There’s nothing like slinging a few bags into the car and setting off on the open road for a few days’ break. According to a recent survey from PhoCusWright nearly a quarter of US adults went on a road trip in the past year. And one in five of those road trips were unplanned and travelers booked their hotel or motel stay from the road.

The freedom of the open road and the chance to see a new area of the country are too much to resist for increasing numbers of Americans. And the US road trip is made even easier with the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices. Travelers don’t need to plan ahead; they can use their phone to research lodging options and call from the car to secure a bed for the night.

The old-fashioned way is still popular – spotting a sign for a motel as the sun sets and deciding to pull in off the road for the night is still an option for road trippers. Some of the best travel experiences come from these spur of the moment decisions. But with a smartphone travelers have more options, and may find a better deal or a nicer place with the help of an internet search.

Smartphones and tablets are also useful for researching what to do and see. Apps are available that tell you the location of landmarks and places of interest as you near them in the car. You can get information about restaurants and bars in the towns you pass through, and check out online reviews of hotels and guest houses. With a smartphone in hand the road trip turns into an adventurous discovery that is also risk-free and convenient. Travelers are not likely to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no lodging options, unless the battery runs down.

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