1: WORK OUT HOW LONG YOUR TRIP WILL BE
Make a decision on how much time you’re willing to devote to a cross-country road journey. This will influence how many stops you can make and how long you can remain at each one along your journey. It is technically possible to cover the country in just over two days if you drive nonstop, but where is the pleasure in that? (Not to mention the dangers of not getting enough sleep!) We believe that two weeks is the basic least required to make the tour pleasurable, but three to five weeks is preferable.
2: PICK KEY STOPS
The foundation for your entire journey will be laid by selecting “must-see” points of interest. Plan your journey based on these points of interest, and allow that route to lead you to other destinations along the way. Now, when planning a cross-country road trip, keep in mind that the focus is on the east-to-west travel (or vice versa), which means you won’t want to go too far north or south. Pro tip: Use a map to plan your must-see stops, and choose ones that are on generally straight routes to save time on the road.
3: PLAN YOUR TRAVELS
Now that you’ve settled on your main stops, plot them out on a map and figure out your route. You can use a paper map, but a digital map, such as Google Maps, is far more convenient—wonderful it’s to have an easily changing visual depiction of your route while you figure out the stops in between.
You may receive a general estimate of how long your cross-country travel will take once you’ve planned your must-see stops. Calculate how many days you want to spend at each significant place, taking into account the drive durations between them, and then compare that to the overall time you have given for the trip.
To fill up the gaps in your plan, start interspersing additional trips between the primary ones. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a few options; this way, you won’t have to start over if you run into a roadblock or simply change your mind.
4: BOOK SOME, BUT NOT ALL, LODGING
It’s a good idea to make reservations ahead of time if you’re traveling during peak season. Many of the western national parks’ lodging, including campsites, sell out months in advance, so planning beforehand will make life a lot easier once you’re on the road. The same can be said for popular road trip sites with minimal lodgings, such as Marfa, Texas. However, if your cross-country road trip itinerary is pretty variable, it’s a good idea to try to predict when you’ll arrive in a certain location and then book a campsite for that night to ensure a spot. Then, for impromptu route deviations, leave lodging gaps that can be filled in.
Prepare your packing list well ahead of time to save stress closer to departure. What you’ll need to bring on a cross-country road trip depends on the type of travel you’re taking. For example, if you intend to camp the entire journey, you’ll need to bring all of your necessary camping gear (duh). If you’re on a cross-country road trip in a van, space-saving organizers like packing cubes (and don’t forget shoe cubes and compression kits!) will help you maximize storage.
Going from one hotel to the next? You’ll still need to bring road trip staples in the car, and packing sacs are a great way to keep things organized in the front seat (handy clips on each sac allow you to attach a sac to one area in the car and have it ready when you need it—think toll money, chapstick, hair ties, and more).
6: CHECK, DOUBLE-CHECK, AND TRIPLE-CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY!!
To begin, ensure that your vehicle has been serviced and is ready to go thousands of miles. Then, the night before you depart, double-check the first leg of your journey for any weather or roadwork that may cause delays. Finally, double-check, if not triple-check, that you have everything on your road trip packing list. Nothing is more frustrating than driving 30 hours to camping only to discover you’ve forgotten your tent!
