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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Typically traveled by automobile or a car, there is nothing as appealing as a road trip, what with the sun behind and wild, open spaces before you. You already know it, don’t you? Was your last road trip both fun and safe?

While road trips are certainly liberating and full of cheerful conversations, refreshing music, and thrilling sightseeing halts, they also require careful preparation to make them safe.

So, will not you like to make safety a priority while planning your next road trip?

Here are 5 ways to stay safe on your next road trip:

1) Get Yourself Ready –

Preparing yourself thoroughly for your forthcoming road trip is undoubtedly a must. While doing so, you need to consider several significant factors. These include familiarizing yourself with the route you’d be taking and with the local regulations of that place, checking the weather forecast in advance, and packing roadside necessities.

Make sure to inform your loved ones where you’d be traveling and sleep well, particularly in the nights just before your trip. Test the working range of your cell to verify that emergency operators are reachable from wherever you’re driving. Also, wear appropriate clothing while setting out, for experiencing the utmost comfort on the road trip.

Devise your route and plan to carry a map along. The reason is that though today, a smartphone provides you with maps and step-by-step instructions, you’ll need a physical map to guide you if you end up losing service or your phone altogether. You must understand the local driving laws of your road trip destination. For instance, in France, you can’t smoke with a minor sitting in your car.

Check the weather conditions along your route a few days ahead of your trip and also on the “D-Day”. For example, check for snow before setting out to drive in high mountain passes such as Colorado’s Independent Pass, or gauge the possibility of encountering sandstorms before taking the wheel through the dry, flat Texas desert.

Make certain you fill your backpack with all possible roadside essentials. Water, healthy, travel-friendly snacks, a flashlight, blankets, pillows, and a well-equipped first-aid kit must go in your knapsack. Besides these critical items, also ensure that you have other necessities like jumper cables, tire chains for traction, a screwdriver, a durable, spare tire, and an emergency tool kit handy.

2) Get Your Car Ready –

Equally important for smooth sailing is preparing your car for the road trip. For instance, if you’re planning to drive in hot weather, you might require a very adhesive motor oil. Also, keeping a functional, spare tire helps greatly as driving for long distances with an under-inflated tire is likely to cause a dangerous blow-out.

Hire a skillful mechanic to do basic checks for oil, coolant, filters, lights, signals, wiper blades, batteries, brakes, and tire pressure. Plan a minimum of one month ahead of your road trip for unanticipated repairs. Also, equip your car with a good-quality universal roof rack to carry your camping gear.

If your next road trip involves traveling with children, make sure to enable your car’s child safety locks on every door and window. This way, even if kids push buttons out of curiosity, they won’t endanger themselves. It’s also a good idea to have a child-friendly seat in your car.

Last but not least ensure that your tank is at least one-third full. Knowing the location of the nearest gas station isn’t always easy, so, having an ample quantity of gas amid exit points helps.

3) Avoid Overspeeding At All Costs – Just because you’ve planned for emergencies doesn’t mean that you ought to encounter them. You’ll want to avert them! So, make a point of following the rule that overspeeding is a strict no-no. The more you’ll speed, the less time you’ll get to react, likely proving injurious or even fatal.

On your next road trip, make safe driving a priority. Watch your speedometer and don’t talk on the phone while driving. Distractions can reduce your focus on safe driving and you could, unnoticing, overshoot the highest speeding limit. This way, by being cautious and alert, you can share the road space with others mindfully, making their as well as your journey easy and safe.

If you’re worried that you’ll reach your destination late, instead of speeding up inappropriately, plan to start ahead of time. On a wet road, keep a distance of not less than four seconds from the vehicle directly in front of you.

Look out for road hazards like debris, standing water, and piled-up snow. Pullover, if you find it difficult to drive because of tailgaters or bad weather. Just stay inside, using your hazard flashers for the other vehicles to see you.

4) Use Gas Smartly –

Constantly rising gas prices deprive you of substantial spending money while on your road trip. So, it only makes sense to have an efficient gas mileage. Estimate your fuel expenditure for the trip and fill your car tires with optimum pressure. If possible, purchase gas during the day, when it’s coolest, because, at this time, you’ll get the densest possible gas.

