Road trip planner - recommendations?

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by roboehmke

I am using Google Trips and Roadtrippers. I haven’t found anything better.

Welcome to the forum!!!!

[ewhitney45]

RV Parky is a great free app you can run on your phone or PC. Play with the filters and you get a lot of flexibility. Good Sam has a decent app as well you can run on your PC. Have used it several times though it seems to have a mind of its own, and takes some getting used too. As far as Walmart is concerned, I have stayed at numerous stores throughout the south west and Midwest. Truckers like them so if you decide to stay at one be careful to pick a parking spot far from them since they will run their trucks all night which can be quite annoying. Have NEVER had any safety issues, in fact I think just the opposite is true. They have video surveillance, and active security which in some places will periodically patrol the parking lot. Have only ran across one store that did not allow overnight parking, and that was because of city ordinances. Frankly why pay for an overnight stay unless you are in need of emptying tanks, need water, or AC, etc?? Stop at 5/6, have dinner, get some sleep and hit the road at first light. Whats wrong with that?

[Rokitman]

I use Furkot (free) for planning the route. Admittedly, it was a little clumsy at first, but my experience had been that the more flexible an app is designed, the more complex it becomes. It has both browser and app versions.

To choose specific campgrounds, I use campgroundreviews.com (free), RVParky (free), or Park Advisor (free). Then find them in Furkot and click to add to the route.

For attractions, my wife seems to be out best source (Facebook, Airstream Addicts, Air Forums, and various other subscriptions). Online communities with folks who share their adventures are a great source. She loves to cook, so many of our adventures are connected to food. (Sid's Dinner in El Reno, OK for an onion burger is a bucket-list MUST.)

[kswelsh]

If you will be visiting Carthage, if you have time, drive south to Springfield on Hwy 65 and visit the Bass Pro mothership, the aquarium and museum. You will not be disappointed. Also, if you have time, visit Branson and Top of the Rock - restaurant is pricey, but views are beautiful! So many wonderful things to see and do in Missouri! Have fun!

[golfarch]

I use "Allstays Camp & RV"

It has a great phone app and a computer programs as well. Ir is excellent.

Originally Posted by wachuko

Well...I have been searching for an App that will help us put together our trips.

For example, we want to go to Missouri and would like to find out what to see on the way there, where to stop to rest/sleep...and the same information for the trip back if we take a different route...

Is there something that you can recommend??

I can’t tell what is good or worthless from my search results.

[Rollinstone]

I use the free app RVParky. They also have a trip planner at rvparky.com

[wimpy]

Waze App is a great addition to your smartphone. Essentially a social mapping app, if a fellow Wazer indicates there is an accident ahead on your route, you will be advised and given an optional route(s) around the accident.

Kept me from being 2 hours late arriving at final destination because a tractor/trailer blocked 2 lanes of the interstate. This is 1 advantage of many advantages of using WAZE.

[kitpumpum]

Roadtrippers is a good app for seeing things along the way. It also allows you to plot your trip and shows time and distance.
AllStays has a very comprehensive list of places to stop.

[Rocinante]

If you're retired and doing 3-4-5-6-700 miles per day, you're doing it wrong.

[rmkrum]

Heck, even if you are NOT retired, doing that many miles a day means: 1) you are getting way too tired, 2) you are taking too many chances, and 3) you are NOT seeing anything...

[wachuko]

Please, do not stop... keep telling me how bad this trip is going to be for the driver... because the rest of the passengers will be reading books, watching movies, etc.

I will endure, I will sleep, I will see nothing, but I will still be happy to get something off my wife's wish/bucket list...

And I will plan the next one better...

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

If you're retired and doing 3-4-5-6-700 miles per day, you're doing it wrong.

I guess that means my husband and I are doing it right.

I'm self-employed, so I can get away with more in the way of "time off". He's conventionally employed, and we've worked out a system where I drive solo to our destination, and he then flies out to meet me. It saves time for him. But then we often do 700 miles per day on the return trip.

[Boxster1971]

I like Mike Wendland's 330 rule. Drive no more 330 miles or stop by 3:30 PM. But then I'm semi-retired.

[Mansderm161]

Is there a way to add these apps to fusion. I have not been able to locate a way to do this.

[Lotus54]

For me, a lot depends on *where* the driving is taking place.
Say in Montana, Wyoming, NV on secondary roads where you see another vehicle about every 20-30 minutes...long days are pretty easy.
Going though freeways on the East coast where people are nuts and loads of traffic? 300 miles seems like a long time.
But that is just me.

I think it also helps to start early in the morning. Generally lighter traffic and can do more stops without going late into the eve/night.
Years ago I could drive 1000+ miles a day easily (done serveral cross-country trips in 3.5 days), heck I’ve done 1k on my motorcycle. But I worked on not going so far, stopping a lot more and looking for the secondary roads. But sometimes just ‘blasting down the freeway’ and getting as many miles as possible in has merits. It sort of depends on where you are also (well, I think). Some areas I didn’t want to stick around long (I don’t want to say where, since most certainly that will be where someone lives and loves it).

I would suggest starting as early as possible on your two long days. Your AI is much quieter than mine (that should help) and as long as your passengers don’t start throwing a ‘Riggin’ Fit’ with the long day it would be ok. Oh yeah, start stretching, moving early in the day and keep it up rather than wait until you are getting full of aches.

Mark

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

...
I think it also helps to start early in the morning. Generally lighter traffic and can do more stops without going late into the eve/night.
...

Not just lighter. Saner. The bad attitudes typically don't commence until after 12:00 p.m. I'm always underway by 7 a.m. at the latest (Cracker Barrel usually doesn't open until 6:00 a.m.).

[Lotus54]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Not just lighter. Saner. The bad attitudes typically don't commence until after 12:00 p.m.

Yes, I think that is true.
Perhaps my attitude also...

[Rocinante]

Guessing you two haven't recently driven in morning rush-hour traffic? Yikes, that can be scary!

[TayaraTravel]

Originally Posted by wachuko

Please, do not stop... keep telling me how bad this trip is going to be for the driver... because the rest of the passengers will be reading books, watching movies, etc.

I will endure, I will sleep, I will see nothing, but I will still be happy to get something off my wife's wish/bucket list...

And I will plan the next one better...

Do what works for you and ignore the nannying. We all have our own styles.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I like Mike Wendland's 330 rule. Drive no more 330 miles or stop by 3:30 PM. But then I'm semi-retired.

I like this one. I am more of 200 miles. Like people are saying, it’s about the journey, not necessarily about the destination. I’m semi retired and in my 30s though, still have a lot to learn myself.

Love the Roadtrippers app. I had an idea for something similar. Glad I stubbles across this and no longer have to invent it [emoji12]