Guest Tips: A Road Trip Pro Shares Her Best Advice

Do you love taking road trips, but dread planning for them? I’m here to help!

I’m Anna, a travel blogger based in North Carolina who runs Stuck On The Go. I help people incorporate more travel into their lives, whether that’s through quick weekend adventures or bucket list trips.

One of my favorite ways to travel is road tripping, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips with you today.

Save Places of Interest in Google Maps

Did you know that you can save places you want to go in Google Maps? You can even create separate lists to keep everything organized.

My Google Maps is full of icons where I’ve saved so many places across the US—anytime someone I know makes a recommendation, I see an interesting place in a magazine, or I find a place I’m interested in and want to come back to, this is where I save it.

When I start planning a road trip, I always look at my saved spots to see if there are any places nearby that I have to go.

Pack an Emergency Kit

I used to skip over this, but ever since I got a flat tire in California, I make sure I have everything I need in case of emergency before hitting the road! I was so thankful I had my portable air compressor in my car.

Emergency Kits could include: extra food and water, blanket, jumper cables or a portable battery pack, tire plug kit, tool kit, tire pressure gauge, first aid kit, and portable air compressor.

Download Cash Back Apps

I use the app Upside to get cash back on gas. It’s not a ton – you get a few cents back per gallon but that adds up eventually.

It’s also not available at every gas station. If you have a passenger with you, you can get them to look which nearby gas stations offer cash back.

Ibotta is another cash back app that’s great to use at home in addition to on road trips. I use Ibotta mostly for groceries but they have other retailers on there.

I use the Rakuten Chrome extension to get cash back for some travel purchases when booking online before a trip. They offer cash back at tons of online retailers.

Bonus: Rental Car Insurance

If you’re renting a car for your road trip, then check your credit card benefits to see if they offer rental car insurance coverage. It’s crazy expensive when you purchase through the rental agencies!

Want more road trip planning help and inspiration? Sign up for my road trip planning workbook!