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How to Plan for a Cross Country Trip

Written By Christine Bude

Cross country trips by automobile are a terrific way to see the country. Travel the great roads in the United States to see areas that you may not see from an airplane. Car travel allows the freedom to stop along the way to explore unexpected sights.

A successful cross country trip takes advance planning. You probably already have an ultimate destination in mind. While traveling along the route, enjoy the sights along the way.

Cross country trips are more enjoyable if you understand the significance of the points of interest. Are you planning to stop at some of the spectacular National Parks in the great American West, such as Yellowstone National Park or The Grand Tetons National Park? Spend some time researching in advance. Learn the history and highlights of the parks. Interesting information is readily available in printed guidebooks and over the Internet.

It is a good idea to get the input from all involved travelers when researching destinations. Make sure that everyone has the chance to offer their opinion about the places they would like to see. If traveling with children, they will likely go along with what parents plan. When traveling with other adults, make sure that everyone gets a chance to vote, to avoid having any one person dictate the entire vacation. Car trips involve long periods of time in a small enclosed area. The trip will be happier if every party feels that their travel desires are being met.

Once a consensus has been reached about the main points of interest, plan your route. Mapquest is an Internet resource that allows you to enter your point of origin and ending destination. Mapquest maps a detailed route. AAA Travel Club will outline a route and provide paper maps for members of their travel club. Bring along an Atlas and maps of each area you are traveling through. In the event you decide to detour from the planned route, a map is a valuable tool A GPS system in the car is also a great tool for getting route information along the way.

Large and small towns along the country reveal unexpected delights restaurants, shops, attractions and parks. Stay open to new experiences and enjoy the sights that you did not know about in advance.

Plan your time. While meandering across the United States and stopping frequently is fun, you may not have time to make all the stops that you want to make. Start out by calculating your total mileage and travel time to the ultimate destination. Make sure that you are planning to reach that goal in a reasonable amount of time. If you are traveling 1,000 miles and want to reach your destination in three days, you will need to travel 330 to 340 miles per day. If you are traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour, this totals five to six hours of actual driving. Every stop that you make along the way will extend this time.

Some people like to travel several hours without stopping, but this is not recommended. Sitting for long periods of time can cause blood clots to form, which can be deadly. People need to make rest room breaks. Like it or not, it is not realistic to expect every party to be on the same bathroom schedule. Plan to stop at least every two hours so travelers can use the facilities, stretch and get their circulation going. Frequent stopping also prevents the driver from becoming overtired. It is a good idea to change drivers at the rest stops.

Some people like to make their hotel reservations in advance and some like to find motels along the way. Advance reservations provide daily goal and allows you to make arrangements to stay at a hotel that you have researched in advance. Sometimes the unexpected happens on cross country trips. It may not alway be possible to reach your daily goal, or the travel may be going so smoothly that you decide to continue driving farther then planned. The ability to make last minute changes is one of the bonuses of car travel. Make sure to cancel any reservations within the hotel's guideline so you don't get charged a penalty for an unused room. Take along a guide book with listings of recommended hotels, so that you can make reservations along the way. AAA has a detailed series of guide books with listing of hotels and motels along with their amenities. If you choose to travel without reservations, the guide book is an invaluable tool.

Plan to bring snacks and beverages along for the trip. It is much less expensive to purchase snacks, soda and juice at the grocery store than at the convenience stores along the way. Snacks such as nuts, cheese, and protein drinks give a protein boost, helping to keep the brain alert.

Plan finances in advance. Decide what the budget will be for the trip and plan to have the money to pay for all expenses. Using a credit or debit card is helpful, as you don't have to carry a lot of cash. Expect the unexpected when planning finances. There will likely be unexpected expenses, such as car repairs or additional restaurant meals. Plan to keep some money aside for these unexpected expenses.

Pack suitcases with enough clothing for the trip, unless you plan to stop at laundromats along the way. Some experienced travelers like to wear older clothing on trips so they can dispose of older dirty clothes along the route instead of carrying used clothes.. This empties the suitcase to make room for souvenirs.

Congratulations on your decision to make a cross country trip by car. Enjoy the route and the sights along the way to the ultimate destination.

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