Are you thinking about a road trip this year, but you have never tried one before? If that’s the case, you are in the right place. Don’t get caught out on the road with vehicle problems or poor planning; this has the potential to burst your holiday bubble. Read on and start your planning.
Vehicle Maintenance
Before hitting the road in your motorhome or car, you need to carry out proper checks and maintenance. The last thing you want is to encounter a mechanical issue on the road; it is stressful and takes the magic out of your holiday. Instead, relax with a reliable road vehicle.
If you don’t have much experience with car maintenance, talk to someone about the check that needs to be made. A professional mechanic is probably your best option, and they might be happy to give you some free advice. Still, book your vehicle in for a road test before leaving.
Spare Fuel
You are so excited about the road trip that you forget to pack some extra fuel in the vehicle. Now, standing at the side of the motorway at night or broken down on a dark country road, you wish you had a spare tank in the back, enough even, to get you to the next garage. It’s a nightmare scenario, so don’t let it happen to you by bringing an additional gas tank with you.
Plan the Trip
Nothing could be more important than planning the road trip. There are some people who swear by spontaneous road trips, but they are in the minority. That’s because planning makes the trip simpler and more convenient; it also takes the stress out of the holiday so you can truly relax.
Start your planning by thinking about how long you want to spend on the road, one week, two weeks, and a whole month. Next, decide on your destinations. Are you planning to visit cities or rural locations? Planning includes booking events and gathering the food and items for the trip.
Personalize the Trip
Make your road trip one to remember by personalizing it. Instead of following the pre-planned road trip routes that exist in various parts of the country, go off-piste and make some authentic discoveries. There are other ways to personalize your trip, such as bumper stickers and Personalised Number Plates; they are a great way to stand out for all of the right reasons.
Make a Budget
Budgeting is important for all holidays, but it is especially important on a road trip. Running into money issues on the road can be stressful and unfortunate, but it is also avoidable. If you plan the trip correctly, you can hope to stay within your budget, even when there are some surprises.
The best way to plan a road trip is to make lists in a dedicated notebook. When you have a list of everything you need, you should have an idea of what everything is going to cost. Create a budget to cover everything and have enough for the unexpected, such as towing your vehicle.
Book Destinations
Road trip holidays take many different forms; some of them involve staying in a motorhome at the side of the road, while others involve stopping each night at a hotel or campsite. If you are planning the second type of trip, remember to make reservations at the hotels or campsites ahead of time, the last thing you want is to turn up at a destination, and they have no spaces.
Internal Comforts
A road trip is a fun idea, but the realities can be stressful when you are not ready for them. First-time road trippers tend to find this out the hard way because they are overexcited about trips and forget the essentials. A road trip is mostly spent in a vehicle, so you need comfort.
Road trip comforts include a comfy place to sit for long hours on the road, warm blankets, plenty of hot drinks and snacks on the way, and your familiar devices. Think carefully about your comfort on the road, and you can make your first road trip an experience that you won’t forget.
Tech Devices
On the topic of tech devices, you should ensure you have your favourite ones along for the ride; you also need to ensure you can change them easily and that you have a signal in rural locations – you might need a booster for this. Tech devices will be useful for directions and bookings along the way, but they are also needed for entertainment and information on the way.
Old Style Map
Tech devices are excellent, even if they run out of battery now and again. But what happens when you rely on your devices and they don’t deliver? Maybe it has a faulty battery, or perhaps you find yourself in the middle of nowhere with no signal and no idea how to find the main road.
That’s when you will be thankful for an old-style map. You can buy an old-style map at a local garage and keep it in your vehicle. Hopefully, you won’t have to use it, but it’s still a sensible idea to practice with it from time to time so that you understand the process of getting around.
Road Trip Tunes
Don’t forget the tunes! Chances are you won’t because you are already geared up for some time on the road. Some tunes sound best on the road, and you can find lists of them on the internet, but make sure you have plenty of personal choices on there too. Build a playlist that you will be happy to listen to for many hours. The best way to make a playlist is to start early.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of some considerations to make for your first road trip, but this article is not definitive. Use the advice here as inspiration to plan the perfect road trip; if you take notes along the way as well, you can return home with data that makes the next trip better.
No Comments