Pre-Trip Planning: East Coast Road Trip

Before your trip it is important to make lists.

• What do you want to see?

  • To get an idea of what you want to see or do, watch some YouTube videos or search for things to do. – for this trip I looked up a ton of “must do” things to see/eat along the east coast.

  • Research costs, open/close hours, and other important factors. – some gift shops in smaller towns are closed on certain week days or have seasonal hours.

  • I like to visit Trip Advisor and type in the place or company and peruse the comments section to get a good idea of what to expect.

  • Take note of how you’ll get there and what time of year you plan to go. Many places are cheaper to visit and less busy if you go during off season months. – Visiting during the peak season meant I planned for travel time and for road construction time.

• If you plan to drive

  • Make a list of car maintenance tasks to have done at least 3 months prior to your date of departure. – I took my 8 year old Nissan Sentra on this 5,000+ mile trip and had it in the shop for a total inspection to ensure I was good.

  • Use Google Maps to find nearby gas stations, rest stops, or restaurants along your route. – I had a detailed list of safe places we could stop.

• If you plan to fly

  • You can certainly look for the cheapest flights 10-8 months prior to your trip and use helpful apps like Sky Scanner find these flight deals.

  • Be sure to utilize Google Maps for detailed information on local restaurants nearby your desired location.

• Make a list of items to purchase before your trip. – we had a list of things to buy for each list we had… hiking items, snack items, toiletry items, in-car bag items, medical items, and basic items.

• Make a list of things you already have that you might need to bring. – we had a list of things to bring that we already had for each list we had… hiking items, snack items, toiletry items, in-car bag items, medical items, and basic items.

• Make a budget for your trip! You can visit many places on the cheap or if you want to have spend more, you can…or you can budget to live like a king….it’s up to you. – I like to do an estimate of how much I think I’ll spend then save all of my receipts and log how much the whole trip actually cost me. We opted for the middle tier budget estimate and wanted to stay in a mix or Vrbo/Airbnb locations and hotels, eat and drink at local places, and be able to buy a couple souvenirs.

Just Before Leaving:

• Print off any maps, tickets, reservations, or itineraries you may need and keep them in a folder.

• If you’re going on a road trip, hit up the grocery store to purchase your bread, peanut butter, etc.

• Check your desired destination sites, Facebook pages, etc. to ensure there aren’t any last minute closings or restrictions. - We arrived in Vermont when it was pouring rain only to find out that most stretches of highway were closed due to unprecedented flooding. Having travel road closure apps and GPS navigation helped us to find our way safely to Burlington in the middle of the night.

• Other last minute gems: laundry, make space on your phone for more photos/videos, send your itinerary and trip details to a loved one, put all the cards you booked thing with in your wallet.

Helpful Tips for Visiting a National Park:

• Wake up EARLY – parking lots, trails, and avoiding construction – it’s all dependent on how early you get out and about. We like to wake up at 4:30am in order to head out with the sunrise.

• There is likely no cell service in the park so research and plan well ahead for road construction updates and park closure information.

• Be well aware of your gas options and how many miles per gallon you get.