Trip Planning Strategies

[dog_and_cat]

Hello everyone! First time poster here.

We have a 2021 27' GT on order and can't wait to start our adventures. I have a pretty good idea of the apps and online resources that are available for trip planning. But I'm curious if most folks plan their extended length trips (weeks/months) in full day-to-day locations detail or if you plan you stays more spontaneously based on how the trip unfolds.

I tend to be a planner but I can also see cases where if you get delayed for some reason at one location (or want to stay longer) then all of your upcoming advance reservations get jumbled/canceled, etc.

We're likely to mix campground stays with boondocking so perhaps adding or deleting off-grid nights might be a way to go.

Anyway, just looking for thoughts on how you balance planning and spontaneity.

Thanks!

[Goin camping]

My trip planning is very limited.

When I'm leaving and when I hope to be back.

Usually in between is a vague big loop with a few places I want to see.

I just enjoy going where whim takes me.

[LBelle]

it is rather unfortunate but all too often it is "necessary" to make reservations and plan ahead...for us at least. Here in the Pacific NW most of the popular spots (especially state & national park campgrounds) fill up quickly and while the online reservation systems might make planning easier it also adds to the fact that campsites are taken weeks and months in advance.
One can say why not just go boondocking or to another spot but all too often these popular places are that way due to their attributes whether that be amenities, scenery, location etc etc. So, for many of us it is a double-edged sword: where and what we like is something many others also like and settling for something else "second-best" is not our preference. While being free of these plans & expectations is nice it also adds to the challenge of finding a spot the day you want it and perhaps taking the time and effort scrambling around doing so and thus often detracting from what you would like to be doing.
An additional personal factor is "us": I enjoy the preparations (packing list, figuring out travel routes, prepping the food etc etc) and my wonderful traveling partner (wife) likes to have things figured out in advance... so it often come downs to personal approaches.
Sorry about the ramble (and ranting) but camping today is so different than it was in my younger days.

[Piggy Bank]

I would suggest at the minimum having advance reservations on weekends and holidays. Those tend to fill up across the season even in areas where during the week there may be first come /first serve availability.

Do also be aware that due to both Covid protocols, and worker safety (not having to handle cash) many campgrounds require an advance reservation and payment before arrival.

[moosetags]

We have been Airstreaming for quite some time. We have been camping in our Airstream since 2005. We are up to 2,200 nights out in the Airstream. We have traveled in all of the lower 48, Alaska, and most of Canada.

We never make any real trip plans, and rarely make any advance campground reservations. We travel the back roads and stay away from the Interstate Highways.

We have been doing it this way from the beginning and we always have a great time.

Brian

[GOUSC]

What we have done in the past is make a reservation at our first stop and last stop and then just make it up in between. We have always found some place to stay (although it isn't as easy now as it was 25 yrs ago) and sometimes you find a place you would have never thought you would visit.

A couple years ago we had a 6 week trip planned as above. 2 days into our trip a hurricane closed the entire coast of SC for an indeterminate period of time. We had to cancel all reservations on the coast and just headed West. We ended up cancelling our last reservation as we were having too much fun where we ended up.

One other suggestion. I would caution ending a 1 week reservation on 1 day and arriving at a long reservation the next day. Give yourself a few days to get to the next reservation and wing it in between. Things can come up to delay your arrival at the next destination.

We generally try to travel Spring and Fall to avoid summer traffic when kids are out of school unless we plan a trip with our Grandkids.

You'll figure out what works best for your situation. Just get out and try something. If something doesn't work, try something else till it does work.

[Woosch]

I did a trip last summer/fall that was just shy of 10000 miles. I only had long term reservations at two places. (Glacier NP and Great Smokeys) The rest of it I had an idea about where I wanted to go and would call ahead a day or two to reserve something. In all of that time I only got caught once where I couldn't find anything in the area I wanted to stop.

[dog_and_cat]

Thanks everyone for your answers. Seems like the answer is "find what works for you and go with it". And that's what we'll do!

[DougFelts]

I think I need to learn to be a little more spontaneous.

Last year, we knew we had to be in a particular campground for a 5K race. So, I made reservations as soon as the window opened. When we arrived, we were, I think, one of two or three rigs in the park. A big windstorm was coming in, and I asked the host if I could move sites - "Sure, we only had one person make reservations." Well, that was me!

Of course, that was February in the PNW; not exactly the height of camping season for most.

(The morning of the race, we had to help a couple of guys clear a tree from the road outside the park to get to the race, and a picnic table in one of the nearby campsites was smashed under a falling tree!)

For our big trip to Southern Utah last fall, we had trouble finding reservations for some of our stay, and ended up in a couple of really nice spots that we might not have considered otherwise. That was the time we had planned for the Albequerque Balloon Fiesta... So, I do need to put a few reservations in place for that trip this fall, I suppose. But, we're much more comfortable boondocking this year, so I'll leave some gaps in the plan, I'm sure.

Congrats on the GT! See you out there!