When to book what: the countdown to a road trip in the United States
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You can organise a road trip in a month: that’s what we did for our Christmas trip between New York and Florida, booked on a whim. But for the West in high season, some reservations open a year ahead and go in a few minutes.
This calendar saves you from discovering too late that the night you wanted no longer exists.
The lead times given are habits, not fixed rules: always check on the official website.
The calendar at a glance
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 12 to 13 months ahead | National park lodges |
| 9 to 11 months | Flights, ESTA, the broad outline of the itinerary |
| 6 months | Park campgrounds, van or motorhome |
| 4 to 5 months | Permit lotteries, hotels near the parks |
| 3 months | Car, timed-entry visits, passports |
| 1 to 2 months | Restaurants, shows, insurance |
| 2 to 4 weeks | Bank, eSIM |
| The last week | Offline maps, documents, check-in |
12 to 13 months ahead
Lodges inside the parks. El Tovar and Bright Angel at the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone, The Ahwahnee at Yosemite, Zion Lodge: reservations open about 13 months ahead and summer dates vanish the same day. If you get nothing, try again regularly: cancellations are frequent.
The View Hotel at Monument Valley and its cabins facing the buttes also need booking very early.
Booking this early commits you to very little: most lodges and hotels let you change or cancel the reservation. Just check the conditions and the deadline when you book.
9 to 11 months ahead
Flights. Airlines open their bookings about 11 months ahead. For summer and Christmas, the good prices are found four to six months before (see flights).
The itinerary. Fix the dates, the arrival and departure cities, and the must-see stops. The rest can wait (see building your itinerary and when to go).
Passports. Check the expiry date of yours and of your children’s.
The ESTA. Apply as soon as your dates are fixed, ideally before paying for the flights. The authorisation is valid for two years, and if it’s refused you have to apply for a visa, which takes several weeks or even several months (the application step by step).
6 months ahead
National park campgrounds. On Recreation.gov, many open six months before the arrival date, at a precise time. At Yosemite, Zion or the Grand Canyon, everything goes in a few minutes (see where to sleep in a van or at a campground).
The van or motorhome for summer (see travelling by van).
Havasupai Falls and the other sites with an annual quota, where reservations open once a year, at the start of the year.
4 to 5 months ahead
Hiking permit lotteries (details here):
- The Wave: lottery four months before the month you want.
- Half Dome: preseason lottery in March for the whole summer.
- Angels Landing: seasonal lottery, one to three months ahead.
Hotels around the parks. Springdale for Zion, Moab for Arches, West Yellowstone, Tusayan for the Grand Canyon, Page: the good places at fair prices fill up. Book with free cancellation.
Hotels for the holiday season in New York, Miami or Las Vegas.
3 months ahead
The rental car. Prices rise as departure approaches. Book with free cancellation, then check again from time to time: if the price drops, cancel and book again (see car rental).
Timed-entry visits
- Antelope Canyon, especially for the midday slots (see Navajo lands).
- Alcatraz in San Francisco: tickets go on sale about 90 days ahead.
- The Statue of Liberty with access to the pedestal or the crown.
- Entry slots for the parks that still require them (see the parks guide).
- Tours of the Capitol and the White House in Washington.
The rest of the accommodation, stop by stop.
1 to 2 months ahead
- Shows: Broadway, Las Vegas, games in high demand (see our article). Look again on the day itself too: resale prices often drop, and there are discounted same-day seats left.
- Well-known restaurants, which open their reservations 30 days ahead.
- Excursions: helicopter flight, rafting, boat trip.
- Travel insurance, if you haven’t taken it out since buying the tickets. Cancellation cover only applies if the insurance is taken out early (see insurance).
- Driving licence: check that it’s valid, and apply for an international permit at your town hall if you want one (see driving).
- The children’s car seat (see travelling with children).
2 to 4 weeks ahead
- The bank: card limits raised, payments outside Europe enabled, backup card (see money and payments).
- The eSIM: bought and installed, to be activated on arrival (see phone and internet).
- The national parks pass, in its digital version.
- Medication: prescriptions, sufficient quantity (see getting medical care).
- Plug adapters (see electricity and charging).
- The roadbook: addresses, confirmation numbers, times.
The last week
- Offline maps downloaded, parks saved in the NPS App (see the apps).
- MPC app installed for immigration.
- Documents photographed and backed up, paper copies in the suitcase.
- Trip registered on Travellers Online, the service of the Belgian Foreign Affairs ministry.
- Weather and road conditions along your route.
- Suitcase packed (see our list).
- Online check-in 24 hours before the flight, with the address of the first night. The airline often lets you choose your meal in advance too, so you don’t have to settle for whatever is left on board.
If you’re leaving at the last minute
All is not lost, far from it.
- Favour the quiet regions and seasons: the East Coast, Florida outside the holidays, the West in May or October.
- Sleep in the towns near the parks rather than inside them.
- Try the day-before lotteries for Angels Landing, Half Dome or The Wave.
- Watch for cancellations on Recreation.gov and on the lodges’ websites: there are some every day.
- Arrive early at first-come, first-served campgrounds.
- Replace a fully booked site with a lesser-known neighbour: a state park, a national monument (see our ideas).