Planning basics
How do you plan a road trip?
Fix the start, the end, and the number of driving days, then check the hours behind each leg before you add stops. Four to five hours of driving is a comfortable day once stops are included; six or more turns the day into transit. Book the first and last night, and leave the middle flexible where the route allows.
Drive time is the constraint people underestimate, because a map distance doesn't show mountain roads, construction, or the forty minutes a scenic pullout costs. Adding up the hours per leg before committing is what catches the day that looked fine and runs nine hours.
Balance the legs rather than optimizing the total. Two five-hour days beat one nine-hour day followed by one, even though the sum is similar, because the long day costs you the evening and most of the next morning's energy.
Keep a list of optional detours alongside the route rather than in it. A day that runs short can absorb one, and a day that runs long can drop one without the plan feeling broken. National park routes need one more check: several now run timed-entry or shuttle systems in peak season, and those need reserving before the route is fixed.
Do it in Arriv
Last reviewed