Pick a time to travel. Whether you are driving home for the holidays or you're on spring break with friends, deciding when to take a road trip is the first step. Snow and sleet on the roads are possibilities while traveling west. According to Ridelust.com, mild weather and good road conditions help determine New Mexico and Missouri as some of the best states to drive through, and, depending on your route, you may go through these states. Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving and Labor Day are all busy periods for freeway travel, as well as the warmer months -- May onward -- when college students are out of school for the summer.
Choose a route and plan stopovers. Decide if you want to take a major freeway, such as the East to West I-80 and I-40 interstates, or other routes. Plan any stopovers along the way. Check out the more unusual attractions along the way, such as Buddy Holly's crash site in Clear Lake, Idaho, or even plan your trip around a festival, such as Kool-Aid Weekend, held in Hastings, Nebraska, which features games and exhibits. Plan accommodations also. Hotel chains such as Motel 6 and Best Western are located throughout the United States and take reservations online but also accept walk-ins. While many hotels are along the journey out west, arrange your accommodation beforehand. Traveling through uninspiring terrain, such as the cornfields of Kansas or the desert of Nevada, can cause drowsiness, so have a hotel booked for the night to prevent driving while tired. Try to always have someone awake with you when you are driving. Play CDs as well as stop to stretch your legs every hour to prevent boredom or tiredness.
Plan a budget. Road trips out west can be expensive if you don't plan ahead. Avoid staying in high-priced hotels, eating costly snacks and buying a carload of souvenirs if you have no budget. If you are driving from New York to California, you will need to arrange at least three or four nights' accommodation for the trip, possibly more if you plan to stop for attractions. Pack inexpensive and healthy snacks for the trip, such as nuts, granola bars and crackers. Before you depart, take note of which states have the the cheapest gas; look at GasBuddy.com, which allows users to search for gas prices throughout the U.S. Keep an emergency cash fund handy in the event you have car trouble; you don't want to be stranded in an isolated area of an unfamiliar state.
Make your car road-worthy. If you drive your own car out west, first take it to your local auto mechanic for a tune-up and inspection. A trip out west can be especially hard on your vehicle; cooling systems must work harder while driving through desert regions, and the brakes are tested as you travel through mountainous terrain. Alternatively, rent a car to ensure having a serviceable, up-to-date vehicle.
Make a list of packing essentials; write down everything you want to take. Even if you have a GPS, pack a map; you don't want to get lost in the middle of nowhere. Also, pack necessities such as quarters for road tolls, cell phone chargers and pillows or blankets for your car passengers.
