If you’re like me, the pandemic has brought on an intense case of cabin fever. The cure for wanderlust is travel! That’s why we have identified 10 easy steps to planning a road trip. Follow these travel tips for a stress-free adventure!
Have you been cooped up in the house for months during the pandemic and you’re itching to get back out there and travel? Do you day dream of distant destinations, scanning, pinning, and liking every island paradise post on social media?
10 Easy Steps to Planning a Road Trip
Planning ahead or gone with the wind?
For me, part of the thrill is being spontaneous and not planning a checklist of every detail of the road trip. I like to allow the adventure to map the course. However, practically speaking, there is an important element to planning ahead for your trip. Especially if you have responsibilities to stay in communication on work commitments that need to be completed while on the road.
When I began mapping out my West Coast RV road trip during the summer of 2020, there were a lot of extra steps and measures taken for safe travel during a pandemic. COVID-19 restrictions and travel considerations are important and can change every day. We witnessed a lot of closures and re-openings during the trip, many times only days before arriving.
Not sure where to start?
The first place to start is deciding where you’d like to go. You may narrow it down to a certain climate, continent, region, state, or city. Using social media outlets like Pinterest and Instagram can help you come up with ideas and get real feedback from other travelers who may have just visited that particular area. Expedia is also another great resource for browsing destinations available in bundles or seasonal specials.
Once your destination is determined, it is time to start mapping out your route. This considers site-seeing opportunities along the route, pull-off stops and rest stops overnight stays, and transit changes. During this process, a budget can be drafted to determine overall costs for the trip: fixed costs such as rentals and reservations, and forecasted variable costs such as fuel, food, and souvenirs. Researching different travel memberships and discount clubs gives good discounts on travel costs and provides a great social support network of other travelers and available services.
If you are hitting the open road, consider RV rentals. I had my first experience this past summer using Cruise America RV Rentals from Denver, CO and it was a great experience! I used an online tool called RVTripWizard to map out our route and select and book high-quality campsites.
Working while on travelling
During the West Coast RV Road Trip, I also worked full time on this 5-week adventure. Working while traveling from the road was difficult at times but overall very practical and possible! I made sure to have a plan A, B, and C when it came to connectivity through cell service and Wi-Fi and I can tell you, we needed all three! Backup plan for your backup plan and you will be just fine! I go into this in more detail with 10 East Steps to Planning a Road Trip.
Travelling with your pets
I brought my best travel buddy, my dog Brody, on the RV trip. It was a great experience for both of us! There were plenty of areas for him to play and run in both the camp areas and parks. Grab the leash, your furry friend, and get on the wide-open road!
