Going on a road trip can be one of the most life-changing and positive experiences. However, planning a road trip is not always as easy as just getting in the car and driving — it can be easier than you think to make a mistake. I’ve gone on four cross-country road trips in the last three years, and each time I learn a little bit more about what to do, and more importantly, what not to do to have the best road trip ever. While all of these trips have been amazing times, I’ve definitely also made my fair share of road trip mistakes. Fortunately, I’m here to turn my annoying failures into advice to you so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did!
Here are 6 mistakes to avoid on your next road trip so you can have the time of your life!
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Don’t think you can drive all day
The most exciting thing about road tripping is getting to the next destination. With so much to see and a limited time frame, it can be temping to want to fit in as many instagrammable spots and stunning sights as possible. It’s probably the biggest road trip mistake I still make.
Unfortunately, and despite my best efforts, there are still only 24 hours in a day. And realistically, you’re not going to want to spend more than maybe 10 of them driving. I’ve taken road trips with four hour legs and with 14 hour legs, and I promise the 14 hour ones aren’t worth it.
I understand, especially out west, you’re going to have situations where you simply have to drive long distances. That’s ok, and it comes with the territory. One long driving day won’t kill you. But speaking from my experience, don’t overdo it.
On my second ever cross country road trip, I tried to round the entire country and Canada in just 14 days. That is HARD. It required multiple 10+ hour days just in driving distance, not even taking into account traffic, border crossing, weather, and stops for snacks.
It totally soured the mood and for so much of the trip I was too exhausted to even do anything. It felt like we were just going places to check off boxes instead of actually enjoying the sights. I definitely do not recommend.
My advice? Keep your drive times to about 8 hours, give or take. Five hours is probably the best you can do while still getting somewhere different, but 8 is a solid drive time for most places in the US. Plus, it’s easy to split if you’re traveling with a partner or a friend. Whenever I plan my road trips, I shoot for 8 hour drive times between destinations.
Finally, make sure your lodging options fit the drive you want to take! Use the search bar below to see hotels near your point A and point B. I particularly love this search engine because dates aren’t required — perfect if you’re just mapping out a potential trip!
Don’t assume you have cell service
As a regular millennial girl in today’s modern society, I am, naturally, addicted to my phone. At first glance, you’d assume you could never get bored on a road trip as long as you have your phone with you.
But something that’s super easy to forget, especially when you’re traveling long distances — cell coverage is not universal!
I’m on t-mobile and typically have pretty great coverage throughout the northeast. However the second I hit the great plains, I completely forget that cell service isn’t a given.
Struggling to load your Instagram or Twitter feed is a pain, sure. But not having enough cell service to load a podcast, or worse, a map, can be a major problem on the road.
I have two ways to solve this problem. The first: Download everything you need beforehand. If you don’t have unlimited data, wait until you have wifi, like at a hotel or cafe, and download the things you need to your phone. Otherwise, feel free to just go for it whenever you’ve got all your bars.
Most podcast apps allow you to download podcasts to your phone. I personally like to use Overcast for this, but check through your settings first to make sure you’re not accidentally downloading every single podcast you subscribe to (I’ve done this by accident!).
Google Maps has the ability to easily save sections of maps so you can access them without cell service. It’s super easy to do, and as long as you have Google Maps on your phone and an account it can be done in just a few minutes. Here’s a really quick post explaining how you can save your google maps on your phone so you’ll always have them, regardless of your cell service. This is great for hikes too!
My second tip is to take advantage of your travel partner! This is tougher if you’re with family, but if you’re road tripping with a friend or significant other, it’s possible you both aren’t on the same cell provider. Take advantage of the difference in coverage and team up so at least one of your phones can access the internet or make a call at all (or at least most) times.
This is a bit of overkill, but when I’m a particularly bored passenger and my cell service keeps dropping, I like to pull up a service map from my phone carrier and screenshot it, just so I have a rough idea when to expect a lack of coverage. Here are some quick links to cell carriers service maps just in case!
T-Mobile Coverage Map × Verizon Coverage Map × AT&T Coverage Map × Sprint Coverage Map
Don’t road trip at the wrong time of the year
Possibly the best part about taking a road trip is the flexibility. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want, and explore so many different types of places. You could easily have four totally different road trips, just by going to the same place in four different seasons!
With each time of year comes unique challenges depending on where you go though, and your four different road trips could easily become road trip mistakes.
Summer is obviously the most popular time of year to travel, but with that comes crowds and, in lots of places, unbearable heat. Are you comfortable waiting through traffic and crowds? If you’re traveling with pets, can you do so safely so they’re not left in a car?
Spring and Fall are more mild, but depending on where you go, you could be subject to unpredictable weather, like heat waves, snow storms, hurricanes and tornadoes. You may have to pack more types of clothing if you’re traveling between the north and south.
