How To Plan A Roadtrip: A Step By Step Guide
Do you want to plan a roadtrip, but don’t know where to start? In this easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide, I go through the steps of planning a roadtrip in the best way. I hope to make the proces easier for you!
Planning a roadtrip can be an overwhelming task. There are so many things to consider, and a lot of information to take in. From experience, I have developed a step-by-step method to efficiently and thoroughtly plan the best possible roadtrip.
During the planning of your roadtrip, be sure to also check out my top tips for any roadtrip, which includes tips on both planning, car rental and for being on the road!
Now, lets get to my 6 steps for planning any roadtrip:
Step 1: Pin-point your limitations
Before you even begin to imagine and dream of your next roadtrip, you have to decide on the practical limits you have. Obviously, you can also dream first and limit yourself later, but this will likely make you end up dissappointed. For this reason, I suggest you decide on the following three things before moving on to planning your roadtrip:
What is your budget?
Your budget can be a massive factor in the roadtrip you are able to have. If you have a smaller budget, you might want to consider doing a roadtrip in countries that are cheaper to eat, sleep and drive in. Or, you might want to adapt the duration of your roadtrip to your budget. No matter what factors you choose to adapt, your budget is the number one limitation to pin point before you start planning.
What time of the year are you able to travel?
Another important factor in planning your roadtrip is what time of the year you are able to travel. If you are limited to a certain time of the year (say: winter), there will be certain limitations depending on the country you are driving in. For example, will the roads be open for you to drive? Will you be able to do the types of activities you are dreaming of? Also, if you plan to do you roadtrip in the summer, you will instead have to count in bigger crowds of like-minded tourists, longer queues, higher costs and more. Brainstorm your options and write them down!
How much time are you able to take off from work or studies?
The final thing I want you to consider, before planning your roadtrip, is how much time you are able to take off from your regular schedule. There is no point in spending lots of time trying to plan a cross-country roadtrip in Canada, if you only have one week off. On the other hand, if you can take several weeks off, you might want to be more adventurous than just exploring a single country in Europe. So, decide on how much time you want to take off, so you can plan accordingly.
Step 2: Decide on your destination
Once you have pin-pointed the limitations of you trip, it is time to dream big! (but within the limits, of course). The next thing you want to consider when planning a roadtrip is the destination of your roadtrip. You might already have some in mind. Before you decide on one, run it through the test:
Is it possible to do a roadtrip in this destination with my budget?
To determine this, you can check the typical cost of flights, car rental and accomondation to you destination. I always do a quick search on Momondo for flights, as this is the factor that will affect your budget the most. You can also do a quick search for car rental in the period of time you plan to do your roadtrip, and see if the destination fits your budget.
Am I able to have my dream roadtrip in this specific destination considering the typical weather at the time of year I will be travelling?
To determine this, I would do a quick Google search, such as “Banff roadtrip in february” and “weather in Banff in february” to gain knowledge from other peoples experiences. After checking a few sources, you will quickly have an idea as to whether there are any challenges in visiting the area during the time of year, you plan to do so.
Is it possible to satisfactorily explore the destination within my time frame?
To determine the answer to this, I often do several things. Firstly, I would do some quick searches on my destination within my time frame such as “2 week roadtrip in spain”, to see the itineraries that others suggest within the time frame. Also, if you have several specific destinations or attractions you want to reach, I would check the distance between them on Google Maps, as the distances between some areas might surprise you.
If the answers to all of the above are YES, you have your destination for your roadtrip settled!
Step 3: Search for bucketlist sights and experiences
To plan the best possible roadtrip itinerary, the next thing you want to do is search for the best experiences and sights at your destination. This is often my favorite part of planning a roadtrip, as this is where I get to dream and look forward to all of the amazing things, I might experience!
Every time you stumble upon a place, an area or an experience that you find interesting, quickly put a mark on it in your google maps. In this way, you will get a visual of the proximity between the different things you want to see and do!
Step 4: Logically connect the locations
Once you have pinned all of your bucketlist destinations, attractions and activities on Google Maps, it is time to logically connect the dots. When planning your roadtrip itinerary, you want logically connect the places you want to go depending on the distance between them. When you reach this part of the planning proces, it is a good idea to consider the following questions:
How many hours a day do you want to be driving?
When planning a roadtrip, it is important to consider how many hours a day you want to be driving. Although the driving itself is a big part of the fun of the roadtrip, it can also be tiring and make for long days. So be sure to consider how much driving you want to do versus exploring and enjoying your time at different locations.
On my latest roadtrip, I was sure that driving 4-5 hours would be absolutely fine. But actually, we ended up having to hurry at certain locations and skip experiences to reach out destination by the end of the day. The itinerary of each day on a roadtrip often takes longer than you think!
Are you planning to stay in big cities, smaller towns or camping?
This is very important to consider, as it will determine where you starting and end point should be each day. Are you planning to stay at hotels in bigger cities? If so, you can easily connect the bigger cities to plan your itinerary. Are you camping in nature or campsites instead? This will probably leave more flexibility for your plan. However, I would still suggest searching for campsites and areas to free camp, to get a better idea of where you are able to stay each night.
How long do you want your days to be?
It is not enough to check how long it will take to drive between each location. Even though this part of the planning proces is a little more tricky, you have to estimate the time you will be spending at each stop or activity on your itinerary. These will quickly take up a lot of your time, meaning you might want to cross shorter distances on some days!
You might think that you can easily do a 4-5 hour drive on a given day. But if you consider packing up, doing a few roadtrip stops at beautiful places, stopping somewhere for lunch, and exploring a park or an activity, you will quickly run out of hours in the day! So, if you already have some activities in mind you want to do, or places you want to stop and explore, be sure to calculate an estimate of how long you will want to spend there, when planning your roadtrip itinerary.
Do you plan to do a roundtrip or end your trip in a new location?
If you are planning a roadtrip in a foreign country and are renting a car there, you want to consider whether you will return to the same location at the end of your trip. In many places, it is possible to rent a car in one place and return it in another (especially if these places are within the same country). However, before you get yourself set on an itinerary, be sure to check what is possible for you!
Step 5: Make a rough itinerary for each day
Once you have made a plan of your starting and ending points of each day, you are ready to make your roadtrip itinerary! This is where you can take a look at your Google Maps pins and see which attractions and places are near the roads you will be driving from place to place.
Make a plan for the places you want to stop at during each drive, and check the distances and driving times to make sure it is possible. I like to make a list in either a Google Docs or my notes while I plan, so I have a clear overview handy at any time.
Step 6: Book your flights, car rental and accomondation
This step is partially optional, as the amount of fixed planning you want to do will differ from person to person. If you have a set period of time to do the roadtrip, you might as well book your return flight as soon as you are set on the dates and destinations.
In terms of car rental, it will often be an advantage to rent the car far in advance, to save money on the deal. As more and more people book cars on certain dates, the car rental companies will elevate the prices, which can be a challenge to your budget. Even if you want to have a very flexible roadtrip plan, having a time frame, a start and end location might be a good idea!
Whether or not you decide to book accomondation beforehand will depend on your preference. I like to do it, as it is often the most budget-friendly option. If you choose to book all of your accomondation, you have less flexibility to change your plans – but at the same time, you are ensured a place to sleep at a price you want to pay.
Once you have booked however little or much you prefer for your trip, you are all set to go on your dream roadtrip!
I hope this step by step guide can help you plan your next roadtrip! Once you are on the road, you should consider my top tips for any roadtrip as well. Now get planning – and enjoy!
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