Going on a road trip can be a thrilling experience, but it can also be stressful if you’re not well prepared. Fortunately, there are numerous road trip apps available that can make your journey smoother and more enjoyable.

These apps can help you plan your route, find interesting places to visit, discover new restaurants and accommodations, and even find the cheapest or nearby gas stations along the way.

Whether you’re traveling solo or with friends and family, a road trip app can be a valuable tool to enhance your adventure and ensure you have a memorable experience. In this modern age of technology, having a road trip app in your pocket can make all the difference between a chaotic trip, and a well-planned, stress-free journey.

Table of Contents

Is there an app to plan a road trip?

What is the best map app for long road trips?

Is there an app to plan a road trip with multiple stops?

What is the best driving trip planner?

Our top 5 road trip app choices

Hit the road!

Is there an app to plan a road trip?

The short answer: Yes. There are multiple. The best app to plan a road trip are sometimes a free app, and other times you have to pay for the premium service to gain pre made trip guides or custom map styles.

What is the best map app for long road trips?

There are several map apps available that are great for long road trips, but it ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences. Here are a few popular options:

1) Google Maps: Google Maps is a widely used app that provides real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions, and the ability to search for businesses along your route. It also offers satellite and street views and can be used offline. Plan up to seven waypoints through this route planner.

2) Waze: Waze is a navigation app that relies on user-submitted information to provide real-time traffic updates, accidents, and road closures. It also allows users to report police sightings and speed traps, making it a useful app for avoiding traffic tickets.

3) Apple Maps: Apple Maps is a navigation app that comes pre-installed on Apple devices. It offers turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates, and the ability to search for businesses along your route. It also has a 3D map view that can be helpful for navigating through unfamiliar areas.

4) MapQuest: MapQuest is a navigation app that provides turn-by-turn directions and real-time traffic updates. It also offers the ability to search for businesses along your route and can be used offline.

The best map app for long road trips will depend on your personal preferences and the features that are most important to you. It’s a good idea to try out a few different apps and see which one works best for your needs.

Is there an app to plan a road trip with multiple stops?

Yes, there are several apps available that can help you plan a road trip with multiple stops. Here are a few popular options:

1) Roadtrippers: This is a popular app that allows you to plan your road trip, add multiple stops, and discover interesting places to visit along the way. You can customize your trip with different filters, such as food, nature, history, and more.

2) Google Maps: Google Maps also allows you to add multiple stops to your route and provides turn-by-turn directions between each destination. You can save your trip and share it with others, making it easy to collaborate on a group road trip.

3) TripIt: TripIt is a travel planning app that can help you organize all aspects of your trip, including flights, hotels, and rental cars. You can also add multiple stops to your itinerary and receive real-time updates on your trip.

4) Sygic Travel: Sygic Travel is an app that allows you to plan your road trip with multiple stops, view maps and directions, and discover interesting places to visit along the way. You can also save your trip and share it with others.

These apps can make it easy to plan and organize your road trip with multiple stops, making the journey more enjoyable and stress-free.

What is the best driving trip planner?

The best driving trip planner depends on your specific needs and preferences, but here are some popular options:

1) Roadtrippers: A popular app that allows you to plan your road trip and discover interesting places to visit along the way. You can customize your trip with different filters, such as food, nature, history, and more. It also provides real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn directions.

2) Furkot: Furkot is a road trip planning app that allows you to create a detailed itinerary with multiple stops, lodging options, and activities. It also provides estimated driving times and distances between each destination, making it easy to plan your route.

3) Google Maps: Google Maps is a widely used app that provides real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions, and the ability to search for businesses along your route. It also allows you to save your trip and share it with others.

4) Sygic Travel: Sygic Travel is an app that allows you to plan your road trip and view maps and directions. It also provides information on interesting places to visit along the way, including museums, restaurants, and other attractions.

Decidedly, the best driving trip planner depends on your specific needs and preferences. It’s a good idea to try out a few different apps and see which one works best for you.

Our Top 5 Road Trip Apps

We have tried, tested, and reviewed 5 road trip planner apps to help you make an informed decision. Our goal is to help you save money on your next road trip by being properly prepared . We go over app features, scenic points, how to search for cheaper fuel prices, and search out treasures like a national park or local diners no ones ever heard of.

Roadtrippers is a top pick among road trip planner apps thanks to its impressive features beyond simply providing directions to a location. Many avid road trippers may consider that traveling on the road is more about the journey than the destination, and this app helps make that journey as enjoyable as possible.

Roadtrippers lets you add stops along the way to plan every step of your road trip and share your itinerary with friends. Road tripping is certainly less fun when stuck in traffic jams, so receiving live traffic updates can lead to the perfect road trip instead of having a bad road trip experience.

Long-time users can save their favorite places to quickly access in the future on the go, ensuring that you never forget where to find local hidden treasures.

If you plan on driving to a new location, you can search for points of interest along your route based on various categories such as historic sites, scenic areas, hotels, or breweries. You can also layer multiple types to plan the most efficient itinerary.

