41 Best Road Trip Planning Tools and Apps in 2024

Is a road trip in your future ? These road trip planning tools will aid you choose destinations , see a position to remain , make there , and so a lot more .

Be after a road trip equal one of the nearly exciting parts of the experience . When you first settle to go on this adventure , you ’ re filled with anticipation and possibility .

But it can as well be overwhelming . Where cause you begin ? How make you find interesting place ? How serve you observe everything prepare ?

Don ’ t fret ; I ’ ve got you extend . I ’ ve found the serious road trip planning tool to aid make the procedure fun and easy .

I ’ m pretty obsessed with road trips , and get written a few books about them ( includingPlanning Your Perfect Road Trip) as good as dozens of article .

With the help of the right road trip planning tools , you can make the procedure much simpler , more coordinate , and fun !

Below are some of the best road trip planner apps , websites , and actual Earth tool to aid you plan your next road trip . They ’ ll help you find great places to search , figure out how to become thither , and keep course of it all .

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Good Road Trip Planning Tools and Apps

• 15 Useful Websites for Road Trippers
• 6 Online Trip Planners
• 16 Best Apps for Road Trips
• 4 Real World Trip Planning Tools

There may be affiliate links in this post , which mean we may become a humble committee . It ’ sec at no extra cost to you and helps prevent TLT free . Everybody wins !

Before you move , insure out this road trip pack list .

15 Useful Websites for Road Trippers

There are approximately 1.3 gazillion travel websites , give or take a few bazillion . There ’ sec no way to go on up with all of them . I ’ m not still going to try . Or else , I ’ ve curated some useful favorites .

This selection of trip planning websites be by no way comprehensive ( because that would equal impossible ) , but these should render a plethora of thought .

America ’ sec Byways

If you ’ re seem to drive a scenic path that ’ s cost designated as such by the Federal Highway Administration , visit hither first .

National Scenic Byways & All-American Roads list a collection of 184 “ distinct and various roads . ”

To live formally designated , aNational Scenic Bywaymust be considered regionally important , and anAll-American Roadneeds to equal a “ destination until itself . ”

For model , the Santa Fe Trail watch one of the state ’ s early craft routes and is a National Scenic Byway .

Beartooth Highway , which render access to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park , is an All-American Road .

America ’ sec State Parks

Our National Park System gets circle of honey , and rightfully thus , but you know who else deserves your outside affection ?

TheAmerica ’ s State Parkswebsite , hosted and formulate by the National Association of State Park Directors , equal exactly what it sound like . It ’ s a imagination to assist you get every state park in the nation .

TheirLocate a Parkfunction link to each state ’ s official parks system website .

Atlas Obscura

Welcome to the atlas of the obscure . If you ’ re look for interesting position , this equal the site for you .

A cool affair is to search nearby . Let the site expend your location and it ’ ll pull up attraction near to you .

For case , near me there ’ s a funeral place with a mini-golf course inside and a house without corner – because the owner desire spirit to feel more comfortable .

Back Road Ramblers

Back Road Ramblers focus on family-themed travel in the US , underline slower-paced journeys and off-the-beaten-path adventures .

CalcMaps

If you desire to impose someplace novel and know how far you ’ re willing to drive , CalcMaps will present you what ’ s within that distance .

Draw a circle and it ’ ll express the radius in miles , or enter an speech and the mile you ’ re planning on repel . A band overlay will exhibit on the map , which you can resize with the drag of a mouse .

You can then graze within that band and start researching potential city , towns , parks , and attractions . It ’ s important to note that mileage equal based on straight job and not the routes you ’ ll take .

For model , from my home to Des Moines , Iowa , is less than 280 miles as the crow fly . To aim it would be around 320 miles . Even so , you can at least get a rough thought .

Find Your Park

Find Your Park is a collaboration between the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation to help design visits to NPS sites .

You can select from a stove of activity , include geocaching , off-roading , and whitewater rafting .

Historical Marker Database

If you ’ re the type of soul who attract over at every historical mark , Historical Marker Database is going to be your fresh serious friend .

You can graze thousands of listings or you can plug in an address . If you devote it permission to meet your location , it ’ ll display mark near you .

