If you're planning a trip using our mobile app on iOS or Android, this article will help you get started! If you're planning a trip on our desktop site, check out this article instead.
- Starting a New Trip
- Trip Management
- Adding Waypoints to Your Trip
- Editing Your Waypoints
- Adding Dates to Your Trip
- Viewing Trip Stats
- Adjusting the Route Shade
- Customizing Trip Settings
Starting a New Trip
Ready to plan your epic road trip? The Roadtrippers app has a few simple options to create a trip from wherever you are in the app. Expand the sections below to learn more.
The Home screen is the first thing you see after launching the app. If you have not planned a trip on your account yet, you'll be prompted to plan a trip here. If you have, jump to the 'My Trips' or 'Map' tabs to start planning a new trip!
From the map screen, you can tap the blue + start trip button to start a trip with a known start and destination. You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself, depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
If you're browsing the Map section in the app and see a place you'd like to start a trip to, tap the blue + icon shown on the place card as outlined in the screenshot below. This will take you to the new trip form with that place automatically set as the destination.
Trips can be created from map search results, too.
- Tap the search bar at the top and search for a city, address, or place of interest. You'll also see our recommendations when you tap this bar!
- If you type a destination into the bar, we'll let you know our closest matches, and you can tap 'Add' next to the correct result to start a trip from there. You can also tap the + button on any of our recommendations to start a trip from that spot!
- You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
Trips can be created from the categories list view while exploring places on the map.
After selecting a category on the map, open the list view by tapping the List View button under the search bar. Once you have the list view open, tap the blue + icon to start a new trip with that place as the destination.
New trips can also be started from a place page. When there isn't a trip active on the map, tap the Start New Trip button on a place page to create a trip with it (note that if you already have a trip active on the map, you'll see an Add to Trip button instead).
The create new trip form will open with the place as the destination. Make changes to the starting point if necessary and tap the Start Trip button. You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
Tap the My Trips tab to see trips you've already created, or to start a new trip! If you're ready to start a fresh trip, tap + New Trip in the upper right of that screen!
Trip Management
While planning a trip in the app, you can switch back and forth between the map view and the trip planner view.
- If you're on the map, tap the VIEW ITINERARY bar at the bottom of the map to open your trip itinerary where you can add more stops.
- If you're on the trip planner, tap the back arrow ( < ) at the top left of the screen.
When you're on the trip planner view, you'll notice a few tabs. Expand the sections below to learn more about what you can do in each tab.
This is where you'll see all the stops added to your trip. You can add, edit, rearrange, or remove waypoints here.
This is also where you can add or edit dates and view daily totals for estimated driving distance and time.
If you swipe right/left through the buttons at the top of the itinerary, you'll see more planning options such as applying routing options, duplicating the trip, making a round trip, and more.
This is where you'll find your trip stats.
This tab shows the total number of waypoints, total estimated driving time, total estimated distance, and estimated cost of gas + budgets added to your waypoints.
You can also invite collaborators and add or edit your vehicle here.
This is where you can view a simple list of all the stops in your trip without the other details like distance between each or daily totals. It's good for seeing all your waypoints at quick glance.
Adding Waypoints to Your Trip
After you've added your starting point and destination, now it's time for the fun part - finding and adding stops along the way!
- In the trip planner, click the blue "Add a waypoint" button at the bottom of your itinerary or the blue Add (+) button next to dates (if you have dates on your trip). After clicking either Add button, you can search for and add places to your trip. You can search for cities, addresses, and points of interest here.
- On the map, tap a categories to apply it to the map. Open an add places in that category by tapping icons on the map, or scrolling through the waypoint cards at the bottom of the screen:
Learn more!
Learn more about how to add places to your trip and explore our categories in the articles below:
Editing Your Waypoints
- Remove a waypoint by tapping the waypoint card and selecting Remove Waypoint From Trip.
- Rearrange waypoints by doing a long tap on the waypoint card to grab it, then drag and drop it in the list of waypoints.
- Add details to waypoints like notes, budget, and reservation numbers by tapping a waypoint card to see all the options you can use.
Adding Dates to Your Trip
If you didn't use Autopilot and haven't added dates to your trip yet, then you'll see an Add Dates button at the top of the trip itinerary. (If you see Clear Dates, then you already have dates on your trip!)
