We give you the five steps to plan your road trip in the USA. Five things you don't have to miss.
A road trip through the United States can take different forms: from one trek from coast to coast along the other Oregon trail a long bike ride on Route 66 , you can also choose to do thematic tours such as national museums and historic sites in the United States or explore some of the 392 national parks. With more than six million kilometers of roads that cross almost every region of the country, United States are an ideal country for road trips.
But a road trip in such a big country is organized. We give you 5 steps to prepare your road trip in the USA!
Step 1: Set a route in advance
Whether your goal is to explore national parks, art museums or as many places among “the greatest in the world” you can find, have an idea of what you want to accomplish will make your road trip more enriching and rewarding. Know that ESTA for the United States (that you can get on the official website dedicated ) leaves you “only” three months ahead of you, so it is important to have planned your stay in advance. You will not be able to visit everything at once, so consider making only part of the United States, like a road trip along the Atlantic coast of New York Key West. Or opt for a discovery of California from San Francisco to San Diego with the Pacific Coast and the nearby major national parks. You can also choose to follow Route 66, which covers the whole country of Chicago in Los Angeles.
Step 2: Choose your guide, road map and collect information
If you decide to buy a road map, try to keep the same mark if you change state. Each road map has its organization and its way of presenting things, and moving from one type of card to another can be confusing (this is the case to say). You can also download on your smartphone the Google Maps app for simplicity or the Poynt app, very useful to locate restaurants and gas stations across the United States.
Step 3: Insurance
Check that your insurance covers you throughout the trip. Make sure that the vehicle you rent, preferably via the internet in advance, is accompanied by multi-risk insurance. Being properly insured for car rental is one of the most important points to check. In the event of an accident involving a third party, the damages to pay can quickly reach very high amounts! The two insurances to have are LI ( Liability Insurance ) or TPL ( Third Party Liability ) that must be absolutely completed by a SLI ( Supplemental Liability Insurance ). Check that your health insurance also covers you in the United States.
Step 4: A detour to Canada?
Always keep your passport and driver's license with you. If your itinerary is closer to Canada and you suddenly plan to cross the border to go for a ride, know that you can do it. French, Belgian or Swiss citizens can travel to Canada by land or sea, without the need to have an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). However, you must always travel with acceptable travel titles and identity documents.
Step 5: Light luggage
Throughout your stay, you will live in your van, or carry all your belongings in your car. So take with you the strict minimum if possible, to save space in your vehicle. Take easy washing clothes, or for example a shampoo / shower gel 2 in 1. In populated areas of the country, one « convenience store » will almost always be nearby, so you can always buy what you miss, if need, rather than overload.
You will have understood, a road trip is obviously organized on the route to be taken, but many other aspects have to be taken into account in order not to have a bad surprise once on the road.
Main photo credit: Pixabay – MartinStr
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