Here’s exactly how we go about the planning stage of a road trip getting us from idea to hitting the road.
Picking your destination
Starts from a simple as picking a string of destinations then plotting them on a route. there are so many spots you can grab your inspiration from. We’re of course bias and would say
Planning your route
Before you dive into the excitement of arriving at a new destination, be sure to think carefully about the route you will be taking. here we’re going to take you through:
Planning Apps
Timing
On a family road trip, be realistic how long you can travel; how many hours in a day and how many hours in total over the course of your journey.
Traveling with young kids is a completely different experience to traveling in your swinging single days; be realistic.
Everyone will have their own limits but our combined experience says try and cap your drives to 4 to 6 hours a day. When needs must you can, of course, tackle much longer stretches at once.
Setting a budget
Route planned, you now need to work out what you can afford. One of your biggest costs is likely to be fuel. The great thing about Road tripping apps such as Roadtripper, you can enter your vehicle details and it will come up with a cost calculation for your fuel.
Hiring a vehicle?
Once you’ve worked out your expected costs, add a buffer of about 25%.
Choosing accommodation
What sort of road tripper are you? Do you pop in your car and head from one accommodation to the next, staying only a night or two at each stop? Or do you prefer the comfort of your own bed and having everything with you?
Motel/Hotel Hopping
Not alwys the most cost effective but certainly convenient way to travel with kids. No need to worry with setting up camp, simply flop! We always look for those that include a mini fridge and a microwave as they allow us to prepare meals for the next day, as well as wuick and easy dinners if you can’t bare diding out after abig day on the road!
When travelling with kids, the days of “winging it”, driving as far as you can in one day then hoping
Essential gear
Make sure you keep all essential documentation nicely organized in an easy to reach location.
Well done for reading this far! We hope this has helped you in preparing for your next family road trip. There are lots of gear an tool suggestions in this post which may earn us a small commission should you make a booking. We thank you in advance for your support.