When planning a long road trip it can be hard to know how many hours of driving you should do in a day.
As a general rule, it is recommended that you drive no more than 450 miles or 8 and a half hours on any day of a road trip. Consider planning by the mile, but limiting the number of hours you drive in a day to 8 or fewer. Mountain driving, towing an RV, time limits or traveling with dogs or kids can alter your timeline.
This allows plenty of rest time for drivers, and gives you lots of wiggle room for traffic delays or a spontaneous detour.
If you are hoping to arrive ASAP, the best strategy shared was to have two drivers who can switch off.
One family I talked to were able to do two 17 hr driving days by splitting up the driving!
So, when you are planning your trip on Google Maps, you will want to divide your trip up into legs. It helps with planning, makes the trip more enjoyable and gives you more opportunities for meaningful stops.
They did have a few really good gems of advice.
A Few Tips from Pros
I wanted to share a few of the best things I learned when talking to families about how to divide up the driving on a road trip:
1. Fewer Miles If You are Sightseeing
A few travelers recommended 150-300 miles as a better length for sightseeing days, they said this was a relaxed pace for longer road trips as well.
2. Avoid Lodging Costs
Plan your driving to avoid lodging costs, so a longer driving day may save you some money if you plan to sleep in your car and drive overnight.
Be careful not to drive when drowsy because it is very dangerous, so if you choose to drive overnight, be prepared to stop and sleep.
3. Plan in Hours Not Miles
The seasoned travelers I spoke with tended to plan in hours of driving not miles.
Road work, traffic and bathroom breaks can slow down your progress, but dont push through the miles or you will end up miserable.
One family plans to make about 50 miles each hour accounting for slow downs and breaks.
4. Plan a Long Day and Fewer of Them with Kids
If you are traveling with kids, make it one 10 hour day instead of 2 5 hour days.
I though this was a really cool tip, they noticed that their kids were just as cranky on a 5 hour day as a 10 hour day, so plan fewer driving days.
5. 2-2-2 Rule
I have seen this floating around on a few travel forums.
The idea is that you should travel 200 miles, arrive before 2:00, and stay for 2 nights.
This is suppose to be the formula for a great trip.
I have also seen it as the 3-3-3 Rule, 300 miles, arrive by 3, stay 3 nights.
If you try it, let us know.
Will coffee keep me awake on a road trip?
There is a reason truck stops and gas stations sell coffee. We love the caffeine boost that comes with a hot cup of coffee. It turns out that when it was studied, it became clear why.
On average caffeine improves drivers ability to drive safely for roughly two hours. Caffeine should be used cautiously when driving, as drowsy driving is responsible for almost 50,000 crashes each year.
This study divided a group of adults who were not sleep deprived and had them drive for two hours, then they were given a coffee. Some contained caffeine and some were decaf. The participants did not know which they were given.
Those who were given caffeine were significantly better drivers over the next two hours of simulated highway driving.
There are some significant differences between simulated driving and real driving.
If you are too tired to keep driving, pull over. Sleepy driving is very dangerous.
The National Highway Safety Administration estimated that over 6,000 fatal crashes every year are caused by sleepy drivers.
How many miles can I comfortably drive in a day?
I recommend dividing your trip up into legs whenever possible. Enjoy the drive, not just the destination!
Plan to drive no more than 8 hours in a day. When you are planning your trip this is about 400 miles of driving. Plan to stop every two hours to stretch and use the bathroom. If you have two drivers you can drive up to 10-12 hours in a single day. If you are driving and you become tired, plan to stop for the night.
When planning your trip you want to consider the whole timeline. If you only have 3 days, then you need to get there asap so you can enjoy your destination, but if you have 7 days, it would be best to enjoy the drive as well as the destination.
It may be comfortable for a single person to do this drive in a single day, but travellers with pets or kids may find that 8 hours is too much for them.
Many of the families I spoke with stuck with 4-6 hour a day if traveling with pets or kids.
Where can I sleep on a road trip?
If you find that you need to pull over to sleep on a road trip you have a few options:
Rest Stops
Highway rest stops are easy to find and are a likely place to pull over for a quick nap.
If you choose to do this make sure to consider safety. Lock doors and cover windows if possible.
This is just not for everyone, and if you do not feel comfortable, try another option on the list.
Welcome Center
Welcome Centers are a more specific type of rest stop and they are usually located close to the highway.
The big difference here is there are helpful employees inside.
You can go in and ask if it is ok for you to sleep in their parking lot,if they say yes, you know someone has an eye on you.
If they recommend against it they know the area and can point you to a safe spot to sleep.
Truck Stops
If you pull into a truck stop to sleep, you wont be the only one sleeping.
There may be increased security at a truck stop, and there is likely lots of activity. Trucks coming and going.
Over the Road truck drivers sleep in the back of their trucks, this is why truck stops have extra amenities like laundry facilities and showers. If you sleep comfortably in your car, this could be a great alternative to a hotel.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel is known as a hospitable place. They offer overnight parking to RVs at most of their locations.
If you find that you need to pull over to sleep, you may find refuge in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.
Walmart
Some Walmarts are cool with people parking there to sleep.
If you are unsure, you can check apps like Allstays. Users enter their experience with individual Walmarts and give information about the store.
You can always go in and buy something then just sleep for a few minutes or hours and be on your way.
Bureau of Land Management Land (BLM)
If you need a free spot to park for a few hours and you are in the West, check out BLM land.
These gorgeous spots are free for campers for up to 14 days at a time.
This is likely far off the highway and not your best option for a quick nap, but a great stop for overnight if you love the outdoors.
Hotels
Hotels are the obvious choice if you want to spend a comfortable night on the road, and they often include breakfast.
The drawback is that you will be paying for the whole night, when maybe you only want to sleep for a few hours.
If you are hoping to save money, try one of the other tips before dropping your cash on a hotel night.
