Hitting the open road is a liberating experience, and it\u2019s even more so when you go it alone. When you’re a solo traveler, your fate is 100 percent within your control. You can pick any destination you want, decide how far you want to travel each day, listen to your favorite playlists, and eat wherever and whenever you want. In short, traveling alone means you don\u2019t need to make any compromises or bend to anyone\u2019s will just to keep the peace. We’ve compiled this list of solo road trip ideas to help you to come up with possible itineraries for your next adventure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re planning to travel solo for the first time, you may find yourself searching for some road trip tips online. One of the best pieces of advice you\u2019ll get is to start small. Instead of making your first trip a cross-country adventure, consider making your initial outing a day trip that\u2019s at least relatively close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That tip is particularly relevant if you recently got your first RV and plan to use it for your travels. By staying close to home, you\u2019ll be able to call for help if you can\u2019t figure out how certain features work. You\u2019ll also give yourself the chance to experience how your home on wheels handles the road without the pressure of having to drive too far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some additional road trip tips you can put into practice as early as today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many instances, road tripping is more about the journey than the destination. While that\u2019s the case, planning a road trip itinerary is a crucial part of the journey you\u2019ll experience because it will determine all the things you can do and see between your starting point and where you ultimately end up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A one-way trip from New York City to the 1000 Islands is just over 350 miles. This road trip starts in one of the world\u2019s biggest and busiest metropolises where you can enjoy casual eateries, high-end restaurants, and everything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some people feel like NYC is expensive, there are plenty of free or low-budget things to do in The Big Apple. Wandering through the Upper East Side or the West Village doesn\u2019t cost a thing, for example. You can visit Central Park without spending a dime, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to see where a popular brew is made, you can take a free tour of Brooklyn Brewery. Tours kick off every half hour between 1 pm and 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Just be aware that the brewery tours are very popular, so you\u2019ll want to get in line early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re done exploring New York City and enjoying all of its countless offerings, you\u2019ll have plenty of cool places to stop as you make your way up to the 1000 Islands. A surprising number of people have an interest in glass. If you\u2019re a member of that cult-like following, you\u2019ll want to stop in to see the Corning Museum of Glass in the appropriately named city of Corning, NY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you enjoy off-roading? If so, you\u2019ll definitely want to check out the rugged terrain in Lewis County. Do you want to explore some intriguing hiking trails? Lawrence County has some of the state\u2019s best hiking trails, so make sure you plan a layover near at least one trailhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you make your way to the Thousand Islands, you\u2019ll want to start exploring the St. Lawrence River Valley immediately. A wonderful way to get the know the area is to follow the Thousand Islands-Seaway Wine Trail. Established in 2007, this trail makes it a breeze for newcomers to tour award-winning, family-owned wineries, distilleries, and vineyards located in Cape Vincent, Clayton, Alexandria, and other cities. Of course, enjoying samples as you go along is a must, so be sure to book accommodations along the way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traveling solo from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon requires you to travel less than 300 glorious miles. This trip is one of the safest for solo female travelers and male adventurers because it\u2019s largely done on interstates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you take Interstate 515 South and I-11 South, the Hoover Dam is only about 40 minutes outside Sin City. To visit or tour the dam, it\u2019s wise to book a ticket in advance. The Hoover Dam is open to the public every day from 5 am until 9 pm, except Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Tours kick off throughout each day the dam is open. The first tour starts at 9 am and the last daily tour begins at 3:45 pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you wrap up your visit to the Hoover Dam and start the next leg of your journey, you\u2019ll only be about 95 miles away from the Grand Canyon\u2019s West Rim. If your final destination is the Grand Canyon National Park, you\u2019ll have to travel another 240 miles to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re heading to the West Rim, the canyon\u2019s South Rim, or somewhere in between, we suggest you spend at least one night in the Grand Canyon Village. If you stay there, you\u2019ll enjoy a breathtaking sunrise that will make an idyllic background for selfies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quickest way to get from Los Angeles to the Golden Gate City is to take Interstate 5 Freeway. While that route will get you to your destination in about six hours or less, it\u2019s a boring drive when compared to the Pacific Coast Highway. Although taking the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco means you\u2019ll face a longer and trickier drive, it\u2019s well worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With so many things to see and do along the Pacific Coast Highway, it\u2019s advisable to extend your trip over two or three days at least. If you love the beach and celebrities, you\u2019ll want to schedule a stop in Malibu. The city\u2019s beaches are some of the prettiest in The Golden State. After you have some fun in the sun, you can take a bus tour and see where some of the biggest names in Hollywood live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solvang is a charming town that looks like a replica of a quaint Danish village. Replete with partially timbered buildings, windmills that are reminiscent of Europe, and flowers that line the town\u2019s streets, Solvang is a throwback to an earlier, simpler time that will melt your heart during your journey between LA and SF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morro Bay is a small fishing village that\u2019s often overlooked by people who aren\u2019t \u201cin the know.