Road trip planning is a frequently neglected but vital part of any road trip, especially if you are going somewhere that you have never been to before.
Why do people avoid planning these trips? Two main reasons, first they think that it's just too complicated, so why bother.
Otherwise, they think that these days, with GPS, who needs it? Well, as far as being too complicated, the truth is that road trip planning is becoming easier and easier with the resources that are available online.
In a couple of hours you can do most of the research that you need to so that you can be certain that all the major issues that might come up are covered.
And, if you're on the other side of things, thinking that because you have your GPS you have nothing to worry about, think again! There's more to a road trip than just figuring out how to get there.
Before we get to the technical details, like how to calculate a budget there are a few things to think about before you take your trip.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you be certain that you are in the right frame of mind as your road trip planning develops:

• Am I going to be taking this trip by myself, or with a/some friends?
• If I'm going with a friend/friends, will we be splitting the driving, or will one of us be doing all/most of it?
• If I'm going with friends, do we have the same general expectations for how long we want to stay in the car at a time, how often we want to stop, what sort of places we want to stay in?
• If I'm travelling alone, how long can I comfortably drive without stopping and what is my plan if I find myself road fatigued and am not near a safe stopping point?

• Do I prefer to drive at night when there are fewer cars on the road and travel is generally faster, OR do I want to travel during the day when I am more alert and more services are open?
• Is the focus of my roadtrip going to be the destination, or the journey? If it's the destination, am I open to detours or unexpected opportunities to explore? Do I have to be in any specific destinations by any specific time or date?

It's important to know that there is no right or wrong answer to these questions.
You should make sure that you know the answer to them before you start though, or the trip can quickly become unpleasant.
If you are travelling with another person, discuss these questions together.
People can have very different expectations of a roadtrip, and when you are both stuck in the same car together for hours at a time things can get miserable quickly.
Effective road trip planning is the key to avoiding unnecessary unpleasantness and maximizing fun! The next step in your road trip planning should focus on technical details.
The longer the journey and the less familiar that the areas you will be driving are, the more important it is to iron out these details in advance.
One of the biggest issues that people get into when they go on a road trip is that they fail to accurately budget for the cost of their trip.
It's a lot easier than you might think.
Once you've decided an approximate route that you are taking, use a website like Google Maps to determine the total mileage.
Then, head over to fueleconomy.
gov.
This website will let you look up the make and model year of your car, and get an estimate on the cost per mile in gas for your car.
REMEMBER: This is only an estimate! Gas prices will vary, and the more detours you take and the more traffic that you encounter, the more gas your car will use! Still, having a ball park figure for gas costs will put you in a very good starting point for figuring out your budget.
Once you've figured out gas costs, the next steps in road trip planning that you need to think about are lodging, food and tolls.
You should also make sure you have money to cover you if there a breakdown and you need a part replaced or a towing service.
If you don't have it, you may want to consider getting triple-A membership.
Once your budget is set, it's time to go over your car.
Do you know how to take care of the basics? Be sure that you can do the following before you go:

• Check your car's oil, radiator, windshield wiper fluid.
  
• jump start the car
• change a busted tire (also, are you carrying a full-spare or a donut? If you drive long distances on a donut, you can damage the car!)
• check the air-pressure in your tires

If you are going on a long trip, or to a remote area you want to make sure that the car does not have any upcoming maintenance due.
This is a vital part of road trip planning, so if you have any doubts, get it checked before you leave! My friends and I once waste a lot of time and money because we failed to realize that the battery in our car had not been replaced in many years before we headed from Boston to Alaska.
We drove a good portion of the Alaska-Canada highway only turning the car off when we knew that someone would be available to give up a jump, because our battery could not hold a charge.
In the process of road trip planning, you must make sure that all your paperwork is in order as well.
Is your driver's license current? Do you have proof of insurance (different states may require different proofs, so you may want to call your insurance company to make sure you have the right documents) do you have the registration to the car? It is especially important to bring that with you if you are driving across any international borders.
Yes, Canada and Mexico count.
Lastly, make sure you've got great music to listen to while driving, but don't forget to tune into the local radio from time to time.
You'll be amazed at some of the programs that you pick up in different parts of the country as you drive around.
Bring more music than you think you'll need, and/or a few great audio books.