Cross-Country Cruising: Your Road Trip Adventure Awaits!
There’s nothing like a road trip. The freedom to head wherever the road takes you and stop whenever you see something interesting is truly liberating. But, while we love the ability a road trip gives you to go with the flow, a teeny tiny bit of planning can make a fantastic road trip even better.
Before you hit the road, check out our top tips for cross-country trips:
Budget first. Try to be sensible about how much you’ll be spending on the road, and stick to it. You might have a blast blowing your budget in the first week of your trip, but you’ll regret it when you run out of money before your trip is over!
Plan a route. Sure, the freedom to go where you want without a schedule is one of the best parts of a road trip, but a little structure is a good idea. Just a tiny bit. Have a vague idea of where you’d like to go, or at the very least, where you want to end up. And if you’re planning to visit somewhere during peak season (say, Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day), then you’re definitely going to have to plan ahead if you want to get a decent place to stay.
Give yourself time. You might think you can drive from Atlanta to New Orleans in a single day, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Without factoring time into exploring, you won’t have time for an impromptu visit to Graceland or to stop and watch a beautiful sunset! Also, remember you’ll want to eat and have a bathroom break at some point. Speaking of…
Stay fresh. Stop and stretch every couple of hours, if not more often. Make sure to keep bottled water in the car (or refill your reusable water from a big jug) so you stay hydrated. Also, try to include some healthier snacks along with all those naughty goodies (we see you over there with a family pack of Kit-Kats…). Look after yourself on the road!
Go analogue. Yes, there are lots of apps that come in handy for planning a road trip (more on those in a sec) but make sure to get some good old-fashioned paper maps too. In addition to looking cool in your Instagram pics, they’re essential if you end up somewhere without a good signal. Plus, if you mark your route and stops along the way, you’ll have a unique visual reminder of your trip – frame and hang it up when you get home!
Get ‘appy. We all know how useful Google Maps is – or do we? Spend some time playing around with the app before you hit the road and learn all the features. Also, have a look at the Roadtrippers app – it’s packed full of all the information you need to plan the perfect road adventure!
Create a soundtrack. Speaking of apps, make sure you’ve got Spotify, Apple Music or similar loaded up and ready to go. Have fun creating the perfect road trip lists for different moods. Don’t stop at just music – audiobooks and podcasts are a great way to keep yourself focused during a long stretch of boring road! Be sure to download your favorites so you can still listen even in areas with a bad signal.
Pack for all possibilities. Consider the weather on your route – all the weather. If you’ll be heading through Southern California, for example, chances are you can get away with tank tops and flip-flops. But if your route is taking you up into the desert or mountains, make sure you’ve got warm clothes and cozy socks for when the temperature drops at night! (But don’t worry too much – you can always shop if you suddenly need mountaineering gear!)
With these simple tips, you’ll be sure to have a fabulous, unforgettable cross-country road trip! Do you have any tips to share? Drop us an email and let us know!
