18 of the best road trip planning tools
Planning a road trip is almost as exciting as going on the trip itself! Having the right road trip planning tools to help you do so will make your planning process even easier.
There are so many resources out there, you might not know which ones are worth it and which ones are a waste of your time to be using.
I’ve gathered the best road trip planning tools out there so you can skip the research part to find the right tools and get to planning your awesome adventure right away with the right tools to do so!
How do I organize my road trip itinerary
Before getting into the best tools to help you plan your road trip, it might come in handy to know how to even organize that trip in the first place.
So where do you start when planning your road trip? I like to write down a couple of destinations on a piece of paper or on a notepad on my phone. Writing a couple of destinations I would like to travel to will allow me to have different options depending on other essential factors to consider as well.
Next, decide on your budget for the trip. You want to try to determine your final destination and be able to stay within your budget.
How long do you have some time off? How long is your vacation? It’s also important to take this into consideration when choosing your final destination. Once you have your budget figured out and the length of the trip, go back to your destinations list and make your final choice.
Now, book your flights and start your research! And make sure to use whichever road trip planning tools below to help you plan it out!
Finding road trip inspiration
You might be wondering why is Pinterest part of my road trip planning tools. It’s quite simple, Pinterest is a great platform to find a LOT of inspiration!
You can find great blog posts from bloggers from all over the world to help you plan an itinerary, you can find beautiful images of places you might want to see while on your road trip in that area as well.
If you are not set on a destination yet, it can also be a great source of inspiration to find your next trip!
Pinterest is also a great resource to help you get insights on what you want to do on your trip, you might find some great tips as well on when is the best time to visit certain attractions and so much more!
Follow my boards on Pinterest to get some more inspiration from me!
Instagram is also to help you get inspired. But instead of a search engine such as Pinterest, it is a more visual platform with images and nowadays, videos.
I’ve used Instagram over the years to help me plan out my trips by saving images and going back to them when I am planning a trip to the destination.
You can organize your saved images or videos on different boards like Pinterest. You could name boards to countries or travel inspiration. Whatever you like.
When you get to planning your trip, go back to your board relating to that content and you’ll be able to find inspiration such as places to visit, time to visit, and even some tips too!
With geolocalization on posts, it’s great to spot them on a map and add it to your own itinerary.
Come and follow me on Instagram for some inspiration from my own travels!
Planning your road trip planning tools
Google maps
I’ve said it before, but I like to print out a map of the country I will be going to and I like to pinpoint the attractions I want to see along the way on the map. Google maps is a great tool to help you out with that.
This can help you map out your final itinerary. Google maps offer you the possibility to create an itinerary with multiple stops along the way.
Google maps also allow you to download maps ahead of time so you can use them offline. It’s a great feature especially if you are traveling internationally as you might not have WIFI or data all the time while on the road.
It also has a saving feature which is great to use as a bucket list. You just tap on the name of the place and then ”save”. You’ll be able to save the item to your list. It’s a great idea to help you remember places locals have referred you to. It’s easy to spot them on your map and make a stop along the way!
Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers is actually a website and mobile app that helps people plan their road trips. The trip planner can help discover places you hadn’t thought about and even great experiences worth adding to your original plan.
The platform is pretty straightforward. You basically type in where you are going and it will show you a map from your location with sights along the way and a general idea of your route. From there, you can add hotels and unique stays, attractions and experiences, outdoor adventures, bars and restaurants, places to camp, sights and landmarks, entertainment and nightlife, and even auto services and repairs!
Once you’ve put in the information about your final destination, you’ll also get the total number of kilometers you’ll be doing on the trip, and also the number of hours driving. There’s even an estimation for your gas cost on your journey.
Roadtrippers is free to use. You can also get the plus option that allows you more features such as planning longer itineraries, making an RV routing, live traffic, and offline maps to only name a few.
The basic version is a great option if you are planning a short road trip with fewer stops along the way. If your road trip involves stopping in many different places, the Plus version will definitely be better suited for you as you will have more flexibility to plan out your itinerary.
The basic version is free to use and has limited features. The Plus version costs $29.99/year but allows you more flexibility in your planning. Depending on your needs, choose the one that will work for you.