Try to drive at a moderate, steady speed, like 55 mph. This way, you’ll save nearly twenty percent more on gas versus driving at 70 mph. Also, when accelerating from 0 to 60 mph, take about fifteen seconds to accelerate, thus saving thirty percent on gas mileage.

If you’re driving at a high speed, make sure to close the windows, since open windows reduce the gas mileage by approximately ten percent. Also, avoid traveling on uneven or rocky roads, as they drop gas mileage by about thirty percent.

Place the automated gearbox in neutral if you need to wait in traffic standstills. This cools down the gearbox, saving on gas. Also, freeing your car of additional weight prevents the reduction of gas mileage.

5) Take Sufficient Breaks-

On your next road trip, plan to break for fifteen minutes every couple of hours. Although taking such driving breaks will delay reaching your final destination, don’t neglect the fact that your body requires rest periods.

While taking a break, stop at a well-lit rest stop so that you can stretch your legs but without falling asleep. Listen to music, else roll the window down to unwind. Drink water, have a bite nearby and attend nature’s call. If you’re traveling with kids, a driving break also lets them relax.

You can also take driving breaks by sharing the driving with other, licensed, responsible driver/s who’ll accompany you on your next road trip. No point driving when you’re feeling bored or drowsy. It can certainly prove dangerous. So, share driving responsibilities, thus giving each other an occasional rest period and avoiding driver fatigue.

Conclusion

So, now you know how to stay safe on your next road trip. Start preparing right away!

This article provided by Gifted Healthcare

Some consider the road trip to be an American rite of passage. A long drive on our nation’s highways and back roads reveal an amazing variety of beautiful landscapes, charming towns, and iconic roadside attractions.

A road trip could be the perfect beginning to your next travel nursing assignment! Read on for our list of tips for travel nurses looking to take the road trip of their dreams.

Do a Vehicle Checkup

It’d be a shame for your road trip to be interrupted by preventable problems with your vehicle’s basic functionality.

Before you head out onto the open road, bring your vehicle to a mechanic for a basic checkup. Make sure your breaks, tires, windshield wipers, and fluid levels are in good shape. Inflate your spare tire and pack tools and accessories like jumper cables, a tire jack, and lug wrench to make sure you’re prepared.

In the meantime, make a checklist and pack the essentials for your trip.

Create a Budget

There are countless opportunities to spend money on a road trip. Creating a budget for your road trip will help you make decisions and plan your days. Plus, it’ll make the occasional splurge more rewarding.

Decide how much to spend on lodging and food, and do some research on gas prices along the way. Don’t forget to account for unexpected costs, like flat tires or tolls.

Prepare Entertainment Options

Relying solely on the radio for your drive might leave you disappointed, as local radio programming isn’t as vibrant or diverse as it used to be.

Thankfully, there are countless hours of music, podcasts, and audiobooks at your fingertips if you have a smartphone.

Download the soundtrack to your trip from music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. If you prefer the spoken word, you can learn about every subject under the sun on your favorite podcasts [link to nurse podcasts blog], or experience the novel you never read on audiobook from apps like Audible.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Find an adorable little town worth exploring? Want to take a detour to see a jaw-dropping natural wonder? Feel like an afternoon in the nearest park rather than finishing the day’s drive?

If you keep a loose schedule, you can do all of these things without. Play more and stress less by giving yourself extra time to arrive at your destination.

Plan Your Daily Endpoints

If your road trip will take more than one day, there are two reasons why it’s a good idea to plan where you’ll be ending your drive each day.

First of all, it’s the safe thing to do. If you don’t plan ahead, you’ll risk getting stranded in an uninhabited area in the middle of the night.

Planning your daily endpoints also allows you to pace yourself, providing you with more freedom to explore when inspiration strikes.

Bring a Real Map

Modern technology has simplified navigation and communication, but it’s not perfect. Mobile phone service can be spotty on the open road, restricting your access to phone calls and GPS devices.

Invest in a real map! You may never have to use it, but better safe than sorry.

Pack Plenty of (Healthy) Snacks

The temptations of the drive-thru seem to be around every corner. Unfortunately, the empty calories in fast food won’t provide you with the energy and focus you’ll need for long days of driving.

Pack a cooler full of water and snacks like:

Hard-boiled eggs
Apples, bananas, or grapes
Beef jerky
Almonds or pistachios
Hummus and celery
Dark chocolate
Sliced bell peppers and guacamole
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Your snacks will pack the punch you need to seize the day, and your body will thank you later.