Tap that button to provide start and end dates for your trip, then we'll automatically assign dates to the waypoints in your trip. Learn more about using dates here.
Don't worry - you can easily move waypoints to a different date if you don't like where we put them! To move a waypoint to a different date, you can drag and drop the waypoint within the itinerary or tap the waypoint card to view the waypoint details and change the date there.
Viewing Trip Stats
Once your trip is routed on the map, your trip stats will appear in the Details tab of the trip planner.
This is where you'll find the total number of waypoints, total estimated driving time, total estimated distance, and estimated cost of gas + any budgets added to your waypoints.
You can also invite collaborators and add or edit your vehicle here.
Adjusting the Route Shade
The route shade is an area around your trip that can be expanded or contracted with the distance setting. The distance setting indicates how far off your route you are willing to go to visit places and this limits where places load when exploring our categories while planning a trip.
The size of the shade will adjust as you update the distance setting. For example, if the distance slider is set to 5, all places within the shade are 5 miles from your route or less.
With a trip opened on the map and a category applied, tap the map icon at the upper right of the screen. Tap Distance from Route and scroll through to select a new radius setting.
Customizing Trip Settings
Trip Settings is where you can edit your trip's name, description, fuel type and economy, and privacy setting.
Go to your trip itinerary, swipe through the options at the top of the itinerary until you reach Trip Settings, and tap that button.
Web App Features
Note that not all trip-planning features from the web app are available in the mobile app, including the option to customize your route by dragging the trip.
For more advanced editing, we recommend creating a trip on the app, then logging onto the desktop site at Roadtrippers.com and further editing the trip there. Changes made to the trip on the web app will automatically sync to the trip in the mobile app.
- Starting a New Trip
- Trip Management
- Adding Waypoints to Your Trip
- Editing Your Waypoints
- Adding Dates to Your Trip
- Viewing Trip Stats
- Adjusting the Route Shade
- Customizing Trip Settings
Starting a New Trip
Ready to plan your epic road trip? The Roadtrippers app has a few simple options to create a trip from wherever you are in the app. Expand the sections below to learn more.
The Explore section is the first thing you see after launching the app.
- Tap the Start New Trip button, or enter a location in the top Start planning your trip field.
- Enter a starting point, or use your current location (the default) and then add your destination. As you type, matching locations from our map will appear in a dropdown list. Be sure to select one of those options for both your Starting point and Destination.
-
Choose Plan it on your own or Plan with Autopilot
- Autopilot is our AI-powered trip-planning tool that delivers curated recommendations based on a few questions you answer. This feature is available to Premium members, but you’re welcome to start a free trial if you’d like to try it out. You can learn more about Autopilot here.
- If you aren't interested in a Premium membership or if you don't want curated recommendations at this point in your planning, select Plan it on your own.
-
Whether you use Autopilot or Plan it on your own, we’ll ask if you’d like to avoid highways and whether you have any known stops you want to add before launching your trip to the map.
No worries if you’re not sure yet - you can add more stops later. Once your trip is on the map, you’ll also have full access to all our discovery tools, including the option to ask Autopilot to enhance your trip.
If you're browsing the Map section in the app and see a place you'd like to start a trip to, tap the blue + icon shown on the place card as outlined in the screenshot below. This will take you to the new trip form with that place automatically set as the destination.
Just like when creating a trip from the Explore tab, confirm your starting point and tap the Start Trip button. You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself, depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
Trips can be created from search results, too.
- Go to the Explore or Map section in the app.
- Tap the Find Stops (search) bar at the top and search for a city, address, or place of interest. You'll also see our recommendations when you tap this bar!
- If you type a destination into the bar, we'll let you know our closest matches, and you can tap 'Add' next to the correct result to start a trip from there. You can also tap the + button on any of our recommendations to start a trip from that spot!
- You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
Trips can be created from the categories list view while exploring places on the map.
After selecting a category on the map, open the list view by tapping the List View button under the search bar. Once you have the list view open, tap the blue + icon to start a new trip with that place as the destination.
New trips can also be started from a place page. When there isn't a trip active on the map, tap the Start New Trip button on a place page to create a trip with it (note that if you already have a trip active on the map, you'll see an Add to Trip button instead).
