The more you want to explore the country, the longer distances you find yourself driving. I’ve found that I can survive, and even enjoy, ten or more hours per day driving solo as long as I follow some roadtrip rules.
Know where you’re going and make reservations.
Yes, this runs counter to the sentimental notion of hitting the road and exploring. I tried that a few times and found myself spending most of my trip trying to decide where to go, what to do, and and looking for a place to stay. Trying to plan my trip while I was on my trip meant that I had no time to enjoy it!
I’ve found it’s much better to have a specific plan of where I’ll be spending every night and make reservations. This is especially crucial the last few years as more and more people hit the road. Your chances of getting a hotel room or campsite in a popular area, without a reservation, are virtually none.
While I make reservations for hotels and campgrounds, I leave the daily itinerary loose and choose what I want to do as the day goes on.
Stick to the interstate if possible.
Yes, this is another one that goes against the sentimental idea of hitting the road. But if you only have a couple of days to drive to a destination on the other side of the country, you have to keep moving.
Believe me, when you’re driving 500+ miles in one day, there’s nothing more aggravating than getting delayed again and again by traffic, road construction, people driving under the speed limit, and slowing down for another town every nine miles.
A problem with two-lane highways is that there are far fewer rest areas, so you have to pay a “bathroom tax” (buying something in a convenience store) every time you need to go.
Of course, if you’re heading to national parks, you have to take some two-lane highways eventually. But since the parks are remote, the roads leading to them are usually not very busy.
Pick one nice stop along the way.
I try to consolidate my stops for gas, food, and restroom breaks as much as possible, though the needs don’t always happen on the most efficient schedule.
While I don’t want to make a lot of stops, it’s nice to find a quick recreational stop along the route so I don’t feel like all I did was drive all day. I recently mentioned a few rest areas that make great destinations, but the stop could also be a park or other attraction near your route.
Stay in hotels after long travel days instead of camping.
A good night’s sleep before and after long driving days is crucial.
Even though I camp at the destinations on my roadtrips, I don’t want to have to worry about setting up a tent in the dark after a long day of driving. Hotels are a lot faster.
While I’m trying to travel on a budget, I have found that you get what you pay for. The cheapest rooms I’ve stayed in this year were not rooms I’d want to stay in again. I’ve found I can often get a good value at hotels in smaller cities and towns along my route as opposed to large metro areas. The Best Western in Richfield, Utah, was great!
Reserve driving days for driving.
The final rule is to remember that if you are on a long day of driving, driving is the only big task of the day. You don’t want to go on a long hike and then drive for eight hours, and you don’t want to drive 500 miles and then head straight to a social gathering. Sit back, crank up the radio, adjust the AC, and enjoy the view from the driver’s seat!