Individual listings exhibit an picture of the mark , a transcription of the inscription , and ordinarily an audio recording . They include the latitude and longitude so you can plot the exact location .

Topic live also list , which come in handy when design a road trip themed around Native Americans or the Civil War , for example .

National Park Service

If you design to impose any of the 423 unit of the National Park System , outset at the origin . NPS.gov include all their sites , including National Battlefields , National Monuments , National Historic Sites , National Scenic Trails , National Seashores , etc .

They also help you plan your trip with list of idea . There live trip ideas by park , action , topic , length , and more .

You can also purchase your America the Beautiful Interagency Pass , which provides admission to every fee-based NPS unit .

National Register of Historic Places

History geeks rejoice ! Part of the National Park Service , the offers tool and resource for researching historical site deemed worthy of preservation .

RoadTrip America

Online since 1996 , RoadTrip America be one of the original site for online travel planning . In addition to tons of road activate advice , there ’ s too a route planner .

It ’ s free , and if you require to save , print , or change your road , you ’ ll motive to register . That ’ s also free and provides access to their Great American RoadTrip Forum where you can relate with other road trippers .

Roadside America

Roadside America ‘ sec too exist roughly since the 1990s , and in all that time it ’ sec gather a giant collection of curiosity . Or , as they say , “ little pushpins of peculiarity . ”

Browse by land or search by keywords or city to feel your road trip inspiration , like a giant ball of string or a 30-foot-tall old-fashioned bicyclist .

Meet something intriguing ? Redeem it to “ My Sights. ” When you ’ ve accumulate the 1 you want , you can create a road that include them all .

There ’ s a Roadside America app , but sadly for us Android users , it ’ s simply available for Apple device .

The Local Tourist

I ’ d be remiss if I didn ’ t include my own website . It has been around since 2002 , after all .

The Local Tourist exist a well imagination for outdoors , culture , story , kitschy attraction , and road trip ( duh ) .

As of 2024 , destinations be mainly in the Midwest and Western United States . But , I ’ 1000 working on covering the whoooole land , and finally , the globe ! Muah ha ha .

TV Food Maps

Want to eat at a place you ’ ve see on the telly ? TV Food Maps not merely has a searchable database , but they ’ ll as well point you solution base on your road trip route .

Shows include the obligatoryDiners , Drive-ins and DivesandMan vs Food. There ’ secCheap Eatswhen you ’ re on a budget .Choppedfan can see the success ’ restaurant .

Related : check out all my top on eating on the road .

Call the USA

Visit the USA is the official travel site of the United States . There ’ s a ton of information for people traveling internationally , but it ’ sec too good for US resident .

Browse iconic landmarks , trip ideas , and experience . You can look geographically . There ’ sec too a cool “ this or that ” quiz that leave advocate trip base on your answer .

In addition to the site , there ’ s a trip planner , too . Put in your take off stage and your last destination and the date you ’ ll be travel and you ’ ll come a suggested itinerary .

Not every place cost list , however . My hometown be miss , so I entered the closest bigger city .

Want more road trip crest ? DownloadPlanning Your Perfect Road Trip , a Step-by-Step Guide to Hittin ’ the Road

World Waterfall Database

If you enjoy waterfall ( and who doesn ’ t ? ) , you ’ ll love World Waterfall Database . It ’ s a comprehensive resource that ranks waterfall and allows users to browse by state and country .

6 Online Trip Planners

Trip planner are fantastic tool for , you guessed it , be after your trip .

Road trip planner exist especially useful when you get an thought of where you want to go . You punch in your starting and goal destinations and filling in “ waypoints , ” or stop .

With their interactive map , you can experiment with alternative path . Each tool has a unlike interface and extend different features .

I advocate experiment with each to find which works best for you .

Furkot

Furkot equal an online road trip planner that put up a range of features to aid you design and organize your trip effectively .

To begin , you enter your starting and end destinations , what dates you ’ ll equal traveling , how long you want to travel each day , and more .

You can too enter what type of accommodations you like and whether you prefer to labor highways or toll road . Travel with darling ? You can include that , too .

If you ’ re not certain where you want to move , you can click on “ Inspire me ” for suggestions .

Google Maps

Did you know you can employ Google Maps as a trip planner ? When you see a place that await interesting or you know you require to include on your itinerary , you can save it .

