When you are on a road trip you might get tired midway during the trip or don’t know exactly where you will end up after that day’s drive. If you only need a couple hours of sleep you might not want to get a hotel room that you won’t need for very long. Where can you over pull on the road to catch a few minutes or even hours of shut eye? Here are the safest places to pull over to sleep when on a road trip.
Safest Places to Pull Over to Sleep when on a Road Trip
When you are on a road trip you might get tired midway during the trip or don’t know exactly where you will end up after that day’s drive. If you only need a couple hours of sleep you might not want to get a hotel room that you won’t need for very long. Where can you over pull on the road to catch a few minutes or even hours of shut eye? Here are the safest places to pull over to sleep when on a road trip.
Use the app USA Rest Stop and it lists out all the rest stop in the US and you can search by either by State, Map, or Highway. Most rest stops now have nighttime security or in some cases, police officers who patrol quite regularly. If in a car, park near the building under the lights and rest for as long as you need. You will see many other vehicles parked there as well from 20 minutes to a few hours. Don’t park near the semis unless you are a RV or hauling a trailer.
Related: 20 Ways to Save on a Road Trip – That Saved Us Over $900 on Our Last Road Trip
If you start to get sleeping and are near a Wal-Mart, head there and you will see a bunch of cars and semis alike parked out in the far end of the parking lot. At some Wal-Mart’s there are signs that say it is a safe place to rest and others will have no overnight parking signs. They won’t come out and ask you to leave if there is a no overnight parking sign as it is against corporate policy, but they do appreciate when you wake up to head inside and buy a coffee or OJ as an appreciation of using their space. It is interesting to see that larger vehicles will protect smaller ones at Wal-Mart and that travelers tend to arrange themselves in circles like back when settlers crossed with wagons.
Don’t underestimate the large truck stops for a safe place to pull over. They have become much more car-friendly the past few years. They have a section that is just a bit from the front doors with dimmer lights and perfect to take a nap. They have cameras all over the place and the crew inside knows that you are sleeping and tend to keep a watchful eye on you. If a truck stop doesn’t have a lot of traffic or only one car in the parking lot, go on to the next one. You want to stay at one of the larger chains that has a lot of activity.
Related: How We Did a 4 Day Road Trip for Under $800 with a Family of 5
These three places are the safest places to pull over to sleep when on a road trip. Be safe out there and always lock your doors and park under the lights. The lights might bother your sleep but they are needed for your overall protection. Remember to not leave the music on while you are sleeping or you might wake up to a dead battery. Enjoy the open road and be safe on your road trip.
As a bonus, you can make sleeping in your car even more comfortable with a blow-up car bed. Yes, it's a real thing! Check them out on Amazon.
We stayed overnight at Walmart in Quincy, IL when heavy rainfall made camping undesirable. We had no problems and saved money. We slept in the back of our Jeep Cherokee on a queen air mattress in a double sleeping bag a total of four nights when circumstances (flooding rains) made us change our plans. Another savings is staying at state and national parks and campgrounds and negotiating stays at B&Bs for several days during slow times. We had budgeted our meals, lodging and attractions and travel expenses including gas and maintenance. Staying at Walmart saved us over $400 for those 4 nights including travel expenses, meals and lodging. The flooding along the Mississippi River caused us to change our plans and moved us three days ahead of schedule. This resulted in two more Walmart stays and extended stays in our lodgings. I learned much on that road trip which included attendance at my oldest son’s Navy retirement.