Taking a trip across America will likely create some of your greatest memories. Embarking on a road trip enables you to experience new cities, meet friendly faces, and try new cuisines. As exciting as this all is, having the ultimate road trip will require the best tips to make it a success. Luckily, we’re going to share some of the best tips for planning a memorable and successful road trip across America.
1. Establish a Budget
While finances may not be on your mind, establishing a comfortable budget plays a key role in the success of your trek across America. Road trippers should be sure to account for all of their expenses. You’ll need to think about things like gas, lodging, food, fun, and incidentals. Coming up with a solid budget will make it easier for you to enjoy your road trip without causing financial issues when your trip is over.
2. Choose Your Transportation
Taking a road trip means you’ll need to think carefully about your methods of transportation. There are typically two options: a car or an RV.
There are pros and cons to choosing a car for your journey. One benefit of a car is that you’ll be able to get on and off the road more easily. It’ll also be easier to find parking spaces. As a result, driving a car can be much more convenient.
On the downside, choosing a car means you’ll have to pack fewer things compared to an RV. Cars have limited space and overpacking your car is a hazard. You’ll have to be more selective about what you bring on your journey.
On the other hand, choosing an RV for your trip means you’ll get to drive more comfortably. Driving an RV means you’ll naturally have more space. This means you and your passengers can move about with ease. Another benefit is that an RV can save money if you don’t want to pay for lodging.
One downside to choosing an RV is that navigating the road could be a hassle. RVs are naturally large in size. If you’re not comfortable driving on the road with an RV, the journey may feel more stressful than it’s worth. Additionally, you’ll need to find designated parking spaces for RVs.
3. Determine Where You’ll Sleep Along Your Journey
Road-tripping across America means that you’ll need to think about where you’ll sleep when you need a rest. To make it more fun, you can find cool rentals along your journey in places you want to spend more time. Whether it be a treehouse in Austin, TX, a ski lodge in Denver, CO, an old estate in Los Angeles, CA, or cool cabins in Asheville, NC, you can always find a great place to stay along your way.
4. Find Opportunities to Save Money
Who doesn’t love saving money? Saving is especially important when you’re traveling across America. Preserving as much money as possible will ensure you have funds for unexpected expenses and will allow you to enjoy your trip better.
So what ways can you save? For starters, you can use apps to help you find the best gas prices along the way. While saving money on gas doesn’t seem like much, it will make a difference over the duration of your trip.
Another way to save is to scout coupons. You’ll likely stop at several restaurants and fast-food chains along the way. Finding coupons ahead of time is an excellent way to save a considerable amount of money on your food indulgences.
5. Prep Your Vehicle
There’s nothing worse than going on a road trip and realizing that your vehicle isn’t prepped for the road. Whether you’re choosing an RV or car, vehicle prep is essential before embarking on your journey.
There are several things that you’ll need to do. For starters, it’s vital to get your oil changed and top off all fluids. Doing so will ensure a smooth and safe ride. Additionally, you’ll want to get new windshield wiper blades. If rain is in your forecast, having new windshield wipers will help you ride with confidence.
Other things to check include your tires, vehicle battery, and your AC and heating. Also, don’t forget to pack an emergency road kit with things like a flashlight, tools to change a tire, and jumper cables. Doing this minimizes the risk of car troubles and promotes a safe and secure ride.
Conclusion
Road-tripping across America never really goes as expected, but having a base plan can help you to enjoy the fun of spontaneity even more. Setting your budget, prepping your transportation, finding places to stay, and knowing how to save money along the way will help you to enjoy your time more. Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
