Best Road Trip Planner Apps You Need To Have

Are you planning a road trip soon? Find out all the best road trip planner apps you need to know about before heading out on the road. And learn about Marathon’s MakeItCount™ Rewards and see how you can win a $50 gift card down below! This is a sponsored post by Marathon.

Best Road Trip Planner Apps You Need To Have

This summer has been the summer of all summers! However, we’ve learned to make the best of it, spending time creating an epic outdoor space, which includes a movie theater. And while we’ve saved money by staying home most of the summer, we do have a few road trips we’re planning for the fall. With so much uncertainty in travel right now, it’s hard to plan too far ahead. However, there are a few apps you should download to your smartphone to help you plan a road trip (and travel any time of the year). 

Mobile Apps + Rewards You Need To Know About Before Your Next Road Trip

Roadtrippers. The name says it all, but it’s a great app to download and use to plan your road trip. With up-to-date information, you can use the Roadtrippers app to help you plan your trip, including places to eat, stay, and tourist attractions that are currently open.

Waze. While there may not be a lot of traffic jams happening right now, the Waze app can also help you avoid construction and long delays. And if you’re driving through an unfamiliar area, Waze can help you navigate through it and get to your destination safely.

I also recommend Google Maps. It’s similar to Waze, but I find Google Maps easier to use. I like the real-time updates and turn-by-turn navigation. Google Maps can also give you updates on traffic conditions and how long it will take to get to your destination.

If you love quirky, off-the-beaten-path roadside attractions, then be sure to download the Roadside America app. It’s a great place to find those wonderfully weird and unusual attractions. 

And if you’re one that wants to keep track of your road trip and have everything organized, you need to download the Google Trips app. You’ll also have offline access to your trip, and this app can help you plan your adventure, taking quite a bit of stress off your shoulders.

There are several hotel-related apps you can download. I use a variety of apps to find the best hotel deals. Hotels.com, Groupon, Booking.com, Travelocity, or if I stay at a particular hotel often, I have their app on my phone. You can find hotels easily through the app, and even compare prices to make sure you save money.

I also have the Airbnb app on my phone and use that as well to find last-minute places to stay. With the current climate of our country, staying at trusted Airbnbs may be the way to go to avoid crowds. 

Speaking of saving money, let’s talk about gas. If you’re going on a road trip, gas is going to be a significant factor on this trip. You can use apps like Gas Buddy to help you find gas stations and compare gas prices.

Sign up Marathon’s MakeItCount™ Rewards Program

However, you can also use rewards programs like Marathon’s MakeItCount™ Rewards to save money every time you go to the gas station. This program’s purpose is to help drivers (that’s you) save money on gas for their vehicles and earn points they can redeem for useful items. One of the great things about the program, aside from the rewards, is that it is free to join!

With the MakeItCount™ Rewards Program, you can quickly create an account online and check for participating Marathon gas stations to determine the best spots to fill up your gas tank. Starting in September, new members will automatically save 10 cents off per gallon (up to 4 visits, 20 gallons per visit) when filling their tank up during the first month of being a member. Sweet! 

After your first month, you’ll earn 5 cents off every gallon, every day with Marathon’s MakeItCount™ program. All road trips require road trip snacks, and you can rack up points by visiting Marathon to purchase snacks. 

Saving money on gas is a good enough reason to join this program, but there are additional bonuses. You can earn points to redeem with their partner programs, including Domino’s Pizza, PetCo, Target eGiftCards®, Southwest Rapid Rewards®, Wyndham Rewards®, and more. If that’s not rewards driven, then I don’t know what is! 

How to sign up for Marathon’s MakeItCount™ Rewards program

If you love saving money and having access to some great rewards, then it’s time to sign up. You can sign up by going to MakeItCount.com or downloading the Marathon’s free MakeItCount™ Rewards program on the App Store or Google Play.

 
Why Sign Up?

Saving money on something you use daily while earning rewards is a win-win situation. It’s also a great way to save money on gas while you’re on the road. It cost you nothing to join this convenient and beneficial rewards program. All you have to do is download the app, make an account, and begin working your way toward receiving all kinds of great rewards. If you would like to start receiving fuel rewards, now is the time to sign up and start taking advantage of this fuel rewards program.

Another app I use while traveling is ParkMobile. If you’re planning on parking in the city, most places use ParkMobile or something similar. It’s nice to have it already downloaded and set-up before we park, versus rushing to do it while trying to get out of the car. 

I also use Yelp when I’m going somewhere new and want to read the reviews. Yelp reviews have saved me from having bad dinners, not-so-nice places to stay, and tourist places to avoid. 

OpenTable is another one of my favorite apps to use when I’m traveling. I can find restaurants near me and book my table right in the app. This is super important to do, especially right now. Many restaurants have limited capacity, and it would be disappointing to show up to the restaurant only to be turned away. You can find local restaurants, read the reviews, and make your reservation in the app.

The last app I recommend downloading before you take a road trip is the iExit app. This one is great to have if you’re traveling with small children or people who need to stop often. You can plan bathroom breaks, stops at Marathon gas stations, and plan your exits around your favorite coffee place. 

There are so many great mobile apps available to help you save time and money. Do you have a favorite app you use for road trips? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to sign up for Marathon’s free MakeItCount™ Rewards program. I’m all about taking advantage of ways to save money, even if I’m not traveling, I still need gas. 

$50 Marathon Gift Card Giveaway

And now is your chance to win a $50 Marathon Gift Card sponsored by Marathon! Head over to our Instagram account for details. 

Good luck!