Okay, so yesterday I decided to plan a road trip. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on fancy apps or travel planners, so I figured I’d try to do it all with free tools. Here’s how it went down:
Figuring Out Where to Go
First things first, I needed to decide on a destination. I had a general idea of the area I wanted to explore, so I started with good ol’ Google Maps. I just zoomed in on the region and started poking around.
I looked for interesting-looking spots – parks, quirky towns, anything that caught my eye. I also used the “Explore” feature to see popular destinations and user-submitted photos. This gave me a better feel for what the area had to offer.
Plotting the Route
Once I had a few potential stops, I started building the actual route. I used Google Maps for this, too. I just added destinations one by one, playing around with the order to see what made the most sense driving-wise.
- Start Point: My house, obviously!
- Stop 1: That cool-looking national park I found.
- Stop 2: A little town with a bunch of antique shops.
- Stop 3: A scenic overlook I saw mentioned on a travel blog.
- End Point: Back home, hopefully not too exhausted.
Google Maps is great because it automatically calculates driving times and distances. This helped me figure out how much I could realistically fit into each day.
Finding Places to Stay
Next, I needed to figure out where to sleep. Again, sticking with the free theme, I primarily used Google Maps’ hotel search function. I just typed in “hotels near [town name]” and it popped up a bunch of options.
I also checked out some free travel blogs and forums to see if anyone had recommendations for budget-friendly lodging in the area. People often share hidden gems that you might not find on the big booking sites.
Making a Schedule (Sort Of)
I’m not a huge fan of super-rigid schedules, but I did want to have a general idea of how each day would look. So, I created a simple document using Google Docs.
I basically just listed each day, the planned stops, and estimated driving times. I also added some notes about potential activities at each location, like hiking trails or museums.
The beauty of using Google Docs is that it’s easy to access and edit on the go. I can just pull it up on my phone if I need to make changes or check what’s next.
Getting Ready to Roll
With my super basic, free plan finished, I am ready to hit the road! This simple plan is the foundamentel, I will be flexible and spontaneous, and if any changes, just update my Google Docs.
