While you may feel like flying is a special occasion, don't dress up to your international flight. Flights overseas are long, and you'll want to wear loose, comfortable clothes. If your flight is especially long, consider packing a pair of sweats for your flight in your carry-on. Change back into your original clothes for the landing. Some airports offer long-term parking rates for your car while you're away. Call or email about the long-term car storage options and the costs of each choice. If car storage isn't an affordable option for you, use a shuttle service, hire a taxi, or ask a friend/family member to drive you there. Check in for your flight as early as possible to go through security and board on time. You'll also have time to use the bathroom or grab something to eat before you depart. While you're waiting for your flight, bring something to relieve boredom: keep a book, journal, or game in your carry-on to entertain you while waiting. Dehydration is a common problem on long flights, which can lead to exhaustion or irritability. Buy a large water bottle to fill up before you board the flight so you can take it in your carry-on. Avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine before and during your flight, as both can lead to dehydration. Most nations require you to mark on an official form what goods you bring with you to their country. Which items you must declare depends on the country. You will likely receive your customs form at the airport and during the flight. Fill it out while on the plane so you are prepared for landing. Some countries require a customs form for each person traveling while others require one per family. Check beforehand to know which forms you must fill out. Most countries require declaration of: alcoholic drinks, tobacco, animals, seeds, soils, medication, and animal products. International flights involve crossing time zones and long, uncomfortable plane rides. Both can disrupt your sleep schedule. Bring a sleeping mask and earplugs with you, and consider taking an over-the-counter sleep aid to help you adjust to the new time zone.
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One-sentence summary -- Wear comfortable clothing to your flight. Check with your airport about car parking rules for international flights. Arrive at the airport two to three hours before your flight. Stay hydrated. Declare your items for customs. Prepare for jet lag.

This choice depends largely upon price, comfort, and convenience. You might book a hotel or motel every night; camp out beside the road; Couchsurf, AirBnB, or crash with friends; or even sleep in your car. You can book all of your lodgings in advance, or you can plan on the fly, figuring out where you will sleep as you speed toward the night's destination. It can be liberating to not have to worry about where you're sleeping but it can also be liberating to not know where you will sleep next! If you're trying to get somewhere very quickly, you can switch off driving so that the car never stops. Sleep in shifts, in the backseat or the passenger seat, and make sure that there is always a well-rested driver at the wheel! If nothing else, consider doing this for part of your trip so that you can spend more time driving through an area that you really want to see. Try sleeping outdoors! If you're traveling in a warm clime, or during the summer, you can bring along a tent or a sleeping bag and sprawl out beneath the stars. Research state parks, national parks and forests, and other campgrounds along the way. ahead of time for cheaper prices. Decide where you'd like to stop driving for the night, and run a web search for hotels in that area. If you've planned out your itinerary in advance, consider booking rooms before you even start the trip so that you don't need to worry about securing lodging at the last minute. Be aware, however, that this will make your road trip less flexible. You will need to hustle to your next destination, each night, and you may find that this limits the spontaneous joys and surprises of the road trip experience. Look into hostels along the way. If you are visiting an unfamiliar city, staying in a hostel can be a great way to meet other travelers and plop yourself directly into the action. Trying using AirBnB and other short-term house rental services. This can be a relatively cheap way to stay in the midst of the action, but in a place that's homier than a hotel. The best road trips can be those ruled by spontaneity: journeys undertaken with an open mind, a restless spirit, and an air of joyous possibility. The time and budgetary constraints of your trip may not allow you to do this. Consider, however, that you don't need to chart out absolutely everything ahead of time. Some people are more comfortable with uncertainty than others. If you feel comfortable leaving your sleeping arrangements flexible, then you don't need to book all of your lodgings in advance.
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One-sentence summary --
Figure out where you're going to sleep. Consider whether you need to book lodging. Book hotel rooms Only plan as much as necessary.