No matter your planning style, road trips are a great vacation. If you are not a big planner or you want the flexibility to leave with only a general idea of an itinerary you can do that with these tips.
Find hotel rooms by 2pm and you are unlikely to have trouble finding a room. A hotel loyalty plan can help you save money and help you secure hotel rooms last minute. If you find yourself in a town with no hotel rooms available, keep driving or find alternatives.
A road trip is a time for adventure and freedom, so if you do not want to plan ahead, you are in good company.
Can I take a road trip without hotel reservations?
Road trips are great vacations because of the flexibility. Setting out without a plan is exciting.
Know Alternatives
There are lots of places to spend the night on a road trip, and you should be familiar with them before setting out:
Hotel Rooms
AirBnB
Vrbo
Car Camping
Campgrounds
Micro/Efficiency Hotels
You may not be comfortable sleeping in your car, so you should be sure to discuss this possibility with your travel party so that everyone agrees on places you would feel safe sleeping.
You can read more about alternatives to hotels on a road trip in the linked post.
Have a Deadline
I surveyed almost 100 people who take frequent road trips and got their opinions on when to book hotel rooms.
They suggested always booking your rooms by 2pm.
This will also alert you early if there are no available rooms where you are.
I heard several stories of road trippers finding that there is a big convention in town that they did not know about! This means no rooms available!
Booking by 2 gives you plenty of time to move down the road and find a room.
Have a Backup Plan
Of the 82 people I surveyed, 14 of them had been stuck without a place to stay.
If you do not book your rooms in advance you may find that you cannot find a room.
Pack pillows and blankets so that you are prepared to lay your head wherever the road takes you.
My kids love their Happy Nappers, and they are convenient to pack on a road trip. If you have older kids, these compact sleeping bags would store easily in the car for a variety of situations.
Even if you do not end up sleeping in the car you may find a camping cabin where linens are not provided, or a bare bones single room. Having a few comforts can make sleep much easier and allow you to rest well.
How do I choose a hotel on a road trip?
Choose a brand that you like and stick with it, join their loyalty plan and find locations when you stop. This eliminates decision fatigue as you pull into a new city every few days. You can also choose a price point and always find a hotel with that price and choose quickly.
Loyalty programs allow you to rack up points for discounts or free nights that will make the most of your lodging budget. I have heard good things about Marriott, but most hotel brands have a program.
We like to choose a hotel with free breakfast and a pool for the kids when available. This really narrows down your choices.
Be careful not to burn yourself out on the choices. Decision fatigue is a real danger on vacations when nothing is routine.
Make the decision about what kinds of hotels you will choose and stick to those guidelines to make choosing easier.
Is it better to call hotels or book online?
Look for hotels online, on hotel websites and discount sites, then call the hotel. Often online deals are only available online, but the desk can tell you if there are better deals available. Online deals will still need to be booked online not through the desk.
We have done this so many times.
My husband is just the kind of guy who likes to talk to a person before he makes a decision, but often after we speak to the front desk we are told the best deals were online and they were unable to give us those prices over the phone.
It is not always the best deal to book at the desk, check online and compare the rates at the desk and online.
How To Plan A Spontaneous Road Trip
I know, spontaneous means not planned.
Set some guidelines so that you will not burn out on your fun adventure.
Book accommodations by 2pm
Be sure to find your accommodations for the night by 2pm. This will give you options.
If you do not like what you are finding, you can move on down the road.
Follow the 2/2/2 Rule
The 2/2/2 rule is used by full time travelers to have a low stress trip.
Arrive by 2 pm
Drive no more than 200 miles a day
Stay 2 nights
You can read more about the why and some variations of the 2/2/2 rule in the linked post.
Set Budget Guidelines
To avoid running out of money on your trip, make a daily budget.
This allows you to plan without planning.
You can plan to spend most of the daily budget on gas one day and a fancy dinner out another day. A show or attraction or shopping.
Read this super interesting post about the average cost of food on a road trip to give you a great guideline.
Pack Smart
I love having everything I need in my van!
If you are going to travel where the road takes you, you need to be prepared for any situation. The best thing about road trips is there is no charge for extra bags.
These are the things I like to always keep in my van.
Soap
Kitchen Knife
Trash Bags
Tea/Instant Coffee
First Aid Kit
Blanket
Jacket
Pillow
Plastic Forks and Spoons
Plastic Cups
Paper Towels
Water
I keep these things in a plastic tote under one of my seats. Trust me, I pull this thing out ALL. THE. TIME.
Do I need reservations at State Parks?
Be sure to book accommodations ahead of time when visiting any popular locations, especially State and National Parks. Events and festivals will often mean no vacancies or very few options available. Plan to call ahead at least 30 days. A year in advance may be necessary at very popular locations like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone.
I just wanted to add this little bit in here because the information that I learned talking to regular travelers was really interesting.
There are peak times for every location, and if you are trying to book in those peak times you will not be able to find lodging.
State parks are very popular destinations in America in the summer. These locations draw tourists from all over the world.