The create new trip form will open with the place as the destination. Make changes to the starting point if necessary and tap the Start Trip button. You'll have the option to have us plan the trip for you, or plan it yourself depending on your membership level. Your trip will be created and loaded on the map.
Trip Management
While planning a trip in the app, you can switch back and forth between the map view and the trip planner view.
- If you're on the map, tap the VIEW ITINERARY bar at the bottom of the map to see your trip itinerary and add more stops.
- If you're on the trip planner, tap the back arrow ( < ) at the top left of the screen.
When you're on the trip planner view, you'll notice a few tabs. Expand the sections below to learn more about what you can do in each tab.
This is where you'll see all the stops added to your trip. You can add, edit, rearrange, or remove waypoints here.
This is also where you can add or edit dates and view daily totals for estimated driving distance and time.
If you swipe right/left through the buttons at the top of the itinerary, you'll see more planning options such as applying routing options, duplicating the trip, making a round trip, and more.
This is where you'll find your trip stats.
This tab shows the total number of waypoints, total estimated driving time, total estimated distance, and estimated cost of gas + budgets added to your waypoints.
You can also invite collaborators and add or edit your vehicle here.
This is where you can view a simple list of all the stops in your trip without the other details like distance between each or daily totals. It's good for seeing all your waypoints at quick glance.
Adding Waypoints to Your Trip
After you've added your starting point and destination, now it's time for the fun part - finding and adding stops along the way!
- In the trip planner, click the blue "Add a waypoint" button at the bottom of your itinerary or the blue Add (+) button next to dates (if you have dates on your trip). After clicking either Add button, you can search for and add places to your trip. You can search for cities, addresses, and points of interest here.
- On the map, tap a categories to apply it to the map. Open an add places in that category by tapping icons on the map, or scrolling through the waypoint cards at the bottom of the screen:
Learn more!
Learn more about how to add places to your trip and explore our categories in the articles below:
Editing Your Waypoints
- Remove a waypoint by tapping the waypoint card and selecting Remove Waypoint From Trip.
- Rearrange waypoints by doing a long tap on the waypoint card to grab it, then drag and drop it in the list of waypoints.
- Add details to waypoints like notes, budget, and reservation numbers by tapping a waypoint card to see all the options you can use.
Adding Dates to Your Trip
If you didn't use Autopilot and haven't added dates to your trip yet, then you'll see an Add Dates button at the top of the trip itinerary. (If you see Clear Dates, then you already have dates on your trip!)
Tap that button to provide start and end dates for your trip, then we'll automatically assign dates to the waypoints in your trip. Learn more about using dates here.
Don't worry - you can easily move waypoints to a different date if you don't like where we put them! To move a waypoint to a different date, you can drag and drop the waypoint within the itinerary or tap the waypoint card to view the waypoint details and change the date there.
Viewing Trip Stats
Once your trip is routed on the map, your trip stats will appear in the Details tab of the trip planner.
This is where you'll find the total number of waypoints, total estimated driving time, total estimated distance, and estimated cost of gas + any budgets added to your waypoints.
You can also invite collaborators and add or edit your vehicle here.
Adjusting the Route Shade
The route shade is an area around your trip that can be expanded or contracted with the distance setting. The distance setting indicates how far off your route you are willing to go to visit places and this limits where places load when exploring our categories while planning a trip.
The size of the shade will adjust as you update the distance setting. For example, if the distance slider is set to 5, all places within the shade are 5 miles from your route or less.
With a trip opened on the map and a category applied, tap the map icon at the upper right of the screen. Locate 'Distance from Route' and slide to select a new radius setting.
Customizing Trip Settings
Trip Settings is where you can edit your trip's name, description, fuel type and economy, and privacy setting.
Go to your trip itinerary, swipe through the options at the top of the itinerary until you reach Trip Settings, and tap that button.
Website Planning Features
Note that not all trip-planning features from the Roadtrippers website are available in the mobile app, including the option to customize your route by dragging the trip.
For more advanced editing, we recommend opening the desktop site at Roadtrippers.com and editing a trip you created on the app there. Changes made to the trip on the website will automatically sync to the trip in the mobile app.