After months of planning and then finally saying “I do,” there’s no better feeling than traveling with your new spouse. If you’re looking to ramp up the romance while minimizing your contact with others, then hit the road. Before you book a cruise or head to a resort, consider planning a road trip for your honeymoon instead.

What Is a Road Trip?

A road trip is different from a Sunday drive or simply traveling from point A to point B. Typically, a road trip involves exploring a region while making intentional stops along the way. How long you spend in each place on your route is up to you.

This type of honeymoon is gaining in popularity—and we have the pandemic to thank for that. More and more couples are choosing road trips over potentially germy resorts and cruises. What a fabulous way to keep your health top of mind as you spend time with your significant other.

7 Tips for the Best Honeymoon Road Trips

#1 Decide How Long You Can Spend on Your Honeymoon Road Trip

Whether you have a long weekend or a month, there’s a road trip for you. No matter what length of time you have to devote, hitting the road is the perfect way to explore. The amount of time you have will determine how far you go and how long you spend in each place.

#2 Determine Where You Want to Explore

There are road trip options all over the country, but also feel free to create your own itinerary. From exploring the west coast to driving cross-country, the options are limitless. If you have extra time, you can even head outside of the U.S. to places like Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

#3 Choose Your Mode of Transportation

How you travel will impact your overall budget, so think wisely about it. Yes, renting an RV seems expensive—and they do guzzle gas—but you won’t have to splurge on hotel rooms. Another option is to use your car, so you can explore at your leisure and book Airbnbs along the way. Grabbing a flight and renting a vehicle at your final destination is also a great way to start your journey.

#4 Make a Budget for Your Honeymoon Road Trip

After planning a wedding, you should be a budgeting expert, right? Even if managing finances isn’t your forte, it’s best to determine a budget beforehand. Things to include: transportation, gas, lodging, food, and entrance to any sights you want to see. Also consider adding a bit of a buffer for unexpected stops and a few souvenirs from your honeymoon road trip.

#5 Establish Whether You’ll Plan Each Detail or Roam Freely

Some couples love planning, and others are more free-spirited. Either is ok. Talk to your partner about whether or not you want to keep a schedule and plan each stop. At the very least, book accommodations ahead of time, even if you plan on parking an RV at a campground. Just don’t come up with such a rigid schedule that you can’t relax and spend time at your stops.

#6 Choose an Area That Has Things Each Partner Will Enjoy

You enjoy golf, and your partner wants to scour antique shops. One half enjoys seafood, while the other craves vegetarian delights. Whether it’s sightseeing, outdoor activities, or food-inspired stops, include things that appeal to both of you. You may never get back into that particular area again, so explore it to the fullest while you can.

#7 Take Turns and Be Flexible on Your Road Trip

Each partner has their strengths, yet give each other the freedom to bow out of a particular responsibility. Just because your SO takes the wheel most of the time doesn’t mean they want to do 100 percent of the driving on your honeymoon road trip. Take turns driving, and alternate decisions about where to eat and which unexpected stops to make.

Popular USA Honeymoon Road Trip Itinerary Ideas

Just about any collection of towns or highways can become a worthy journey. Feel free to create a honeymoon road trip itinerary from scratch. The suggestions below are tried and true. Plus, they are fabulous itineraries to consider if you’re unsure of where to go. Do the entire route, or focus on the parts that appeal to you most.

• Highway 1: Explore the California coastline on a multi-day road trip through cities, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
• Route 66: Stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, this cross-country journey goes through 17 states.
• Blue Ridge Parkway: Outdoor lovers will adore this stretch through the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.
• Hana Coastline: At just under 60 miles, this road trip on Hawaii’s island of Maui has 59 bridges and lots of gorgeous sights.
• Overseas Highway: Perfect at any time of the year, this route takes you from Miami through the Florida Keys.
• San Juan Skyway: Make a loop through Colorado to see mountains, forests, and old mining towns.
• The Road to Nowhere: This honeymoon road trip route runs north to south from Canada to Mexico in the middle of the USA.

Taking a road trip for your honeymoon is one of the best ways to start your marriage. After all, spending time together while keeping your distance from others is what honeymoons are all about. With so many routes throughout the US and the world, road trips are an enjoyable way to explore while getting to know your new spouse. Who knows? You may enjoy it so much that you start a unique travel tradition with your partner.