The Road Trip Planner Challenge is a seasonal (4 times a year) event where members submit a real, driveable route with stops, distance, and at least one practical tip (fuel/charging strategy, best season to go, a maintenance check-before-you-leave note). Submissions are open for 3 weeks, community voting runs 1 week, and winning routes in each of 3 categories (Best Scenic Route, Best Budget Trip, Best EV-Friendly Route) are featured on the site for the following season.
At a glance
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Quarterly (4x per year) |
| Submission window | 3 weeks |
| Voting window | 1 week |
| Categories | Best Scenic Route, Best Budget Trip, Best EV-Friendly Route |
| Winner feature duration | Full following season |
What a qualifying submission needs
- A real, named route with a clear start and end point (not a vague regional suggestion)
- Approximate total distance and drive time
- At least one practical tip — where to refuel or charge, a stop worth timing around, or a pre-trip maintenance check specific to that route (e.g., mountain grades and brake wear, or long empty stretches and tire pressure checks)
- A rough best-season note (some routes are far better in shoulder season than peak summer)
Why three separate categories
A single "best road trip" category tends to get dominated by whichever type of trip is most popular in general (usually scenic drives), crowding out genuinely useful budget-focused or EV-specific routes. Splitting into Best Scenic Route, Best Budget Trip, and Best EV-Friendly Route lets each type get its own fair comparison instead of competing directly against a fundamentally different kind of trip.
| Category | What voters are judging |
|---|---|
| Best Scenic Route | Visual/experience payoff relative to the drive |
| Best Budget Trip | Low cost per day without sacrificing a good experience |
| Best EV-Friendly Route | Realistic charging availability and planning along the way |
Submission and voting process
- Submission window (3 weeks): members post routes into one of the three categories using a structured template (start/end, distance, tips, best season)
- Quality check: moderators confirm submissions include the required details before they go to voting (incomplete submissions are asked to add detail rather than being rejected outright)
- Voting window (1 week): one vote per category per account
- Winners featured: the top route in each category is turned into a full featured write-up for the following season
Winning route write-ups credit the original submitting member by username and link to their profile, alongside the practical trip details they contributed.
Why this runs seasonally rather than continuously
Road trip advice is genuinely season-dependent — a scenic mountain route that's great in October can be closed or miserable in January. Running the challenge quarterly keeps submissions relevant to the season ahead rather than accumulating a mixed bag of advice that only applies part of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit the same route in more than one category?
What happens if my submission is missing details?
Do I get credited if my route wins?
Is there a prize beyond being featured?
Can international routes be submitted?
Sources & further reading
- Pew Research Center — Social Media and Community Engagement
- Nielsen Norman Group — Gamification and UX Research
Figures, prices and policy details were current at the last-updated date above. Automotive pricing, incentives and regulations change frequently — verify time-sensitive details with the linked primary sources. Read our editorial policy and fact-checking standards.
