Planning a Road Trip: The Ultimate Guide for Your Adventure!

Do you love campervan holidays? For ultimate freedom, spontaneity, and adventure, a road trip is the best way to travel. You can stop wherever you like. To make sure your next trip is perfect, we'll show you how to plan an unforgettable road trip.

Many people prefer a road trip in a campervan over a package holiday, where you often spend most of your time by the hotel pool and share planned excursions with a hundred other tourists.

A road trip, on the other hand, means freedom and spontaneity. But there's a small downside. When you're traveling in a campervan, you need to plan and organize a bit more than you would for a package tour.

Depending on how much information you want to gather beforehand and how meticulously planned your trip should be, this can take several hours.

To make road trip planning as easy as possible for you and save you valuable time, we've created a step-by-step guide.

But remember, when it comes to planning: everything is optional – especially with a road trip, opinions differ on how much planning is necessary.

What is a Road Trip?

A road trip is defined as "a long journey by car, often without a fixed route." However, behind this simple definition lies a great deal of freedom, excitement, and a holiday where the journey itself is usually the destination, rather than specific sights.

It's precisely this flexibility, individuality, and the feeling of not knowing what you'll experience next that attracts many road trip enthusiasts.

Am I the Road Trip Type?

Before you can answer whether you're suited for a road trip, you should ask yourself these questions:

Do I want to experience something different every day of my holiday, or do I prefer to spend my time in one place?
Am I willing to research places, sights, and routes before and during the holiday to discover special spots, or do I only want to see the usual tourist attractions?
Is it okay for me not to know for sure what the day will bring when I wake up in the morning?
Do I find it easy to make new connections?
Is it okay for me to sit in the car for several hours and explore beautiful landscapes?

If you can answer "yes" to these questions, then you are definitely suited for a road trip, and you can start planning.

Planning a Road Trip: How Do I Get Started?

1. Determine Your Type of Road Trip

Do you want to embark on a short campervan trip, drive along the coast for several weeks, or stay at a five-star campsite? A few days of adventure don't require much lead time, but a longer road trip might need some preparation.

2. Determine the Duration of Your Trip

Not everyone has the luxury of taking 3-4 weeks off work. If you only have 1-2 weeks, we recommend tackling a road trip in Europe. If you have three weeks or more, you could explore the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand.

For a road trip in Europe, you should also plan at least 7-10 days so you don't have to rush from A to B and have a little flexibility in your travel plans.

3. Define Your Travel Budget

"No money, no fun" – that certainly applies to a road trip too. Depending on where and how you want to plan your road trip, the costs will vary. Destinations like the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are very expensive, but even in Europe, there are countries like Norway, Sweden, and Iceland that are quite costly.

If you book a flight and a rental car, your road trip will naturally be a bit more expensive than if you start with a campervan.

4. Choose Your Destination

When it comes to road trips, opinions on this topic vary. Some people want a road trip precisely because they can live completely freely, day by day, without planning anything; others meticulously plan every minute of their journey.

We believe: a mix is best, and therefore recommend everyone to at least plan a rough road trip route and research the highlights.

In other words: hardly anyone wants to miss the best places and sights on their trip.

But don't over-plan your day completely, so you can still be spontaneous if you stumble upon a beautiful place or a great road.

For road trip beginners, we can recommend these countries:

All Scandinavian countries
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
Ireland, England, and Scotland
South Africa
USA and Canada
Australia and New Zealand
France, Spain, and Portugal

For a longer road trip, it makes sense to use a navigation device and coordinate your trip in advance. Before you start your round trip, you should also check the traffic regulations abroad. Also, inform yourself in advance about the best time to travel to your destination country.

5. Planning a Road Trip: Choose Your Travel Partner

Choosing your road trip companions is quite important, as you'll be spending a lot of time together in a confined space. Check if you have the same ideas about a road trip. Listen carefully when your friends talk about their last holiday and pay close attention to what they did there.

Does that align with your ideas and expectations?

Of course, you can also start a motorhome trip with your four-legged friend, your dog. Dogs are the best cuddle partners, and they almost always agree with your next travel destination.

6. Find Your Perfect Campervan

An unforgettable road trip naturally includes the right campervan. You're sure to find what you're looking for with us.

Our new VW California campervans offer everything you need for your adventure in the great outdoors. Whether you want to discover the natural beauty of our planet with your significant other, with friends, or with your family and kids.

