Tip Tuesday: How I Plan Trips & Stay Organized
Whether you’re wanting to plan your first ever road trip or have done a few solo or as a group, planning can tend to be hectic and it’s hard to remember all the small details that will make your trip an amazing, memory-filled experience you’re not soon to forget! Having logged over 10,000 miles road tripping solo I’ve planned, executed and enjoyed my fair share of road trips all across North America! Today, I’m sharing my process from start to finish for planning a road trip of your own along with some tips & tricks I’ve learned along the way!
As straightforward as it seems, before you dive too deep into planning you really need to figure out your “final” destination for your road trip! This will help immensely as your plan for stops along the way and can help in budgeting your trip. Not sure where you want to go? First figure out how much time you have. If you’ve only got the weekend, consider either staying in-state or the surrounding area. Depending where you find yourself in the US road tripping in state isn’t far or is super far- think about comparing Delaware to California - super different, right? If you’ve got a 3 - 5 days consider branching out more OR focus on spending extended time in places along the way ultimately going to less places but taking in more on the stops you opt for. If you’ve got over a week or two (or even more - the ultimate dream) sky’s the limit. Just be mindful about how much driving will be necessary. Despite what many people think, you DO need plenty of rest when you’re on the open road ESPECIALLY if you’re going solo!
Once you’ve established WHERE you want to end up on your leg there, start checking out maps, threads, travel blogs and chat rooms to decide which route you’d like to take to get there. While many straight shots are available from major city to major city, seeing alternative routes to reach your destination can have plenty of added fun, sight seeing and more I recommend! That being said, BE SAFE. I have made the mistake of trusting a map with an Old County Road to get over a huge mountain which resulted in one of the scariest road trip experiences of my whole life. TRUST YOUR GUT, STAY SAFE and when in doubt ask for Directions from a trusted local in a PUBLIC place. Some great alternatives to main highways are older routes like the famous Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) or Route 66.
This is possibly my favorite step of this entire process - research! Of all the road trips I’ve planned with family, friends and for myself I LOVE seeing what there is to do on the way to and from our desired destination. Taking the time to check out TripAdvisor, Blogs, Reddit Threads and more has allowed me to: eat the best breakfast burrito of my life (Sequoia NP), see and interact with precious Prairie Dogs (Montana) and take in the most gorgeous - and non crowded- views of the Pacific Ocean. Take the time to read through and/or ask around for recommendations. It’s super helpful to also get a sense of what is worth stopping at and what might be worth skipping. I’ve definitely fallen victim to stopping at places I ended up thinking were super overrated like (in my unpopular opinion) Mount Rushmore. Prioritize your favorite interests & bucket list items but also keep an open mind to the gems the internet, friends and family aren’t aware of.
Once you’ve compiled a list - either on a Doc, Notebook, or any preferred method of organizing - be sure to keep track of it! Adding details like address, hours of operation, what each stop entails, accommodations or services can be really helpful when narrowing down your list!
Now you’ve got an idea of what you might be seeing en route to your destination, do research into the final destination itself. Again, utilizing resources like Pinterest, TripAdvisor, Reddit, Travel Blogs, Friends & Family will help you pick the things you want to do, see, and enjoy! I can’t recommend enough utilizing these resources in at least discovering possibilities and better understanding different options. For example, for our upcoming trip to Southern California I was so excited for a particular exhibit in Los Angeles. However, in reading the reviews for the experience I realized it was extremely overpriced and not the best solid thing to do while we were there so I opted out. The extra five minutes to read reviews and do some research saved a poorly spent $75.
Just like before, be sure to keep track of this dream list either on a doc, sheet or in a notebook for later use! Adding details like what it is, address, hours of operation and more will make the rest of your planning a thoughtful and thorough breeze.
Once you have your lists of en route stops and final destination stops and activities listed out, try narrowing them down. I typically do this based on the following: Interest, Price, Timing, Availability, and Location.
Location: first things first, is this in the direction I’m going or the area I plan on exploring or is it an hour clear out of the way? I typically first narrow down based on ease of geographical location to save on gas money, time and not spending all my time in the car. If something is super out of the way but you REALLY want to go, acknowledge it as a priority and plan extra time for it!
Interest: Personally, I love a mix of history, culture, Instagramable locations, and nature on my trips. I prioritize stops with these in mind; more than say night life, food and athletic experiences. For example, I typically will opt for a hike that is more educational or shorter than some of my friends who love vigorous and challenging hikes. Acknowledging your interests and abilities is incredibly important in ensuring you have a trip YOU love. A tourist guide might swear up and down an art museum is a must see but if you hate museums or art, ditch it for what makes YOU happy. It’s your trip after all!
Timing/Availability: In deciding on stops, be sure to make sure the timing of going matches up with hours of operation or open availability and add it to your itinerary as such. Keeping in mind: closures, seasonal openings and holiday hours can make or break your trip and top things you want to do! For example, in driving up to Lake Tahoe from Yosemite NP I had to reroute at least three times due to weather and avalanches. While I didn’t plan for that, I did plan out what I wanted to see and experience given the busy ski season and winter closures around the Lake. Taking the extra steps to learn and plan for these will make the difference!
