Road Trip Travel Tips

Now, I’ve been a "road tripper" for some time and though I love air travel, I love the road trip because that’s how you can really experience the country. So it's time to get your favorite tunes and munchies ready and plan your open road trip adventure with these ten easy road trip travel tips.



1. Plan your trip. First, you need to start your road trip planning by determining where you’re going to go. I've put together some vacation destination resource guides for planning trips to a U.S. Destination or an International Destination with important travel tips before you go. You might also want to pick up a good guide book, like Lonely Planet's USA Book: A Journey Through America. It's packed with info about great landmarks, attractions, hotels and local restaurants. The authors of these guide books are not allowed to accept free accommodation or meals in exchange for favorable write-ups, so their recommendations are honest and objective. You can get free shipping on your next order from Lonely Planet with a minimum purchase of $40.

Road trip planning doesn’t have to take a long a time, but you do need to know the route you’re going to drive and points of interest along the way that you’re going to want to stop and explore. Half the fun of a road trip is seeing the sites along the way. I like to MapQuest my trip and have that as my main plan of attack for my road trip. GPS is very popular these days and I recommend them, but you can’t always rely on them when you hit construction zones or accidents on your journey. That’s why it’s essential that you have a real map with you for the areas you’ll be traveling to and to plan alternate routes if necessary. I’m also connected with Rovia Travel that has an excellent concierge service included for the price of my Leisure Travel Consultant & DreamTrips Membership through World Ventures. I can call the concierge anytime I get lost and they’ll be my personal GPS system talking me through every twist, turn and bend in the road. This concierge service has bailed me out more than once.

Here's a new tip my friend, Liz, just clued me in on. Before you hit the road, check out the road conditions, especially if you think you may run into some nasty or dangerous weather. You may need to postpone your road trip or look into an alternate route. If you don't check before you go, you get stuck in a bad situation.



2. Make your hotel reservations BEFORE you go. Part of the fun when traveling on the road is stopping wherever your heart desires, but there’s nothing worse than a “no room at the inn” experience on a road trip. You may not realize that there is a “Renaissance Fair,” “Strawberry Festival” or convention in town while you’re visiting and there are no rooms to be had.

When you're doing you're road trip planning and you don’t book your reservations in advance, not only are you running the risk of having to sleep in your car but also you can’t manage your road trip budget effectively as you may end up paying more for your hotel.

Also, if you’re traveling with your family or a group of friends, consider staying at an all-suite hotel or even renting a time share, a great option for families taking a road trip. 90 percent of people who own a timeshare don’t utilize it on a regular basis.

Country Inns & Suites, Staybridge Suites & Cottonwood Suites are fantastic all suite hotels and Holiday Inn Club Vacations also has villas available. I'm a big fan of Rovia Travel as they have an exclusive agreement with RCI timeshares and 60,000 timeshare units around the world. I've seen timeshare condo rentals with some incredible travel deals like $299 for a week in Orlando and $279 for a week on a Greek Isle.

Now, if you like camping on your road trip, I've recently discovered Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resorts at campjellystone.com. They're packed with family fun and are an economical getaway in the great outdoors. You'll find a range of accommodation choices - from rustic to downright luxurious - to help you plan a vacation the whole family will love. Reservations are recommended at campgrounds, too, especially ones as popular as Jellystone Parks.

If you’re concerned that your current vehicle is not “road trip worthy,” then you may want to consider renting a vehicle for your road trip. I did this for my trip to Arizona as I found a great deal on a rental car through Rovia Travel and had the peace of mind for my road trip.

4. Pack your own food and plan a picnic. I used to be addicted to stopping at fast food joints on a road trip. There was something that felt fun about that on a trip but I’ve since learned that I prefer to pack my own food for my journey. It doesn’t just keep me eating healthier, but it also saves money, too, especially if you’re traveling with your family. Also, if you plan ahead, you may find that there is a great stop for a scenic picnic in your travels and packing a picnic is so much better than flying through the Drive-thru. If you do make a stop, either for a picnic or to explore a cool sight along the way, check out my Sun Safety Tips. I wrote them for cruisers, but they apply to road-trippers, too.

One thing I like about road trips is that I can pack a little more luggage than when I fly and have some creature comforts I can't bring on a plane, like a full size pillow. If you need luggage, you can get $50 off your purchase of $400 and Free Shipping at Luggage Pros! Use coupon code "LP400" at checkout.

