13 Tips on Planning Your Solo Road Trip
This is the second post by Tammie on the topic of solo road trips. Read her first here: Why You Should Go On A Solo Road Trip.
So you’re at least considering a solo road trip? Good! First, realize it’s not brain surgery. The logistics are simple, subjective, and subject to change – a beautiful thing. And keep in mind, SOLO road trips and road trips have little in common in the way of either experience or preparation.
Now that we’ve covered the touchy-feely side of solo travel, let’s talk about the practicalities, most of which revolve around safety. Until 2007 my solo road trips were taken in a 1994 Mazda MX-6. No 4-wheel drive, no GPS, no OnStar, no AAA membership, and just enough clearance to not be a turtle killer. And I had a fantastic time, no matter what happened, and a lot happened.
1. The single most important component: your mindset. Make sure you’re ready to consider everything that happens part of the adventure.
2. If you can afford it, purchase a AAA membership.
3. Inform close friends and family you’re leaving and what general direction you’re headed. Yea you’ll have to hear all the crap about it, and listen to your Mom tell you not to sleep in your car, but do it anyway.
4. Designate one person as your daily contact (and tell the others who that person is). Make that call once a day, without neglect.
5. Purchase a recent Atlas.
6. Pack a warm blanket in the car, heavy duty gloves, a rain jacket, jumper cables, ice scrapper, a pair of boots, and all the tools required to change a flat. Make sure you’ve got a good spare.
7. Have the oil changed, tires and basic fluid levels checked.
8. Place a first aid kit in the vehicle.
9. Never allow your fuel to go below ½ tank.
10. Know the territory you’ll be in. If hiking, know the rules, the dangers (are there bears in the area, snakes, etc.) and be prepared for those. If you don’t know, don’t go. Actually, unless you’re familiar with survival techniques, I’d caution against going into any backcountry situation alone. With quite a bit of experience under my belt and some near misses (a run-in with a full grown mountain lion comes to mind), I now avoid most wilderness situations unless I’ve someone accompanying me.
11. If you have any alcohol to drink, drink it after you’ve checked into your lodging for the night. Besides not wanting to drink and drive, you’ll also have all your capacities and wit about you during the time you’re out and about.
12. Take both a car charger and a wall charger for your cell phone, and keep it charged.
13. My own rules: No fast food. I pack sandwich fixin’s, snacks and drinks in an ice chest before I leave home. And I limit major highway travel. I’ve seen few things of note at 75 mph. But if you’re contemplating your first SRT and you’d feel better staying on major freeways, then do it! You’ll get all the benefits of solo travel and you’ll feel safe (VERY important).
Get out there!
About the author:Tammie Dooley’s preferred mode of travel is on foot or by 4WD. All done solo, of course. Her blog, Solo Road Trip, is an attractively designed invitation to follow along on her journeys.
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Posted by Tammie Dooley from Solo Road Trip on January 20th, 2009 in Articles.
#1Beth Whitman » January 21st, 2009 at 3:45 am:
Thanks for all the great tips but what about Goldfish crackers? I never travel by car without Goldfish
#2Lyns » January 21st, 2009 at 9:35 am:
Or a box of cereal! Best car snack food ever and if you’re taking a solo trip, no one can get annoyed by your munching!
#3fm » January 22nd, 2009 at 7:09 pm:
i am with you about fast food – it is best to avoid it
#4Rich Whitaker » January 23rd, 2009 at 8:04 am:
I think #1 is very important…and you can’t forget the pretzel goldfish.
#5Caroline A. » January 23rd, 2009 at 8:05 am:
Hi Tammie,
I like the picture of the car on the road. I can almost hear the radio. Thanks for sharing the tips!
#6Marius » January 27th, 2009 at 12:37 am:
Tammie,
You’ve mentioned every necesary thing but..how about a friend, or at least a dog?!!
#7Tammie » January 27th, 2009 at 2:11 pm:
mmmmmm….. goldfish crackers! I knew I left something out. I love the multi colored ones.
