What could be better than the road, the map, the best friend nearby and the sense of freedom that comes with every turn of the wheel? Road traveling has become quite popular among active tourists. However, not all countries have popular detailed road routes. In the US, you can find landscapes, nature sights and roads for every taste.
This is just the perfect country for auto travelling. In case you are not sure how to start planning your trip, read our tips! After this trip, you could say with confidence that you had great time in the USA.
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Plan your route
If you still do not know where to start your journey, you can use ready-made paths. If you really want to pave your own path – you can use services like RoadTrippers. Always take the common paper map with you. You will be able to draw routes and mark the places you want to visit. Moreover, at the end of the trip, you can hang this map on the wall as a memorable treasure. In addition, the map will be a good safety net if something happens to your gadget.
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Mark useful places in the route
Do not forget to find out in advance where, following your route, there is a service station, gas station or office where you can rent a car. For example, AVR car rental LAX by Rental24h. This will save time and help you plan your trip effectively. Pay attention also to the places where you will spend the night, where you can eat or replenish the car. Arrange an overnight stay in advance: this will save you from unpleasant surprises and unplanned overnight stays under an open sky. Assistance in finding key places could be provided by mobile applications with interactive maps like Google Maps or Route 4 Me, which show places for booking a hotel room, dinner, etc.
Do not overload your trip
When the list of key places of interest is ready – take another good look at it. Find out about the places in which crowds of tourists are the biggest. Are these places really worth visiting them? In addition, for convenience, you can divide the list of places that you want to visit into two parts: which you will visit on the way there and on the way back.
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Gather a company
An equally important condition for a successful trip is the company. Cheerful and energetic people will make any trip an unforgettable adventure. The only possible disadvantage of a big company is that you should take care of your scattered friends. The delay due to the fact that someone has forgotten their charging unit in a motel room will not please the rest of your friends.
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Take care of a comfortable trip
The journey itself is pleasant and relaxing process. Nevertheless, do not forget that you sometimes have to stay in the car for 6-7 hours. That is why small pleasures in the form of a comfortable pillow under the head, favorite music, a small cooler with drinks or a bag with candies will not be superfluous.
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Prepare a real budget and the plan B
Assess the future costs and cost of renting a car realistically. On average, you have to spend about $ 30-50 per day to rent a car. It is better to use the services of large international companies – so the risks of additional problems and expenses will significantly decrease (one of the companies is mentioned above). Be prepared to have a plan B in case of force majeure. The examples could be a reserve route, money for a “rainy day” or for an emergency return home. Anyway, we wish you to avoid undesirable delays and troubles.
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Communicate with the locals
You can find different information on the Internet, however, some things can only be learned empirically. Therefore, do not be afraid to change the prepared plan. Talk to the locals in order to find out from them where the food is better and where they have more fun. It may happen that the guidebooks have missed something important, and the natives will tell you and show the best of their hometown. The whole world knows that Americans are very sociable and friendly. Take the opportunity to check it personally.
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Do not forget to take photos!
Yes, the advice may seem rather trivial. Nevertheless, sometimes there are such unusual moments and beautiful views, you forget about everything from delight. Therefore, keep the camera handy and do not forget to make photos!
Small tips for the USA road trip:
- Do not forget to check the car before the trip.
- It is always important to remember that something can go wrong on the trip. You just need to keep in stock 30% of the total budget.
- If you like shopping, take minimum clothes with you – for about a week. Then you can give it to the laundry, which are many in the US, and, from time to time, buy something new.
- The most important thing is not to forget about insurance (it is just necessary to have it when traveling).
- It is important to know about the culture of behavior at the country where you are going. Nevertheless, in the US everything is much simpler than in many other countries, so there should be no problems.
- If you are going in a group of four people, you will save a lot on car rentals and on tickets to national parks.
- In the motels, there are standard rooms with two double beds, so you can save when paying for double room.
- Useful applications for the car travelers are GasBuddy (it will help you find fuel at low prices), Urgent.ly (map with places where you can repair a car or get technical assistance), iExit (tells you where the nearest gas station is).
It is always difficult to plan everything completely. There are many different factors that influence the final result of a journey. When you travel, always leave a “place for maneuver” and tend to think that there is no need to deprive the trip of romance and spontaneity.
Nina Smith