Winter has so much potential to see beautiful, snow-covered landscapes and escape typical crowds of tourists. But you also likely have to pack heavier, and national parks and attractions could be closed for the season.
Whichever time of year you go, make sure it aligns with your goals for your trip. If you’re traveling in the winter, do the research to be sure the things you want to see are accessible. If you’re traveling in summer, prepare yourself for more traffic, more crowds, and more heat. The last thing you want to do is get in the car for a secluded solo road trip only to be met with swarms of families and children at your lakeside retreat!
Don’t pack a ton of food to save money
When I went on my first cross-country road trip, I was 26 and determined to stretch every penny possible. I filled up the car with sandwich materials and brought my beloved Yeti (how cute is this color btw) to keep perishable items at the ready.
And you know what happened?
Two weeks later, I threw out a pile of sandwich materials and perishable items. Talk about road trip mistakes lol.
We just didn’t need them!
While I definitely think stocking up on things like snacks and water can be helpful, don’t force yourself into trying to save money by attempting to eat every meal on your road trip in the car!
It takes much more logistical maneuvering than you think to bring two weeks worth of food in a car and keep it fresh. The space your cooler will take up is much better spent on clothing, entertainment, or leg room! Plus, it actually will wind up wasting money and contributing to more food waste when you purchase things you don’t eat.
Don’t go without food, but just pack a reasonable amount of snack items to keep with you in the car. There are so many regional food options across the country that you’ll want to try anyway — don’t stop yourself from exploring everything there is!
Need inspiration for things you absolutely should pack? Here’s my list of 8 Road Trip Essentials from Amazon you shouldn’t leave on your next road trip without.
Don’t road trip with someone you don’t like
This sounds like it goes without saying, but the perfect road trip partner is someone you actually like.
You’d think I wouldn’t have to say that, but people date people they don’t actually like all the time. Hell, even I’ve done it (whoops).
People have friends they love but could only stand in short shifts or a night out. It’s not uncommon to surround yourself with people that you like on a day-to-day basis, but you might find annoying if you were together longer-term.
When planning who to take a road trip with, remember that you are going to be spending every single second with this person for the next week plus straight. Much like being in the Bachelor Mansion, the annoyingness of someone’s every action is heavily amplified when you’re stuck in a car with them for days. You absolutely have to have enough respect for each other to tolerate your presence when things get stressful.
Are they too quiet for you? Are they always “on”? Do they scream when they talk? Do they insist on having a conversation when you’re trying to sleep? Do they like to stop and pee every exit? Do they play it fast and loose with a gas tank on E? Do they fall asleep every time it’s your turn to drive?
Think about the things you like when you travel, and pick someone whose personality is compatible with that. Forcing a square peg in a round hole gets you nowhere!
Beyond just liking someone, you have to trust the person you’re traveling with. When you’re not driving, their life is literally in your hands. Do you think it’s cute that your boyfriend can be a little overly cautious and skittish behind the wheel? Sure, okay. But what if it’s midnight in a rainstorm in the middle of a dark forest in Montana and he’s driving. Is it still cute? Would you feel safe resting your eyes? Do you trust him?
If the answer’s no, they may not be the right person to road trip with. And that doesn’t make them a bad person! It just means you’re prioritizing safety and comfort for both of you, and that’s important.
Ultimately, you’re probably not going to know if you picked the right person to road trip with until it’s too late. You can just do your best to hope you pick right. But that’s all part of the adventure!
Don’t forget to enjoy the moment
There are so many amazing things to see in North America, and if you’re planning a cross-country road trip, you’ll want to catch as much as you can. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to document it all!
While there’s nothing wrong with taking instagram photos and creating content on a road trip — seriously, it’s my absolute passion in life, and what I love to do — don’t spend so much time looking for the perfect photo that you wind up missing everything you see.
On my second road trip, I was so consumed with trying to make content at every possible opportunity. I constantly asked to pull over so I could get a new shot, or bring the drone out. I wanted to be recording instagram stories at every moment, taking photos on my phone, and editing camera images on my laptop.
I hardly let myself breathe, and as a result, the trip I was hoping would relax me just wound up becoming another source of stress! I kept trying to get so many little things perfect that everything I did wound up sub-par.
To be honest, honing down the things I want to do is still something I struggle with. It’s one of the biggest road trip mistakes I make. Sometimes I just feel like I have so many ideas and I don’t want to stop trying to make something amazing. And that’s ok! But I constantly have to remind myself to prioritize my current happiness, not my potential future happiness (with the content I’m trying to create). After all, there’s no point in documenting the perfect, most aesthetic road trip if the road trip actually kind of sucked.
Try your hardest to embrace the moment, and don’t stress about recording every little thing. The experiences you have time to capture are enough!
Ok guys, those are my 6 mistakes to avoid when planning a road trip! What road trip mistakes have you been guilty of in the past?