I’m very old school when it comes time to plan a road trip and plan it from A to Z on my own. I haven’t used any apps in the past to help me plan out my route but I’ve tried it in order to tell you about it. I’ve been quite impressed actually and I might just start using it for my next great adventure! I especially like camping when we go out on a road trip and the camping feature is very nice!
Maps me
Maps.me is a bit like Google maps as you will be able to download maps to use as your offline. I like to use it, especially when walking around a city.
The app, even when offline will show you exactly where you are on the map. It’s great because you can know where you are on the itinerary.
You’ll be able to have a detailed itinerary with turn-by-turn information. The app can also help you find restaurants, bars, hotels around you, and much more.
The Maps.me app is also free to use.
Trello
Trello will help you manage different projects and tasks. It’s a great road trip planning tool as you will be able to put all the tasks you need to do in preparation for your road trip, you can also make a checklist to help you plan everything.
Trello will keep everything organized in your planning process. You will be able to track all your tasks from your to-do list, currently working on, and tasks that are done.
For every task, you can add due dates and write comments for each task as you go. Setting up due dates for your different tasks will set up reminders so you don’t forget to do something! In our everyday life, sometimes it can get easy to forget something. This is a great feature, I know for me, reminders are also very helpful!
Checklists! I love checklists! I use them for everything! You can add them to your road trip planning for tasks, packing lists, and whatever list you can think about! Isn’t it satisfying to checkmark something from your list?
If you like graphs, you’ll be able to check your planning status as you go. Every time you check a task, your bar will go up until you’ve got a 100% covered with the timeline view.
If you are not collaborating with partners and sharing different information through the platform, you could use the free version of Trello. The free version is for individuals or teams looking to organize anything. For planning your road trip, the free version allows you enough features to do all you need to.
Trello isn’t only good to use as a road trip planning tool but you can use it for your everyday life as well. All these different features can help you in every aspect of your planning! I really like to use it as it is pretty user-friendly and I can track a lot of things.
There’s even an app available so every time you have something to add to your plan or checkoff, you can do it on the go!
Here is the link for you to sign up for Trello!
Finding accommodations along the way
Outdoorsy
Outdoorsy helps you find the perfect RV for your next adventure on the road. You can rent an RV and even put your own RV to rent out.
Once you’ve found the perfect one for you, you’ll just need to send out your booking request to the owner. Once it is settled, you can arrange a pick-up time or even get it delivered for you. From there, you can enjoy the freedom of driving around with roadside assistance included.
You’ll find everything from pet-friendly RVs to family-friendly ones according to your budget as well.
Outdoorsy is an RV rental company with rental points all over Canada.
The dyrt
The dyrt is a great website to help you find campgrounds along the way. Find campsites on the go while you are driving to your destination for the night.
It will help you find campsites for tents, RVs, travel trailers, and even cabins. This is a great tool to help you find campsites all over the United States.
There is a Pro version available for $35,99/year. The Pro version will allow you to plan camping road trips, find free campgrounds, use maps while you are offline, get camping discounts, and also discounts on camping gear.
Ioverlander
IOverlander is a great road trip planning tool especially if you are considering camping. The app is free to use and can be very useful. I’ve used it many times in the past.
You can browse on the map to find paid campgrounds along your route, wild camping spots where camping is allowed, informal campsites, places where you will be able to fill up your potable water tank, dumping stations, tourist attractions, places to fill up your propane, places to do some laundry, short-term parking spots, mechanics, free showers, hotels, and restaurants.
The app can be very useful. If your road trip involves having an RV or a van and you’ve never been to the area before, it will come in handy when you are searching for something.
Freecampsites.net
Freecampsites.net is a great website to find just that, free campsites for your road trip.
Freecampsites makes it easy to find them. You can search by location to find one and you can even plan your whole road trip with free campings along the way.
Community reviews allow the website to be as up-to-date as possible on the information it is providing you.
You’ve found a great place to stay? You can even share it with freecampsites.net so they can share it with others.
It’s a great website to help you find cool camping spots and save a bit of money as well.
