When traveling in a new part of the world for the first time it is important that you carefully plan your route. A poorly planned trip can sour your opinion of a country and its people. If you are traveling in the United States for the first time or traveling in a new part of the country, you need a well-planned route. Following these step-by-step instructions you can plan a route through the United States that fits your travel needs.
Figure out what type of traveler you are. Some people like to see everything along the road and don't care much about getting to a particular destination. Others feel the need to get to a particular spot and stay in a specific location.
Chart your route according to the destinations that you would like to see (assuming this is the type of travel you like). Using your U.S. atlas, mark the spots where you would like to go. Consider various roads to take to get from one destination to the next. If your goal is to get to locations quickly, take one of the major routes across the country, such as Interstate 80, Interstate 15, Interstate 70 and Interstate 90.
Give yourself time to get from one destination to the next. The United States is a large country and there are lots of interesting things to see. You might want to stop and check something out that was not included in your plan.
Mark crucial junctions and calculate approximate miles between them using an online service such as Mapquest or Googlemaps. This will prevent you from being hit with any surprises while driving. It is especially important for you to do this if you do not speak English well.
Plan a different type of route all together if you prefer wandering and seeing the country. Target a particularly scenic part of the country. Although you can take major roads through these areas, I recommend finding several scenic back routes. For this sort of travel obtain a scenic atlas of the United States. Chart your course according to pictures of particular landscapes you want to see along certain routes.
Before leaving on your trip, check weather conditions in the area in which you will be traveling. Some roads are shut down in times of severe weather. Also, take a look at the National Traffic and Road Closure website to make sure none of your routes are on troublesome roads (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/Trafficinfo/).