5. Bring great music or Audible Books with you! Music is truly the soundtrack of our lives and every road trip needs a soundtrack. You might want to start with the top five best travel songs ever and choose some great tunes new and classic pop rock. I think of my trip to Seattle every time I hear a Phil Collins song from “No Jacket Required” because that was the primary music I was listening to on that trip. I think of the Bahamas Harbor Island and the amazing walks on the Pink Sands Beach every time I hear Wilson Phillips music. It’s sort of like having a theme song for every vacation but hearing the music even today will evoke fun memories of wonderful trips. I also love catching up on books I'd like to read but somehow find it easier to listen to. That's where Audible books comes in and you can download them to your mp3 player, iPhone, or other PDA device. Right now, they have a limited time offer to get your first three months at Audible.com for only $7.49/month!




6. Don’t forget to pack a boredom buster bag for the kids. One thing I've learned from producing for TV's "The Travel Mom" Emily Kaufman, is that if you’re traveling with kids, you need to make sure you have plenty to entertain them during your road trip. She calls this the boredom buster bag. Don’t forget to pack some kid music your children like along with fun travel games that include magnetic board games. DVD players are an option for really long trips and as long as your child isn’t prone to car sickness. Of course, electronic games will keep your kids occupied but I would encourage you to limit the time on these toys especially if you’re traveling through some great scenic areas. It’s an excellent chance to bond as a family and your child’s memory of the trip will be lost if they’re lost in a Game Boy.

7. Remember, a road trip is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. One of my all time favorite road trips was the day my niece, Jessica, and I drove 52 enchanting miles on the “Road to Hana” on the island of Maui in Hawaii. I’ll never forget that the guide book said, “Remember, Hana is not a destination, it’s a journey.” Hana is located about 52 miles from Kahului, however a typical trip to Hana takes at least three hours, as the road is very winding with approximately 620 curves with over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one-lane bridges. This amazing road trip is a memorable journey that winds through a lush, tropical rain forest that is laced with tumbling waterfalls, black sand beaches, scenic lava cliffs, fresh fruit stands, and tropical hillsides.

Finally, when you're driving, watch your speed. Speeding gives you the chance to get a ticket and more importantly, it decreases your time to react if the need should arise. If you are the driver, you are responsible for your passengers. When you see signs that say, “Speed limits are photo enforced,” believe them.

Other good driving tips include avoiding rush hour, especially in bigger cities, and whenever possible take turns driving with other people in the car. You’ll also want to avoid driving at night if you are not familiar with your surroundings.

10. Get a Go City Card and save up to 55% on attractions and theme parks at your destination. Last year, I flew my 8-year-old niece, Alexis, and 10-year-old nephew, Tyler, out to Los Angeles for their spring break (using Southwest Airlines Reward Miles, of course) and that's when I discovered the money saving Go City Card for San Diego and I saved hundreds of dollars in admissions to Legoland, the Wild Animal Park, the San Diego Zoo and other attractions including a Whale Watch on the Pacific Ocean just by purchasing a Go San Diego Card: Now including admission to SeaWorld San Diego!.

These discount cards can save you hundreds of dollars (up to 55% on theme park admissions and much more). You pay one price for up to 40 attractions (depending on the city you're visiting) and you get to create your own experience, tailoring your activities based on what you like to do, while also enjoying tremendous savings. For example, with the Go Los Angeles Card, you can choose one, two, three, five, or seven day cards at a low, pre-paid price to gain access to 40 included attractions, saving up to 55% compared to buying tickets directly at Universal Studios Hollywood, LEGOLAND California, Knott's Berry Farm, Paramount Studios, the Queen Mary, and many more attractions.

In many states, it’s the law, but it’s also down right dangerous. Always use your cell phone "hands free" when you drive. Don't forget to update your software on your mobile before you leave because you don't want to be charged higher rates for roaming charges. Finally, it's a real good idea to email a copy of your itinerary to other family members or friends in case of an emergency - this is really a good idea for women traveling together.

Now don't forget to record your road trip vacation adventures with photographic evidence of your good times. Your vacation photos are the best souvenir of any trip. I don't know about you, but I used to come back from trips with terrible photos so don't let this happen to you. Check out 10 Tips to Take Better Photos on Vacation. I have advice on not only how to take better photos, but also what's the best camera to buy, too.

For more great road trip advice, check out my colleague's travel tips from Discover Northern California. Now, drive safe and have fun!

Have a great road trip travel tip, photo or road trip adventure? Then definitely share it with me!

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