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Road trips across America, planned properly

Car prep, routes, budgets and safety for the drive ahead.

Start with the car checkup
Yellow camper van with curtained windows parked behind green bushes among sunlit trees.
RVs and Camping

When to Start Planning Your Rental RV Road Trip

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

A month-by-month timeline for planning a rental RV trip, from booking campgrounds months out to the pickup walkthrough and your first night on site.

A white electric car with a zero emission badge plugged in to a charging cable.
The Car

A First-Timer’s Guide to Renting an Electric Car

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

What to check at pickup, how charging apps and payments work, and which return rules and fees to ask about before you drive off in a rental EV.

A spare tire and jack sit in the carpeted trunk of an orange classic car parked on grass.
Road Gear

Mistakes to Avoid When Changing a Flat Tire

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

The common mistakes drivers make with spare tires, jacks and jack points, from flat spares to driving too far on a donut, and how to avoid them.

Curving highway with motion-blurred traffic winding past trees and houses on dry hillsides.
Family Road Trips

Why Your Kids Keep Getting Carsick on Road Trips

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

Why motion sickness hits kids ages 2 to 12 hardest, the seat and screen rules that help, what to feed them, and when to ask a pediatrician about medicine.

Snowy mountain valley with winding roads and evergreen trees beneath snow-capped peaks
Park Drives

Trail Ridge Road or Going-to-the-Sun Road?

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

A driver’s comparison of Rocky Mountain’s Trail Ridge Road and Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road: seasons, vehicle limits, reservations and services.

A corroded car battery terminal covered in white and green crystalline deposits on a black battery.
Road Gear

What to Look For in a Portable Jump Starter

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

Match peak amps to your engine, pick the safety features that matter, and store a portable jump starter so it works on the day you need it.

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About the Road Desk

Independent road trip guides for U.S. drivers: getting the car ready, planning routes and budgets, and staying safe on long days and winter roads.

How we research

Three checks before any drive

  1. Tire pressure and tread, with the car cold.
  2. Road conditions and closures on 511 or the state DOT site.
  3. A full tank or charge before remote stretches.

The full car checkup

Topics

  • Family Road Trips (3)
  • On the Road (4)
  • Park Drives (4)
  • Plan the Route (4)
  • Regional Routes (4)
  • Road Gear (7)
  • RVs and Camping (4)
  • The Car (4)

Latest guides

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Just Awesome Travel

Road trips across America, planned properly. No sponsored routes, no rental or toll company deals.

Start here

  • Driving into Canada or Mexico
  • EV road trip charging
  • How far is too far in a day
  • Renting a car for a road trip

Official road info

Road conditions: dial 511 or visit your state DOT website.

NHTSA recall lookup

National Park Service

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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