The 'road trips' I've gone on before have been planned and paid for by someone else, with me adding my input. They also weren't really road trips - just leisurely driving to the real vacation destination.

Considering going on one this summer. Right now, the planning is something like this
"where can we stay for free [friends/relatives]? let's include as many as those as possible"
"whose car do we take?"

We've figured ~$500/each for on the road. We know for sure we're cutting across the midwest, want to camp when possible, going to colorado, and this will be this summer. We definitely want to stop and check out americana along the way.

Why are we planning so early? Before registration for summer classes starts

Anyone have any monetary advice (you're budgeting waaaaaay too much/little, tips, pitfalls), or lodging/campsite recommendations?

[Edited on January 10, 2007 at 10:14 PM. Reason : lj]

1/10/2007 10:12:32 PM

I want to go on a road trip really badly this year! But all my friends are married and aren't going to want to go without their husbands. I should get a boyfriend just for someone to take a trip with this summer.

1/10/2007 11:03:18 PM

ooooooo

1/10/2007 11:15:39 PM

http://tinyurl.com/2eavel

great site for planning a long roadtrip. i went on a 4k mile trip last summer that was planned 7 hours prior to leaving. the cheapest lodging places are hostels and renting a car from one of the big companies is the best bet because driving across country pretty much shitties a car (certainly when the rockies are in the trip)

[Edited on May 10, 2007 at 6:57 PM. Reason : stupid long link]

1/10/2007 11:17:06 PM

^I drove my truck all the way to yellowstone and back a few years ago....just had an oil change midway and she's been doing fine ever since.

Get a United states atlas that marks things like campsites and public showers....also there is a book called the next exit that has a detailed list of stores, hotels, ect.....at every exit of every road in the U.S. interstate system....very handy.

Locals in any given area are a good resource too.

1/11/2007 8:59:59 AM

when i went on big road trips we had a huge book that listed where every walmart is in the U.S. I hate wal mart, blahbalbhalbhalh, we're all going to be communist if we shop at wal mart, blah blah blah...but it's still helpful if a bear claws through your tent.


oh and second- pack a tent.

1/11/2007 4:50:36 PM

^I stopped for an oil change @ walmart in Sioux City, Iowa on one cross country trip

1/11/2007 4:53:15 PM

I've heard that WalMart lets you stay overnight in the parking lot when you're on road trips, and we could probably get that map for free! good suggestion. However the 2 cars we're considering aren't really big enough for sleeping in

1/11/2007 4:54:29 PM

Me and 3 of my friends went across the country this past summer. 10,000 miles on an 87 Chevy Conversion Van (with low miles and well maintained) and changed the oil half way through the trip. We ended up getting about 11mpg with that thing, but anything smaller just wouldn't have been comfortable. We left June 10th and got back July 6th. We camped almost every night and stayed in hotels every now and then to recharge camera batteries and get on the internet for various things. We had a pretty awesome time and mostly hit all the national parks on the way. Our route left NC and went through St. Louis and to South Dakota. From there we went to Washington state and down through California. From Los Angeles, we went to Las Vegas. We made rounds through NM and AZ before cutting across towards Texas and back home via I-40.

If you're planning on visiting the national parks, definitely get one of the $50 passes that will get you and your group through the gates. We saved a lot of money just getting one pass for the trip rather than buying passes at each park. I think all in all, we spent about $1000 each on food, gas, and camping/hotels. We weren't exactly conservative and could have spent less, but that was the budget and it was easy to stick to. Driving something with better gas mileage would have helped.

Between 4 of us, we took ~5000 pictures and I posted some of the best ones of the batch to flickr along the way: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigcementpond/sets/72157594163202779/detail/

As far as planning, we used MS Streets to roughly map out the places we wanted to go and get a general route, but we used a big Rand McNally road map to get us around.

1/11/2007 5:42:08 PM

Get a AAA membership. And a National Parks membership. It will save you loads.

1/11/2007 5:47:24 PM

Thank you. That's exactly the sort of post I had in mind.

I think we're gonna go with the 45-52mpg honda for this trip. We'll definitely be taking a tent and camping supplies. I'm gonna go ahead and for that month, get unlimited internet access on my phone, and we'll use google maps in addition to traditional ones.

Also, Nerdchick has AAA, and my insurance with USAA has many of the same services, and also insures me as a driver on her car. We also have some corporate discounts available to use when it comes to booking lodging.

I've been considering getting a credit card with a rewards program for gas anyway, so this might be a good use for that.
For charging batteries - I have an inverter that I bought when I needed to write a paper on a trip

Quote :

"I want to go on a road trip really badly this year! But all my friends are married and aren't going to want to go without their husbands. I should get a boyfriend just for someone to take a trip with this summer."

After the bf and I got back from ours, my mother said 'wow, so you two are still together? '
So take a FWB

Thanks for that link, aristotle.