Although the app is free, some of its advanced features require Roadtrippers Plus to be purchased. For instance, users of the pro version can add up to 150 stops to trips and check live travel conditions while driving.

 Pros:

  • Offline maps allow you to venture off the grid.
  • Save and search for stops along your drive.
  • Check live traffic conditions while driving.
  • Users can take advantage of special discounts from travel partners.

 Cons:

  • Distracting ads on the free version
  • You have to pay to use advanced features in Roadtrippers Plus.

All in all Roadtrippers is a great tool allowing users to map road trips to the same level as on google maps. I love the capability of sorting the most popular destinations along this journey by categories including camping activities, beaches, monuments etc. The app offers a handy RV mode for drivers of motorhomes that highlights places specifically important to RV enthusiasts. Search out road trip ideas for national parks, alternative routes, or exclusive deals for your next adventure.

Waze is a popular road trip app specializing in helping drivers find the best routes to avoid traffic based on social interaction. The Waze community of users can report hazards, police cars, or accidents to help fellow drivers avoid setbacks during their travels.

This collaborative approach has created a responsive turn by turn navigation app that continually updates surrounding road conditions to find the best route between any two locations. Although this app is an excellent option for drivers going on long trips to unknown areas, it is also a favorite of commuters looking for the fastest way home.

The Waze app is handy when traveling through cities with congested traffic and complicated layouts. Users can benefit from routes based on residents’ driving habits so that anyone can drive like a local.

Another advantage of using a collaborative approach to road trips is finding the best gas prices based on the Waze community’s information. However, some residents have complained that the app increases car traffic in local back roads that Waze recommends as detours around jams.

 Pros:

  • Live data on traffic conditions and alternate routes
  • Information on where to find the cheapest gas nearby
  • Ability to report road hazards and police cars to other users
  • Best app for finding the fastest route to a destination

 Cons:

  • Users can falsely report hazards and confuse others.
  • May send cars down more minor roads not designed for heavy traffic.

You can check out the Waze app here: Waze Website

Most people are familiar with this widespread app. Google Maps is a reliable and straightforward navigation app available on all major mobile devices. It offers a holistic approach to road trip planning by making information gathered from Google available at your fingertips in the car.

Google Maps offer quick and reliable directions with accurate transit estimates, allowing you to plan and coordinate with others efficiently. It is also effortless to find places to stop along the way based on data available from other Google apps and services.

Although some drivers prefer Apple Maps for navigation in small cities, Google’s app offers a more well-rounded experience and better travel time estimates. 

 Pros:

  • Simple to use and operate

  • Accurate transit and arrival time estimates

  • Quick search options that access data from Google to find stops

  • No advertisements

 Cons:

  • Limited ability to plan multiple stops along the way

  • Data collection may be a privacy concern.

Check out Google Maps here: Google Maps

GasBuddy is another community-based platform that uses other drivers’ information to locate the most affordable gas prices in any location. Long road trips often come with a hefty fee paid at the pump, so any app that can save you gas money is a valuable addition to your travel plans.

This app promises that users will save a certain amount of money. In addition to collecting data about cheap gas prices available in the area, GasBuddy offers a special card accepted by most gas stations and allows users to enjoy additional savings on every gallon.

It is free to sign up for the service from the app. The company will send you a card that will automatically save you five cents on every gallon of gas. A paid premium version of the app comes with more benefits and discounts.

 Pros:

  • Locate the cheapest gas along your road trip route

  • A complimentary membership card saves you more money on every gallon.

  • Extra discounts available with premium service

  • Benefit from other users finding the best prices

 Cons:

  • Premium features may not be worth the cost.

  • Limited usefulness beyond finding cheap gas

You can link to GasBuddy here: GasBuddy

Roadside America is the best road trip planner app for travelers who are looking for unique and unexpected experiences during their adventure. They specialize in finding quirky roadside attractions by looking for exciting stops along any route that other apps may overlook.

The maps have a user-friendly design and thousands of in-depth reviews of local tourist spots all over the United States and Canada. When you reach your destination, you can also use the app to find nearby attractions in your vicinity.

It should be noted that this app is not free, and some features require additional in-app purchases. It is also only available for users with an iOS device. Nevertheless, many travelers appreciate the social sharing features that make it easy to coordinate with friends.

 Pros:

  • Roadmap displays nearby attractions along your route

  • Thousands of reviews and photos of tourist spots

  • Extra features include a sunset alarm.

  • Social sharing capabilities

 Cons:

  • Extra fees for unlocking regions

  • Only available on iOS devices

Check out Roadside America here: Roadside America

Hit the Road

Road trips are a great way to explore new places, create memories, and bond with family and friends. However, they can also be stressful if you’re not well-prepared. That’s where a road trip app comes in – it can make your journey smoother, safer, and more enjoyable.

So planning a road trip starts with one of the best road trip apps. Get out of your parking spot and make sure you have offline access as a backup whether you choose a paid version or not. Make sure your vehicle has had a recent tune up, and you can start plotting your entire trip. Turn your big ideas into must have memories when you hit the open road.

Safe and Happy Travels!