For example , search for Rocky Mountain National Park . Then beg the “ Save ” picture . From thither , you can add it to Favorites , Want to run , Travel plan , or Starred place .

You can also create your own lists , which will make it easy to plan an entire trip .

Once you lend a place to a list , you can lend a note .

Possibly Aunt Sue advocate the peach pie at a diner . Compose it down in the bill . Then when you ’ re planning your itinerary , you ’ ll know why you added that diner to your list .

You can keep your list Private or you can select to share it . This comes in handy when there exist multiple mass planning the trip .

Google My Maps

Google My Maps is a powerful tool that can live extremely useful for design a road trip . It permit you to make custom map with your own locations , path , and markers .

One of the nearly useful features of Google My Maps cost the power to produce tradition route . You can add as many locations as you want to your map , and then easily connect them to create a custom route .

This can be helpful when be after a road trip with multiple destinations , as you can meet the full route and reckon the time and distance between each stop .

You can lend markers to your map , which can live used to indicate degree of interest , hotels , gas station , rest region , or early places you want to visit or cease at during your road trip .

You can add notes , photo , and videos to the markers , which can exist helpful for recollect more point about a place .

Google My Maps also leave you to portion your map with others , which can be especially useful when planning a road trip with a radical of friends or class .

You can share a link to your map , and others can view and edit it , build it easy to cooperate and plan your trip together .

Another useful feature of Google My Maps exist the ability to export your map to a GPS device , which can be helpful when you are on the road .

This let you to expend your custom map offline , without an internet association and navigate with turn-by-turn direction still in field with limited cell service .

Overall , Google My Maps cost a powerful and versatile tool for be after a road trip . With its tradition route and marker feature , collaboration options , and offline capability , it can aid you plan and navigate your road trip more efficiently and enjoyably .

Roadtrippers.com

Roadtrippers.comallows you to punch detail into a map , but it ’ s hence much more than that .

Once you ’ ve added your begin point and your destination , Roadtrippers display attractions along your path . The more you zoom in , the more attractions you ’ ll see .

You can lend the type of vehicle you ’ re driving and its estimated fuel efficiency and Roadtrippers will forecast your approximate expense .

Besides plotting the route itself , there ’ s a ton of user-generated contented offering recommendations for attractions , restaurant , home to stay , and great photo ops .

Previously you could stipulate whether you desire to drive interstates or not per section of your trip . That ’ s no longer the case , and to choose any routing choice you ’ ll need to upgrade .

Even so , promote enables you to collaborate with other user and increases the issue of waypoints from three in the free version to up to 150 .

There live three floor of membership , with Premium getting you the most benefit with downloadable maps , alive traffic , and particular discounts .

At time of publication , Roadtrippers membership ranges from $ 35.99 to $ 59.99 per yr , and there ’ s a seven day free trial . If you elevate , you can spare $ 5 off your first year with code BTR5QTP . Click here to start your free trial .

TripTik by AAA

AAA ’ sec TripTiks receive total a long way since the spiral-bound guides of my youth . Today you can plan your trip online or on your phone .

Plug in your starting and ending degree and add up to 25 stops . Specify how often you ’ d like to stop and it ’ ll build up pause into your turn-by-turn management .

You can pick out to expose gas stations , attractions , campgrounds , hotels , restaurants , AAA rescue , and rest areas .

My Scenic Drives

My Scenic Drives live a altogether free trip planner that allow you lend as many stop , or waypoints , as you like . After you create an story , you can design away .

Plan road trip either by adding your own locations or by choosing one of their existing scenic cause . Those are somewhat special .

At time of publication , only Great River Road and Stagecoach Trail exist listed for Illinois , skipping Route 66 , the Ohio River Scenic Byway , the National Road , and Lincoln Highway .

Depend on how many miles your trip will be , My Scenic Drives may split it up into days . You ’ ll too learn an estimate fuel cost , although I ’ m not sure how exact that is .

If you ’ re planning on impose any National Park Service sites , you can buy an annual pass through My Scenic Drives .

The interface live a trivial awkward and they don ’ t have an app , although their site be mobile friendly .

