Follow these steps to ensure you have a great road trip!
Follow these steps to ensure you have a great road trip!
Even the newest and most reliable of vehicles can struggle with relentless, long drives. No one wants to spend hours driving around an unfamiliar town searching for a mechanic if something goes wrong! Put your mind at ease by booking a service before you embark on your trip to ensure your car is in tip-top condition. Check out our online booking platform here.
Smartphone map apps are convenient and easy to use but where’s the fun in that? Why not take an old school approach and print off or scan maps of your destinations and use them instead. Trace your route in marker pens, draw pictures and write down places you stopped off – you could even stick small souvenirs to it. When you get home you could frame it and have your road trip memories gracing your wall, giving you something to smile about every day; an excellent addition to photographs we think!
It’s easy to get carried away throwing extra clothes, toys and supplies in your car. We often overestimate how much space we have. Packing light will ensure a more comfortable drive rather than having your knees up at your chin for hours on end. It also means you have extra space to bring home items you’ve collected on your travels.
Put each person in charge of making a different themed CD for the drive. Not only will this ensure music arguments are kept to a minimum; you can also have a lot of fun with it! Some ideas are summer hits, eighties classics and movie soundtracks. Whenever you hear the song after your trip you’ll be reminded of some great memories.
Taking two cars? Stay connected with your friends or family via walkie-talkies! It will keep kids amused for hours and you could invent lots of fun games. How about being police during a high-speed chase? Or, considerably less excitingly, use them to arrange rest stops and breaks.
Invest in a Polaroid camera and get snapping to document your journey! Lookout for great views, hilarious signs and anything else you can think of. We personally love these:
Taylor having a rough day.
An unfortunately named village in Orkney.
Well, they can't say you weren't warned!
It’s so easy to bounce from drive-through to drive-through during a road trip, but all that rubbish food will play havoc with your digestive system. If you’re driving you will probably feel lethargic or sluggish – not ideal when you have unfamiliar roads to concentrate on! It might be an idea to pack a cooler and stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables to snack on. Packing a camping stove or BBQ tools is another great way to enjoy food on the go. You should also ask the locals for advice on great food places as they will know the area best and be able to point you in the direction of independent bars and restaurants. Infinitely more cultural than McDonalds!
As we are often incredibly busy, reading can get left on the backburner. When you’re not bonding with your fellow passengers then you should catch up on that book you’ve been meaning to finish for months. It’ll make you feel fulfilled and productive! Plus, you can enjoy it guilt-free as there is absolutely nothing you should be doing aside from relaxing in the car and enjoying the journey.
