10 tips for anyone taking a road trip right now

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

I regularly work from home in Towson, Md., a suburb north of Baltimore. I live in a nice two-bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment with a large living room, a dining room, an office, a full-size stacking washer and dryer and a balcony. Before the coronavirus pandemic, I thought my 1,300 square-foot apartment was pretty spacious — until I had to shelter-in-place with a wonderful, but moody teen who missed school and her friends.

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My family lives in San Antonio, Texas. So when my sister first called in April 2020 and asked me and the kid to come home, I jumped at the chance. I decided to rent a minivan (at a bargain price of $134 for two days), pack it up and make the 1,700-mile drive. Since then, I've made the drive two more times. I actually canceled the plane ticket I bought in August 2021 in exchange for taking my third road trip because I was worried about the delta variant of COVID-19.

I have a feeling I'm not alone with this. Even with the delta variant spiking, people still want to travel. And like me, they are taking to the highways instead of the skies this fall. Here are some tips before you go.

Related: Travelers are nervous about flying again after coronavirus, IATA finds

Related: 7 fall vacation destinations for travelers clinging to summer

Car rentals are still expensive

I considered renting a car again for my road trip. I looked at prices on several rental car sites for an overnight rental on Oct. 20, 2021. We all know that car rental prices have shot through the roof since the beginning of 2021. Personally, I refused to pay $420 to drive a car (the Kia Soul) that I already own, so I chose to drive it instead.

Related: Can’t find a car rental? Here are 7 secrets that may help

Check your car

Right before my August road trip, I took it to my mechanic to check it over, because the last thing you want is to have your car break down hundreds of miles away from home. He looked at everything from my oil levels to my transmission and gave me the green light. I also have AAA in case of car issues, but you may have roadside assistance with your credit card, so check your benefits before you start that long drive.

Related: Best credit cards that offer roadside assistance

Gas Prices are rising

During my first road trip in April 2020, I spent a total of $77 on gas. Prices ranged from a high of $1.41 to a low of $1.09 for a gallon of regular gas. But for my August 2021 trip, I paid between $2.50 and $2.70 for regular gas. So make sure you use a credit card that will allow you to at least earn points every time you fill up, such as the Citi Premier® Card (3x) or the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (3% cash back at U.S. gas stations; cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit).

Related: Best credit cards for gas purchases

Bathrooms are sketchy

I admit it — I’m a germaphobe and I can’t tolerate public restrooms. While I’m not at the level of supermodel Naomi Campbell, I do carry Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer whenever I fly. I knew I’d have to use a bathroom during the trip, so I came prepared with my spray bottle of Clorox cleanser and a roll of paper towels. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean most of the restrooms were on my original trip (but I still gave them a Clorox wipe-down). But this trip? Not so much, despite spike in the delta variant.

Related: When you gotta go: Your guide to public bathrooms

Fast-food outlets still practice social distancing

The ones we visited on the first trip all had workers wearing masks and gloves. However, Chick-fil-A was by far the most thorough. A worker came to your car, took your order and asked you to swipe your card. Instead of being handed your food through the drive-up window, a gloved and masked worker had your food in a gray bin for you to pick up. These safety measure were still in place at the fast food outlets I used during my August 2021 trip.

If you don't want to make a stop, pack a cooler filled with sandwiches and drinks, and have a bag of road-friendly snacks.

Related: Dining out, taking out and ordering in: These are the best cards for foodies

No more hotel bargains

Because I wanted to get my 5x points per dollar spent on my Platinum Card® from American Express, I pre-booked a deluxe room with two queen beds at the Kimpton Aertson in downtown Nashville back in April 2020. The room came to $209.42. That same room now costs $332.60 a night in October.

On this trip I actually ended up paying for two hotel rooms, since my first one turned out to be a nightmare. I was lucky to find a new one, since college students were moving back and rooms were tough to find.

Related: Why I checked out of the Hotel Indigo Lower East Side after 15 minutes

Traffic is back to normal

We departed Towson in April 2020 on Thursday at 7 a.m., knowing that we would need to be on the Baltimore Beltway going toward I70 West at the beginning of our trip. At that time of day, traffic is at full swing, and pretty slow — but not on that day. The roads were practically empty, dominated more by 18-wheeler trucks than cars. Fast forward to August, where highways were back to normal and I even found myself trapped in traffic several times.

Speeding still abounds

Although speed limits on the trip ranged from 55 in Baltimore up to 70 in Texas, no one paid any mind to them during both of my trips. The interesting thing was there were plenty of highway patrol officers on the road, but I only saw two cars (at once) pulled over during the entire trip.

Road construction is in full swing

States were taking full advantage of the traffic lull to work on road projects -- including painting road lines, repaving existing roads and building new ones -- in April 2020. And the same was true during my last trip, especially in Alabama and Texas.

Cities and towns are open for business

I’m of an age when I remember when everything was closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving. I always enjoyed seeing how quiet things were when one of my parents would take me on that holiday drive every year. It was like those holidays every day during my April 2020 trip. But not on my latest trip. Stores, restaurants and businesses were open.

Bottom line

For those who still want to travel and are reluctant to fly, a road trip is a good option. As long as you prepare before you start the engine, you can really enjoy seeing American from the ground.