10 Apr How to Prepare, and Experience an Amazing Road Trip
Traveling is a beautiful thing. Whenever you get the time, you should get away from everyday stress and from all the commotion that a modern lifestyle carries. We all want our lives to be fulfilling and make it in every possible way. We try to build our careers, find the love of our life, nurture hobbies, lead a healthy life, create good relationships with our families etc.
Trying to succeed in all of these aspects of life can be time-consuming and exhausting. Not taking a break for a long time can cause a lot of stress and create a completely opposite effect then we wanted. This is why it’s a great idea to take a break from time to time and simply escape all of this commotion modern lifestyle imposes on us.
Traveling is one of the best ways to do this. Taking a road trip is one of the ways you can do this. Road trips offer an amazing experience, as wandering across a long distance and seeing a lot of things in a short time really has its own unique flavor. In this post, I will talk about how you can prepare well and have a great road trip.
It’s all about being prepared, especially when you know that you might be stranded somewhere where you won’t be able to get instant help.
How long do you plan on being away?
A crucial thing that must be determined before anything else is how much time you will have available for your road trip. Everything depends on this, the length of the road you will cover, the number of places you can visit, the route you can take, the amount of things you have to bring with you and of course, the budget you will need.
Organizing a timeline is essential to make sure nothing goes wrong while on the road. A lot of people think everything they need is their adventurous spirit and they simply let go. They figure that they will be able figure out everything while on the road and get back in time, but this is a completely wrong approach.
To be able to visit all of the locations you want and return in time to finish all the obligations you have back at home, you should make sure to create a timeline. You will know how much time you need to travel from one place to another, and plan when you will sleep and how much time you will have for sightseeing.
If you don’t have any experience in driving or traveling this way, don’t be worried. You can calculate the time needed to travel somewhere simply by using Google Maps and by selecting your route using directions. The app will automatically calculate the time you need to travel. As a precautionary measure, add 10% to the displayed time, while also taking into account how long you will be staying somewhere.
Where will you be traveling?
An important thing to decide is which places you will be visiting on your road trip. You probably heard that people simply start their car or bike and go wherever the road takes them. This might be fun at the beginning, but after some time it might get boring, because you really don’t have a clue what interesting places there are around you as you drive by.
It’s good to be adventurous and have freedom while on the road, but it’s also very important to have in mind which places you can visit and get informed about the routes you will use to get there. Getting informed about the interesting sights along the way before heading off is a must.
You should also look to acquire information about where you can find gas stations, motels, parking space, picnic parks or anything else you might be needing while on the road. When you create a plan for your tip, you will basically set a goal and adopt a mindset focused on achieving it.
You can also use Google maps to do this. Simply set the route you will be taking and if you want, you can print the final path you will be taking, or insert it into a GPS so that it can accurately guide you during your road trip.
Bring the right people along
You can’t have a road trip on your own. A road trip means that you will be gone more than a few days and spending so much time alone will soon become very boring and unfulfilling. You need your friends to be with you, as they will make the whole thing ten times better.
Sharing this experience with someone can bring you closer together and help you all reminisce on your lives and the bond you have. Think of it as an excursion; you will get the same feeling like when you were kids and went on trips with your whole class. On top of that, friends are the ones who will make the trip more interesting and fill it with memories you will remember.
You will also need help while on the road and this is why you need to have at least one person alongside you. The main issue is that you will not be able to drive alone during the whole trip. This can be exhausting, you might lose concentration and put yourself in danger. It’s important to have someone that can switch over and take the wheel when you feel like you need to rest.
It’s also not uncommon to have problems with your vehicle on the road. You might get a flat tire, or some other problem and having someone to help, especially if that person knows his way around cars or bikes can be handy.
Prepare your ride for the road
No matter if you are traveling with a car, motorbike, or a van, you must make sure that the vehicle you are traveling in is completely safe. The first thing you should do is to get a technical test to see whether or not it can take long rides and if there are things that need to be repaired or changed. Make sure your ride passes all the tests and that it has insurance before heading off.
Do some basic maintenance such as fluid levels. Additionally, you should schedule tune ups and oil changes. You must make sure that your vehicle is in the best shape possible, so that it can remain efficient and reliable on the road. Make sure that your vehicle is charged for the road.
Check the battery, makes sure that the terminals are clean and that it has enough power in it. You can do this with a bit of baking soda and water combined. You will stop having fun right away when you realize that the engine won’t start. Additionally, you can find a good jump starter as a backup in case your ignition battery fails.
Inspect all of your tires to see whether or not they are worn out and if they have bulges or tears. Check the pressure in your tires and have them measure it with proper equipment.
Things to pack for your road trip
Before leaving on your trip, it’s important to pack up a couple of things. Bear in mind that you will be gone for several days and this means you will need certain things while you’re away. The first thing you need is a complete first aid kit. Don’t go anywhere without it. Who knows what can happen, especially if you will be going off road during your trip, so try to stay safe.
The second thing you should get is some car food. You can go for various treats, vegetables, fruit, sweets and sandwiches. Depending on how much you will be traveling, you should stock up on an appropriate amount of food. Make sure to stop and get decent meals or prepare something out in nature, because relying on just a few quick meals and snacks will not work out well in the long run.
Consider bringing along a camping tent if the weather is good and sleep outside, somewhere along the road. If you do this, make sure to take a few pillows and blankets with you. These are still good even without a tent, because they can make the road more comfortable. Take a lot of toilet paper, wet wipes and paper towels with you as well, because they always come in handy for various spills, car sickness, or emergency toilet calls.
These are the essentials you need to consider before starting your engine and heading off on your road trip. Be creative and visit interesting places, go out in nature, have picnics, eat interesting food, experience different places and bring along various travel games that can make the trip more fun.
