Whether you are traveling for business, a vacation, or a reunion with friends or relatives, you will want to plan for a journey that takes the least amount of time and is both safe and enjoyable.

Here are some tips to help make that happen:

Know exactly what you want. There are those who have to make hotel reservations in advance to feel at ease, and others who are content to look for a roadside motel at sunset. Consider not only your preferences but also those of your travel companions―what might seem open-ended to you may seem disorganized to someone else. A tightly scheduled road trip may give you a sense of accomplishment but a feeling of exhaustion to your passengers.

If you are traveling to an unfamiliar location, get ideas for activities and the other information you need from several sources. When it comes to a vacation, you may eventually find that half the fun is in the preparation.

For example, you can use Road Trip America as a starting point to find maps, routes, attractions, and print resources. That way, you may experience some memorable events on your trip that you would have missed without careful planning.

Mapquest and Windows Live Local are similar resources for finding driving directions, even cross-country, and other extras such as hotels and restaurants along the way.

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