Road trips make a great vacation, and in the past few years, they’ve seen a huge surge in popularity. But why?
Road trips have been part of the American consciousness since the car first started becoming popular in the 1920s, but hit a high point in popularity in the 1960s and ‘70s when every American family seemed to be hitting the road for family fun (or something like it).
While there was a dip in the popularity of road trips in the decades since – many of the sights and amenities Baby Boomers and Gen X folks might associate with the road trips of their youth have long since closed – today, road trips are seeing a resurgence.
A 2024 survey indicated that a whopping 75% of US travelers intended to make a road trip last summer, making it more popular for summer vacation than plane travel. The vast majority of survey respondents were heading somewhere within 250 miles of home.
With road trips making such a splash among vacation planners, you might be asking, should I plan a road trip this year?
Here are the top 3 reasons the answer to that question might be, “yes!”
Why (and How!) to Plan A Road Trip This Year
As well as three good reasons to take a road trip in 2025, in this guide, you’ll find notes on most common road trip costs, top destinations to consider, and ideas for how to plan a road trip.
More Affordable Than Hopping a Plane
Let’s face it, costs are up these days and everyone’s looking for ways to save in 2025. Gas may be expensive, but flights are frequently more expensive. Depending on where you want to go, what you want to do when you get there, and when you’re hoping to go, flying for vacation can get expensive quickly. This is especially true if you’re thinking about crossing international borders to Mexico or Canada, as international airport fees can add up quickly.
If you’re a solo traveler heading somewhere far away and won’t need a car on arrival, flying might make good sense. But for families going somewhere relatively close who will need a car to get around, choosing to make your trip a road trip could save you a ton of money.
A road trip, on the other hand, can be tailored to fit your budget. Other than fuel, your biggest costs are likely to be food and lodging. While it’s easy for these to add up, they’re really the base costs of getting away – and if you’re looking to get away on a shoestring budget, these can be reduced with a little smart planning.
Costs to Consider When Planning a Road Trip
On that note, here are the key costs to plan for when budgeting for a road trip.
Gas (or Charging, for electric vehicle owners)
Meals (meals en route, road snacks, and daily meals at destination)
Lodging (campgrounds, motels, hotels, or vacation rentals)
Entertainment and Sightseeing (especially important for kids on long drives!)
Tolls
Parking
One word to the wise: while you can save quite a bit of cash by camping, there are still charges associated with a vacation in the woods. Depending on where you camp, you may need to pay for park passes, laundry machines, shower tokens, and other associated costs.
Who doesn’t want a little more money in their pocket?
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So Many Sights to See Right Here
Other than saving money, one of the number one reasons people choose a road trip vacation is that there’s simply so much to see and do in the United States that doesn’t require hopping a plane. In terms of distance, culture, and landscape, heading to another state or region can be like going to another country – without the hassle of going through border control.
From the beach to the desert to forests and mountains, there’s so much to see and do – and much of it costs little or nothing to explore.
Top North American Road Trip Destinations for 2025
There are so many iconic road trips across the contiguous United States (not to mention Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories!). Choosing can be daunting – but when in doubt, exploring a destination you haven’t seen yet that’s not too far from home is always a great pick.
Looking for something grander that a short drive from your house? Here are 12 of the most popular, classic road trips in America:
Big Sky Country roadtrip: Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho
Northern Arizona & Southern Utah
The Pacific Coast Highway
Washington State National Parks & Wineries
Southern Maine & Coastal New England
Route 66 from Chicago to the California Coast
Texas’ Bluebonnet Trail
Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys
Smoky/Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee
Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes
Colorado’s San Juan Skyway
Leaf-peeping in Vermont
Easier to Make Happen on Your Schedule
The best thing about planning a road trip is the infinite flexibility. When you’re in charge of when you leave and return, there’s simply a lot less stress to getting out the door. While flights and trains and buses all have a fixed schedule, going in your own car means the only schedule is yours.
Plus, driving means you don’t have to worry about things like prices for trains being higher on holidays or flights being cheaper on Tuesdays. You don’t have to compromise on a day or time to save money. Of course, traffic can be better or worse on holidays or at rush hour, but when you’re dealing with your hometown, you know the patterns well enough to avoid the worst if you so choose.
Simple Steps to Plan Your Next Road Trip
If all that makes a road trip sound pretty good, you might be thinking about starting planning. While each road trip will be as unique as you, there are a few steps you can take to get ready and make sure you have the trip you imagine.
Decide on a destination: Spend some time researching and figure out a rough plan that floats your boat.
Set a schedule: Pick the days you want to leave and return and any traveling you want to do in between. Make sure anywhere you want to go will be open and has availability (some national parks need to be booked months in advance!) and take a look at the standard weather for that time period to make sure your plan makes sense.
Set a budget: Sit down and decide how much you can afford to spend – and how much you want to spend – on this trip. Break your budget down into costs for fuel, food, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses like parking, tolls, park passes, and so on, making sure you have a contingency budget in case something goes awry.
Get granular: Start planning out where you’ll stay and any prep you need to do for a successful trip (like making sure you have a toll pass that works where you’re going, researching restaurants, or making a packing and training list, if you want to do a serious hike). You don’t want to miss out on something big because you didn’t make a reservation or plan ahead!
Get ready for your trip! Dot the “i”s, cross the “t”s, make sure you have everything you need in your car in case of emergency, and don’t forget your sunglasses!
Ready to Hit the Road for Your 2025 Road Trip?
A road trip can be such a joy – sun, wind, and the open road! Whether you’re staying close to home or heading cross country, a little bit of preparation and a little extra cash in your pocket just in case can go a long way.
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