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 5:50 PM. Reason : and we shall have ye olde trustie bottle of Rainx ]

1/11/2007 5:49:34 PM

Honda MPG will be NICE! I would have loved to had that advantage. We talked about taking an economy car, but having room for our stuff and supplies as well as room for 4 of us to stretch out and sleep at night if necessary made the big van an easy choice. Since 2 of the people on the trip were BF/GF they didn't mind being a little closer to each other while the other two of us stretched out in the front seats for the few nights we stayed in the van.

I also used the data plan on my cell phone. Having the internet was great going down the road to look up info on places we went through. We considered AAA, but my cell phone company offered roadside assistance for $3/mo up until July 1st. The AAA would have saved a few bucks on hotels, but not worth it for the cheap ones. KOA membership saved some money though because most of the campgrounds we stayed at were KOAs.

Credit cards and receipts were a big help in sorting out who paid for what. I took my laptop with us to dump digicam pics onto, and ended up plugging receipts into an excel sheet to sort it. We sorted receipts for food/groceries, gas, and lodging in ziplock bags and just kept it in the glove box up front. That was the easiest way to do it.

As for the inverter - ours shorted out like 2 days after we left. Never really worried about it to fix it once it started blowing 40A fuses after a few seconds. Turns out a strap slipped and the power wire melted/shorted against the muffler. oops... We had a DC powered DVD player in the van anyway.

As for batteries - I think it's energizer that sells a battery charger with adapters for the cigarette lighter and AC, for AA and AAA batteries.

1/11/2007 10:39:45 PM

Yeah the car is pretty small, but it will only be the 2 of us and there is plenty of cargo space for two people. It's a real econo box, no AC, no cruise, no power steering. I have a friend who did a 6k road trip in a crotchety Cavalier with the same limitations, so it can be done! And the mpg will save hundreds in gas. Of course we're also planning to get the car checked out and tuned up before departing.

A cost spreadsheet probably won't be necessary, again because there's 2 instead of 4 people. About how much is the KOA membership and the National Parks pass? Also I wasn't sure about brining a laptop because of concerns it might be stolen.

I'm planning to contact the Dept. of Tourism for the states we're driving through. From what I hear, they are good about giving you lots of info and free passes.

1/11/2007 11:01:42 PM

The KOA membership is $16/year, and you get 10% off the daily fee. You also can get some discounts on other things with it: http://www.koa.com/valuekard/ They charge more per person, so our group of 4 was always a group of 2, while the others sat in the car. They didn't ever seem to care anyway. Same for hotels.

The National Parks Pass is $50/yr and will get both of you into all the National Parks.
Contacting the Dept. of Tourism sounds like a good idea, we didn't do that but should have.

1/12/2007 1:15:35 AM

1) It's now $80/year. Still not bad at all http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
2) Anyone have any recommendations for campsite directories? The only decent looking one I could find tonight at barnes and noble was more like a phone book - poorly laid-out, and with lots and lots of advertisements.
3) We're bringing a laptop. We're also gonna do a journal, as we go - keeping admission tickets and junk like that.

1/12/2007 11:19:26 PM

The NP Pass we got was this one: http://www.nps.gov/parks/passes_fees.htm

If you're interested in staying at KOAs, they have printed directories for the whole US at each location. You can also search their website. A good road map should list campsites too.

1/13/2007 11:16:54 AM

Definitely utilize any AAA resources or contacts you have. I'm planning a cross-country road trip too and I was able to order 10 guides such as TourBooks, Camping Guides, and State/Regional Maps from AAA for free.

Using MS MapPoint can help plan your route and estimate driving, but it's always nice to have some tangible maps you can look over on a table.

1/13/2007 12:31:11 PM

so, we have plotted a good many places to stay for free, and then some of the places we'd like to check out, and then places where we have to be on a firm date.

This is so exciting.

1/15/2007 12:33:56 PM

the journal idea is clutch. try to sketch SOMETHING in it every day too. just the memory of drawing the picture will remind you of what was going through your mind when you drew it. I draw in a journal every time I go on a trip. The way you decide to illustrate an event really is a great thing to reflect on later down the road.

1/15/2007 6:12:20 PM

We have travel brochures from so many states it's not even funny.
We also plotted a rough estimate of our route, but already, there are major changes to be made.
This is what sparked all this:

2/6/2007 10:12:05 PM

that is awesome.

if you are still thinking about a credit card for gas, Discover has one that offers 5% back on gas purchases, and 1% back on everything else.

