Follow these tips to make your long-distance move less stressful-and even enjoyable.
1. Plan Tourist Stops Along the Way
If you drive straight to your location-with only the occasional stop for food or bathroom breaks-you will feel incredibly exhausted. Similarly, you’ll feel a toll after you stare at the road for hours on end. While you may not have enough time to turn your move into a full-out vacation, you can still turn it into an enjoyable adventure by making a few tourist stops along the way.
Plan in advance for your trip by consulting a map for historical sites, national parks, or big cities you’ll pass through. Don’t choose sites that lie far from your travel path, as visiting them could add several hours of driving time and additional stress. Also, don’t choose sites that require you to set aside an entire day. Pick places you can explore for an hour or two.
If planning ahead isn’t your style, you can also use the Roadtrippers app. It will tell you about amusement parks, hiking locations, and other attractions along your path. Whether you use an app or not, you will stay refreshed and make great memories when you plan tourist stops.
2. Depart Early, Retire Early
Here’s yet another tip to help you reduce stress and road fatigue: don’t drive late into the night. Instead, wake up early and hit the road when you feel fresh.
As you set off for a new day of driving, make sure you check upcoming traffic conditions using apps like Google Maps and Inrix XD Traffic Maps & Alerts. And plan your trip so you don’t pass through large cities during rush hour.
3. Plan for Healthy Meals
If you don’t plan what you’ll eat, you’ll end up eating fast food hamburgers for every meal-and your gut will feel it. Consider these ideas instead:
• Bring along a cooler where you can place fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches. Stop at grocery stores along the way to buy fresh food.
• Use apps like Urbanspoon and Food Tripping to find local food stops with healthier options.
• Book hotels that offer free breakfast, which will save you time and money.
4. Plan for Inexpensive Gas
Road signs along the way will alert you to gas options coming up, but you may want to consult an app like Gas Buddy as well. It will help you locate nearby gas options and even let you compare prices.
5. Book Hotels Along the Way
You may not be able to plan in advance what hotels you’ll stay at each night. What if you get tired and want to stop earlier, or what if you decide you’d like to drive farther and get to your destination sooner? Fortunately, several apps can help you find inexpensive day-of hotels:
• TripAdvisor allows you to search for the highest-ranking hotels by zip code or city.
• Hotel Tonight gives you last-minute hotel deals.
• Roomlia lets you book hotels a week or less in advance. If you book seven nights with them, you get the eighth free.
Use these tips-and these apps-to help your long-distance move go smoother. Soon you’ll find that you actually your move, and this realization will ease your transition to your new place.
Whether you’re moving to the next state, across the country, or internationally, keep reading our blog for tried-and-true moving tips.
