There’s nothing better than driving through the summer nights and under the sun with good music and company. Then stopping at a camp site and hanging out with a bon fire. Sounds like a perfect summer.
The perfect summer plan can go downhill pretty quickly if the basic things aren’t kept in mind before heading out. Just like you prep for a flight, exam, or a wedding, planning and prepping is equally necessary for a road trip. There are so many misconceptions because of which people tend to avoid road-trips but the main reason is being under prepared.
Here are some of the best tips by our travel experts on how to plan for a road trip for this summer:
Decide where to go
Going wherever the road takes is a very naïve concept of starting your trip. There are countless things that can go wrong with this, starting with the estimation of time taken if you’ve to be back within a few days. The best is to decide your destination and the average time taken to reach and come back including the stays.
Airfare and rentals or prep your car
After deciding the destination, it is important to prep your car and book early. In case you are travelling across the city for a road trip, then book flights to the city of your choice. You can book flights to Alaska, flights to California, flights to Michigan and more. If your destination is nearby then make sure your car is fully serviced recently.
Book your flight and rental in advance or get your car serviced early to save a lot of stress later on.
Check for closures
While planning the route to your destination, most closures might not be listed on your maps applications. You must visit the government’s site for any closure or diversions. It might not seem relevant but sometimes can be a huge hassle especially when your whole schedule and stops might get hindered because of the poor pre-planning.
Make sure to plan your stops and over-night stays (if any) accordingly.
Download everything to prep for no Wi-Fi
Be prepared for zero connectivity areas in advance. Make sure to download all the entertainment stuff you are willing to watch or listen during the trip. If you’re with kids, it is a must as they can get grumpy without their favorite shows.
A very fun thing to do is make a playlist, and download it, for the road trip with the songs that you would vibe with. Without songs the trip can get boring easily.
Have a physical map for emergency
Ok! This may sound old-fashioned but hear me out. Gadgets are very useful and now are a huge part of our lives but depending completely on them is our biggest mistake. In worst case scenarios, it is best to have a physical copy of the map with the destinations and route marked.
You might not even have to use it during the whole trip but in case you get in situation then a physical map can be a life savior.
Add in between destinations earlier
Most common mistake during the route planning is that people tend to mark the start and the end destination. This error causes a great deal of indecisiveness and uncertainty during the trip. With every stop planned ahead of you, you tend to be relaxed from the stress of finding a place to stay or park or eat. A quick tip: if you’re unsure about your stops then add national parks, you can never go wrong with these top national parks in U.S.
This small planning ahead of time make you enjoy your trip in peace and really enjoy your surroundings.
Map out the fuel stops too
Just like places to stay, eat and park are necessary, fueling points are too. You must have an idea of the mileage of your car to be able to mark the fueling stops. This might seem silly or childish but something that will be embarrassing is being in the middle of the road with no fuel and no help for long.
Not only will this be embarrassing but can surely be dangerous too depending on the area in which your car runs out of fuel. Especially with kids, there shouldn’t be any risks taken.
Estimate time
Most of you are working, and would take a road trip as a getaway. Or even if it’s not a getaway, it’s advised to have an estimation of the time on at around what time you will be reaching every marked spots.
This technique enables you to be in charge of the trip and the timings and if you have extra time left on your hands then you may add little activities here and there accordingly.
Pack as many snacks as possible
Finding restaurants can take a little while especially in a non-residential area. If you’re with kids, you never know when they might get hungry, so being prepared with snacks can save you so much stress.
Make sure to properly pack the goods and avoid the food which can get rotten pretty quickly. Make sure to double check the liquids you are packing, as liquid spillage can spoil the whole trip.
Plan your camping spots and pack the equipment
A good road-trip is incomplete without camping. As you plan your route and spots for stay or fueling, plan atleast one spot for a camping stay, can be an over-night stay (if the area is safe) or a day stay. You can easily fit in a few manageable and foldable equipment for camping in your car.
If it’s not possible to take on your own equipment, book a camping site somewhere in your route. There are a plenty of camping sites available for a short stay which you may reserve.
In case, you are planning on a road trip somewhere far from your house, then book your flight and car rental, here.
Going on a road-trip can be a whole task with the planning and packing but once you’re prepared, it becomes the most fun and best ways to enjoy. This summer plan the best road-trip of your life and make memories with your loved ones.