If you’re like millions of other Americans, this summer you and your family are likely to buckle up the kids in the back seat, strap luggage to the roof and set out for a vacation driving the nation’s roadways. And if you do, there is one thing as certain as your kids getting antsy here and there: The trip will be more expensive this year than it was last year.
In light of rising costs of fuel, food and hotel accommodations, the American Automobile Association advises that you do your research before getting behind the wheel.
Fortunately, the Internet is an excellent resource for the budget-conscious traveler, with web sites offering everything from helpful tools such as fuel calculators to ideas about innovative and affordable lodging opportunities such as house-sitting but is always needed to check for these common symptoms of repairs needed before you depart.
An estimated 32 million of you braved the nation’s roadways during the first weekend of summer this year, according to AAA. But even if the higher costs make you think twice before getting behind the wheel for a road trip this summer, the Internet can help you find ways to stay within your budget.
“If you know where you are going, you can plot out your trip and find the cheapest gas along your route,” says John Townsend, manager of public and government relations for AAA’s mid-Atlantic region.
“If you were able to make the trip last year,” Townsend adds, the higher costs “don’t have to be a deal breaker this year.”
To help make this summer’s trip both enjoyable and economical, here are some online resources to check out before — or even during — your trip:
Research destinations and lodging
What you want to do on your road trip is just as important as your budget. Whether you are looking for an amusement park or a national park or someplace unique you’ve heard about from a friend, there is an assortment of travel web sites, such as Road Trip America, eTravelogue, AAA, and Rand McNally, to help you research destinations.
Most sites also include cost-saving tips. “The biggest single expense on road trips tends to be lodging and whatever attractions you’re going to visit,” says Mark Sedenquist, publisher and managing editor of RoadTripAmerica. “One way to reduce costs is to camp as opposed to staying in motels.” Online camp reservation sites include Reserve USA and KOA Camping.
For more creative lodging ideas, check out house-sitting opportunities at the Caretaker Gazette and House Carers. For discounts on hotels, museums and attractions, Laurie Borman, editorial director for Rand McNally, advises checking out the web sites for city convention bureaus.
Map out your trip
Lodging or excursions used to be the highest ticket item for a road trip, but now gas prices are a top consideration, too. You can save fuel by taking the most direct route to your destination. Google Maps, MapQuest and AAA provide free services to help you plot out driving directions. Given that this is your family vacation, however, you may want to stop and see various attractions on the way.
Some road trip web sites, such as eTravelogue and Rand McNally, have features that not only let you plot out your driving directions but locate attractions en route based on interests (family visits, historic sites and national parks, for example) and distance from the main highways.
Next you can generate customized driving directions including all your stops. Chris McGowan, the publisher of eTravelogue, points out that his site even lists radio stations for news, jazz or whatever you want to listen to along your trip. Want to know which restaurants and hotels are located near a certain exit ramp and where you can get free Wi-Fi? TravMatix’s web site provides this information for major U.S. highways.
Calculate how much it will cost
It pays to try to get estimates about how much your trip is going to cost. AAA forecasts that the average cost of lodging is $164 per night this year. A family of four is expected to also spend about $80 per day in meals. Web sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Hotels can help you compare costs of different accommodations. You can also keep meal costs down by picnicking once a day and keeping snacks in a cooler (use the travel-planning web sites to pinpoint grocery stores along the way).
Fuel calculators are also available online from AAA, RoadTrip America and the aptly titled Fuel Cost Calculator, where you can figure out how much you’ll spend for gas based on your distance, regional prices, and the make, model and year of your car. Other sites, such as GasPriceWatch and GasBuddy, also clue you in on the least expensive gas where you’re headed.
If you’re worried about the cost to the environment for all the driving you’ll be doing, you can make a donation to offset the CO2 you’re generating at the Carbon Fund organization’s web site.
Keep kids occupied
For parents who want to avoid hearing “Are we there yet?” over and over, there are several ways to keep the kids involved during your trip.
“You don’t want them to be absorbed by DVDs during the trip,” Sedenquist says. “They can get that at home.” Depending on the age of your children, Sedenquist suggests that older children can take turns helping to navigate in the car, holding the maps and telling Mom or Dad to turn right or left. Children can also take turns planning sights to see on different days. Sedenquist also suggests that each child have a “go kit” for the trip — a backpack filled with crayons, maps, games, a journal and so on.
Road games are always popular, such as trying to find the letters A-Z on license plates, highway signs and business signs along the route. A web site, run by Mom’s Minivan, features 101 car games, including counting cows, scavenger hunts on the road and sing-alongs. You can print out more games at Disney’s Family Fun site. For the teens, give them a budget and let them visit their favorite digital music download site before the trip so they can create some custom CDs with their favorite songs and audio books for the whole family to listen to together.
Also, equip your kids with a digital photo or video camera to take charge of documenting the trips. After all, says McGowan, who plans to drive with his girlfriend and her nephew from Boston to Wyoming this summer, the economic slump doesn’t have to keep you from making memories on the road. “We don’t let a little thing like gas prices get us down,” McGowan says.
About The Author: Elizabeth Wasserman is a freelance writer and editor based in Fairfax, Va. She writes for a variety of publications including Congressional Quarterly and Inc. magazine, and she edits the online publication CIO Strategy Center.
Doreen Orion says
Since my book, QUEEN OF THE ROAD about a year-long road trip my husband and I took around the country was published this summer, I’ve been asked so often if, due to high gas prices, the great American road trip is coming to the end of the road. I’m so glad to see this article. It gives me hope!
Bob Granstrom says
Thanks you, Elizabeth, for suggesting helpful websites to assist those planning the often-dreaded Family Road Trip. I prefer that experience over any other mode of travel and a carefully prepared motoring event can make the trip a memorable one. Help from the sites you recommended can be very important to the planning process. Good job!