I have a problem. Well, not so much a problem, but something that I love to do that most hate. I love to plan. I plan my day, my week, my month… I plan trips and meals. I love to plan for meals. All of it, if it involves planning, I’m all for it. Except for parties, I’m not a party planner. Well, lucky for you, my sweet readers, I’m going to let you in on all the tools, apps, etc., that go into planning a road trip that spans three months and involves cars and planes, camping, hotels, and Airbnb. If you have struggled with this or would like to be better moving forward, this series will be for you. If you aren’t that into planning and are more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants sort-of traveler, I invite you now to look back at my older posts for ones you might have missed and enjoy getting caught up.
This will likely be a three-part newsletter, so let’s get right to it. - Erin
Starting With Your Research:
Once you’ve decided where you would like to travel, it’s time to start getting organized. Some apps that I love to stay organized with my travel are below. Of course, I welcome hearing what you love, too, and what works for you when you are beginning to plan.
Fly Delta (although any airlines that you plan to fly will work) - I like to stay on top of my flights, gates for are departing from, time delays, and more through the app.
Hilton Honors (again, any hotel that you are booking through works here). I’m a big fan of staying in the same hotel chain simply for the points. It’s free money! Why throw it away? We are saving ours up for a long trip to Europe or Japan. Please note that you will not get hotel points for hotels booked through a site like Expedia or Travelocity. You can sign up for the rewards system through those sites, but they won’t convert the same. This article sums it all up nicely. I love the Hilton app because I can check into our hotel, select my room and get keyless entry all through the app while I’m waiting for our luggage.
Air Bnb - Search for locations, save homes for future planning, and manage your upcoming stays, all in the app.
Hotel Tonight - I use this app to look for deals around me, then call the hotel directly if points are involved to explain I saw a discount on a site but wanted to book with them now and ask if they can honor the same deal. Most of the time, they will. I don’t use this site much, only because I’ve planned so far out, but it’s nice to have handy in case something falls through.
Yelp - I like this app to see what’s around me on a road trip. When you want to find a good, little local place off the interstate, but you are in a place you’ve never stopped before, it’s a great use of the app to find a good place to stop. Of course, I take the reviews with a grain of salt, but you can quickly find something anywhere.
Gas Buddy - This app will tell you the gas prices around you based on your location. What’s not to love?
Apple Maps - I love this app more than almost everything else on my phone. I save guides that I’ve created for every place under the sun. I have guides for places I dream of going to, have gone to, or am currently planning on going to. It’s easy to navigate, and I easily stay organized through the app. Whenever I’m near a place, I look at my guides to see what’s nearby that I might have saved previously. Then, I “drop a pin” on a location that might not once have a designated location and name it how I see fit so that I can find it again. I’ll get into this one further because there’s more to share about it and how to create guides.
Travel Spend - this app helps you stay on budget throughout your trip.
Instagram - I use IG to seek out places to visit once we have our destination figured out. Say I find a great trail to hike from a hashtag of said location; I look for a geotagged image and click on that, allowing it to take me to the option to open in Apple Maps. From there, while now in Maps, I add the location to a guide, so I have it ready to go. If I can’t find a geotagged image, I find it in Maps. I also save all those images for visual reference in a folder within Instagram.
AAA - I have been a member of AAA since I was 15. I love it not only for the roadside help should need it, but also for the trip tik and free maps. Did you know you can request five free maps at a time? Just head to their website and log into your account. I got maps for everywhere we are going and can highlight all the stops I want to make along the way. It’s also an excellent tool for Tom to learn more about navigating when we are on the road. Another great thing about having AAA is that you get discounts at dozens of places, from hotels to attractions to restaurants.
Recreation.gov - This is the system used for camping within the National Park Service. I like tracking my reservations in one place while also searching for sites if I know my plans will change.
Ok, time to start thinking about what you want to do and see on your trip.
A few questions to ask that will help with planning:
Am I leaning towards urban adventure, or do I want to get out into nature and explore?
What types of restaurants will I want to eat at? Will I need to make reservations?
Should I buy attractions tickets (museums, theatre, etc.) ahead of time?
What’s the best time of day to go to attractions?
Will I need to account for nap times for my child? If so, planning is definitely for you. If your child has a pretty good schedule, nap times are usually set. However, I always liked to add in quiet time, even when Tom was not napping as much. It allowed us to reset and approach the afternoon with rested eyes.
What do I want to see or places to visit? What things could I skip and not be too sad about? This is an essential list because it will allow you to focus on where you are being pulled. You also don’t have to wake up each day wondering what’s happening today. For children especially, this is vital. Children thrive with structure and knowing what’s coming next. You may be spontaneous, but that doesn’t mean your children are or it’s what’s best for them. So save those trips for solo travel or with your friends or partner sans children.
Do I want to stay in a hotel or Airbnb? I love staying in an Airbnb if I’m going to be in a place for a few days and need laundry and a kitchen. Otherwise, I will opt for a hotel.
Will I rely on public transportation and walking, or should I rent a car?
Ok, this is probably way too much information already. I will leave you to it to ask your questions about your upcoming trip. Think about questions that will involve planning specifically. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Until next week, Erin