How to Plan Your Road Trip

See the sights and leave your cares behind for a trip you won’t forget. Flexibility opens the door to excitement, but a little road trip planning helps too.

Identify the Heartbeat of Your Trip

Every road trip has a core purpose. You're more likely to organize the adventure in a way that fulfills your dreams if you do so before you leave the house. It doesn't necessarily have to be complex or culturally enriching. Just getting away and seeing new sights is a worthwhile goal, but so is visiting every national park you can. Your core purpose informs your road trip planning. If your itinerary involves a long, detailed list of destinations, you’ll have more planning to do.

Keep that Car on the Road

Before you drive off into the rising sun, remember: You need a vehicle. No matter which way you head, your trip will go south fast if your car breaks down along the way. Schedule a visit to the mechanic for a pre-road-trip check-up, including an oil change, any necessary brake work and a general once-over. Make sure your tires are in good shape and that the spare and car jack are ready if needed. Take the time to clean your car from top to bottom after the mechanic gives you the green light to hit the road. You'll be glad you did.

Find Your Way

Even if your goal is to "get lost" on America's back roads, you don't really want to lose your way. Yes, this is the tech age, so load up on GPS and mapping devices, but get paper maps, too. Good, old-fashioned maps work without WiFi or phone access and provide a last-resort security option to prevent you from truly getting lost. Some auto insurance companies offer them to clients for free, but get maps for the entire region you plan to visit even if you have to pay for them. The best ones note landmarks and parks along the way.

Balance an Itinerary and Freedom

Every road trip has its own flavor, but the key ingredient in all of them is flexibility. This is best served by having a loose plan. You won't get to taste the freedom of the open road if you plan a trip that schedules every moment. Make an initial list of every sight you'd like to see along the way, then narrow it down to the most important. Your road trip isn't likely to be one for the history books if you don't leave time for a spontaneous dip in the lake, a chat with locals at the mom-and-pop diner or the sunset over the desert. Give yourself time to delight in the unexpected. That's what road trips are all about.

Find your hotel and hit the road for your next adventure.