Road trip planning questions and the answers provided by AAA experts.

I'm a AAA member who hasn't used your trip-ticket yet, do you still offer it? How do I plan a car trip from Elkhart, IN to Mobile, AL?
The TripTik Travel Planner has two forms - online and a paper version that can be mailed to you from your local AAA club. Click here to see the route already done for you online – please note that it can be saved, printed, emailed or customized (for example, by putting in precise addresses for your starting and ending points or saving points of interest to My Places). Zoom in (move red arrow down) to see icons for AAA Approved lodgings and attractions – or any of the items listed under ‘Show’. Please also visit AAA.com where you can order paper maps, routings and TourBook guides if you wish. Bookmark it for future reference! Alternatively, you can visit your local AAA office for any questions or services.

What is the best route to take a 32' fifth wheel from Oregon City, OR to Ilwaco, WA (staying at Camp Disapointment)? I am concerned about hills and winds trying to get up to the top entrance and across the bridge at Astoria, OR.
You could use the directions from the State Parks site, it says to take 5 north to 4 west to 101 south and that way you don’t go over the Astoria bridge (click here). As the park has ‘big rig’ capability, it must be reasonably accessible but check the weather specific to your travel dates to be sure. Click here to see the route in TripTik Travel Planner that does go over the bridge for your reference. Lots of Rv-ers do.

About how long does it take to drive to Florida from California?
We ran a route on TripTik Travel Planner and came up with 41½ approximate driving hours from Sacramento to Orlando (you didn’t say what part of Florida).  Click here for the route and change the origination and destination (with address or other choices) for a more precise number. You can use our online TripTik Travel Planner to get routes and directions, and zoom in to an area to see icons for lodging, attractions and more along the way – just use the ‘Show’ tab. Click on the icons you see for more info.  Remember: on a road trip it's not recommended to drive more than 600 miles or 10 hours per day, schedule breaks every two hours or every 100 miles and stop driving if you become sleepy.

Any suggestions for a scenic, 2-day road trip from San Francisco airport south? We have done Sonoma and Napa and are looking for a weekend drive from which we can easily return to the city.
Please read our blog post about a Day Trip From San Francisco – there’s much to see, and you could easily make it a weekend. You can click on the link in the post to see the route – and modify it if you wish – in TripTik Travel Planner. Zoom in to see icons for accommodations, attractions and more (under ‘Show’ tab). You can check availability and rates with TTP as well.  More information can be found with AAA’s Monterey Peninsula Travel Guide.

What is the scenic route from San Francisco to Eugene and where should we stay?
The scenic route is 101 up the Pacific Coast, which takes around 10.5 hours (or more depending on traffic, weather – rain and fog most common - and your interest in stopping to sightsee) as opposed to taking I-5 at around 7.5 hours. Click here to see the route in TripTik Travel Planner, then zoom in to see icons for lodgings and attractions along the way (and more things if selected under the ‘Show’ tab). Click on the icons for more info, including booking capability. Click here for an amazing website for the Oregon part, also don’t miss Avenue of the Giants.

To submit your question to the AAA travel experts, click here.