How to Plan a Multi-Day Road Trip

If you’re the sort of traveler who doesn’t like to simply get in the car and drive, flying by the seat of your pants and hoping you find a place to crash every night — or just sleeping in your car — then the planning stage of your trip is a critical one.

To plan a multi-day road trip, first consider the major stopping points you’ll want to hit along the way. Are there national parks, roadside attractions, restaurants, friends or monuments you know you want to see? Drop some pins on a digital map, such as Google Maps, to get a feel for how far apart these places are.

Next, consider how much driving is too much. Are you the type of traveler who can put in 12 or 14 hours on the road and still be happy at the end of the day? Or do you need a rest after five or six hours in the car? This is vacation, after all, so plan accordingly and don’t try to fit in more than you can while maintaining your sanity.

And last, be sure to build in free time too. One of the best parts of any road trip is chancing upon unplanned adventures and side trips. If you’ve packed your schedule too tightly, you’ll either be exhausted trying to fit it all in or you’ll be disappointed you’ve missed out on unforeseeable opportunities.