Road trips are fun because they offer complete freedom over your adventure. You can travel anywhere your car can take you and bring whatever fits in the trunk. There is nowhere you have to be, so you are free to let all of life’s expectations melt away and just enjoy the moment. You are free to wander, get lost, be vulnerable, and connect with the world around you.
Countless movies, books, and songs have been dedicated to that wild and free road trip feeling. Not sure what all the fuss is about? Then you need to read our 10 reasons that road trips are fun!
1. Complete freedom
The open road gives you complete freedom to go where ever your car can take you. A road trip can take you up into the mountains, across the desert, along the coast, or all three! Your route is only limited by your imagination.
2. Flexibility
You have the flexibility to stay for as little, or long, in any one place. You can make a diversion when you learn about a new place, or pass right on through somewhere that doesn’t work out like you thought it would.
3. See the real world
A road trip keeps you connected with the land and the people that live where ever you pass through. You get to see things and meet people you’d never come into contact with if you were flying 1,000’s of miles above them in a plane.
4. Time to relax and enjoy the moment
For better or worse, a road trip means a long time spent driving in the car. This is a great opportunity to embrace doing absolutely nothing! You can let your mind soak up the road, the scenery, and know that there is no place you HAVE to be and nothing you HAVE to be doing.
5. Great opportunity to indulge in your favorite media
Hours in the car don’t have to mean quiet contemplation. That audiobook you’ve been meaning to listen to, the podcast everyone is raving about, the music you never get a chance to just sit and enjoy…all perfect road trip fun! Take great joy in putting together your playlist and downloading some audio entertainment.
Need some advice? We’ve got 40 of the best podcasts for road trips to help get you started.
6. Opportunity to bond with friends and loved ones
Many relationships are bonded in the crucible of a road trip. The highs and lows, hilarious misadventures, miles of nothing but you guys and the road. Road trips encourage us to open up, to be vulnerable, and be present with one another in such a unique way.
We have some great ideas for Things to do on a road trip with friends.
7. Have an adventure
Road trips are full of the unexpected, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always fun. You can take the opportunity to check out something a random acquaintance recommends, or find yourself stuck somewhere random when the weather proves too wild to drive in.
8. Do something you wouldn’t normally
One of the fun things about being on a road trip is the opportunity to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Being on the road gives an inherent feeling of transition, of anonymity, you’re free to be someone new, to try something new.
9. No travel restrictions
One of the best things about road trips is you are free to pack anything that fits in your trunk! No travel size bottles or weight limits on your luggage; you can bring as much or as little as your heart desires.
10. Save money
Traveling by car is cheaper than by plane, especially if you are sharing the journey with friends. You have more flexibility to scout out affordable gas, hotels, and attractions in more varied locations. By plane, you’re limited to what you can easily get to from the airport or you’ll end up renting a car when you arrive anyway.
We have some great tips for doing a Road trip on a budget to help get you planning.
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Lisa Hurd is a born and raised Californian currently living with her husband, daughter, and labrador in the UK. She enjoys road trips with her family and has fond memories of cross-country adventures with her 3 sisters while growing up. She loves to write about a variety of road trip related topics.