The Top 10 mistakes people make on long-distance road trips

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So, you’re packed up and ready to hit the open road! There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as setting out on a long-distance journey with the sun at your back and countless adventures lying before you. While countless books, Hollywood movies and television shows romanticize the great American road trip, sometimes all does not go so smoothly. For all the “On the Road” adventures, there are still those “Vacation” nightmares out there waiting for you. As with anything, the more experience you have with something, the better you are at it. It’s from our mistakes that we learn the most. That’s why I have compiled a list of the Top 10 mistakes that are often made on long-distance road trips. Learn from my example, and you may realize that romanticized ideal of a road trip.

1)      Not allotting yourself enough time

When I first began taking long-distance road trips, I was almost always overly optimistic about the ground I could cover on any given day. Traffic, weather, road conditions and the simple realities of life sometimes conspire to slow you down. When making a rough outline of your trip, remember to give yourself plenty of extra time. Just because the distance between point A and point B is 240 miles there is no guarantee that you’re going to make it in 4 hours flat. You have to factor in bathroom/lunch breaks, sightseeing excursions and the fact that you are usually unfamiliar with the roadway you are traveling. Plus, you don’t want the constant nagging feeling that you’re “making bad time” while you are ostensibly doing something that you are supposed to be enjoying.

2)      Getting late starts to the day

Having said that you shouldn’t put yourself into too much of a time crunch, you do have to be realistic about what you are undertaking. I am not nor have I ever been a “morning person.” This fact reared up to bite me badly when I took my first few long-distance road trips. I would wake up at the “crack of 10:30” and then wonder why my trip was taking twice as long as I had planned. Sure, you’re on vacation, so you shouldn’t expect yourself to wake up with the roosters and hit the road, but a reasonably early start to the day can make the difference between an invigorating road trip and a “rush job.”

3)      Failing to fully research potential campgrounds and hotels

Of course, there is a limit to what you can learn online about hotels and campgrounds, but most have pretty decent websites that offer an adequate overview of things. Pay close attention to the comments section if they have one. I have been able to avoid what appeared to be some pretty seedy campgrounds by heeding the warnings of others. On the other hand, when I failed to properly research certain sites, I ended up in some fairly strange places where I couldn’t get my car into reverse fast enough. It is also helpful when scouting for hotels to research if there are any large gatherings in town that will coincide with your arrival. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination and finding that every hotel within a 50-mile radius is booked because of some large local event.

4)      Not taking time to see the sights

Remember: It’s about the journey not the destination. Sure, if you’re headed to a huge attraction like Disneyland or a game at a major league stadium, there is that desire to get there as quickly as possible. However, you can drive yourself crazy on the road if that’s all you’re thinking about. Take time to stop and smell the roses. This country is full of interesting, quirky and sometimes downright weird roadside attractions. Live a little. Don’t want to see the world’s second-largest ball of twine? Well, then do a little research and I’m sure you can find your cup of tea on your way to your destination.

5)      Packing too much

The temptation I always face when packing for a long-distance road trip is that I am afraid I will forget something and then REALLY need it. As a result, I tend to overpack. This is a mistake. Other than any necessary camping supplies, the only thing you really need to pack is a fresh change of clothes for each day (unless you’re willing to stop along the way to do laundry – ugh!). Other than that, I always live by the motto: “If I don’t have it when I get there, I can always buy it.” If you pack too much, you will regret it as soon as you start unpacking at the campsite or the hotel. I am super-paranoid about leaving things in the car, so I end up lugging most of my stuff into the room or the tent. As a result, it is so much easier just to have to carry one duffel back and maybe a backpack rather than making multiple trips to unload a carload full of luggage.

6)      Not bringing the proper supplies

This one may seem like a direct contradiction to the previous entry but hear me out. What I’m really focused on here is camping supplies. By the time you get to your campsite, your options to purchase supplies are usually somewhat limited. Even if you can find a place to stock up on supplies, the prices are going to be exorbitant. Be sure to make a list of what you think you’ll need at a campsite and pack accordingly.

7)      Failing to account for the “unexpected”

On my first long-distance trip from Virginia to Los Angeles, I was somewhere at a supermarket in West Texas buying some firewood when suddenly my mind just went blank, and I couldn’t remember the PIN for my debit card. Luckily, I had a little cash on me so I bought the firewood and then stopped at a nearby ATM to see if I could remember the number. What happened? You guessed it – after punching in the wrong number two or three times, my bank locked up my account. Here I am, 2,000 miles from home with no access to any money. A panic set in. All was lost!! Fortunately, after a good night’s sleep, I made a call to my bank and got everything straightened out. I simply stopped into a bank branch office in New Mexico, reset my PIN and continued my journey. The point of this long-winded, oddball story is that things are going to happen on a long-distance road trip, sometimes not to your liking. Whether it be car trouble, speeding tickets or forgetting your PIN, these little hiccups are part of the bargain. Don’t let them get you down. If you start out on your road trip thinking that if something goes wrong then the whole trip is ruined, well, then your trip is already ruined. Take it easy, expect some setbacks and enjoy the ride.

8)      Forgetting to have pre-emptive service done on your vehicle

While you do have to expect the unexpected, there’s no reason to avoid making the necessary preparations for a long-distance road trip. For heaven’s sake, take your car into your favorite mechanic and get it serviced before you hit the road. Whether it’s something as major as having the timing belt replaced at 100,000 miles or as simple as a regular oil change, it is imperative that your vehicle be in tip-top shape before undertaking such a large journey. You can also take this opportunity to make sure you have an emergency kit in your car in case of any unforeseen mishaps. Also, make sure that the spare tire is fully inflated.

9)      Getting into the “fast-food rut”

If you’re not camping along the way and are simply staying in hotels, you can get into some real bad eating habits. Trust me, after a long day’s ride – it’s late, not much is open, you just want to relax in the room – it’s very tempting to simply stop by the nearest fast-food place or convenience store and pick up some quick, cheap nourishment. While this may be OK on one or two nights of your trip, after a while all those burgers and potato chips can start weighing on you. Plus, didn’t you go on this trip to experience different and unique things? What’s so different and unique about the same fast-food joint you have at home? Branch out, do the same research on restaurants that you did on the hotels and campgrounds. Take a sample of the local culinary delights. This goes hand in hand with the previous entry on “seeing the sights.” It’s also likelier to be a much healthier option.

10)   Not having a rough outline of your trip

I always preface this piece of advice by declaring that I am not the Clark Griswold-type who maps out his entire trip on the computer beforehand to “maximize the fun.” However, a healthy dose of moderate planning does seem to make things go a little smoother. When I first started out on my long-distance road trip journeys, I had absolutely no plan at all, usually just a destination. I soon figured out that there was a lot that could go wrong on such trips. However, I also learned that with a little careful preparation, I could avoid many of these pitfalls. Make a general outline of your trip, and decide how closely you want to follow it. Then sit back and enjoy the journey.