Travel Tips

Smaller bags go a long way toward saving trunk space. (Photo: Jupiterimages/ Images )

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One of the many benefits of driving over modes of public transportation is that you can pack as much as your car can hold. Overdoing it, however, can result in poor gas mileage and a lot of frustration if you need to access your things in a hurry. Packing light and smart can ensure a smooth, enjoyable road trip.

Step 1

Start by packing emergency items so they don’t fall by the wayside during the packing process. Use the glove box and the areas under the car seats for these items so they don’t get in the way, but are easily accessible. Emergency road and first aid kits can be bought in auto supply stores. Or, you can assemble your own. The basics include a working flashlight with extra batteries, 12-foot jumper cables, two quarts of motor oil, tire pressure gauge, duct tape, pliers, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, fuses, rags, a funnel and work gloves. First aid kits should include bandages, gauze, scissors, tweezers, pain relievers, antiseptic ointment, hydrocortisone cream and hand sanitizer.

Step 2

Pack clothes in several small duffel bags with soft corners. Use one duffel as an overnight bag with essential toiletries and keep it close to the trunk opening or in the backseat so it’s easily accessible.

Step 3

Keep the inside of the car as clutter-free as possible. Mount bikes and sporting equipment to the back of the car, but make sure this doesn’t impede getting to important items. A car-top luggage rack can free up a lot of space.

Step 4

Pack for life on the road. Spills and accidents are inevitable on a road trip. A can of moistened wipes, several plastic bags for trash, a roll of paper towels and a few full-length towels will come in handy for car messes. Make a clean-up bag with such sundries and keep it close to the front. Pack cell phone chargers and GPS machines in the glove compartment.

Step 5

Bring more audio books, music and toys for the kids than you think you’ll need. This is one area where you can’t overpack. Bring a cooler for on-the-road snacks. Roadside restaurant offerings are usually of the fast-food variety, so pack healthier food that you won’t be able to get at the interstate gas station. Fill the cooler with ice packs, which can also be used for first aid emergencies.

Disclosure

Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Updated August 18, 2019

Knowing how to drive a car will enable you to enjoy one of the most memorable vacation experiences, the road trip. The road trip is a general phrase that describes a long trek made in a vehicle for pleasure. Road trips take a little planning. Here are a few tips that will help make your first road trip a success.

6 Tips to Plan Your First Road Trip

Decide on a destination. It is a good idea to choose a destination that is not too far away for your first road trip. A road trip can span only one day. For example, choose a city a couple of hours away for your first road trip. You will enjoy a nice drive to your destination, spend some time in a new place, and drive back home all in one day.

Choose a route. Many people who take road trips like to take the scenic route to their chosen destination. You can use a map or the internet to plan a route. Some drivers prefer to take a back roads rather than interstate highways when they go on road trips. Although it may take longer to reach your destination on these roads, the views will be much more interesting.

The Turquoise Trail in New Mexico is one of thousands scenic roads you can take in the U.S.

Consider your vehicle. Some vehicles simply are not made for long trips. Cars that are especially suited to road trips are convertibles, sports cars, cars that get great gas mileage, and small crossover SUVs. SUVs and minivans are also good road trip vehicles if you are traveling with several people or your family. Vehicles that might not be great choices for road trips are large trucks, large SUVs, and vans. Make sure that you will have plenty of room for your passengers since you will be spending several hours inside the vehicle. Also try to choose a vehicle that gets great gas mileage to reduce the cost of your trip.

Get a tune up. If you are planning on driving your car over a long distance for several days, it is a great idea to let a mechanic check for problems before you depart. Get your oil changed, refill your windshield wiper fluid, and make sure all lights are in working order. These steps will reduce the chance of becoming stranded or experiencing mechanical issues during your road trip.

Working car lights ensure that other drivers see you, even in reduced visibility. This is crucial to avoid accidents

Plan for stops. It is reasonable to estimate that you will need to take a break from travelling every two or three hours. If there is an interesting city, park, store, or restaurant that you would like to see on your road trip, schedule stops accordingly. It is all part of the road trip experience.

To enjoy the stop, make sure you lock your car and don’t leave valuables in visibility

Bring entertainment. Of course, the driver needs to focus his or her attention on the road. The passengers, however, might want some entertainment along the way. Portable DVD players with headphones, MP3 players, books, crossword puzzles, magazines, and travel journals are some excellent ideas for passing the time on a road trip.

It is important to remember that the drive is the most important part of a road trip.

Don’t be in a rush. If there is something interesting you would like to stop and see, do so. It is all part of the experience. The next time that you plan a vacation for you and your family or a quick getaway for your friends, consider driving instead of flying. You might find that hitting the open road is your preferred means of transportation.

