Planning a road trip is exciting, right? You probably huddle around a map, get your playlist together, and imagine having the time of your life. But did you know that not all road trips are paved with gold? In fact, there are a fair few reasons why your road trip could quickly turn into a complete disaster.
Some of these issues will be out of your control, but planning mistakes often lead to the least enjoyable aspects of a road trip gone wrong. That’s why it’s well worth being careful of the following red planning flags, all of which could lead to the road trip from hell if you don’t sort them out now!
# 1 – You’re Taking on Too Many Miles
Trying to tackle too many miles for each road trip day is by far the worst planning mistake of all. After all, you want to cover as much ground as possible, but you don’t want to destroy your mind and body in the process. And, you’ll probably do both if you’re trying to tackle 500+ miles a day.
Cutting that daily mileage down to no more than 300 miles a day is a far preferable option. This will still keep you moving at a pretty decent pace, but it’ll ensure you have time for fun stops, silly road trip singing, and a decently early finish each day.
# 2 – You’re Not Booking Ahead
Perhaps you like the idea of an on-the-fly road trip where you stop whenever the mood takes you and book into the first place you see. But this is almost always a mistake. For one thing, having no daily endpoint makes it more likely you’ll drive the long miles we’ve already warned you about. There’s also the very real risk that you’ll end up with nowhere to sleep at all.
That’s a quick way to ruin your time, and it’s something you can overcome by simply getting ahead and booking early. Whether this means planning which hotels you’ll hit along your route or booking a stay in an RV park that has everything you need, it’s going to keep you more comfortable and ensure that your trip is generally more organized.
# 3 – You Have No Contingency Plan
Failing to put any contingency plans in place is a major road trip faux pas. We hate to break it to you, but nothing is certain when you travel like this. Breakdowns can ruin entire driving days, while traffic can set you back significantly. Meanwhile, a failed GPS could see you seriously lost if you aren’t careful.
That’s why it’s vital to travel smart by putting contingency plans in place. At the very least, this should mean investing in reliable breakdown cover and packing a vehicle repair kit. You’ll also need to plan alternative routes, leave space for delays, and always take a map with you, just in case!
You want your road trip to be a success, so eliminate these red flags from your plan before you set off!
