How to Plan a Road Trip

Few things are as quintessentially American as a bunch of friends filling the car and hitting the open road. Something about the total freedom of getting out of town on a long road trip just screams “classic college experience,” and it’s something everyone should try at least once. But while many of us talk a mean game about heading out for an adventure, often the plans just don’t quite come together. So how can you avoid letting adventure slip through your fingers?

Grab a map and a calendar

If you and your friends are the types to muse on a dream road trip, take the opportunity to actually talk logistics. Get out a map and find your starting and ending points, then sketch out a few possible routes. You’ll want those as contingency plans. Then, get out the calendar and start talking about dates. It may be hard to nail down a large group of people.

Delegate preparation

Figure out between yourselves how to break up tasks, and delegate buying supplies. That way everyone is responsible for one important item. Car snacks and water are two ideas, plus a tent, some blankets and extra pillows. It will be much easier to remember one big item than a bunch of individual ones.

Sketch, but don’t overplan

It’s important to have a few routes in mind, with possible stops along each route. But don’t get too wrapped up in one of them, because part of what makes road trips such adventures is an element of surprise. Plus, best laid plans are always the first to be thrown out the window, so better to have a sense of what the trip will look like rather than a concrete itinerary.