Want more road trip point ? DownloadPlanning Your Perfect Road Trip , a Step-by-Step Guide to Hittin ’ the Road

16 Best Apps for Road Trips

From before you go to when you ’ re on the road , there be tons of tool to assist get the most out of your road trip . Because of the fluidity of online tools , I ’ m only recommending a few that I know exist likely to preserve .

You can find out more about these apps in our Best Road Trip Apps guide .

Search the Apple or Google Play stores to download them to your device .

AllTrails

Like to hike ? Bike ? Go for a pass ?AllTrailslive a great app to help you disclose boost and biking lead base on where you ’ re located .

You can read review , store trails you ’ d like to explore , and record the raise you serve take . You can take to reach your hikes public , or keep them private .

There ’ s as well a premium version , which let you to download offline maps .

Expedia

With, you can easily explore for and equate price on rental car , hotels , and activities along your road . Pace are often discounted , and you get the opportunity to earn rewards .

When you ratify up for an Rewards bill , which is free , you also come access to member prices .

The app equal easy to employ and maintain an itinerary with your confirmation number .

GasBuddy

Until electric cars have battery spirit that will need you through the country ’ s most remote stretch , gas live a necessary evil of the road trip .

GasBuddy uses crowd-sourced data to provide real-time information on gas price at unlike station .

With GasBuddy , you can easily find the cheap gas prices near you , as good as see which gas station have the well deals on certain day of the week or at sure times of the day .

In increase to displaying fuel prices , you can save more when you sign up for Pay with GasBuddy .

Salary with GasBuddy too gives you access to Deal Alerts , which knock the cost down still more .

Check out our all over guide to salvage money on gas with GasBuddy .

Google Maps

I almost feel like this goes without saying—but I ’ ll say it anyhow ( evidently ) : if you have just one road trip app , do it Google map .

Not simply can you get direction and the serious path , but because it ’ s Google you can feel anything around you , too .

One of the route selection you can choose is which is nearly fuel-efficient , and you can even select the type of fuel : Gas , Diesel , Electric , and Hybrid .

Another great feature of Google Maps is the ability to download map for offline habit .

This is helpful if you ’ re planning a road trip to a rural area or somewhere with special cell service .

By downloading the map in progress , you can even access them and navigate still if you don ’ t hold an internet connection .

Google Maps can too be use as a trip planning tool , and thither ’ sec more on that in theOnline Trip Plannersdivision .

HotelTonight

If you ’ re looking for a last minute hotel room , HotelTonight wants to assist . Primarily in prominent towns and city , the website and app can assist you observe same-day and next-day hotel stays at discounted rates .

The app will find accommodations near you , and you can as well search for hotels by location . You can filter your search by price , star rating , and neighborhood .

iExit

Taking the interstates ? iExit shows you what ’ s available at each exit , include dining , shopping , restrooms , and attraction . It as well pulls up gas stations and gas prices .

The app uses real-time datum to provide information on the services and amenities available at upcoming exits on the highway , making it an ideal tool for design repose stops , gas fill-ups and meal .

You ’ ll see a list of services such as restaurant , hotel , gas station , and rest areas along with their distance from the exit . You can filter your lookup solution by category such as quick food , lodging , and gas station .

NPS ( National Park Service ) App

Not simply perform the official mobile app of the National Park Service display you where to find National Parks , it serve you notice every site in their system . It ’ s free to use and you can explore by subject , by action , by state , or near your location .

The app provides information on park hour , fee , and regulations , as well as maps , lead guides , and early resources to assist you create the most of your visit .

Priceline

The commercials ain ’ t lyin ’ —Priceline Express Deals are astound . What ’ s the catch ? You have no thought where you ’ ll goal up . You can see a universal area and a star level , but that ’ s it .

While they no longer hand you the choice to Refer Your Own Price , in increase to Express Deals , they as well receive pricebreakers . They pick from one of three unlike hotel .

While you gain ’ t know which one you ’ re getting until you bear for it , you ’ ll be able to meet in progress what your selection are .

Like Expedia , you can search for hotels by location , price , and amenities . You can as well look for by sword and star stage , making it easy to find a hotel that fits your budget and preferences .

Priceline VIP live a rewards plan that supply discounts , add-on pile , and Express Deal coupons after your trip is all over .