Thank you for all your comments.
#8Joie » January 27th, 2009 at 3:29 pm:
Very inspiring! Will try to make a solo road trip down to Texas sometime this spring! I’m curious, do you listen to music? Books on tape? Or just the lovely sound of your car on the open road…
#9Clay Mama » January 27th, 2009 at 3:49 pm:
Safety factors are soooo important. Good tips. Don’t forget the corn nuts! Only time I can eat them is when I’m alone. Too much noise!!! I feel like you have something else to say…kinda like I hear an and… Don’t leave us hanging! Give us more. How do you select the motel you stay in or the route you take?…the road less traveled? ….don’t want to even think about staying in the car. I’m 65 and you have me so charged up about taking a solo road trip. I have Santa Fe on my mind in a month or so. You are as refreshing as lime juice!!
#10Lisa » January 28th, 2009 at 3:44 am:
Great points!! By George, I think you covered it all…Now, just tell me what direction to point my compass and where are the Best Places to go?
#11JJ » January 28th, 2009 at 2:42 pm:
Great stuff!!
to those of you who inquired about pets, friends, or suggestions on places you ’should’ see. A pet, depending on its level of maintenance could detract from the notion of solitude…man’s best friend is still a friend. Another person would totally destroy the whole concept of a ’solo’ road trip. And to Lisa, being told where to go is SRT sacrilege. ‘Best’ is a subjective term…Go wherever the hell you want to…this is about you.
#12Tammie » January 28th, 2009 at 3:57 pm:
Wow!! sounds like the subject of SRTs has the power to inspire, intrigue, and induce comment exchange. SRTs are a curious thing, and you really have to experience a true SRT (with nothing breathing in the vehicle except you) to see the difference between being totally alone with your thoughts and the spontaneity that results from that, and having even a pet on board. There’s a definite difference. As JJ said though, it’s all about you, so do what you want! I also agree it’s not about where to go. What’s amazing is what you find along the way to anywhere.
#13Tammie » January 28th, 2009 at 4:04 pm:
To Clay Mama, I’ve never been compared to lime juice. But I kinda like that!
To Joie, I do listen to music and sometimes a good book on tape. However, I’ve noticed I’ll have them on regularly at the beginning of the trip, but as the trip proceeds, often I have no desire to hear anything but the cogs in my head.
#14Tourism Radio » January 28th, 2009 at 7:09 pm:
All fantastic tips!
A lot of people might think they sound like common sense but when you’re excited about a trip there are some things that can easily slip your mind.
#15JB » January 29th, 2009 at 1:55 am:
I think everyone needs to take 1 SRT per year at a minimum. But this depends on a person’s set of family responsibilities. If you’re married and have young children or a single parent, you face additional challenges. You may have to start with a day long journey somewhere, anywhere. To the guys out there who need to take a SRT, offer to support your wife to take the first SRT and help her (if she wants) get ready for travel following Tammie’s tips above. But before she goes, make sure you’ve selected a date/time for your own SRT, and soon after her SRT. Seal the deal by taking her to dinner and proposing this idea. I’m in the process of trying this since I’ve been inspired by Tammie! Good luck to all of us who remain SRT wannabees.
#16JB » January 29th, 2009 at 2:04 am:
Hey Marius, don’t take the dog on a SRT. Take JJ’s advice on that one. I once did that driving from Oklahoma to Washington D.C. with a Siberian Huskie. Thought it might be cool. After he ate the first bag of treats (chicken and shrimp flavor), the war was on. And about Tennessee, the electronic motor that controls the window on my side died. LOL. Seriously, we have to leave people and pets behind so we can hear those cogs in our head. For me, that’s when I get things straight, set priorities about my life and think about what’s most important. One of the questions I’ve asked myself to get my cogs going is: If I died tomorrow, do I have any regrets? That tends to help me focus. Good luck.