2/6/2007 10:15:18 PM

as far as road trips go, I've always found that NOT having aplan is the best way to go. just go, and see where it leads you. however,

if you're camping get a good coleman dual fuel stove. it burns coleman fuel and gas. cook on it before you go so you'll know how it works. also get a set of camping pots and pans, the ones that nest together. cooking your own food is so much cheaper, and healthier.

get a good daypack or buttpack to keep all your essentials in- camera, notebook, etc. so you don't have to dig thru all the crap in the back of your car when you need something.

take a couple good books. its nice to relax and read or write in your journal.

carry extra oil, and coolant, water for your car. Know how to check your fluids too.

get out of the damn car, go hiking and seeing stuff on your own two feet. you see and learn so much more this way.

have fun



[Edited on February 6, 2007 at 10:37 PM. Reason : .]

2/6/2007 10:29:19 PM

Unfortunately, that wasn't too much of an option. To maximize free lodging and hot showers with family friends, we need to be able to give them some dates
And chicago at the end of july is non-negotiable.

2/6/2007 10:33:37 PM

how long are you intending to be on the road, out of curiosity?

2/6/2007 10:37:28 PM

~5 weeks is a rough guess.
We have 5 weeks to do this in, and we're planning to use it all up

2/6/2007 10:44:30 PM

We did this for our honeymoon ... two weeks, spent about $1500, but we also went to ball games and other things that cost more than $5/person

1. Stay free when you can (you already got that)
2. Plan your route ahead - I recommend 150-200 miles a day. See #3.
3. PLAN AHEAD where you will camp.

State parks cost more to camp, but they usually have nicer grounds and showers with HOT water, not just cold water. Anyways, if you care about bathing call ahead and ask about facilities. Another good place would be RV camps -- they usually have a field where you can pitch a tent, are cheap, and will definitely have water and electricity. Note some backups ... you really don't want to get stuck with a last-minute place, they tend to be last-minute for a reason. KOA is generally overpriced.

4. Car chargers - that way you can charge cell phones and such w/o electrical outlets.
5. Battery powered pump (FOR THE AIR MATRESS)
6. Make your own fire starters for campfires out of dryer lint soaked in lighter/starter fluid. Put 3-4 under some 1/2" twigs, works great!
7. I like TripMaker -- check it out. IMO it's worth the $.
8. Gallon Ziploc bags are great for packing with ice - you have an icepack, but you don't need a freezer to refreeze them. Plus, they don't leak. That way you can take hot dogs, milk, and other perishables.
9. Carry an extra $150-$200 OUTSIDE the budget for things you come across that you really want to do that you otherwise couldn't. For us, that was a helicopter ride over the badlands. It was gorgeous, but it was $60 we didn't plan for. We also went to two more ball games that originally planned, and has some medical expenses (we were in a car accident and I got stitches )

[Edited on February 6, 2007 at 11:31 PM. Reason : #2 is short to allow 1/2 day for sightseeing and still have time to set up camp if needed]

2/6/2007 11:26:57 PM

http://travel.news.yahoo.com/b/rolf_potts/rolf_potts19836
this might be helpful

2/7/2007 10:23:51 PM

^^I hope the car accident was on the tail end of the trip or the damage wasn't too bad. It'd suck to drive around in a busted up car.

2/7/2007 11:29:48 PM

Kim, thanks.

1, 3, 4, 5 - check
6: already working on it. One of my class labs this semester is giving me access to LOTS of lint and other loose fiber forms, so I'm saving some.
9: We're gonna hammer out our budget soon. Now that we have lots of materials, we can plan our must-sees, lodging, and other expenses better.

2/28/2007 12:17:57 PM

Lots of great info here!

I'm taking a roadtrip this summer as well. We're almost done planning and all that. I do have a question/concern though, with regards to high-altitude driving. Am I going to need to do anything to prep my car before driving in high altitudes (ie, through the Rockies)? I know when I was little my parents were driving through Colorado, and the car wouldn't start due to the low oxygen.

5/10/2007 6:55:05 PM

http://www.couchsurfing.com for free places to stay. Im going to be hitchiking the US this summer, so ill be using that a bit.

See you on the road.

5/10/2007 7:25:55 PM

take a high limit credit card (master card or visa since they are accepted almost everywhere/especially in rural places) in case something horrible happens (car problems and other serious problems).

I would say 500 sounds a little low also

[Edited on May 10, 2007 at 9:31 PM. Reason : .]

5/10/2007 9:29:01 PM

Thought I'd bttt this and ask one more question.

Does anyone know of any really majorly sketch/ghetto areas from L.A. northward on the Pacific coast? We're taking the Pacific Coast Highway from the Malibu area on up, and we don't really want to spend the night where our car might get stolen or something.

5/14/2007 1:39:28 PM

if you're going on a trip this big buy a navitgation gps. the ones that hook up to your laptop are only 130 and beat the hell out of any map.

you can also rent one with a rental car for like 5 extra per day.

heres a great planning site:
(tiny url rand mcnally site already in thread)

[Edited on May 15, 2007 at 10:02 AM. Reason : remove url]

5/15/2007 10:01:39 AM