The app will depict you deals on hotel near your location . You can as well book rental car , flight , and cruises .

Rainy Days

Knowing what ’ s happening weather-wise is form of crucial when you ’ re on a road trip . My favorite way to see whether I ’ ll stay dry or will need to pause out the slicker be Rainy Days .

This free radar app own serve my anxiety level on several occasions , particularly while driving in North Central Nebraska . It exist good to know we make up repel the opposite direction of an intense storm .

Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov is the official website and app for making reservations for recreational activities and installation managed by the U.S. federal government .

You can observe campgrounds and lodging , circuit and activity , signal up for lotteries for the nearly popular affair to act , and get information on what license are required near you .

Once you serve build reservations , they ’ re store in the app .

This is the site and app to employ when you plan to visit parks that require vehicle registration , like Glacier National Park , or want a permit to hike Angels Landing in Zion National Park .

You can reserve campsites on the website and app . We did , while sitting at the entrance to a campground in Mississippi . We didn ’ t understand the park be a NPS site when we drove up , and the kindly gent in the stall directed us to make our reservation through the app .

There ’ sec too a trip planner . Plug in your dates , number of people , your starting location , and your potential destinations .

You can then find all the available choice on a map , add them to your road trip itinerary , and then do any necessary reservations .

ReserveAmerica

If you ’ re planning to camp on your road trip , you ’ ll want this app . ReserveAmerica enable you to make reservation for campsites all over the land .

Some state park system use the site , and you can see KOA campgrounds .

Apex Club exist ReserveAmerica ’ s membership . Members get a rebate for a free dark of camping ( up to $ 25 ) at eligible country and regional parks . There are also discounts on gear , accessories , clothes , and activities .

Restaurant.com

Feed where the locals eat is a great means to get a actual “ taste ” for a town . If you require to spare some dough on your dining , sign up for restaurant.com .

This app provides discounted certificates , and I ’ ve found participating restaurant in town with fewer than 10,000 resident .

You ’ ll have to spend a minimum amount to use your certificate , and it ’ s usually double the look value . For example , if you get a $ 10 certificate for $ 4 , you ’ ll have to pass at least $ 20 and you ’ ll write $ 6 .

You can search for restaurant by your current location and by zip code . You can too pick out prominent city , include Chicago , Seattle , and Austin .

Once you ’ ve narrowed down the location , look at the menu and the rating . I ’ ve found several real gems using this app , and they ’ ve been places I never would hold know about or tried without it .

SpotHero

If you ’ re become to live in any urban domain on your road trip , you ’ ll decidedly want this app .

SpotHero make probably spare me thousand over the years . I ’ ve make up using it since it launched over a decade ago ( and the founder used to compose article on Chicago parking for me ! ) .

I feel a spot three block from the Los Angeles Convention Center on the day of the Grammys and devote $ 10 for seven hr . The day of the Grammys , y ’ all !

TollGuru

Driving highway or in urban areas ? TollGuru provides elaborate information , include pricing , methods of payment , and which transponders ( E-ZPass , SunPass , FasTrak , TxTag , etc . ) be accepted at tolls .

It will also hand you an estimated fuel cost if you include the type of vehicle you drive and the medium gas price .

While Google Maps now provides toll cost information , TollGuru gives you more point .

Upside

Upsideis a free app that gives you cash back on gas , market , and restaurant . Sword include most of the big fuel chain ( Shell , Marathon , Valero , BP , etc . ) .

Upside solve similarly to Pay with GasBuddy in that you become cents off per gallon , but you get it in the form of cash back .

For example , at the Casey ’ s near me I can get eight cents per gallon cash back . To become the discount , I take the offer , wage with a credit card , and then match in or choose a photo of my receipt to upload it .

Once the cash back processes , which equal ordinarily within a couple days , I can transfer it to my bank account or expend it to buy talent cards for places like Domino ’ s , H & M , and Starbucks .

Upside as well bid cash back at restaurants and grocery store . The offers vary , and when you first sign up there ’ s an increased discount .

The app saves you a few cent here and thither , but they lend up , specially when you ’ re on long road trip .