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“Road trip!” The words evoke visions of the open highway, vistas rolling out before the driver, adventure, freedom. The reality is that, while a road trip is much more flexible than catching a plane to the same destination, a certain amount of planning is required for everything to work out.

Be sure to include a roll of paper towels in the emergency kit.

A road trip usually involves driving several hours — or days! — to a destination, then driving back. The advantage is that the travelers are able to stop along the way to see various attractions and soak in some local flavor before moving on. It’s certainly a leisurely way to travel.

There are two basic ways to plan a road trip. The first is the organized trip, in which the travelers plot out their route in advance, plan stopping points along the way, look for hotels in particular towns, and make reservations in advance. One advantage to this method is that the travelers know where they will be staying and do not have to worry about being able to get a room. Some travelers may find pre-planned stops a bit too confining. For these folks, the open-ended method of planning a road trip may be preferable.

Being ready for roadside emergencies is one aspect of trip preparation.

For this kind of road trip, the travelers will usually plot their route, but instead of planning stops, they stop at will, staying overnight wherever they are when they are too tired to drive any further. The obvious disadvantage of this method is finding a decent place to stay on short notice. Some travelers swear by this method, however. And, if the travelers do not insist on staying in chain motels, they may be able to find a local place with a good price.

Some people have a specific location in mind, others just travel the open road.

Travelers should always prepare for emergencies on a road trip. This includes taking the car to a mechanic beforehand and having the oil changed and the fluids checked and topped off. The mechanic should also check the tires, balance and/or rotate them if necessary, check the spare tire and jack, and look at all the belts and hoses, replacing them if needed. The traveler should also ask the mechanic to check the radiator cap for proper pressure when he checks the coolant levels.

Bringing small snacks to eat along the road can prevent having to stop for food.

A good emergency road trip kit for the car will include: two gallons of plain water, four quarts of oil, a quart each of transmission and power steering fluid, a can of brake fluid, washer fluid, paper towels, and a couple of rags. The traveler should also either have a set of jumper cables or a jump start power pack in the trunk.

Rotate and balance tires before leaving on a long road trip.

Travelers should also carry a standard first-aid kit, available in discount stores and drugstores. They should also take all prescription drugs they will need for the duration of the trip, as well as a list of all prescription drugs they take. If they have to make a trip to the emergency room, this information will be critical. Travelers should also make sure to have their auto and health insurance cards, as well as a car charger for the cell phone.

Packing tubes of your favorites shampoos or lotions is a good idea before leaving on a road trip.

Comfort is crucial on a road trip, so travelers may want to bring their favorite snacks, as well as a pillow for naptime and hotel use. Small soft-sided coolers are readily available, and a “blue ice” block will fit inside nicely to keep drinks cool. Finally, a traveler should always take along an atlas or road map and extra cash, along with a couple of dollars in change. Following these guidelines should help ensure a trouble-free road trip.

Packing sandwiches to eat on the road is a good idea for long road trips. A road trip may include camping. A GPS can be used to plot out a route in advance or it can allow for a spontaneous route. Travel chargers are designed to charge cellphones and other devices during a long road trip. It’s important to check the oil level of a car before taking a long road trip. A backup gas can might come in handy during a long road trip. Bringing an extra bottle of coolant is a good idea when going on a long road trip. A car jack may come in handy on a road trip. Travelers should pack a car charger for the cell phone. Fruit is a good snack option for long road trips.

RV Camper Road Trip at Monument Valley Tribal Park Landscape

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a surging increase of road trips in America. Back in June, AAA predicted that during the summer of 2020, Americans would take 700 million trips, 97% of which would be road trips. This isn’t so surprising, even though the total number of trips is down 15% since 2019. International travel is not an option for many, and flying in planes or staying at hotels introduces more fears of catching or spreading the virus, as neither allows for much social distancing. Not to mention that cruises and other common travel scenarios are also likely less safe or not even possible this year.

People still want to get out of their houses, and families still yearn for adventure, so in America this quickly became the year of the road trip, and 2021 may look similar. Some may opt for driving a car and renting a house or a cabin, or staying at an Airbnb or a tent or whatever they prefer. That said, many have been gravitating toward driving in RVs, as they are self-contained and allow for social distancing while still sightseeing. According to the RV Industry Association, 46 million Americans plan to go RVing sometime in the next year.