Consider Camping

There are many state and national parks that offer campgrounds with breathtaking views of nature. Embracing the great outdoors will save you money on motels and make for great memories later on.

Take Photos

Make memories and document your road trip by taking photos along the way. Once you arrive at your destination, you can settle into your new home by putting together an album to share with your friends and family.

Taking photos will help you remember the thrills of the open road forever.

Taking a road trip to a travel assignment can be an incredible way to kick off your nursing adventure. We hope these tips help you turn your next road trip into the excursion of a lifetime!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Driving to your next contract? These tips will make your travel nurse road trip planning go smooth and easy.

Travel nursing with a car is a great way to have access to a wide array of places to explore on your days off. Driving your car across the country might seem daunting, but it is usually worth it to have your own vehicle available if you want it!

Travel Nurse Road Trip Planning

Pre-trip Inspection

Make an appointment with your local auto mechanic or garage and have your vehicle checked over, and complete any routine maintenance. Let them know that you are heading out for a long-distance trip and want to make certain that any potential maintenance issues are addressed. If you are close to an oil change, get it done. Have all of your belts, fluids, etc., checked out. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in Texas isn’t a fun place to be when one of your belts breaks. Finding a place that you can trust to perform routine maintenance can be difficult as well as time-consuming once you reach your contract location. It’s much easier to have this done at home before you leave.

Roadside Emergency Kit

If you don’t already have one of these, you should consider putting one together before you leave. You can purchase these pre-made, or you can put together your own while you are planning your travel nursing road trip. If you already have one, check through it and make sure that everything you need is still in it and in working order.

Basic items for your Emergency Kit should include:

Water
Non-perishable food
Flashlight with batteries
Reflective poncho
First Aid Kit
Blanket, coat, hat, gloves
Tool kit
Road flares
Spare tire and a working jack
Jumper cables
Towels/Window cleaner
AAA Card with VIN number
Ice Scraper

If you don’t have some sort of roadside assistance or AAA, travel nursing with a car is much less stressful with these kinds of resources. Without friends or family nearby, it’s great to have a service like AAA that can help out in case something crazy happens, like an unexpected flat tire in the middle of nowhere.

Travel nurse road trip planning should also include any items you may need while in the car for a few days. If your travel nurse assignment is far away, you will want to have some daily necessities on hand so you aren’t constantly stopping.

Travel Nursing Road Trip Necessities:

Cell Phone with charger
Registration/License/Insurance
Credit cards
Eye Glasses/Sun Glasses
Moist Towelettes
Meds including Maalox or Imodium in case of upset stomach
Pen and paper
Comfortable/Loose Travel clothes
Grab and go bag for hotel stops
Recruiter phone number
Contact numbers for landlord
Camera to document your trip
Snacks
Cooler with drinks/perishable food items

Travel Nurse Road Trip Planning with Pets

If you are traveling with a cat or dog, check out these tips for driving long distances here. Pack your vehicle so that all of your pet’s items are accessible for those short stops to enjoy the view. Keep in mind that pets also need to stretch their legs, so plan accordingly for long drives!

Is there something we didn’t address that you always make certain to have with you for a road trip? What are your thoughts on the list/suggestions above?

Tips for making the most of your road trip as a travel nurse:

Some things to consider early on:

Once you know those key things, you can get out the map –

Over-night stays during your road trip

Now that you’ve got your timing, your stops, and your route all figured out, you’re ready to go!

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

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Here are 5 ways to stay safe on your next road trip:

1) Get Yourself Ready –

2) Get Your Car Ready –

4) Use Gas Smartly –

5) Take Sufficient Breaks-

Conclusion

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Do a Vehicle Checkup

Create a Budget

Prepare Entertainment Options

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Plan Your Daily Endpoints

Bring a Real Map

Pack Plenty of (Healthy) Snacks

Pack a cooler full of water and snacks like:

Consider Camping

Take Photos

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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Travel Nurse Road Trip Planning

Pre-trip Inspection

Roadside Emergency Kit

Basic items for your Emergency Kit should include:

Travel Nursing Road Trip Necessities:

Travel Nurse Road Trip Planning with Pets

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