Waze

Download Waze for an alternative to Google Maps . Beyond turn-by-turn navigation , one of the key feature of Waze is its crowd-sourced traffic information , which allows user to report accident , road shutdown , and other incident in real-time .

This helps you stay updated on the latest traffic condition and avert any delays on your route .

You can set your type of vehicle for preferred road , including Motorcycle , Electric , and Taxi . You can also lend your Toll and HOV pass , and you can tell it to skip unpaved roads .

I can believe of a few trip I ’ ve require where that option would have do in handy .

In addition to its routing and traffic feature , Waze also offers a act of other useful tools for road trips .

For lesson , the app permit you to find the inexpensive gas price along your route , restaurants , and parking at your destination . If you connect your calendar , the app will state you when it ’ s time to result .

Want more road trip tips ? DownloadBe after Your Perfect Road Trip , a Step-by-Step Guide to Hittin ’ the Road

4 Real World Trip Planning Tools

While online discovery tool live marvelous , don ’ t forget to see out these real-world tools , too .

Travel Shows

Travel Display are a fun and interactive style to find new destinations . While many people serve hoping to associate with someplace exotic ( a.k.a . a property expect several hours in a plane ) , travel shows are a wonderful path to see someplace a small closer to plate .

I ’ ve present and address at the Travel & Adventure Show for yr . At each display , I ’ ve find new road trip destinations .

Position I ’ ve call as a direct solution of these shows include Cottonwood , Arizona ; Ridgeland , Mississippi ; Bishop , California , and Traverse City , Michigan .

The mass work the booths at travel display cost , in general mouth , from that destination . They know more than anyone about their home and it ’ s their job to entice you to see .

Libraries & Bookstores

Libraries and bookstores exist fantastic resources for serve you design your destinations . It ’ s fun to browse the stacks to regard all the possibilities .

When it ’ s time to narrow down your choice to specific destinations , you might live able to notice a guidebook .

If a record you need isn ’ t available at your local library , it could exist available through a reciprocal lending plan , and booksellers are usually happy to special decree books they put on ’ t fund .

It ’ s also fun to show travelogs and travel memoirs for idea and inspiration .

As an author , one of my biggest thrill is when individual tells me my books provide inspiration for their trips , especially when they go somewhere they never would have consider or had never heard of ahead .

AAA

One of my road trip rules is to always visit AAA before heading out when I ’ m planning on visit a fresh land .

Even though GPS is great , sometimes , like in the canyons of Utah or the middle of the Mojave Desert , it doesn ’ t work . That ’ s why we ever have paper maps .

AAA ’ sec app is as well a good resource on the road , if you cause hold a connection , for finding attractions and restaurants . PLUS , don ’ t forget their roadside assistance .

If you ’ re of a certain years ( cough cough ) you probably think those spiral-bound TripTiks . When I cost develop up , mom and dad would pick up their custom‐made travel guides from our local AAA .

Guess what : the association still offers these route‐planners , only now they ’ re online .

One of the coolest feature is the power to determine how many hour you want to drive before require a break and it will indicate locations to halt .

It as well express places that extend discounts to AAA members , including hotels and restaurants . It ’ s a handy overall tool for any road trip planning .

Local Visitors Bureaus

My favorite share of travel is the masses . On our road trip to the Oregon coast and back , not a whole lot was planned . We relied on the kindness of locals to guide us in the right management , and we cost richly rewarded .

People who exist where you ’ re get exist always your greatest imagination .

While you could aim by the seat of your gasp , like we make , there ’ s an easy mode :

When you ’ re be after your trip , make sure you contact these founts of regional knowledge .

In the “ biz ” we know them as CVBs—Convention and Visitors Bureaus—and DMOs—Destination Management Organizations . These are the Mother Lode of local info .

Once you ’ re at your destination , expect the people you meet—the gas post attendant , the cashier at the market store , the concierge at your hotel , the host of your B & B—where they live to lunch .

Where cause they remove friend and category when they occur to visit ? I ’ ve never be steered in the wrong instruction , and have found some real gems just by require the locals .

I hope you ’ ve found these road trip planning tools useful . If you desire the ultimate guide to how to plan a road trip , haveBe after Your Perfect Road Trip , a Step-by-Step Guide to Hittin ’ the Road.