In October of 2019, I took a road trip with my dog in an RV across the Pacific Northwest for three and a half weeks. In taking this trip, I researched many different ways to rent motorhomes and also tried a number of different apps and websites that can help with everything from planning your route, to finding campsites and attractions and calculating fuel costs. They’re just as relevant during this pandemic when so many people will opt for road trips. While not every single thing in your life needs an app to take up more space on your phone and more time out of your day, the sites below are some of the tools that I found useful during my own journey.

Best Options For RV Rentals

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I rented an RV for my road trip, so I have no advice on the topic of buying one outright. I have seen used RVs listed on sites like RVTrader and Cruise America, as they seem to be two of the biggest sites for that. Cruise America is a big company that has sales and rental lots in many cities as well, but I personally found their style too generic and wanted to rent a rig that was owned by an individual and had some character. From what I’ve seen, the two best options for rentals are RVShare and Outdoorsy. Both sites allow people to list their own RVs on the site and rent them directly to you, while the website simply facilitates and takes a commission.

Both Outdoorsy and RVShare also have easy-to-navigate search parameters on their websites that let you search by location, dates of the trip, price and so forth. I ended up finding my rental on Outdoorsy, and booked it a couple of weeks before my pick-up date to ensure that I had the RV locked in before finalizing my route and plan for the trip. Some rentals may charge for mileage while others will include mileage in a set fee. Mine included a certain amount of miles per day, and then an additional fee for anything over that. There were also fees for insurance, hours of generator usage and cleaning of the vehicle for which you’ll need to be prepared.

Planning Your Road Trip Route

There are a number of apps that you can use to plan your route, but I ended up using one called Roadtrippers for a number of reasons. They have a free version of the app as well as a paid version that offers additional features. I highly recommend this app, as you can build your route from scratch by entering your locations and dates. The app then offers different search options along the way, such as attractions for sightseeing and camping, gas stations, entertainment, food and nightlife. I mostly used the app to pick the roads and highways I travelled, and also found a handful of scenic stops that I had never heard of before that helped add to the experience, such as Ewam’s Garden of One Thousand Buddhas in Montana.

Another feature of the Roadtrippers app that is useful is that you can actually enter the year and model of your vehicle with the gas mileage and it will tell you how much gas should cost you during the course of your trip, which was helpful in planning my costs for my own trip. There is another travel app I like a lot called Tripit, which was less relevant on my RV trip, but may be useful to you in general for compiling all of your booking confirmations. I’ve used Tripit for most of my trips in the past few years, since it can organize everything from hotel bookings, flight bookings, rental car bookings, or even concert and event tickets into one place for each trip you take.

Booking RV Campsites & Boondocking

Personally, I’m not a big fan of big KOA or RV park type places where you’re parking right next to dozens of other RVs, but sometimes it is convenient to be able to plug into electricity and refill on water and propane and empty the rig’s sewage tanks. The Roadtrippers app I’d mentioned above has a search filter for campsites that was pretty useful for me, and there were other apps I downloaded and tried out (like HipCamp) that I did not find as useful. Most campsites I stayed at ranged from a price of $30 to $45 per night, though some were cheaper or more expensive, and some campsites were free.

Campendium was also fairly useful in finding campgrounds, and near the end of my trip I found another app called Harvest Hosts that offers free camping at sites like wineries, breweries and farms. I booked a spot on a hunting app called LandTrust and stayed one night on a 17,000 acre ranch. Though I didn’t get a chance to stay at one of the Harvest Hosts locations, I would like to try it sometime and am recommending it here because I like their concept and think it sounds like a cool way to find unique places to camp out.

My favorite places I stayed at during my road trip were all off the grid while boondocking, and not plugged into anything. Boondocking allows you to really be out on your own in nature, and there are a handful of apps to help you find places for this. Bureau of Land Management land (or BLM land) allows anyone to camp out on any single site for 14 days at a time, meaning that if you bring enough food, water and propane, you could camp out for free on beautiful public land and just move every two weeks. To give you a sense of scope, there are 245 million acres of BLM land in the United States.

There is a free app called FreeRoam that aggregates all public and BLM land and shows you where you could stay for free. I used FreeRoam to find places to park and sleep at more than I used any other app during my trip. If you’re trying to decide between camping out at RV parks or boondocking on BLM land, I have to suggest that boondocking will likely show you a much more free and open space and give you a more memorable camping experience.

Lastly, you’ll obviously need your entertainment apps so you can listen to audiobooks, podcasts, news or music while you drive. Start working on your road trip playlist and it may just inspire you to take a trip sooner than later.

However you feel about road trips—w hether you rack up the mileage on the regular or are still working through the trauma of family vacations that forced you to pack into a station wagon for hours on end— they are the new normal d uring the COVID-19 pandemic .

