by D. Trump

Created on: January 28, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2010

The great American road trip is almost as accepted in our lifestyles as the car itself. As fun as it may seem to just hop in your car and go, you may want to consider a number of things before your put the pedal to the metal. Careful planning and consideration will make sure that your road trip is safe, efficient, and still exciting.

The first thing that you have to consider when you are planning a road trip is your transportation. If your car is not reliable, you may want to consider renting a car to ensure that you will have a seamless journey. Avis, Thrifty and Budget are all reliable companies that offer National service. Price them out and find the best deal for your specific needs. Keep in mind that many companies charge per mile if you go over a certain number of miles, so this may be a deciding factor for you especially if you are going on a long trip. Keep the rental company's emergency number available, just in case you have car troubles along the way. If you plan on using your own car, you may want to consider getting roadside assistance, or at least mapping out a few repair shops along the way in case you need an emergency repair.

The second most important aspect of your road trip is your destination. Without a destination, you may end up in the middle of nowhere. Some common All-American road trips are Las Vegas, the California coast, Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountains, the Black Hills of South Dakota (including Mount Rushmore), Sturgis (for bikers), and Minneapolis (the Mall of America). All of these destinations offer a large variety of activities and sights that will take at least a few days to experience. Most of them are also fairly centralized, so they can be easily driven to within 15 hours from almost anywhere in the US. Once you have a destination picked out, you can map it out on Google maps or Map Quest to find the best route and amount of time the trip will take.

Now that you know your destination and you have your transportation, you can arrange your accommodations. Comfort Inn, AmericInn, and Best Western usually have accommodations in the areas around any major attraction. Prices vary based on the time of year, so it is good to price them out on the corporate web pages. Never be afraid to ask a customer service agent for a deal on a hotel room rate. The truth of the matter is that almost nobody pays full price for a hotel room anymore.

In conclusion, the great American road trip could be one of the greatest adventures of your entire life. It also could be one of the worst. As long as you keep it safe and well-planned, you will avoid the negative experiences. That said, part of the adventure of the road trip is the unexpected. Planning everything may take away from that experience, so you may want to consider leaving some things to chance. One way to do this is to plan the journey, and then when you arrive at your destination, you can

Learn more about this author, D. Trump.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.