I am sure that when you were looking for a road trip question, it was more related to fun things you can ask your friends while on a trip. This post is more about important road trip questions that you need to ask before you even get on the road. Here are 9 different road trip questions that you need to address for your safety and budget before the petal hits the metal. Travel safe my friends! If you have another road trip question you want answered, drop it below.
The Journey or the Destination?
The first question that you need to ask yourself is if you are more concerned about the journey or the destination. What this means is you need to decide if you care more about watching the geography change and experiencing visiting centers and road side attractions or you care about the city/town you are traveling to.
This makes the biggest difference when you are pacing out your road trip. If you care more about the journey then you may want to drive shorter distances on a day to day basis. This way you can take your time. If you want to stop and take pictures than you can do that.
If the answer to this question is that you care about exploring a particular city, then you may want to get your driving done in large chunks. This way you have more time in your destination. You can cut out stops outside of getting gas and stopping for the rest room.
What Is my Budget?
This needs to be the first or second question that you ask yourself. If you are balling out of control then you may want to rent a car, stay in hotels, and eat out in restaurants every night. If this isn’t the budget that you are traveling on then you have to start making choices of where you want to cut costs.
There are a bunch of ways that you can cut costs of a trip. You might choose a hostel or Airbnb over a hotel. You can choose to buy your snacks from the grocery store instead of stopping at convenience stores. There is the option of taking your own car instead of renting one. I even have a post about how you can cut costs on your gas budget right here.
Once you figure out how much money you want to spend, the rest of your trip planning can fall into place.
Adventure Travel or Big City Tourism?
What are you hoping to get out of this trip? Do you mostly want to experience adventure like hiking and skydiving or would you prefer to hit the mall, opera, museums, and all those restaurants you find on Travel Noir and Buzzfeed? This is important when you are picking places to stop.
I have been in the isolated parts of Vermont where there is basically no where to eat but the ski lodges are always popping. I also live in Houston which doesn’t have much in terms of adventure but happens to be one of the most diverse cities in the country.
You can always mix it up and do a little bit of both. The truth is that if you know you don’t want to be in the country, stopping in the middle of South Dakota isn’t going to be fun or enjoyable for you. Don’t take this question lightly.
The Car You Own or the Car You Rent?
There are benefits to each of these options. If you use your own car you can definitely save money on a rental but the downside is that you will have to deal with putting all those miles on your car. I have taken several road trips with my car and you have to think of the wear on your tires.
When you rent a car you have to think of the extra cost but there are a lot of benefits. I know several friends who have small and compact cars. This is all good but I wouldn’t want to take a smart car into the mountains of Colorado. When you can rent a car, you can tailor the vehicle to the needs of your road trip in a way that you can’t with your day to day car.
Do I have Insurance?
A great way to deal with the insurance question is to invest in AAA. I don’t necessarily have AAA every year but when I know that I am going to do a long road trip, I always make sure to have it. You never know when you are going to have car issues, so I try to make sure to have my butt covered.
It is important to contact your insurance company before you hit the road. This way you can understand what your insurance policy is and what it will cover. If your insurance does not give you the coverage that you would like, then you need to make sure that you are filling in the gaps in other way. Another option is to have the money necessary if you need to cover the cost of a tire, cracked windshield, or a car that breaks down. Those towing costs can add up.
How Long is My Trip?
An important road trip question that you need to ask is what the length of your trip is going to be. It’s all fun in games when you start your trip. If you are planning on being on the road for weeks or months then you are going to get burnt out if you are in a new city or town every day.
When I plan out a road trip then I typically will look at the cities that I want to see and the distance between those cities. I will then look at how long I need to make my trip to see what I need to see. If you are crunched for time then you may want to cut some cities off the list.
Where Am I Eating?
This is a road trip question that is mostly related to your budget. It cost a lot of money to be eating in a restaurant or getting room service for every meal. You are also going to feel like crap if you are eating fast food for every meal and you are 3 weeks into a trip.
If you are choosing to stay in a place where you can cook some of your meals then it will save you money in addition to eating healthier. It isn’t as exciting as eating out and trying new restaurants but it keeps money in your pocket.
How Do I Protect Myself?
If safety is one of your concerns, then this road trip question should be at the top of your checklist. I have taken several solo female road trips and have not run into issues with safety. With that being said, I almost never travel at night, I keep a weapon with me, and I don’t spend time in bars or any situation where I consume a lot of alcohol.
I am pretty boring when it comes to travel, so safety is not much of a concern for me. I will keep a knife and my little bat within reach. When I stop for gas it is always in places that are well lit and I try to fill up before it gets dark. If you are looking for a post about road trip safety then you can find that find here.
Who Is My Check In Buddy?
Regardless of whether my trip is 3 weeks or 3 days, I will always make sure that I have a check in buddy if I am on the road by myself. Sometimes it is my mom and other times it is my best friend. Your buddy needs to be someone who has access to your schedule and will expect to have regular contact with you to make sure you are safe. Always have a check in buddy.
There you have it, 9 road trip questions you need to ask yourself before you hit the road for your solo female road trip. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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