As travel nurses, we move a lot. That’s a given. How we spend our time while moving can be stressful, or it can be a fun adventure. I tend to like adventure myself, and since I grew up road-tripping with my family, I love taking a solo road trip and exploring new places on the way. How do I start planning? Keep reading to find out and to start planning your next cross-country move!
Note: If you are someone who prefers shipping their car across the country and flying to your new location to pick it up, this article is not for you! 🙂
Tips for making the most of your road trip as a travel nurse:
Some things to consider early on:
How long do you want your days on the road to be, how long will it take you if you eliminate multi-day stops, and how much time do you have to spend on this trip? So first, can you manage 12-14 hours of driving on your own? Or do you prefer shorter driving days of 6-8 hours? Second, if you drive straight through, will it take 2, 3, 4 + days to drive to your new home? And third, how many days total do you have in between contracts to spend on enjoying the road trip?
For example, I drove from Northern California to Iowa, which normally takes 3 full (long) days of driving straight through. I had 7 days of free time to spend on the road trip. So I drove 12+ hours my first day, and stayed in Salt Lake City, Utah for 2 days. Then I did a 10-hour day of driving and stayed in Denver, Colorado for 2 days. And lastly, I did another long haul drive to Iowa to finish off the road trip. 3 days of driving plus 4 days of enjoying new places made 7 days total.
Once you know those key things, you can get out the map –
Physical or electronic, whatever you prefer! This will allow you to see the different routes you can take and where you might want to stop along the way. If you have a specific route in mind (ex, on the trip I took above, I mainly drove on Interstate 80), it makes it a bit easier to see where you might be willing to make stops or detours. Once you’ve got a general route chosen, you get to do all the fun things!
This is my favorite part of the planning process because I like to try to take trips that will allow me to see new places and visit friends or family along the way. Again, referring to the example I made above, I chose Salt Lake City and Denver (and Iowa as my ending point) because I have friends and family in those places.
Not only was this a great way to see somewhere new (since I had a personal tour guide), but it also gave me a place to stay. That really helped lower the cost of this road trip. Plus, what better way to see friends than by coming to them? It’s hard for people to travel to see me sometimes in new places. This is one way I implement seeing friends and family into my busy life.
Over-night stays during your road trip
If you’re planning a trip with stops that don’t include a place to stay, here are my recommendations. If your stop is more than one night, book that stay in advance. I like using my credit card portals to book stays because I get extra points for doing so, but use whatever booking site you normally would!
If your road trip stop is just a one-night stay to get to your next destination, I recommend waiting to see how you’re feeling that day. You may encounter delays or car troubles, and if you’ve already booked your stay, you might have a hard time making it to that spot. If you do book in advance, just be sure to have a refundable option.
What I normally do is aim for a specific town or city to stay in that night. Then, I will search and book a room when I’m a few hours out – like on my lunch or dinner stop. As long as there isn’t a big event going on in the area, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a hotel room the night of. And in my experience, prices don’t vary that much to make it worth booking before.
Now that you’ve got your timing, your stops, and your route all figured out, you’re ready to go!
Be sure to keep in mind stops for gas and bathroom/meal breaks because sometimes, when you hit the open road, you won’t see a town or rest stop for miles. I like to bring snacks and drinks with me, and sometimes, even for the first day, I will pack a salad or something nice for lunch, so I’m not eating fast food the whole trip.
One last thing I think is worth mentioning is to inspect and take care of your car before your road trip. Things like oil changes, tire tread, functioning headlights, jumper cables, and having a spare tire can all make a big difference and prevent accidents or delays on your journey! Be safe out there, and have a great time on your next big road trip adventure!
If you want to read more travel content, check out Sophie’s blog at thetravelingsopha.com.
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