back on goods at convenience stores and restaurants. I wanted to save as many pennies as possible on such an expensive trip.
3. Save money on food
I already had the Instacart app installed on my phone, and soon realized I could save money while on the move. Instead of buying a more expensive cup of coffee every morning (not all hotels had the coffee I liked), I brought a large coffee pot and supplies from home to make coffee and creamer and our favorite We ordered snacks and drinks from a local store. Walmart. This worked even better when he spent 5 days in California and saved about $50 this way. It was ridiculously cheaper to buy at the local supermarket than at convenience stores, rest areas, and hotel lobbies.
Another way I saved money was by sharing meals. Ordering what my significant other and I eat meant no leftovers, wasted food, and cheaper bills. Our hotel didn’t have a microwave and there was no way to heat takeout food. It’s definitely on the list for the next road trip.
4. Use the tourist office
Most cities have tourist websites where you can order travel guides (digital or hard copy). Most US states also have tourist offices. For example, if you’re going to Tennessee, search for “Tennessee Travel Guide” and you’ll find tourism websiteThese travel guides often include coupons and maps to help with your trip.
And you can’t overemphasize it. Have a hard copy of the map in your car. There are still some areas in the country where cellular service is difficult. If you get stuck, it’s nice to have a backup.
5. Sign up for everything
When I started my road trip, I didn’t know which hotels to stay at, so I signed up for loyalty programs from every hotel brand I could think of. was able to earn enough points for
6. Shop
We didn’t use just one travel planning or hotel website to book our room. Instead, I researched which one had the best value. Sometimes hotels and Airbnb websites did. Also, Priceline has done it. I also found out that my Capital One credit card has travel discounts, so sometimes it was my credit card that gave me the best rate after cashback.
7. Read the fine print
The worst part is finding out that what you want to see is closed for the day. Pay attention to the days and times of the attractions you want to see. Make sure you have enough time to visit and stick to your schedule.
Please read the terms and conditions of all agreements, including those with Airbnb and car rentals, carefully before booking and signing. I learned the hard way that car rental companies don’t allow bookings with debit cards.It would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had read the fine print before booking.
What did I get?sign up for AAA was cheaper than the rental car insurance plan. It was safe to travel from afar.
8. Have some flexibility
It was a tight schedule, but we left some flexibility in case something went wrong. You can arrive on Wednesday and leave on Thursday.
9. Expect things to go wrong
There’s always the chance that something can go wrong and your plans change. My son got food poisoning and my plans for the last day of the WrestleMania 39 tour were cancelled. We talked about it and realized we were happy to do a lot. Focus on the positive things.
It can be helpful to have a hypothesis before your trip and plan B accordingly. you never know
10. Watch your budget
If you’re on a tight budget, plan for contingencies and contingencies. Uber and Lyft in California were a lot more expensive than I expected and they blew my budget for that part of the trip. But my research helped me budget for the rest of the trip.
11. Take It All In
This is not a money-saving or time-saving tip, but something to consider. At every place I stopped, tourists would watch from behind their cell phones, take pictures, and walk back to their cars. Remember what you are looking at. Feel the air on your face and listen to the sounds of nature. If you’re at the museum, read and experience the interactive exhibits. You can look back on your trip with photos, but it’s even more so when you remember what you felt and what you heard.
This article was written and distributed by Wealth of Geeks Travel.