HotelTonight
Hotel tonight has endless possibilities worldwide. If you haven’t booked anything for the night and you are searching for somewhere to stay, HotelTonight is great for that. It will help you find somewhere to stay for that same day.
It is also possible to book for the next day and more. It’s a great way to book last-minute accommodation. You can do the research and book it all in one place!
The HotelTonight app is free to use which is a good bonus to help you find a great deal for your stay!
Park4night
Another useful app if you are camping in an Rv or van is Park4night.
Find somewhere near you where you can park and spend the night without any issues. The app provides recommendations from fellow travelers with their reviews. This will help you choose a great place to settle for the night.
Who knows, you might get the place to yourself and have the most amazing view to wake up to in the morning!
The app will also show you gray and black water drainage stations, places to fill up your propane bottles, paid campings, and more.
You can search worldwide which is amazing! You can use the app to help you find a great spot to tuck yourself in for the night anywhere!
Budgeting your road trip planning tools
GasBuddy
Who doesn’t want to save money on gas?
Pull up the GasBuddy app whenever you have to fill up the car. This way, you’ll be able to find the best gas price near you.
Prices might be the same but you might find one gas station cheaper than the others! It’s a good opportunity to save a couple of bucks which in the end will be good for your overall road trip budget!
Travel spend
Travel spend is a great budgeting tool to help you stay on track while on the road. You can use the app for free.
The travel spend app will allow you to track your expenses in real-time during your travels. You’ll be able to add your expenses as you go. You can do so when you are online but also offline. If you are adding different currencies, the app will automatically convert them.
The app will help you stay on budget throughout your trip. You’ll be able to visualize your spending and avoid overspending on different things.
You can synchronize and share your budget with friends and family so you can budget together. If you are splitting costs, the app will help you split bills, check each other’s balance, and settle debts if needed.
You can also display your expenses on a map. You’ll also be able to export your data so you can easily create reports.
It’s definitely a great road trip planning tool to keep track of your expenses and keep you on budget as much as possible.
Finding stuff on your route
Flush
Flush is the quickest and simplest way to find a bathroom along your way. The app is free to use so why not make the best of it.
You basically have to open the app and it will show you the nearest public restrooms you can use. The app will even tell you extra information such as disabled access and if the bathroom has fees to use it!
iExit Interstate Exit Guide
IExit is only available for most states in the United States but it can be really helpful if you are road tripping there. The app is also free to use.
The app will help you find the best gas prices along the interstate, food, lodging, and more. Once you open the app, it will show you the upcoming exits and what you will find at that said exit. You can also pinpoint a specific destination by doing a search.
The app will also compare gas prices around you and guide you to the nearest gas station of your choosing.
If you are looking for a hotel, IExit will help you find hotels nearby with the cheapest prices and provide you with their number so you can call and make a reservation.
Park me Parking
This free app will help you find and reserve the closest and cheapest parking spot when you need one.
Prices for different parking will be laid out on your map. It will help you compare different prices in every location. The app will show you real-time availability. For certain parking garages, you’ll even be able to book your spot ahead.
It is an amazing app to help you find a parking spot quicker and avoid trying to find an available spot for hours!
There are more than 500 cities covered worldwide! To only name a few, you can find parking spots in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
The Parkme app will help you to make parking reservations, see rates, find lots and garages, find street parking, keep track of your parking timer, and help you drive directly to the driveway just to name a couple of features the app will allow you to do.
GoPetFriendly
Gopetfriendly is a great road trip planning tool to help you plan your trip with your pet. You can find all sorts of information so you can make the best of your trip with your furry family member.
Whether you are just starting out on your planning process or you are already on the trip when you find this, these road trip planning tools can definitely come in handy for you.
Choose the ones that work for you! You don’t have to use any of these but they can significantly help you out! From planning everything from to beginning to tracking your expenses or just saving money along the way, these are my favorite tools I use on most of my road trips!
What road trip planning tools do you use to make your life easier on the road?
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!
Now that you know all about my best road trip planning tools to help you plan out your road trip, maybe I can help you out to keep you entertained on the road, find a destination to road trip to, or pack your car!
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