6 Quick Road Trip Tips

Driving down the open road, I can just picture it. Views of vermillion canyons up both sides and a long winding road in front of me. The options are limitless and the whole country is free to explore. But with that freedom comes many decisions. Now, what are the right choices? An amazing road trip experience relies upon just that.

1. To Rent a Car or Drive Your Own?

When you think of a road trip, your first thought is usually just hopping in the car and skipping town. While that's a great choice, depending on where you go and for how long, it may put a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on your car. My recommendation is to look into renting a car. Depending on leasing costs and fuel efficiency, it's usually a much cheaper option, believe it or not.

2. Eat on a budget.

Arguably the best part of a road trip. The issue is finding the self-control to not stop at every "Mom-and-pop" shop along the way... or McDonald's, depending on your preferences. Money spent on food is probably the biggest unexpected expense of a trip. I'm a huge advocator for trying new food in new places, so I'm not blocking that option out completely. It's a crucial part to fully immerse yourself in a culture and get the full experience. I'm just saying you need to limit yourself. Visit the grocery store and stock up on 10 cent meat packets and cheese. It's a great snack while driving that will totally fill you up. As long as you bring a cooler, there are so many great alternative options that will save your bank account.

3. Highways all the way.

A true road trip isn't meant to just take you from Point A to Point B. While the freeway is the quickest means of transportation, you'll be missing the whole point. To really see the towns and/or cities you're exploring, take the highways and backroads. They'll lead you to discover much more than you anticipated and take your experience to a whole other level. If you want to zip by all these places, just fly.

4. Wanna Pack More? Roll.

This right here is my favorite little best-kept secret. For years I've shocked my family and friends at just how many clothes I can fit in a carry-on suitcase. This trick has totally saved me. Instead of folding your clothes and simply lying them in your bag, you roll them. I like to split my items up by category: tank tops, t-shirts, shorts, pants, etc. You'll want to lie them on top of each other completely flat. From there you'll turn in both sleeves/fold pants in half and just roll. I'm sure you'll be stunned at just how much more you'll be able to fit.

5. Please don't sleep in your car...

A good night's sleep is CRUCIAL on a road trip. As you're the one driving all day, it's of the utmost importance that you stay awake and focused as you travel. It will also keep you and your car smelling better. Who are we kidding, the car is already going to reek of hamburgers, do you really want to smell like that all week? A change of scenery never hurt anybody... especially that being an actual bed. There are hundreds of hostels all across the country. They're cheap, accessible, and typically quite clean. Who knows, you might make a friend or two along the way as well. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars just to find a decent place to sleep.

6. Plan smarter not harder.

My biggest piece of advice is to just go with the flow. Even though you may have a certain destination(s) in mind, meticulously planning really isn't necessary. It's smart to have a general plan of action and maybe book a few hotel rooms just to keep you on schedule. But the most important part of a road trip is to just enjoy the experience. Say you find a really unique small town along the way and you want to stop, but you just don't have time because you're still 4 hours out from where you plan to stop next. Don't restrict yourself. Go explore that small town. You'll get to that next destination eventually. What's the rush?

I wish you the best in your adventures and hope at least a thing or two resonates. The biggest takeaway here is to just enjoy. Take a breather... you deserve it.