Planning a road trip? Check these sites first
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Before you hit the highway this summer, hit the web.
By planning ahead you can save money and see more great things along the way. Our news partners at Consumer Reports Shop Smart Magazine test-drove a bunch of road-trip sites and came up with a few that come highly recommended.
Shop Smart's Jody Rohlena says a good place to start is aaa.com, even if you're not a member.
"They can help you map your route for whatever road trip you want to plan," she said. She says the online TripTiks are great.
"They're really easy to access on the website. It's a great way to plan exactly where you're going," she said.
If you want to take the scenic route and check out the attractions, head to RoadTripAmerica.com.
"It can help you kind of come up with a good route to stop off, get back on the road, do a scenic drive and see a lot of sites along the way," Rohlena says.
Shop Smart says US-Parks.com is best for locating national parks.
"That will help you find a lot of scenic attractions - both parks, historical sights, and scenic drives," she said. "It's a great way to get some education into that summer trip."
TripsWithPets.com and BringFido.com will help you find pet-friendly places to stay. They also have some information about putting pets on a plane.
"So many people want to travel with their pets but there are so many things you need to know before you get on the road," she said.
Consumer Reports also recommends: costtodrive.com for calculating fuel costs, gasbuddy.com for finding the best pump prices, and randmcnally.com for inspiration.
By planning ahead you can save money and see more great things along the way. Our news partners at Consumer Reports Shop Smart Magazine test-drove a bunch of road-trip sites and came up with a few that come highly recommended.
Shop Smart's Jody Rohlena says a good place to start is aaa.com, even if you're not a member.
"They can help you map your route for whatever road trip you want to plan," she said. She says the online TripTiks are great.
"They're really easy to access on the website. It's a great way to plan exactly where you're going," she said.
If you want to take the scenic route and check out the attractions, head to RoadTripAmerica.com.
"It can help you kind of come up with a good route to stop off, get back on the road, do a scenic drive and see a lot of sites along the way," Rohlena says.
Shop Smart says US-Parks.com is best for locating national parks.
"That will help you find a lot of scenic attractions - both parks, historical sights, and scenic drives," she said. "It's a great way to get some education into that summer trip."
TripsWithPets.com and BringFido.com will help you find pet-friendly places to stay. They also have some information about putting pets on a plane.
"So many people want to travel with their pets but there are so many things you need to know before you get on the road," she said.
Consumer Reports also recommends: costtodrive.com for calculating fuel costs, gasbuddy.com for finding the best pump prices, and randmcnally.com for inspiration.