Our VW California Beach and California Ocean models are not only compact and agile, they make true Bulli hearts beat faster.

If you want to travel with the whole family, we recommend the VW Grand California. It offers enough space for the whole family and all your luggage, and impresses with its interior design. The VW Grand California features two sleeping compartments, each with a double bed, a wet room with a hot water shower and toilet.

Our two Knaus models are ideal for a family holiday or a camping holiday with plenty of comfort.

The Knaus Tourer Van offers everything you need for an unforgettable travel experience. A spacious dining area, a fully equipped kitchenette, sleeping berths for 2 adults and 2 children or smaller persons, and a wet room with a convertible shower cabin and toilet.

Thanks to the Volkswagen T6.1 base, the vehicle remains agile and nimble despite its spacious interior.

With its generous dining area, fully equipped kitchenette, sleeping berths for 4 adults, and a wet room with shower and toilet, the Knaus Van Wave is the perfect companion for adventurers who don't want to compromise on comfort.

7. Technical Knowledge About Your Campervan

Before your camping adventure begins, you should familiarize yourself with your campervan. During the campervan handover and in our explainer videos, we'll show you all the technical tips and tricks for your motorhome, from front to back.

The Camping Guide provides a technical summary that will make your adventure even more relaxed. Read and observe the information in this guide before setting off, so you can quickly and comprehensively get to know your campervan and identify and avoid potential dangers for yourself and others.

8. Find Your Pitches

Campsite, pitch, or wild camping?

When planning your overnight stays for your road trip, you should consider what type of camping you prefer and what is allowed in each country.

Camping is associated with freedom – but this freedom is often limited when looking for a place to stay overnight. Regulations for camping outside official pitches vary across Europe.

"Wild camping" sounds adventurous – but it can lead to hefty fines. We therefore strongly recommend adhering to the respective rules of each country.

An alternative to wild camping is offered by various "rural host" concepts. For example, there's France Passion in France, España Discovery in Spain, and Landvergnügen in Germany.

For a one-time fee, you gain access to a large network of farms where you can use private property as a pitch for a maximum of 24 hours – contact with the hosts and their farm products is usually included.

With a Schau aufs Land membership, you can stay at numerous idyllic pitches on sustainable farms, wineries, and manufactories in Austria. The pitches are offered free of charge.

You can show your appreciation for the hospitality by making a purchase or using other on-site offers.

9. Pack Your Bags

Toothbrush, pillow, flashlight... never been on a motorhome trip and need help packing? We've put together a list of the most important things to take on a camping trip. If you don't want to forget anything and want to start your holiday carefree: Here you'll find our packing list for download.

10. Planning a Road Trip: Provisions for Your Camping Holiday

The right provisions for a camping trip begin the day before you set off. Apples, bananas, or mandarins are healthy energy boosters and, especially on a trip with children, a welcome change from sweets and chocolate.

If you prefer a bit more variety, you can fall back on the tried-and-tested trail mix or heartily bite into a muesli bar.

When you're really hungry, snacks won't cut it anymore. Cold dishes like muesli, salad, or wraps are ideal road trip food to take with you and perfect for extended breaks.

11. Plan Entertainment and Activities

Every road trip needs a playlist! Download your favorite songs to your smartphone beforehand and don't forget to connect your phone to the campervan before you set off. This saves you time and puts you in a good mood right from the start.

What would a camping trip be without game nights with friends or cozy evenings by the campfire with guitars? Bring a good book, games, or a puzzle so you can still have great moments even in rainy weather.

Tip: To ensure boredom never sets in, we recommend a camping journal.

Our VW campervans offer enough space for sports equipment like golf, cycling, hiking, diving, climbing. When you plan your itinerary, you can also note down sports excursions and cultural activities.

12. Lost? Don't Despair!

If you take a wrong turn, are looking for a toilet, or exit the motorway too early – no big deal. This way, you'll see more, meet locals, and discover routes you would never have known about otherwise.

And while you're at it: detours can be worth it. You drive past a sign to an old ghost town or a crazy tourist attraction? Follow it, spontaneity is the mother of all road trips.

Conclusion: Planning a Road Trip

A road trip means freedom and spontaneity. Nevertheless, you should roughly plan your road trip. You don't have to plan every tiny detail, but you should set a general itinerary. Plus, there are always a few necessary preparations to take care of. The most important thing to remember when planning, however, is to stay free and flexible. Also, factor in unexpected detours and changes to your route.