Deciding to go on a road trip is exciting, especially when you think about all the sights you’ll see, great food you’ll eat, and the quality time you’ll spend with family. But before you head out on the open road, there’s some planning to do. While your personal checklist might vary a bit depending on the nature of your trip, these tips are a great starting point for the best road trip ever!
Choose a Destination
Possibly the most important and most difficult part of planning a road trip is choosing a destination. While some road trips have a specific purpose, like an annual trip to see your family on the other side of the country, others are spontaneous with virtually limitless possibilities. If you haven’t explored much of the U.S., here are a few popular road trips to spark your inspiration:
- Pacific Coast Highway
- Park Loop Acadia National Park
- NY to L.A.
- Great River Road
- The Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
- Route 66
- Canada to Mexico
Whichever destination you choose, you won’t forget it anytime soon.
Make Sure Your Car Is in Tip-Top Condition
There’s no denying that making sure your car is in tip-top shape is a crucial step in preparing for your upcoming road trip. To get your car in long-distance driving condition, these are the top 5 things you should do:
- Have the oil and filter changed
- Have your brakes checked
- Make sure there’s enough air in your tires and the tread is good
- Clean out any clutter and reorganize if needed
- Get an AAA membership if you don’t have one
If your car has some serious issues, it might be a sign that it’s time to buy a new car, especially if the fixes are expensive. It can’t hurt to do a little shopping around, so why not stop by your local Audi Hunt Valley dealership or Groove Toyota in Englewood.
In anticipation of the adventures that lie ahead, find the best accessories that fit your Audi A1. Protect your car’s interior with a range of custom car mats, seat covers, and dash mats. With these car accessories in place, you’ll also worry less about keeping your vehicle clean and tidy.
Create an Itinerary
While you don’t have to plan out every second of your road trip, you want to have a fairly good idea of when and how long you’ll be stopping along the way. Here are a few crucial aspects of your itinerary we recommend planning out to avoid sticky situations (or just missing the best spots to stop):
- Travel time: If your trip is going to take more than a day, timing things just right will be important, unless you want to end up with the late shift driving through the night or at a less-than-ideal motel in the middle of nowhere. Think about how many nights you’ll need somewhere to sleep, weather conditions that might get in the way (say if you’re going somewhere that’s snowing), and traffic conditions along your route.
- Accommodations: Part of the fun of a road trip is being able to post up in some interesting accommodations. Whether you’re taking the luxury route at a high-end hotel, looking for some local charm at an inn, or are trying to save with a San Francisco Airbnb, making your reservations ahead of time will likely save you money.
- Must-see sites & eats: No matter how small a town is, they likely have somewhere worth stopping. So, when you’re looking over your route, check out where you’ll pass through along the way. For example, if you love pizza, you won’t want to skip Dion’s in Lubbock, Texas. And don’t miss the oldest roadside attraction in the U.S., Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey. Stops like these are great ways to make fun memories and break up the drive.
- What you’ll do once you get there: Once you’ve made your journey to your final destination, there will surely be places you can’t live without seeing, and your passengers will too. Make sure everyone has a great time by making a list of things you want to do, like stopping by the Kemah Boardwalk in Houston or exploring the Children’s Museum of Denver.
While these are the big three, don’t forget about the little things like stocking up a cooler or two with snacks and drinks, planning some in-car entertainment like playlists and card games, making sure everyone has a good set of headphones, and packing a few blankets and pillows to make the drive more comfortable. Trust us, you and your passengers will be thankful that you were so prepared.