\u201d The town has a gorgeous state park and several estuaries that are worth checking out. When you visit the bay, you can see Morro Rock, which is the product of an ancient volcanic eruption. The rock juts upward for 576 feet, and it sits in a lagoon where sea otters and seals can be seen throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scenery at Morro Bay is spectacular, so you may want to have a picnic on the beach. If you want to get some exercise, you can go for a swim or rent a vessel and go kayaking around Morro Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll find the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Colony in San Simeon, which is better known as the home of the luxe Hearst Castle. In 1990, there were fewer than 24 elephant seals in San Simeon, CA. The following spring, more than 400 elephant seals arrived on the beach on the south side of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one is sure why the population of elephant seals grew so much year-over-year, but it has continued to do so ever since. Now, the beach is home to more than 17,000 elephant seals. The rookery is open year-round, and guides are present daily to answer questions from curious onlookers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you probably guessed, there are many additional places you may want to stop as you travel to The City by the Bay. Here are a few more places you may want to check out during your journey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you reach your final destination, you may wonder how you can get to know The City by the Bay. One of the easiest ways to familiarize yourself with the city is to sign up for a scavenger hunt<\/a>, ghost tour, or bar crawl by Let\u2019s Roam. These app-led, outdoor activities all have different themes that will take you to various parts of the city to see some of its most popular landmarks, experience its spookiest attractions, or get a taste of the nightlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier, we made the claim that road tripping is often more about the journey than the destination, but Beaver Creek, Colorado can be an exception to that \u201crule.\u201d We suggest flying into Denver International Airport, renting a car, and make the 130-mile trek to the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beaver Creek is an elegantly charming village that has a lot of activities visitors can participate in year-round. In the winter, you can ski and snowboard to your heart\u2019s content. During the summer, you can go hiking, mountain biking, or sightseeing. If you like golf, you can play around on a lazy summer day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you visit Beaver Creek, you can enjoy all the amenities of an upscale resort while basking in the ambiance of a relaxed Alpine village. Nestled in the Vail Valley, Beaver Creek is a great choice for people who want to stay active and individual travelers who simply want to enjoy a serene getaway with plenty of spectacular Rocky Mountain views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have an impressive list of local restaurants to choose from during your stay in Beaver Creek. Beano\u2019s Cabin is an eatery you should make it a point to visit, particularly if you like horses because the restaurant allows its guests to visit on horseback!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some other intriguing hotspots you may want to try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most iconic and celebrated driving paths in the USA, the Blue Ridge Parkway connects Cherokee, North Carolina to Waynesboro, Virginia over 469 miles of roadway. Commissioned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1935 during the Great Depression, the interstate highway was originally intended to be a path that stretched from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Shenandoah National Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With nearly 15 million drivers exploring at least some part of the Blue Ridge Parkway every year, the roadway is one of the safest choices for solo female travel, solo travel for men, and travel for single parents traveling with young children. Even if you\u2019re alone in your automobile, there will still be plenty of other travelers on the road that you can flag down if you experience a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a supporter of ecotourism<\/a>, you\u2019ll appreciate the inherent design of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway is a prime example of conservatism because it has no hotels, eateries, billboards, or gas stations along its borders. Instead, pristine natural landscapes line the sides of the road. The parkway has more than 200 amazing overlooks that provide excellent views in every direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the places you\u2019ll want to stop and soak in nature\u2019s splendor as you make your way along the Blue Ridge Parkway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Florida is one of the country\u2019s largest states, so it only makes sense that it\u2019s a veritable melting pot of culture, varying climates, and beautiful landscapes. If you travel through The Sunshine State from north to south, you can see a lot of the best of what the Emerald Coast has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you leave Destin, you\u2019ll want to head east to the capital city of Tallahassee. Once there, check out the Tallahassee Museum. If you like live theater, you may also want to catch a live performance at the Amphitheatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you consider yourself a foodie? If so, you\u2019ll feel right at home in Cedar Key. That town is where you can enjoy some of the tastiest clams you\u2019ll find anywhere. Once you\u2019ve filled up on clams, head over to Three Sisters Springs to go swimming and kayaking with manatees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you bypass Tampa and Sarasota, your next stop should be in Fort Meyers. You can spend days enjoying Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. After you soak up some rays, you can tour the former summer homes of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up will be a stop in Naples and Marco Island. Once there, you\u2019ll be at the gateway to the Florida Everglades. To make your trip extra special, consider going on an airboat tour of the Everglades, which is an amazing experience that unfolds at breakneck speeds. While there\u2019s no guarantee, there\u2019s always a reasonable chance that you\u2019ll see an alligator during an airboat tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not a fan of the water, you can take a walking tour of the Everglades. Just be sure you wear appropriate footwear and attire considering the weather and terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you go solo, the world is your oyster! Try traveling from NYC to the 1000 Islands, L.A. to the Bay Area, or Destin to Marco Island, FL. See more solo road trip ideas<\/a> and tips at AdventureBook.com<\/a>.<\/p> <\/div> Before embarking on a solo road trip<\/a>, check insurance coverage, create an itinerary and share it with a few trusted friends, set a schedule, pack light, and get your vehicle checked before you go.<\/p> <\/div> Beaver Creek, Colorado<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cherokee, North Carolina to Waynesboro, Virginia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Destin to Marco Island, Florida<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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