A road trip should be 7-10 days with non-travel days included. This is the perfect length of time to be able to travel to multiple destinations and enjoy the areas without becoming tired from long drive days.
A road trip vacation can be an excellent way to see multiple destinations in one trip. It is best to travel no more than 4 hours a day. This gives you the opportunity to still have time to see do activities and travel on the same day. A maximum 4-hour drive prevents you from becoming travel-worn also.
It is also a great idea to schedule travel free days where you can relax and enjoy a single destination. This will give you the chance to fully immerse yourself in the area without the cloud of urgency hanging over your head to quickly move on to the next stop.
You can also use the road trip method as a way to simply reach an end destination. In this case, you likely will want to reach your final location as quick as is logically possible. You can travel long distances in a day but these should be broken up with breaks every few hours.
If you do not have another person to share the driving consider driving no more than 8-10 hours a day on a road trip.
How Long Does a Road Trip Have to Be to Be Considered a Road Trip?
There is no set length of time for a trip to be considered a road trip. A 2-hour trip can definitely still be counted as a road trip. It is the intention that matters not the length of time.
We love a good road trip. Sometimes our road trips are short 1.5 hr road trips out of the city. Other times they are days long and feature multiple locations all over the country.
A road trip is determined by the intent you set out with. If you want to make a 2-hour trip a road trip then treat it as such.
Here are a few ideas we use to make any length of a trip a road trip:
Plan Interesting Stops
The places you stop on a road trip can make or break the experience. I research the trip in the days (or months) leading up to departure. I look for unique historical points, fun parks, exciting places to swim, hiking trails, and other points of interest. This is what a road trip is all about. Taking it slow and really getting to see parts of the country that are not in your backyard every day.
Food stops are also essential on a good road trip. I make sure I find good places to eat. On our last road trip, I stumbled upon the most incredible chocolate shop in the middle of nowhere. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip for everyone. Skip the chain fast food restaurants and opt for places you can’t go to at home.
Pack Lots of Car Snacks
Is a road trip even a road trip if you don’t have snacks? Possibly the most essential part of any road trip is the snacks.
It is somewhat of a tradition in our family to go to the store the night before a road trip to load up on all the delicious snacks. We try to opt for a mixture of healthy snacks along with complete sugary and salty junk. It is all about the balance!
Download an Epic Music Playlist or Audiobooks
When we road trip we do a mix of music and audiobooks. We are generally screen-free in the car because it just leads to too much fighting and bad attitudes. However, we do an award-winning karaoke session every time we are out on the open road.
As for audiobooks, these are amazing at keeping kids and adults entertained for hours upon hours. Our family favourites are the iconic Harry Potter read by Stephen Fry, The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer and Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend.
How Often Should I Stop on a Road Trip?
The general rule is that you should stop every 2 hours on a road trip. This is especially important if you have children in car seats travelling with you. A break every 2 hours to stretch and move is very important when driving long distances.
Whenever we are on a long road trip I make sure to plan a stop every two hours. This is to ensure us adults don’t become too tired driving and so that everyone has a chance to get some fresh air and move around.
This length of time is usually the limit to what I feel comfortable driving in one session. I can definitely drive for long periods of time overall but I do need to break it up into 2-hour increments to allow me to rest my eyes and brain. Along with the rest, I need to move around and refresh myself.
As for children, 2 hours is about their limit sitting in car seats also. Remember that they are a lot more restrained than older children and adults. The is especially true if they are buckled into five-point harnesses.
My kids will become restless and begin to argue with each other if they aren’t able to get a break. Once we get out of the car for fresh air and a run around everyone is much more pleasant and the road trip continues harmoniously…for the most part.
Where Should I Stop On a Road Trip
There are so many fun places to stop on a road trip. I actually wrote a huge post on all the best types of places you should stop at when planning a road trip. You can read that here.
Our go-to road trip stops include some of the following:
Anywhere You Can Swim
Swimming is a great way to refresh and get out some built up energy on a road trip. If you have the opportunity to jump in a river or swim at the base of a waterfall on your next road trip then take it.
Other fun water stops include splash pads, water parks, hot springs, lakes and beaches.
National and State Parks
A quick hike in a national park can be just what you need. If we are stopping on a road trip to do a hike we opt for shorter less intensive hikes.
A 30-60 minute hike is the perfect length of time to break up a road trip.
State parks are often great places to stop and have lunch on a road trip. Spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy the surroundings.
Enticing Places to Eat
The food is one of the best parts of a road trip. Hunt down some popular restaurants or hole in the wall type food establishments to try.
One of our favourite stops on our road trip around the Grand Canyon was Navajo Tacos out of a food truck in the middle of the desert!
There are always fun little cafes or places famous for their BBQ or legendary pies that are the ideal stops on a road trip. If you happen to find something amazing it will likely become a tradition any time you are passing through again.
Fun Tourist Traps
Tourist traps can get a bad wrap but they are part of the experience. One of our favourite tourist traps was when we were travelling in Indonesia and tried putting out feet in a tank of fish. The fish then proceeded to eat all the dead skin off our feet.
It was one of the most unique experiences and something that was very touristy but equally memorable.
If you see a fun tourist trap on your road trip consider stopping and making a fun memory.