How to Plan a Road Trip: 8 Tips to Make Your Journey Smooth
A road trip is a package of freedom and adventure combined, promising a break filled with new experiences and cherished memories. However, learning how to plan a road trip is what will guarantee success on your journey.
Negligence in the crucial preparation of the trip or journey turns what could otherwise have been an enjoyable expedition into a horrible experience in life. Be it solo travel, with friends, or with family members, one needs to understand the basic elements that go into preparing such a road trip.
From route creation to need anticipation, each step forms the precursor to a hassle-free ride. The time has come to start planning your trip, which means determining what your car needs will be and exactly where you might find an ExtraMile convenience store to easily pop in and out of for essentials.
Read our proven tips on how to plan your perfect car trip!
How to Plan a Road Trip
1. Plan Your Route
Choose a special destination. May your journey end where you have long dreamed of visiting.
At the same time, choose a special route: a canonical way or, conversely, an untrodden trail.
It is important to listen to yourself and decide what you expect from this trip. Looking for scenic roads? Or something nostalgic like a trip past the former home of old friends?
As soon as you find it, you can easily build a route around this goal.
Planning your route is a great activity that builds up anticipation and excitement for your journey. The digital age has a myriad of resources to help you customize your trip.
Digital maps let you explore various routes, which may reveal the hidden gems off the beaten track. Immerse yourself in the rhythm of local cultures by making stops at small towns or taking scenic byways.
But beyond all the thrills, a more practical look at weather and traffic patterns can do much to spare you discomfort and a lot of real pain. Often, such options exist in online mapping for taking varied routes-which seldom if ever offer some hidden treasures off the super highways.
Get yourself to feel the culture that is local; take that stop at little towns and take scenic routes to the destination. But besides the thrills, practical considerations like noticing traffic and weather patterns will save you time and discomfort.
The screen of a digital map or GPS is good, but having a paper map with you assures you that you never are found to be lost in case the technology pulls some unexpected turn.
2. Google
First, pick up a car. A rented iron horse is best suited for such purposes.
Focus on the number of travelers and stuff. If you are up to 4 people and there are few things, then almost any car will do. If you are from 5 to 7, you can fit into a Cruiser and a minivan.
Either way, do a thorough research on rental car companies. Rental providers have a huge selection of models and fairly affordable prices, so you will not be left with an empty wallet after a mini trip on a hired car.
Next, google where to stop along the way and what restaurants, gas stations and attractions are on the route. It is not necessary to plan everything to the smallest detail, but it never hurts to have an idea of what awaits you.
Read also: 4 Best Ways to Travel Europe on a Budget (And Still Have The Time of Your Life)
3. Vehicle Maintenance
The checkup before taking it on the way will save you from unwanted breakdowns and can give extra protection.
First of all, check your tires because bad tires are hazardous in protection terms and may turn out to be bad with respect to fuel efficiency.
Now, check the condition of your brakes because whatever terrain you go through will require you to stop smoothly. Fluids should be checked for oil, coolant, and windshield washer fluid so that your car will keep running without mishaps.
The proactive approach evades some risks and gives a sense of safety that will make you enjoy your trip even more.
4. Write Down The Stops You Can’t Miss
While you’re learning the route details, make notes about all the interesting places you can drop by along the way. And don’t forget your camera.
Think about what cities, towns, sights and places you want to see. Generate your own route in Google Maps or other apps and mark these points on it. So it will be more convenient to make routes from one point to another and estimate the distance and time.
5. Budget Your Trip
Fuel, snacks, overnight stays along the way, midnight sprees with friends in new cities. All this can significantly lighten the wallet, especially if the trip is longer than a couple of days.
Estimating costs and drawing up a rough budget is so helpful. For complete peace of mind, take out travel insurance.
The main expense items in the road trip budget are car fuel and food, though. It’s great if you can grab a bite to eat at roadside cafes to support local small businesses.
6. Pack Essentials
Packing efficiently is an art-a balance between needs and available space.
First, of course, comes the list of essentials, depending on the climate of the place one is going to. Take extra clothes for higher or lower temperatures. Keep snacks and water in enough amounts to sustain energy through the travel time.
According to a report, some favorite road trip snacks, as revealed from KOA Camping Blog, are beef jerky, popcorn, and hard-boiled eggs.
An emergency kit with first-aid supplies, a flashlight, and basic tools will just keep you ready for any unexpected situation. Pack with the aid of insights from information such as a practical ‘packing tips’ guide about how to maximize space, functionality, and not leave anything important behind.
7. Make a playlist
In addition to your favorite music, there are several other solutions on the go. The first is to catch local radio stations along the way, which help you tune in to the right wave.
The second option is podcasts. This could be, for example, a podcast about the destination point or something educational. And the last cool option is to download audiobooks. You can listen to the entire series of Harry Potter novels while traveling and it will be just magical.
8. Safety on the Road
Ensuring safety on the road is a non-negotiable aspect of any road trip.
Make wearing your seat belt a habit, at any time, and take an interest in local traffic regulation where you will travel through.
Long drives tend to wear down driving concentration or response times; know exactly when to drive in spells or incorporate stopovers once in a while so that your body gets refreshed with a shot of rest.
Exploit technology to your benefit with active GPS software that auto-refresher on a routine basis using speed changes in the streams of traffic, with the addition of cautionary programs to maintain safer driving through behavior modification.
Safety really is not a compromise; it actually gives you the ability to have that much-needed rest and enjoy the whole journey.
What to consider when traveling by car?
- It will take more time than you expect.
It’s one thing to learn how to plan a road trip. It’s another to actually start your journey and deal with the challenges that arise.
Surely on the way you will get into a traffic jam, the car will go haywire, you will have to wait for an eternity in a cafe for an order – it’s better to lay time for all this in advance.
- Travel with children and animals is different.
With children and pets, a road trip becomes even more exciting, yet more complex. The key to it all is planning to keep everyone safe and happy. Ensure that the child seats conform to safety standards, and do not forget to include a lot of entertainment to discourage boredom.
Your pets, too, require some special preparation; pet carriers or harnesses will assure their comfort and safety during travel. You may even want to consider routes where stops are more frequent so your family and pets could get a stretch and a little time to play outside.
A well-planned road trip accommodates all travelers to make the journey pleasant.
- Some ways will be boring.
Sometimes, to see the most incredible places, you need to drive past unremarkable ones for a long, long time.
- Be prepared for surprises.
It’s naive to think that a road trip is an adventure without a hitch. Prepare in advance for the fact that the car will break down, the connection will be lost, a thunderstorm will begin and you will get lost.
From a more positive point of view, you need to prepare for pleasant surprises as well. There are plenty of chances of suddenly winding up to sights you didn’t plan to visit, making new friends, or stumbling upon a beautiful secret route you didn’t know.
Final words
With this knowledge, you’ll be well-equipped to take on the open road, creating memories with every mile. Now that you know how to plan a road trip, enjoy the freedom and the once-in-a-lifetime views that only a road trip can give.