Remote work, gap years, sabbaticals and a need to get out of the city are just some of the factors contributing to a significant uptick in the number of solo travelers in the United States the past few years, an increase of as much as 30-35%, according to The Dyrt and Pinterest.
While all those stories about single “Van Lifers” make the lifestyle look effortless, these people spend time planning their trips and seeking out resources to help them find hotels, campsites, restaurants, sights and more. And one of the best resources is Roadtrippers, an app that can help solo travelers plan and navigate their trips with confidence, accuracy and an increased comfort level.
Powered by patent-pending AI technology, Roadtrippers Autopilot makes personalized road trip recommendations based on interests and travel style, suggesting accommodations, meals, routes and stops along the way. The app makes it simple to plan a trip and then navigate with a car or RV using CarPlay through an Apple device such as an IPhone or the vehicle’s compatible device.
“While solo travelers are inherently adventurous, we don’t recommend they head down the road without a plan,” Mary Heneen, CEO of Roadpass, the parent company of Roadtrippers, said. “Solo travelers can plan what to see and where to stay on their journeys by using the easy-to-use Roadtrippers app and letting the infinite resources available through Autopilot make recommendations on the best things to see along the way, based on each traveler’s personal style and interests.”
It’s also important to acknowledge that not all solo travelers are looking for the same experience. And because travelers are often pushed to try new experiences by their companions, suggestions from Roadtrippers can be the impetus for venturing beyond the usual “comfort zone” stops.
The beauty of Roadtrippers is that it works for all styles of travel, regardless of whether they are traveling alone or in a group. Roadtrippers’ Autopilot uses patent-pending AI technology to drive the app and create trips quickly and thoroughly. When setting up a trip, it asks questions such as number of adults and children as well as pets, type of vehicle, budget and accommodations and dining preferences. Solo travelers can map out a trip but easily adjust when they stop for fuel, a meal or to stretch their legs.
One of the best features of Roadtrippers is its extraordinary places which helps map out a personalized trip with recommendations for stops at sites suited to their travel styles. Many people are looking to visit as many national parks and monuments as possible while others are on a five-year mission to see sites where aliens have supposedly landed. Still others just want to see quirky items.
Looking for more ideas? Check out this story about avoiding loneliness on the road and this story about one writer’s 16,000 solo van excursion.
What do solo travelers find most important while they’re on the road?
Whether or not someone traveling alone is more of a target for thieves and other criminals, the traveler often feels less secure than couples or groups. The Roadtrippers app provides information about campgrounds, municipalities and attractions that help assure travelers of their safety, and included user reviews help to reinforce that perception.
About those beach scenes. Yes, they do exist, but they make a very small percentage of campsites. Hotels can vary widely as well, and that roadside motel might have great photos that misrepresent the property.
Fast food may be convenient and consistent, but eating like a teenager loses its appeal quickly. Use the app to find restaurants, diners and cafes that serve fresh foods made from scratch or look for local farmers markets and grocers.
Some people like to meander the backroads until they happen upon a stop they find interesting like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin. Others take the opposite of this whimsical approach and have specific goal in mind such as visiting major or minor league baseball parks. With thousands of attractions in Roadtrippers, both extremes as well as everything in between are covered.
Planning a trip is good, but adjusting on the fly is better. Travelers who find a town or campground or national park that calls to them should consider staying longer than they intended. Sure, there might be a meetup time with friends or a wedding next Saturday, but the best experiences are often those that were not on the schedule.
About Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers is a road trip planning app, helping people experience the world around them in an entirely new way by streamlining discovery, planning, booking and navigation into an engaging and intuitive process. Roadtrippers has helped millions of users plan more than 38 million trips across 7 million points-of-interest and covering more than 42 billion miles.
To learn more about Roadtrippers, visit www.roadtrippers.com.
