How To Plan a Cross-Country Road Trip
A cross-country road trip is an incredibly appealing and exciting experience that creates memories you can share with your friends and family for a lifetime. With the complications of air travel and other forms of traveling, it seems easy to hop into a car and hit the road. However, there’s more to road trips than that. From long multiweek adventures to simple weekend getaways, every road trip requires planning.
To make the most of your vacation, do all your planning and preparation ahead of time. After all, you want to enjoy your vacation rather than scrambling to plan everything last minute or during the trip. In this blog, our team at Rjourney will offer you valuable planning tips and ideas for places to go and activities to do throughout your cross-country road trip.
Why Plan Out My Cross-Country Road Trip?
Planning your cross-country road trip ahead of time offers you and your family many benefits. As you plan, you can schedule what to do each day of your trip. You can also discover new and exciting places to explore and investigate. By creating a trip itinerary, you can avoid wasting time in decision paralysis and spend more time with your friends and family.
How To Plan a Road Trip
The next step is to begin your planning. With so many moving parts to each vacation, even short weekend getaways, road trip planning can feel overwhelming. When planning your trip from scratch, it’s best to start with the basics. Here are five things to consider when you plan your cross-country road trip.
1. Plan Your Budget
Before deciding on where to go, it’s important to determine your budget. After all, how much you’re willing to spend will dictate where you choose to go for vacation. With rising prices across the board, planning out your budget has never been more important. We recommend placing a range on your budget instead of just a single number. This will give you more flexibility and possibilities if you exceed your budget.
2. Choose Your Destination
Once you have a budget in place, you need to decide where you want to go. Do you long for a taste of the great outdoors? Do you want to be closer to the city? These are questions you should ask yourself at the beginning of your planning process.
3. Choose Your Route
After you decide where you and your group will go, the next logical step is finding out how you will reach your destination. Take some time and do your research about each possible route. Do you want more of a straight shot to where you plan to stay? Or do you want to make frequent stops at attractions along the way? Consider all the possibilities when you plan your route. After all, you never know what you might miss if you don’t plan.
4. Reserve Your Camping Spot
When you settle on a destination and your route, it’s time to set up reservations for where you plan to stay. However, hotels can often be limited in space or too expensive for your vacation budget. This is why campgrounds and RV resorts are a popular option for travelers across the country. To get a head start, find your nearest Rjourney resort online and see what RV campgrounds work best for you.
5. Make Your Packing List
The last thing you want to do the day before you leave is rush to pack everything. This is why making a packing list is great to avoid any unnecessary stress. Here are some of the most essential things to pack ahead of your road trip:
- Paper or online map
- First aid kit
- Clothing
- Toiletries
- Pet toys and food
- Phone and appliance chargers
- Coolers
- Trash bags
- Snacks and drinks
Road Trip Ideas
Even with a set destination, road trips aren’t solely about the end point. It’s also about the many adventures and memories you make along the way. Let us offer some ideas of places to visit on your cross-country road trip.
National Parks
One popular destination found throughout the United States is national parks. Whether you want to take a scenic hike, go bird watching, or go animal spotting, national parks are prime destinations to do so. It’s important to find the right park and ensure that weather conditions won’t be an issue. Begin your search and find a national park along your route now!
Roadside Attractions and Landmarks
Whether you want to stop at a specific roadside diner or visit a famous landmark of the local area, there’s no shortage of roadside attractions to visit, regardless of your route. Some common roadside attractions to consider in your research include the following:
- Giant statues or sculptures
- Museums
- Historical sites
- Amusement parks
- Art installations and murals
- Mountains and natural wonders
Road Trip Activities
Take advantage of the fun you can have on the road with your loved ones. This can be a time to bond and make lasting memories. Spark a conversation with your passengers and fellow travelers, or play a series of car games to pass the time. These can even be as simple as a car window scavenger hunt or a few rounds of I Spy.
Plan Your Ultimate RV Road Trip Getaway at Rjourney
Looking for a destination resort to lay your head amidst your vacation fun? Look no further than Rjourney. With locations in 13 states, our accommodating and activity-filled resorts offer you multiple ways to stay and enjoy the landscape around you. Contact us online and book your vacation today!