Th e number of Americas traveling by air is way down, and that’s not likely to change any time soon: The American Automobile Association (aka AAA) predicts that 80% of fall travel will be road trips, and the upcoming holiday season will likely bring even more traffic.

While it’s great that so many people have that option, we also can’t forget that we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic. No matter how tired we are of all the extra precautions, this is absolutely not the time to let y our guard down. Road trips are no exception.

Pandemic or not, we should always to head into a road trip willing to be flexible, but also highly prepared. (It’s a fine line.) This travel mentality has never been more important or relevant than it is now. We’ve previously covered how to plan a (before-times) road trip , so if you’re looking for general information and tips for maps, apps and other tools, start there. Here, we’re going to focus on how to plan and take a socially distant pandemic road trip. Squirt on some hand sanitizer and buckle up.

How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip

It’s that time of the year again: time to pack your friends or family in the car and hit the open…

The basics

At this point, we shouldn’t have to tell you to keep up with all your usual COVID public health strategies —like mask-wearing, social distancing and frequent hand-washing/sanitizing—while on the road . Please, be a decent person and do what you need to do to keep yourself and others safe.

What to bring

At the very least, you’re going to want to pack a few face masks, some hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes (or another way of cleaning surfaces) and a decent supply of food and beverages (to minimize the number of times you have to stop).

So far, I’ve taken one road trip during COVID, and put together my own ultra deluxe travel kit featuring all of the above, plus: a small container of liquid hand soap (if a rest stop doesn’t have any and I want to wash my hands with actual soap and water), a roll of toilet paper (always a good idea, but also prevents you from having to ask your stall neighbor if they could spare a square, and useful if you’re passing through an area with no indoor bathroom options), a keychain stylus/door opener (if there’s an opportunity not to touch door handles and buttons, I’m going for it) and a fanny pack (so I wouldn’t have to hang a bag—or worse, put it on the floor—at a rest stop).

Do you really need all of these things? Probably not. But with the exception of the extra toilet paper, I used all of them.

Plan your stops

One of the best parts of a pre-pandemic road trip was pulling off the highway without a plan and seeing what type of food options and attractions you could find . Now, that’s not the best idea. First of all, as the CDC explains : “Making stops along the way for gas, food, or bathroom breaks can put you and your traveling companions in close contact with other people and frequently-touched surfaces.”

As fun as it is to wing it, you should plan at least some of your stops ahead of time, and fortunately, there are plenty of new and existing apps to make this easier. First, there’s a map from AAA that provides updated information on state and regional travel restrictions . We’re also fans of this interactive map of rest stops —especially since several have closed during the pandemic.

And you’re going to want to download Nexit, if you haven’t already; it will guide you towards the best exits along your route , with additional information on specifics like where to find vegan food and the local hotels and motels that are pet-friendly.

Find the Best Exits Along Your Road Trip Route With This App

I’m a tremendous fan of a good road trip. I’ve driven across the country on three separate…

Gas stations

Stopping for gas is an unavoidable part of road trips, even now . You may not love the idea of coming in contact with all those high-touch surfaces, but it’s all part of it (unless you’re traveling through New Jersey ). Anyway, the CDC’s gas station COVID safety tips aren’t surprising, but bear mentioning:

• Use disinfecting wipes on handles and buttons at the gas pumps before you touch them (if available).
• After fueling, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. When you get to your destination, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Bathrooms and rest stops

Again, the usual COVID rules apply here. Per the CDC :

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom and after you have been in a public place.
• If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

For what it’s worth, every time I stopped somewhere to use the restroom during my road trip, I was always the only person in there and everything looked—and smelled—as though it had recently been sanitized.

What to Know Before You Travel Across State Lines

As the coronavirus pandemic grips the country, travel restrictions are increasingly going into…

Taking a road trip across the United States offers an alternative to flying that can be more fun and, sometimes, less expensive. If your point of origin and destination are not located near major airports that offer an abundance of cheap flights, then the price of an airline ticket can be steep. Although oil prices affect both flying and driving costs, their correlation with the price of filling up your vehicle is much more pronounced. With the price of oil low, it might be a good time to get behind the wheel and explore the United States.

The following analysis compares the cost of a road trip from New York City to Los Angeles five years ago, in 2015, to the cost of making the same trip in 2020. Expenses considered include gas, food, and lodging.

Key Takeaways

• When gas prices are low, it’s an especially good time to take a driving trip.
• The cost of a hypothetical road trip from New York to Los Angeles did not change materially from 2015 to 2020—because the decrease in gas prices compensated for increases in food and lodging.