#17JH Snowfish » January 29th, 2009 at 12:59 pm:
Hey Girl: I think sometimes in life we have to travel our own solo road trip internally as well as the wonderful adventures that you post. I know without actually travelling, I feel that I have been on a solo road trip sans the serenity of the road. Sometimes life takes us on those journeys as you well know. Self discovery is the ticket, but a world awaits us ahead–maybe just over the horizon?
#18Tammie » January 30th, 2009 at 10:56 am:
JH Snowfish, your point is exactly why I began the solo road trip website. While it’s taken off in a literal direction, the initial vision was something less literal. Eventually, I hope to take it more in the direction with which you identify. We do each walk a solo journey, regardless the number of people we manage to connect ourselves to along the way. Life is a solo road trip. And that fact seems to be most appreciated by those who recognize it, aren’t afraid of it, and embrace it. I’m hopeful the serenity that’s absent in your current solo journey, is indeed just over your horizon.
#19Pops » January 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am:
Goldfish, cereal, dog, no dog… SRT’s are just one of those times when no one but you and fate sets the agenda. BTW, my personal SRT is topped off with Corn Nuts and a carton of milk. (Whole milk, if my consience will let me). What I like about thes tips are the fact that there as deep and as simple as the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”. So whether your SRT is in your mind (I often do that), 5 hours, 5 days, or 5 months long, the point is to always be ready to set your “own” compass to discover yourself as you discover new places and things. Well done.
#20JH Snowfish » January 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm:
I believe and have deep faith that the serenity is just over the horizon and my next SRT begins. Hopefully, it’s not the bug on the windshield. Oh Wait-I’ve already been the bug on the windshield. You know me too well.
#21Lisa » January 31st, 2009 at 4:00 am:
Great points for all…and JJ, I recognize that these trips are just as you spoke, SRT’s and just do it! I also encourage that we need to not forget about the good beef jerkey to pack or the great (and remember when) SlimJims? Anyhow, so I get on this SRT and the truck just takes me to where it should point…How the heck do I find my way home??? Tammie, do you suggest a great Atlas for us that can help us find our way home, that is if we want to return, LOL.
#22Tammie » February 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 am:
Lisa, I’d purchase an Atlas with the spiral binding. They’re great! Another suggestion is to use a yellow highlighter and mark everywhere you’ve been. It’s fun to look back on. The state of Wyoming is almost solid yellow. Makes me proud!
#23Gecko » June 14th, 2010 at 1:44 pm:
Tammie, I agree with you in fast food. It’s better to avoid them. Also we can carry a box of cereal while traveling alone. It’s a nice pass time having them and we really don’t have to bother about the annoying noise. We can enjoy munching!
#24alyse » June 24th, 2010 at 1:38 pm:
Tammie, I admire you! I want and need a SRT so badly right now. I’m a 21 year old girl though and everyone I know thinks I’m insane and that it’s too dangerous for me. I’ve always been good taking care of myself, but everyone’s doubts are starting to get to me. I don’t know where I want to go, I just want to drive. I’ve had small trips before on my own but nothing like what I’m thinking now. How young were you when you had your first SRT, did people say the same things? How do I go about this and stay safe?
#25Tammie Dooley » July 3rd, 2010 at 2:16 am:
Alyse, I was about your age. And yes, I’ve heard the same comments. And you know what? Getting older hasn’t changed the rhetoric. So don’t wait for that to help you out. I don’t do a lot of planning as to “where” before I begin a road trip – other than a general direction and an up to date Atlas in hand. But here’s what I believe to be the most important things you can do – make sure your vehicle is in tip top shape, keep your cell phone charged at all times (that means both a car and outlet charger), check in with someone at least once per day and let them know your whereabouts, and seek lodging well before dark. My favorite time to SRT is the fall, which means dark comes pretty early. Even if that means getting a room at 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, that doesn’t mean you can’t walk around town/explore a bit after that. For the first time out you may want to do a bit more planning. GO. GO. GO. The things you’ll learn about yourself and the world will rock YOUR world.
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