Price: A lot of my road tripping has taken place while I was in high school, college and post-grad so I’ve been on a budget! As much as I want to do ALL the things, price usually limits me to some extent and is important to take into consideration if you have a strict budget for an adventure!
Once you’ve narrowed your final list down create a practice itinerary for your time traveling and be sure there is time accounted for meals, gas stops, resting, and most importantly DRIVE TIME. I have definitely planned trips where timing at certain locations was really important and miscalculated (over and under) drive times! I can’t stress enough how important it is to include meal stops, restroom breaks and time NOT behind the wheel or in the car! Once you know you can make it fit and hit all your stops you’re ready to proceed onto the next steps!
With things looking good go ahead and open up a Doc, Google Sheets or get your notebook ready to go! I personally use Google Sheets because I live and die by Excel - I’m super type A and this is incredibly pleasing to me and gives me peace of mind to both visually and technically create my itinerary. For this post I’ll be explaining MY process and works for me! Though I hope you find this helpful, be sure to do what works for YOU!
1- Create Google Sheet & Share to Other Trip Goers
As simple as this sounds, the first step is always the most important to make your road trip dreams a reality! Be sure to share with those coming along so everyone is in the loop!
2- Add in your Dates & Times for your Trip
I personally love breaking mine down my either 15 - 30 minute intervals because I’m me & that makes me feel organized but you can honestly break things down however you want! I do recommend trips where things are planned or booked like tours, reservations and so on should be broken down to include the specific times for those to make the visual aspect of your sheet a breeze! Trips where I’m not as planned out on time but location I break down at the hour or even two!
3- Begin adding in your to-do’s, experiences, reservations, etc.
Add in all the final items from you en route and final destinations lists! Be sure to make sure you’re adding them to the correct dates and times if this is the final thing you’re going off of when on your trip! I’ve made the mistake of placing events on wrong days, showing up way too early or other easy to avoid fiascos in this step so double check your work for smooth sailing!
Pro tip: I add the address, operating hours and any other pertinent information in a comment on any cell that has a location to keep information accessible. If you end up printing this out, you can do the same thing with that information on a separate sheet!
4- Download Offline or Print & Share!
Once you’re all done & happy with your final itinerary be sure to download it to your phone so it is accessible offline. Depending on where you’re traveling you might be without reception to allow you to access the information (I’ve been there- it’s tragic) and can end up making you lose time, miss reservations and more! The best tip I have is to PRINT IT OUT. Having a physical copy (or two) will ensure you can stay on track and have information you need like addresses, emergency numbers and more!
Pro Tip: Print out a copy to keep in the car and one to keep on your person in a bag or purse. This ensures you always have your info you need and keeps your trip organized easily!
You can snag your free template here or by clicking on any of the above screen shots!
To access the template, download and create a copy!
When evaluating what route to take be sure if you or any of your fellow trippers have special needs you account for that in your route. Need restrooms a little more often? Bringing a furry friend who gets car sick? Need cell service? Phobias you need to accommodate for? Do your research to ensure everyone’s safety is taken into account to have an amazing time on your trip!
Be aware of changing/different weather conditions of your destination and routes. When I traveled all over California in March of 2018 on a ten+ day road trip with a majority of it solo, knowing the weather conditions literally saved my toes, car and whole life. I knew to bring different layering clothes, boots and chains for my tires as well as emergency gear for me in the case of breaking down or being stuck. Even though it was 70+ degrees in Tempe where I started and even warmer in my first stop in Death Valley NP, my other stops up in the mountains reached temps of -20 degrees at night and mid-teens and twenties during the day. Without this planning I would have been miserable and unsafe!
Do research in how far out you need to book! In high school I spent some time studying at UC Berkeley and afterwards explored San Francisco for the first time. When my family & I showed up to tour Alcatraz we were informed you had to book tickets at least a year in advance due to demand! While it made sense it totally changed our plans for the day. Though we ended up having SO much fun, it taught me a lesson early on to plan ahead and do the extra digging even if it seems unnecessary!
If price is a determining factor on an experience, double check for discounts! So many places I’ve been to and experiences I’ve had offered student discounts, veteran discounts, child discounts, retiree discounts and more! If none of their discounts apply to you, look into purchasing a pass - like the American The Beautiful NP Annual Pass - to save major bucks! For my 2018 California Road Trip, I bought the ATBNPAP and ended up saving well over $100 and the $80 pass payed for itself after two entrances to parks.
Apps To Use:
Road Trippers: an amazing app that lets you add destinations and creates the perfect route for you based on where you want to stop. Available on mobile and desktop!
Google Maps: on desktop and mobile you can plan absolutely every stop of your trip in your very own map with multiple layers! I use this for every trip once I’ve got my itinerary and it makes GPS a breeze!
Gas Buddy: If you’re looking to save money and get the most bang for your buck on gas, be sure to download this app! I use this all the time even when not traveling and it has saved me major money especially when trekking into less populated and more rural/off-the-beaten-path areas.
Get Your Car Checked Out! While you might have planned the perfect trip with these tips, be sure your means of getting there and back is ready for the work! A general tune up & diagnostic is typically all you need! Sharing details about where you’re headed like weather, land make up (hills, steep, long climbs, etc.) will help them better serve you and your car in preparation for the adventure!
