Road Trip Planning August 16, 2023, 03:30:04 pm Does anyone have recommendations for apps/websites that they're happy with in planning road trips? The few I've tried are very "clunky" (like Auto Club's Trip-Tic)...Thanks,Bill
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #1 – August 16, 2023, 04:51:32 pm Based upon 10 weeks last summer and 15 weeks ( with still 5 more to go) my go to is combination of Google maps and iOverlander, the former gives me routes and well known campgrounds, with the latter helping with other sites. To save said plans, use the iOS Calendar app, as it’s easy to save details and modify, as well as share with others.My drive back from Alaska, started today, consists of a string of destinations Dawson City, Hyder, Jasper, Glacier, Yellowstoneall with dates for each that I can arrive at with 3 hours of driving each day (based on Google) and a few days at each place. Even with that, I have extra days for exploring and unexpected problems. It’s intentionally loosely planned, just as long as I arrive at Yellowstone by September 12 to meet up with friends.If there’s a better system that ties all that together, I’m all ears. 1 Likes
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #2 – August 17, 2023, 06:51:56 am Bill-I used Garmin's BaseCamp to plan trips. I found it painful to learn, but relatively powerful to use. I would only use it if I had a Garmin GPS. If you do, and want to dive into BaseCamp, I can dig up some posts that might get you over some of the painful parts.RV Trip Wizard software has been around for a few years. I have no experience with it.Mark H. 1 Likes
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #3 – August 17, 2023, 05:32:08 pm Quote from: pdl2win - August 16, 2023, 03:30:04 pmDoes anyone have recommendations for apps/websites that they're happy with in planning road trips?I've been using RV Life Trip Wizard for over a year now. The tool makes it easy to limit each leg to my maximum driving distance for that day. There's a steep learning curve; the 7-day free trial is not really enough, and it is rather pricey.
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #4 – August 17, 2023, 06:21:53 pm It's been my observation that there are three types of RV Road Trip Planners.1. Those that plan the trip down to the mile and hour. Places, Camps, Entertainment, and Food. 2. Those that point the RV in the direction they like to go and accept whatever pops up.3. Combination of the above methods depending on mood. We, LB and I, are type 3. We set aside a finite about of time and a direction we'd like to explore. Once on the road at the first or second 'rest' break, I pull out my 'planning' tools. ParkAdvisor, or RV Parky. I am also a member of Escapees. I'm not overly impressed with their planning but I do like staying at the assorted club parks when we are in the area. Google Maps is a good resource also. glen
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #5 – August 17, 2023, 09:28:26 pm I like the Allstays app for campgrounds, national state and county parks, rest stops, gas stations, low clearance on roads, and propane suppliers. Plus google maps for route planning. Other than that I don't plan out a detailed day by day travel itinerary. We have a destination in mind (ie family in Florida, midwest or Arizona) then give ourselves plenty of time to get there and see some sights along the way.
Re: Road Trip Planning Reply #6 – August 18, 2023, 04:23:36 pm We bought our TK for retirement to see the vast swaths of the US that were largely unvisited by us. For years our modus operandi was to pick two or three clustered states and go out for a couple of months or so to explore them. Our first step always was to get the AAA guidebook(s) for those states and review their “Diamond” recommendations for “must see” places. We’d plot those on a AAA map of the state/region and simply connect the dots with a driving route. Only then did we think about campgrounds along the way and how to pace ourselves to allow for some spontaneous excursions. This worked great for us, and we explored all over the country to places we never would have thought about otherwise. ( Did you know there were salt mines in Kansas? A national quilting museum in Kentucky?) Also, whenever we crossed a state line and there was a tourist information station, we’d pull in and seek out local events like rodeos, fairs, etc. Sharing these with local folk was often a highlight. This is, of course, old school, and a product of that time (2007 through a few years ago), but it’s still an alternative to an app. As dear Joan always said, YMMV! — Jon&Loni 5 Likes