Tips & Hacks for Road Trips

Tips & hacks for road trips from a road trip expert. I've done more than 20 cross-country road trips and have learned a lot of things to consider when going on a road trip, as well as ideas and suggestions for road trips. Most of the "road trip advice" on YouTube comes from people that have done (maybe) one road trip
and/or really have no idea what they are talking about. If you want advice from a road trip and geography nerd, check out this video. It may be boring, but it's good info!

Special Thanks to Yeoshua The King of Rock n' Roll of Chattanooga, TN for doing the intro.

[ericacuevas]

"You might get stabbed...and that's why road tripping is so great!"

[tackyman]

Folks out West: When you go to the eastern U.S., don't take the turnpikes! We blew $87.00 before we learned alternate routes were almost as fast, and often better maintained.

[stevenmorton]

Sometimes you might feel tempted to fight the fatigue while driving and go several extra hours in order to get closer to your destination. DON'T DO IT. If you're getting tired, find some place to stop for the night and rest. Those extra few miles aren't worth dying for.

[bradleywill]

I have made several cross-country trips with my children. Here's a tip I would suggest: When we started out, we made a commitment to either avoid franchise food (whether fast food, or even national restaurant chains) altogether, or maybe limit stopping at a franchise for food only once each day, and eating at a local diner other times. We were never disappointed in the local, homemade cuisine, and had lots of fun with it. It also avoided many arguments: we pulled off an exit with a Wendy's McDonald's, Burger King, and Betty's Cafe - we went to Betty's as we agreed.

[casketman]

Checking your car’s maintenance should be done before the trip.

It’s always smart to pack a cooler for drinks and snacks.

I always pack some padding for my back even though everyone else thinks my seats are comfortable. Always make sure you’re comfortable in your seat because it’s going to be your best friend for hours.

Have an emergency kit with fire starter, first aid, tire patcher, current maps or back up GPS. You just never know.

I know it’s funny but I also always bring a roll of toilet paper or wipes everywhere I go. Again, you just never know

[williamhamilton]

A great big snack bag loaded with all types of goodies. A stocked up cooler. And a scary book on cd.

[edwardrhoads]

Tips I would give:
1) if you are in any of the below locations if you are anywhere near half a tank or less and you see a gas station STOP your next one could literally be 100 miles away even on interstate
Wyoming
Montana
Western New York or Pennsylvania

2) when you go to Yellowstone it is HUGE so be there a minimum of 3 days and DO NOT USE THEIR OVERPRICED HOTELS. They are so not worth it. Camp for a tenth of the price. Expect to do a lot of walking...

3) Don't camp without a tent in Idaho anywhere near the Snake River. There are swarming biting gnats that come out at 5 AM in the morning. Learned that one the hard way....

[richardmount]

I like your videos. A tip that has served me well for many years for covering ground is to start driving at first light and don't try to go on for too long after dark

[freeparking]

When traveling the length of Pennsylvania take Interstate 80 it’s free and more scenic than the PA turnpike (I-76 (rest of the state) I-276 in Montgomery/Bucks County) which can cost $50 or more each way. Unless of course you want to see the fabulous town of Breezewood then take the Turnpike!

[billholden]

One tip: if you have done a particular drive, say I-40, multiple times, leave at different times of the day so you hit different areas during their business hours. I have gone through different places at midnight, then caught them the next time at 5:00 PM and they are two completely different experiences.

[Eric-qxkx]

You forgot one BIG disclaimer, if you are going to stay east of St. Louis, AVOID East St. Louis, IL like the plague, you do not want to take a wrong turn, looking for a hotel at night, and end up lost in East St. Louis, IL. Its one of the most dangerous places in the country, as bad as the worst ghettos in Chicago or Detroit.

If you are traveling east on I-64, make your way to the Fairview Heights/O'Fallon, IL area, that's your bet best for hotels, east of St. Louis.

[derbagger]

Two tips: buy a Rand McNally atlas at WalMart. The same atlas is well over $20 elsewhere but about $7 at WalMart. I will spend months just staring at different state maps, planning a trip.
2: if you like Google maps, download a sector of map for offline use. I downloaded the entire state of Maine for about 135MB for a trip. Turns out, signal is pretty good even up near Canada...

[butler-macdonald]

Hi Kyle, thanks for another great video. My partner and I are from Canada, and when we road-tripped through the eastern states, we found great value in those coupon books you find at interstate rest stops. Plenty of free passes to nearby attractions, and great discounts on hotel stays. We found one particular coupon that got us accommodations at a beachfront hotel in Nags Head, NC for $79 per night, and the hotel was beautiful with unobstructed views of the ocean from our room. We overheard another couple who walked in with no reservation and inquired on rates, and they were told $249 per night! We were grateful not only for the huge discount but also for discovering Nags Head. We would have never heard about that hidden gem otherwise.

[shellyharry]

Road construction for the past three decades in Asheville NC!

[derbagger]

Not very difficult to get into Mexico or Canada.

2020:

[cygnusx-]

Good points.
1) A nav app will give you distance and duration (or time of arrival) on a route. The distance may be correct, but the duration won't be. I always add about 25% to the duration due to stops (which add up). Took me a long time to believe this.
2) I take a GPS (such as Garmin) and paper maps as backup. Too often, I'm out of coverage for the phone and haven't downloaded offline maps for the area.
3) Yes, out west or even in parts of WVA, I keep the tank no less than 1/2 full.
4) Keep days short and relax.

[randyn]

Me and my wife take what we call a land cruise. We will do a 7 day trip where we spend each night at a different location. We do it just like you mentioned, the first day is longest leg and then I schedule out each days plan, and I will schedule sleep in days with short drive times a couple of days. Really enjoy your insight and tips.

[MrPaultile]

You might get stabbed, so funny, yet having a sense of humor is very important for road trips. Thanks for video.

[itsalgud]

Thanks for some useful tips. I’m planning my first long road trip in many years and they will help.
However, I disagree with one of these, the one regarding using higher octane fuel at altitude. As a retired engineer/gearhead living in Denver, I can tell you this is an unnecessary expense. I even double checked this and found a recommendation from a local Subaru dealer, “In most cases, you won't experience any problems running 85 octane in an ordinary car when a few thousand feet above sea level.”

[vhhawk]

To add to this: pick a new musical artist or genre to binge listen to during the road trip. Thereafter, when you hear that music, it brings back memories of the trip.
A few years ago I drove through Wichita Falls. So naturally I bought Pat Metheny's As Falls Wichita CD, and listened to it on the trip.