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Road Trip Planner



If you're hitting the open road, this road trip planner page will be a great source of information for you. Whether you're going cross-state or cross-country, I've put together some tips to help make your trip as affordable and enjoyable as possible.


Avoid the Road Trip from Hell

The one thing that can totally ruin your road trip is car problems. You can nip potential problems in the bud with preventative maintenance. Before leaving, have your oil changed, your fluids and tires checked, and make sure that the air conditioner, wiper blades, lights, and turn signals are working properly.

Discount Hotels

There are many options available to help you locate and book hotel rooms prior to leaving for your trip. These include AAA services, online booking engines, and the good old Yellow Pages.

If you prefer to be more spontaneous, or would like to get your best deal while on the road, you might want to take advantage of hotel coupon books. These are available at highway Welcome Centers throughout the United States.

The coupon books list various hotels throughout the state, each offering last-minute deals on walk-in reservations. This is a win win situation:
  • The hotels are happy to sell vacant rooms.
  • You can get significant savings on hotel rooms.
  • You become your own "on the fly" road trip planner - no need to drive extra hours to get to your hotel if you get stuck in traffic or decide to make a detour en route. After all, one of the cool things about road trips is the chance to be spontaneous, right?


Before You Decide...

If you're considering the hotel coupon books, please do know one thing. There is never a guarantee that the hotel you choose from the book will have rooms available. If you're traveling during peak seasons (school vacations, holidays), you may find yourself stopping at several hotels before finding one with an available room. My advice is to make reservations if your travel is scheduled for a busy time of the year.

If you're traveling with pets, many of these hotels will allow your furry friends to room with you. Just look for hotels that advertise that they are pet friendly.

Remember that if it looks too good to be true, it might be. I once made the mistake of staying in a $50/night hotel. Yes it served the purpose, but it was less than desirable! Stick with names you can trust.


Kids' Road Trip Planner

I have 2 boys, and have found paradise in the advent of abundant electronics choices for children (and, by the way, adults as well). No more "are we there yet?", no more "mom, he's touching me", nothing!

My kids are well equipped with gadgets galore, and we're all much happier for it! Portable DVD players have become affordable, and my boys each have their own. It may be the best money I've ever spent (in fact, I got one for myself for our last road trip)! Used movies can be purchased from many different sources (I recommend Game Stop), buying you hours or even days of peace.


Watch Gas Prices

Remember when everyone was talking and worrying about gas prices? Thankfully they have dropped since then (and hopefully will continue to remain affordable).

When going on a road trip, regardless of the gas prices, you should be aware of this as a potential big vacation expense. In order to help you with this I've provided a link at the bottom of this road trip planner page to help you search for the best gas prices in your area.


Things to Take Along

I have some simple advice that will help you to stay organized, save some money on the road, and keep stops to a minimum:

  • Even if you have a gps system, every road trip planner will agree that it's a good idea to have maps. For your convenience I've provided maps of the 50 United States in Adobe Acrobat format. You can resize and print these to meet your travel needs.
  • Pack a cooler - include drinks, fruit, and snacks....even a picnic lunch if you're up to it!
  • Overnight bag for each person - when you stop for the night at a hotel you won't be hauling in all of your luggage.
  • Paper towels, wipes, toilet paper - road trips can get messy at times!
  • Magazines, travel sized games, coloring books and crayons for young children
  • Pillows - if I'm going to be in the car for more than 5 hours this is a must!!!
  • Pet food and water - we carry plastic bowls with removable lids - and don't forget lots of plastic bags for picking up after your pet at rest stops.


Enjoy!!

After you do this once or twice, you'll feel like a professional road trip planner. Don't forget to bring along your sense of humor, and your sense of adventure, and enjoy the journey!

AAA FuelBusters - Find the cheapest gas prices in your localarea. Today's Gas Prices...The Discount Gasoline List...www.aaafuelbusters.com
www.aaafuelbusters-discountgasoline-list.com





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