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Going on a road trip can be the highlight of your year, as it will be a vacation that you don’t have to organize much in order to be able to enjoy. You can just strike out from your home in any direction you want to go, and your vacation will be filled with new sights, new places to explore, and hours of fun driving in your vehicle together.
Photo Credit: samuel dorregaray
However, if you want to plan and prepare for your road trip, here are some tips to help you:
- Plan a route – If you want to enjoy your trip as much as possible, it may be a good idea to plan your route beforehand. You can program your destination into a GPS device, and you can alter the route to include all the cities, towns, and villages along your path. You’ll find that a good GPS device will come in very handy, as you’ll never get lost!
- Don’t forget to stop – Don’t make the mistake of just driving for hours, but plan to make stops along the way. If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll need to make stops for the bathroom, to get food, to give yourself a break, etc. Even if it’s just the adults or you’re traveling with older kids that can handle themselves, it’s good to stop every few hours. Not only will you be able to tank up on gas, but you can get out and stretch your legs.
- Check the vehicle – If there is one thing you want to avoid, it’s breaking down in the middle of nowhere. You should take the car to a mechanic the day before you travel, and get it checked out thoroughly. At the very least, you should check the tires, the engine and transmission oil, the radiator, and the brakes, as these are the things that will usually cause car troubles.
- Pack appropriately – If you’re just taking a three day road trip, you don’t want to bring a week’s worth of stuff, but three shirts and a pair of socks won’t be enough if you’re traveling for 10 days. Pack for the trip that you’re taking, and make sure that you have enough to keep you supplied with clean clothes, food items, etc. without overloading your car.
- Let people at home know where you’re headed – It’s likely that someone at home is going to want to try and get in touch with you, and a cell phone makes it much easier to do so. However, there’s always a chance that you’ll be in places where there is no cell service, so you should provide your loved ones back home with your itinerary so they will know how to get in touch with you should they be unable to reach you via your cell phone.
- Confirm reservations – If you’re going to be staying at hotels, inns, B&Bs, or any other places along the road, it’s best to confirm reservations ahead of time. There is always the chance that the motel or hotel you want to visit will be booked up, or the cost of reserving a room on the night that you want to stay there will be much costlier than reserving it online. Have someone make and confirm the reservations before you travel, as that will ensure that you can easily get settled into your hotel when you arrive at your destinations.
- Switch drivers – You will find that driving for many hours at a time can be exhausting, so it’s best to switch drivers whenever necessary. Some men may insist that they can handle it, but they end up drinking gallons of coffee or energy drinks – something that can be bad for their health. You should make sure to switch drivers every few hours, as that will give the primary driver a break. He may not like it, but it’s good for his health.
- Bring refreshment – To make the journey as enjoyable as possible, bring along a cooler with drinks and snacks. They will help to keep you all satisfied as you travel, and can be much cheaper than stopping for a meal every few hours.
By doing these things, you can prepare for the trip – guaranteeing that it will be a whole lot more enjoyable.
This post was written by Daniel Petrovski he is a contributor to kickreviews.com. Check out his blog for more good stuff or follow him on Google +.
