In my travels around the internet, I have seen a few mentions of the 2/2/2 rule, or sometimes the 3/3/3 rule. I did some digging and I think this secret should be shared with the world!
The 2/2/2 rule is a guideline for more relaxed and low stress travel; drive no more than 200 miles a day, arrive before 2pm and stay two nights. This is a guideline followed by many full time RV travelers and it can be applied to any overland travel. The 3/3/3 rule is a variation that allows for 300 miles, arriving by 3pm and staying 3 nights.
I write a lot about road trips and I have interviewed a lot of families and those who travel frequently use the 2/2/2 rule, if you are used to driving right through and only stopping for bathroom breaks, keep reading so we can plan a relaxing, memorable trip. I have a printable planner that will help you get your mind around it.
I love this really simple one pager that will help you with a skeleton plan for your trip.
Did you know that most people experience travel stress? If the idea of a road trip gives you mixed feelings you are not alone. I found some incredible research that supports the 2/2/2 rule.
We can plan our vacations in a way that will give us more lasting stress relief benefits and be a more peaceful and positive experience for the whole family.
Plan to Drive About 200 Miles a Day
For most travelers 200 miles will take about 4 hours of car time.
This is the most controversial part I think, now there are some folks who like to travel 8 or 10 hour days.
You can do more than 4-5 hours of driving if:
- You are used to driving for a long time
- You are well rested
- You leave very early in the morning
- You do not have kids or pets with you
- Your schedule dictates it and you are well rested
The number of miles or hours you plan to drive in a day tends to be a style choice for most travelers, and as you become a more experienced traveler you will find what works for you and your family.
We have found that 6 hours is a good number for us, but that is still around 3-400 miles a day.
When you are planning an epic month or months long trip, I think the wisdom of the full timers is a good idea. Follow the 2/2/2 rule most of the time. Long hauls are exhausting, and should be the exception, not the rule. If you’d like help planning that epic trip, check out this epic road trip planning system. I also found some really interesting numbers about the cost of a month-long trip, so if it is on your bucket list, start planning!
As soon as you start to feel tired, plan a stopping point. Driving drowsy is deadly and you should never try to push through when you are too tired to keep going.
When you need to cover a lot of miles in a day, pull over for naps at welcome stations or Cracker Barrels.
Arrive Before 2 PM
Planning to arrive before dark is long honored travel advice, but this early afternoon arrival has more benefits.
The day isn’t over at 2pm, you can have a great late lunch or visit a park or museum. You will have time to unpack and settle in before dark.
Arriving when it is still light allows you to see any potential damage to your car as well. It would be better to notice that tire issue at 2 when you can call a shop than at 9 when everyone is asleep and you will have to wait till morning to get a repair.
This is even more important if you are a young traveler. Many states have curfews for people 18 and under, the table in this post lists curfews by state, but be sure to check the local laws as places like Las Vegas have different curfew laws than Nevada as a whole. Young travelers should read about age considerations when taking a road trip in this article.
Stay For 2 Nights
Long trips are exhausting. Packing and unpacking make the stress and mess get bigger faster.
Staying for at least 2 nights gives you a lot more time to rest and relax.
It is also great to have time to do a load of laundry, wash any dishes and maybe even vacuum out the car. I recommend that everyone grab a car vacuum. This is an affiliate link and if you purchase through the link I earn a small commission at no cost to you.
The mess is what causes me so much stress on a road trip and being able to vacuum is like taking a shower for the car, ahhhhhhhh.
What is the 3/3/3 rule?
The 2/2/2 rule is pretty extreme if you are used to the type of quick, get-there-fast travel that I grew up doing. You can ease into it by using the 3/3/3 rule.
Drive no more than 300 miles a day
Plan to spend no more than 6 hours on the road a day. This makes trips a little shorter and allows you to get there faster.
I find that the occasional 4-500 mile day is ok, but if it is two week or longer road trip, less miles is better.
Arrive by 3pm
Even if you cram in a few more miles into your day, still arrive more before 3pm. This will allow your days to be less rushed. Spend time eating at a table instead of at a drive-thru.
Get your money’s worth with that hotel room, go to the hotel gym and the hotel pool. Pulling into a campsite before dark is the way to go.
Stay 3 nights
Covering more miles per day means that you can spend more time at your destination and fewer days in the car.
I think the idea of staying for more than one night gives the vacation a much more relaxing vibe.
2 days is better than one, but three might be better.
Check out these great Google Maps hacks to find interesting places to see and things to do in an unfamiliar city.
How many miles should you drive in a day with a family?
So, after all these ‘rules’ what do we do?
We plan between 3-400 miles a day and we usually start out pretty early. This is not intentional, just our personalities and the ages of our kids. Our kids are very young and they wake up very early, but honestly, so do we.
We like getting up early and getting on the road. We like to cut up some pancakes or waffles and stick them in a cup with some syrup on the bottom and hit the road.
Our most common road trip is about 600 miles, we have found a great place we like to stay that is about in the middle.
On our way we stopped overnight and had a great time. On the way back, we were anxious to get home so we left very early, stopped in the same town, rested and relaxed for a few hours, found a great playground that we loved and then covered the last few hundred miles that night.
I think keeping the 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 rule in mind encourages me to plan more epic trips with more stops. We get to see so much more and make memories even on trips that are “just to visit family.” it still feels like vacation when you stay in a hotel, even for one night.
Go grab this super simple one page road trip planner so you can start planning that epic road trip of your dreams.
