Let’s go! Trip planning apps and websites

April 7, 2025

For me, planning the trip is a huge part of the fun of experiencing a trip. I get to look at the map, pick a destination, and then start establishing a route to get there and back. An extended trip is both exciting and daunting at the same time.

This post is going to talk about the few web sites that I use when planning my trips. Or, if this all sounds like a little too much, check out RV Trip Makers, an RV trip planning service.

Finding Where to Go

A map of new mexico and texas with green markers on it.
Looking for interesting places between Albuquerque and Austin

It’s an absolutely beautiful country out there. You don’t have to go far to find interesting places and things to see. For the most part, I often read online forums and groups and take mental note of cool places that I read about. RV Trip Makers has a great feature where people can add interesting places to a shared map.

I have a couple of friends who use Evernote to keep track of cool places for each state.

Pinterest can be a good place to store trip ideas.

For me, I’m still trying to find my way on this one- I started a Google Map with pins of cool places and even tried a map on RoadTrippers of the same. Neither let me put in notes, but I liked the map-based visual experience; and RoadTrippers maxed out at 60 points. For now, I’ve switched to a simple Google Docs document with an outline of things to do near each destination that I’ve considered.

Making a Route

Different people have different opinions on how to get from your starting point to your destination when that destination is hundreds of miles away. For some, they’re perfectly fine traveling no more than 200 miles in a day; others want to push on and make 500+ miles in a day. A good general average is the 3-3-3 Rule, no more then 300 miles and be in your campsite by 3pm.

For planning legs of my journey- it’s a pretty good toss-up between RVParky.com’s Trip Planner and the RoadTrippers.com site. I generally fall back to RVParky.com because I like the simplicity of it over RoadTrippers.com. But, if I am trying to find cool stuff along the route, I’ll use RoadTrippers.com.

If you’re making a plan where each stop may have you staying for a couple of days, then RVParky.com is the better tool. You can set your starting date and then from there- you simply say how many nights you’ll be in each location. If you change your start date, it adjusts the dates of each location. If you change how long you want to stay at a stop, it trickles down and changes the dates for each stop after that one. This is my single biggest beef with RoadTrippers.com – planning legs of a trip and tying it to a calendar is a hassle. One place that RVParky.com fails is when you are planning a longer trip and have hard dates for specific things (say Yellowstone in the tourist season or say you’re attending a wedding and MUST be in a city by a certain date); you don’t have the ability to set a specific date for a particular stop. As you adjust your start date and stays prior- you have to be aware that you need to keep refining your target dates.

A map of the united states next to a map of mexico
RVParky.com is my most often used trip planner

When using RVParky.com , planning out stops becomes a bit of best guesses and art. Based on the scale of the map, I’ll try to best guess where a stop could be. This is usually geared around how far I want to travel in a day. I’ll refer back to my mental notes of places I want to visit and/or document of cool stuff around the USA. To get the miles right, I’ll play around with locations closer/further until I hone in on decent bite-sized legs (when given our option- we strive for 200-300 miles per leg).

While planning on legs, I do try to keep my campground memberships in mind- specifically Thousand Trails and Harvest Hosts. These have limited locations, so I try to keep them in the forefront of my mind. If I did more shorter stays (i.e. less than a week, I would also be very mindful of Passport America ).

Where to Stay at Each Leg

A truck is parked next to a rv in the woods.
Our site at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Ironically, while I use RV Parky (dot com) for trip planning, I don’t actually care for their RV listings for finding parks.

When we have a decent plan, a vast majority of my stays are found and picked by checking parks and reviews on RVParkReviews.com. Second to RVParkReviews , I’ll often use Google Maps to check for RV parks in the area.

Again, I try to keep in mind my various memberships as I look for places to stay. We aren’t members, but if we boondocked- I think I would definitely keep BoondockersWelcome and FreeCampsites.net in mind when planning on places to stay.

When we are winging it, we use the Allstays Camp & RV app. It’s $10, but really worth it. (Which is ironic as I love the RVParky.com website but almost never use the app.)

Hire It Out

The other option to doing the trip planning yourself is to hire a service to do the trip planning yourself. There are a few different offerings, some will do everything from make the plan to making the reservations on your behalf. Some charge per stop and others charge a flat rate based on the length of the trip.

For more information, checkout RV Trip Makers.

Other blogs you might like...

By Kirsten McCormick December 11, 2025
Picture this: Ask your teenager what gifts they received last Christmas. Now ask them about their most memorable adventure. Which question sparks more enthusiasm and detailed stories? The truth is, most physical gifts—even those met with initial excitement—often end up collecting dust, breaking, or being outgrown as interests change. But experiences? They become part of who we are, weaving themselves into the fabric of our memories and shaping our character in lasting ways. 
By Jennifer Schillaci December 10, 2025
Surprising Symptoms, Honest Conversations, and Life on Wheels
By Amanda Pelser December 9, 2025
How Homeopathy Supports the Body During Colds and Flus
By Jennifer Aggio December 4, 2025
Let's talk about the thing nobody wants to talk about—but every RVer deals with: RV tank problems . Foul odors. Clogged black tanks. Inaccurate sensors. Slow drainage. The dreaded poop pyramid. Sound familiar? Here's what most RVers don't realize: your onboard tank flush system isn't enough . Those built-in sprayers don't penetrate buildup, remove struvite stones, or scrub away mold and sludge that accumulates over time. That's where professional RV tank cleaning comes in—and that's where Tank Rangers steps up. Tank Rangers is a nationwide RV tank cleaning service with nearly three dozen locations across the country, offering professional hydro-jetting for both black tanks and gray tanks. Whether you're dealing with sensor issues, stubborn odors, or just want preventative maintenance, Tank Rangers provides mess-free, thorough cleaning that gets your tanks back to factory condition. In this guide, we're covering why professional tank cleaning matters, what happens during service, common RV tank myths, DIY maintenance tips, and how to find Tank Rangers near you. Want to hear the full story? We sat down with founder Gabe on our Community Spotlight podcast episode! 
By Jennifer Skinnell December 3, 2025
AT&T Stadium
By Jennifer Schillaci December 2, 2025
Escapee's C.A.R.E. Program, Traveling with a Purpose & Lasagna Love
By Jennifer Schillaci December 1, 2025
From Motorhomes to Movement: How FMCA’s Quiet Shift and FRVA’s Bold Vision Are Reshaping The RV Community
By Jennifer Schillaci November 27, 2025
What RVers Really Want for Christmas
By Jennifer+ Aggio November 21, 2025
Picture this: You're waking up in your RV at a beautiful national park, sipping your morning coffee with a view of the mountains. You spend a few hours greeting campers, answering questions, or doing light maintenance around the campground. The rest of your day? Exploring trails, meeting fellow RVers, and enjoying free camping with full hookups. Oh, and you're getting paid for it.  That's workamping. And if you want to land one of these positions for summer, you need to start applying the fall prior. Here's the reality: the best workamping and camp hosting jobs for are being posted and filled months in advance. National parks, state parks, and popular private campgrounds hire 3-6 months in advance. This guide covers everything you need to know to find and land a workamping position: what it is, when to apply, where to find jobs, how to get hired, and what to ask before accepting. The clock is ticking. Next season’s positions are being filled right now. Let's get you on the road to your best workamping season yet.
By Jennifer Schillaci November 20, 2025
Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness in a Hard Year
Show More