How to Prepare for a Road Trip
There are plenty of different ways to go on vacation but a road trip is one of the most fulfilling. A road trip enables you to see so much more of a place than simply dropping in and flying back out again. Whether you’re traveling around your own state, exploring a new country all together, or taking your trip on the other side of the globe, you’ll find something fascinating wherever you’re driving. Whilst the actual road trip itself is certainly the most enjoyable part, if you want to ensure that it’s all good fun with as few mishaps as possible, then some thorough planning is necessary. We’ll walk you through the three key steps to ensuring your road trip is one to remember, rather than one to try and forget!
Service Your Vehicle
Making sure your car is in full working order is essential if you want to avoid unplanned downtime
The first step to any successful road trip is making sure your vehicle is up to the task of getting you from A to B safely. The idea of traveling around in a beat-up VW camper is certainly a romantic one, but the reality could end up being frustrating and expensive. If you’re using your own vehicle then making sure it is serviced before you head off is essential. A basic service at your local mechanic should only cost you around $100, plus the expense of putting anything right that isn’t working quite as it should be. If you’re mechanically minded then you can swallow some of this cost yourself by doing the basics like changing your oil, water, and screen wash; checking, pumping up, or changing your tires if necessary; and doing a once-over to make sure your lights are all working. Those that are going to the other side of the world for their road trip likely won’t be taking their own vehicle with them, so it’s sensible to hire from a reputable car hire company once you get there. Some opt to buy a cheap car once they arrive, but in a country where you might not speak the language, this could be a potential minefield.
Prepare for Down Time
With your car serviced, or your hire vehicle checked over, it’s time to hit the road. However, on a long road trip, it’s not unusual to encounter some bumps along the way. Making sure that you’ve got plenty of things to amuse yourself with is an essential part of road trip planning. Even the most well-prepared drivers can be hit with some unexpected downtime and waiting by the side of the road for the vehicle recovery guy with nothing to do is seriously boring. Gamers could ready themselves with a handheld gaming device, along with a couple of games, or make use of the internet and visit an online casino. It’s possible to play a huge range of online games in your browser including favorites like blackjack and poker, which your road-tripping crew can join in with as well.
Map Out Your Route
Type A personalities will love the next tip, so if you’ve got one on your trip then you can put them in charge of this. If you haven’t, then you’re going to have to do it anyway if you want to get maximum enjoyment from your on-the-road vacation. Planning your route shouldn’t be a quick tick on the checklist. You want to ensure that you pinpoint on the map all of the sites that you’d like to see and where they are. Then, once you’ve got your tourist spots, you might want to find some places to stay, depending on whether you’re taking a camper van or not. With potential hotels and tourist spots mapped out, you can draw the shortest route between your points, or spend a little extra time looking up the most scenic routes. How you do this part depends a lot on the type of traveller that you are, but if you enter into it with the spirit of adventure in mind, then you should find it really enjoyable.
Go Snack Shopping
The final stage of your planning is without a doubt the most fun and that’s making sure that your car is all topped up with everything you need to keep you fed and watered during the trip. If you want the luxury experience then buying a 12-volt charging cool box is the best way to make sure your drinks are always ice cold. These run off the lighter socket, so you don’t need to charge them up – just plug them in and enjoy cold drinks for the whole trip. When it comes to snacks, the choice is yours, of course, but it’s a good idea to concentrate on shelf stable products that won’t go bad if they get warm in the car. Crisps, nuts, biscuits, crackers, candy and trail mix are all great options and making sure that you’ve got a mixture means that you never need to get bored of what’s on offer whilst you’re on the road.
