Flights, cruises, and train journeys can all offer excellent vacation options in their own right, but sometimes nothing can beat a good road trip. Packing your bags into your car or RV, drawing your route on the map, and hitting the open road can help you forge memories that will last a lifetime. 

Road trips hold such a special place in our collective imagination for a reason. There’s something about the freedom and spontaneity of an epic road trip that you just don’t find when flying from place to place. 

Of course, if you want to plan the most epic trip out on the open road, it’s wise to plan ahead with the best information. Learn some tips and advice for making your next road trip the epic journey it should be!

Be Prepared

Before hitting the road, ensure you have all the necessities for roadside maintenance. At the very least, your car should be equipped with a spare tire. The last thing you want is to be stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a flat and no way of changing it. Before starting your road trip, check the tire pressure on your car to ensure there’s less chance of a sudden blowout while driving. 

For longer road trips, ensure your car is generally in good shape. Checking the brakes, the engine oil, the windshield wipers, and so on will lessen your chances of suffering any mechanical failure. It’s also a good idea to know your car’s gas mileage beforehand, so you can prepare for how much you’ll end up paying for gas over the course of the trip. 

If you will be traveling in your car or RV for more than a day or two, it’s always a good idea to have other emergency items stashed away. Your vehicle should have a stocked first aid kit, roadside flares, motor oil, windshield wiper fluid, a flashlight, batteries, and other items you might need in an emergency. 

You should prepare your road trip itinerary ahead just to ensure you don’t get lost. Of course, getting lost unexpectedly can provide memorable trips in its own right. But if you have particular destinations you would like to get to in a reasonable time, make sure that you plan your route well. 

You may find several helpful road trip apps to download on your mobile device. Apps like Google maps are an excellent way to navigate your journey, but it’s also probably a good idea to have an old-school paper map as well, just in case technology fails you. 

When preparing your route, don’t forget to see how many gas stations lie along your way to ensure that you don’t run out of gas with the nearest station nowhere in walking distance. Finally, having a working credit card on your can be a good idea for any unforeseen expenses you might encounter on your trip. 

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

When planning an epic road trip, you might get so excited over everything you’re going to see and do that you may end up neglecting something important: sleep! Getting enough sleep is essential during any trip since you don’t want to be too tired to enjoy your vacation. But for road trips, sleep is critical. If you’re planning on doing most or even some of the driving, you must ensure you’re well-rested. 

Driving while drowsy is no joke. In the United States alone, it is estimated that around 91,000 traffic accidents occur each year due to drivers being too sleep-deprived to drive safely. Including some cases of drivers straight-up falling asleep at the wheel!

If you are planning a long road trip, try to get at least seven hours of sleep at night. You may need to plan your arrival at your hotels, vacation homes, campgrounds, or wherever else you’re staying to make sure that you go to sleep early enough for the time you would like to depart in the morning. 

Also, avoid driving in the middle of the night. Not only will the darkness make it harder to see, but your body is naturally more tired during nighttime, regardless of your sleep schedule. 

Structure Your Road Trip Around a Theme

For some people, the best road trips are spontaneous, structured around nothing than wherever the open road takes them. But for many people, having your road trip structured around a theme can be an excellent way of making memories, seeing unique sites, and fulfilling lifelong dreams. 

Since road trips afford you more freedom in where you end up, you can structure your trip around a theme that you find particularly interesting. Maybe you would like to see some of the most charming and unique small towns in America. 

Maybe you would enjoy visiting sites that appeared in famous movies. Perhaps there is a particularly scenic route that you would like to explore, such as the Blue Ridge Parkway or California’s State Route 1. 

Find Unique Places to Stay

When you imagine your epic road trip, you may only think of staying in cheap roadside motels. But the reality is you have so many exciting and affordable options when looking into where to stay. 

Vacation rentals are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional hotels and motels for road trippers. Services like Airbnb and Vrbo allow you to book nontraditional and unique stays worldwide. 

For example, you might look into lodging options inside American National Parks. You could book glass cabins built on the side of a mountain, underground hobbit holes, or even your own private island. 

Get Out of the Car Now and Then

Finally, remember that just because it’s called a “road trip” doesn’t mean you have to be in your car the entire time. While driving in your car or RV can be an excellent experience in and of itself, it can also be a means of getting you somewhere to explore on foot. 

When planning your road trip, you can look for some of the best hiking destinations. If you are visiting national parks or memorable landmarks, you might plan at least a few hours to get out and walk around. If you are driving along the coast, you might stop at a scenic beach and go for a swim.

Regardless of what you’re interested in seeing, you’ll probably want to stretch your legs after driving for several hours.

More Great Travel Tips from Tips-Travel.com

Whether you’re planning an epic road trip, a relaxing vacation on an island paradise, or a backpacking trip through Europe, it’s always a great idea to find the best information before you go. Tips-Travel.com has excellent tips on traveling by land, sea, or air. 

Plus, you can find guides to some of the best travel accessories, insights into top destinations, and tools to help you plan your trip. So, if you want to turn your next road trip into an epic adventure, browse Tips-Travel.com for all the travel tips you’ll need!