10 Tips to go on a perfect Cross County Road Trip

Fun part in planning a road trip is deciding which route you are going to drive, being that said. In North America you have a lot of choices. I will list a few

Route 66 — San Diego to Chicago

West to East on i80 — California to New York

West to East covering northern plains — Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minneapolis & Wisconsin continuing till NYC

East to West covering southern states — You can take this route if you are really interested in driving through some deserted roads of America

Whatever your route is, these 10 tips will help you make your road trip perfect.

Google keep is one of the best note pads which synchronizes across devices which i used to plan my route

And Now which route I drove? Why did I choose that route?

Read my next tip

I drove from west to east on I-80

It’s the Lincoln memorial highway which is the first transcontinental highway built in North America which connects SFO to NYC. Also, it has a lot of historical significance which made my trip very interesting. On top of everything you get recognized by Lincoln highway association with a badge & completion certificate which I consider a significant achievement in life.

If you are up for the trip & need to be recognized. Here you go for details

For a few, doing a road trip is a dream and they leave it as a dream life long because of the expense. My say “You can go on a cross country road trip for less than $1000” even lesser if you sacrifice a little comfort, I will give a rough idea on how much I spent

Rental car: $520 ( Rental + Insurance)

Fuel: $420 + Toll: $100 (Only on east coast states)

Thanks to Google maps “Search along the way” feature which shows your the cheapest fuel on the way

Accommodation: $400

Thanks to Expedia’s mobile app

Food: $190

I ate on decent restaurants mostly and fast foods twice

Flight back to SF: $5.60 + 10000 delta points

Be it your own car or rental car, Know your car very well. When was the last service completed? How to change wiper liquid? How to check engine oil level? How to change flat tire? At least to reach next tire shop, Know the driving dynamics and limitations of your car because you will be driving in different weather & road conditions. You don’t want to push the car real hard were it completely breaks. Make sure your personal, liability & collision damage insurance is up to date. I was able to save some money in avoiding the liability, personal & road side assistance insurance from the rental company because i have my own provider for those. “Don’t pay for something twice”

If you are curious to know what vehicle i was driving, here it is

Never just carry your Smart phone, Have a physical map & GPS guided navigation device. You can’t receive guaranteed cell phone reception on all states and terrains. Have at least 1 or 2 of your family members or Friends track you via some app. These days it’s so easy for someone to monitor you..LOL

This is a very important tip, your body is used to be on an usual routine and you will be breaking it during the trip, you have never sat on a moving object for 10+ hours before, unless you are truck driver already. So, take it slow don’t over drive on your first day. Take a short break every 1hr & a long break every 3 hrs. I did that, trust me it worked pretty well. I never had a sore butt or neck throughout my trip. Always remember you have live to show your achievement driving without proper break will lead to sleep or drowsiness and you know what happens then if you are behind the wheels with those too feelings

Taking proper break will contribute more towards a healthy you & trip. Please avoid drinking carbonated drinks, I’m very proud to say that I never had a single carbonated drink on my entire trip. Try to have some healthy meal whenever possible, Best source to find a local best eat out, Talk to gas station people. We may often get tempted by seeing the “big inverted yellow W” or “the big cowboy hat” but say no to it if you have other healthy options.

I drove all alone, if you are too. Make arrangements for a lot of entertainment. Download some offline songs, podcast. Talk to your old friends & family members, it’s a nice time to say “hi” to whoever you have never spoken for a while wherever you have cell phone reception that’s the best way to kill time & gain miles. But don’t forget to enjoy some spectacular landscapes & views outside

Yes, having a backup plan is always recommended on a road trip as well as life, After all we don’t have control over nature. Monitor the weather throughout your trip using news channels or weather apps.Don’t panic or get upset if your original plan didn’t work out. If you have followed tip 1 & 2 you have less chance to use the backup plan.

Finally, to Ensure your Safety & Others safety (including your wallet) Never Ever Speed. Use Cruise control which is the best option to avoid speeding tickets. ( I have seen signs saying $1000 fine for speeding on work zones) Its definitely not worth it.The more you hurry there are high chances you will spoil the trip, no problem if you stop early on a day. Relax and catch up the next day. Keeping a day buffer before reaching your destination will always help stay calm.

And most importantly document your experience through words, pictures & videos you can cherish those moments seeing those in future. I used polarsteps to document my trip and it was awesome, give a try

Thank you for reading tips. Please do clap if you like it & follow me on

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