By Road trips – Group of friends, An open road, an unforgettable adventure or a Total nightmare, everything depends on the people you go with, the places you go and how you get there. And some times some travel hacks and road trip tips are important.
We absolutely love road trips and have done dozens of them. There’s no question about it; road trips are awesome. Regardless of what country you’re driving in, you need some preparations and planning before you hit the road for an amazing travel experience.
We love to travel and have been on some epic road trips in our time, so we thought that we’re share some tips and hacks that we do while planning our road trip, So that , you can be sure to have the experience of lifetime.
** Define your purpose **
The very first we need to do is define the vision of the road trip, goal or the purpose of this road trip. What you want see and do on the road trip that you are planning makes a lot of difference and plan changes accordingly.
We suggest you must choose what is more important for you – Distance? Destination? or Budget?
- Distance: being to cover a lot of spots in short period frame?
- Destination: All the awesome things that you want to see in this trip.
- Budget: Which is kind of best on both but in case if you have constraints on budget
Once, you are clear on what you want to achieve in the road trip, then you are good to go ahead and plan the next steps for your great road trip.
** Choosing the Route **
Now that you know what you want to achieve from this road trip, there are again two things to think about: Scenic Route V/s Efficient route?
Some routes could be way beautiful and scenic but requires longer journey or some would be quite efficient without beautiful scenes around. So, think before hand how you want plan out your journey on basis of..
- What are your must visiting destinations on the route? – Write them down and kind of plan around how long you wanna spend there. Sometimes, you might need to do more efficient route to get to that destination quicker, so that you can spend more time there.
- Budget: if you are looking for budget trip, then you might want to think about how out of the way the stop that you are going to go or activity is that you are planning to do. Because, that takes time and that takes money as well. Gas stops, Extra miles, you may need to spend an extra night in the hotel etc.
If you’ve got a time limit (as most road trippers do), it’s smart to plot out which city you’ll sleep in each night before setting off.
** Choose the right vehicle (Car) **
Now, that you have destination, distance and budget sorted out, make sure to choose the right vehicle to reach to your destination. As an avid travelers, we love exploring different landscapes on a road trip. Whether it is a smooth highway or rugged terrains or muddy patches, it is the vehicle that needs to withstand the different conditions besides your own enthusiasm.
Hill Stations: You should always go for small cars; they are 30-40% quicker, safer and easier while turning and climbing mountain ranges.
Forests / Safari’s: Trucks and vans are highly preferable for driving through a forest. Open space jeeps can be preferable too if you want to explore greenwood.
Deserts: The vehicles which are suitable for travelling in deserts are tractors, pickup trucks, jeeps and land rovers.
If you are planning to take a road trip, then why not select a perfect road trip vehicle that will make the travelling experience more fun and exciting!
** Check your Vehicle **
After choosing the right car for you, make sure to check your vehicle before heading out on the road. Have your mechanic check your car’s fluid levels, brakes, tires and anything else that could cause problems. Be sure your spare tire is fully inflated and that you have jumper cables and extra wiper fluid on hand.
** Drive by sunrise, Rest by sunset **
We always prefer leaving early for the road trips, as there’s something really special about watching the world wake up while you’re out on the road. This is practical advice, too. By getting on the road earlier (and settling down earlier) you beat the traffic & congestion. If you want to cover some spots on the way, it’s a great idea to hit those spots before they get crowded.
** Keep your documents always ready **
If you are traveling without current documentation of license, registration or insurance, you could be in for a world of hurt if you are pulled over for any reason.
** Understand the Rules of the road **
Make sure you make yourselves aware with the rules of the road for the country you’re visiting. If you’re traveling to a country in Asia, be sure to check for driving advice for tourists on that country’s government or official tourism site.
If you are driving in US, Europe or in USA, please go through the driving rules on their official tourism site.
** Use Google Maps **
A great place to start your road trip. By plugging travel locations into Google Maps, you can get a good sense of how your itinerary should flow and you can also see some of the off beaten spots which probably you wouldn’t know before hitting the road. You can put multiple locations between point A and point B to understand the distance and whether the spot you want to visit is on route or off route.
** Set destinations, not rigid ones **
Plan your route for non-negotiable sights, And, then dedicate the rest of the day to explore. Expectation doesn’t always align with the reality and if you plan too much, you open yourself up to being let down.
But if you kill the expectation and approach your trip with an open mind (and an open schedule), you’ll be met with surprise and delight at every turn.
** Keep Yourself Entertained **
For us, during the long road trips, music is MUST. Open roads, loud music, perfect companions what else do you need for a perfect journey.
- We fill up our phones with the songs that are perfect for the road trips or choose the vehicle which has a radio system.
- Keep some board games handy if you are planning drive with friends or family.
- Carry some light snacks to munch or chocolates and cupcakes to satisfy your taste buds on the road.
** Carry Essential Equipment’s **
We always prefer to carry some basic but essential equipment’s during our road trips and we recommend you to carry them as well.
- First Aid Kit: In addition to the standard one in your car, pick specific medicines that you or your companions may require
- Flashlight: Though we all have flashlights in our mobile phones, we suggest to carry high power flashlight fitted with a new set of batteries.
- Road Helpline Numbers/Service Centre Numbers: These handy booklets are available online and at all car service centers. Don’t forget to grab your copy.
- Puncture Repair Kit: Keep this kit always with the spare tire in your car.
- Pen and paper: May be note some of details of your trip.
** Stay Safe **
Go down those small roads, get out of your comfort zone and explore – but be sensible. Listen to advice, always let someone know where you are and where you’re going – and don’t be a hero.
A road trip is that perfect opportunity to forget all your worries and make memories along the way. Here’s wishing that your road tripping finds you on time and in the right place, even when you least expect it.
Have you got any top road trip tip? Share with us in comments.
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I love a road trip and you have just made me want to plan one! The weather is cooling down in Dubai so it’s almost perfect for heading on a road trip in some other Emirates. Thanks for the inspo!
Some great tips. Love your set destinations but not rigid ones tip! We have found great places on our road trips by being flexible.
We love road trips! There’s something so comforting and nice to know that you have your car as your base, everywhere you go. I also feel that you see a lot more of the country / location you are driving through.
I really like your point on: Drive by sunrise, Rest by sunset. I would completely agree with that – especially as you can see more while it’s still light out. Also really important to not drive when tired and share the driving between a few people, so everyone can have a rest!
Excellent post on road trip planning! Distance, destination or budget as choices, check. But I would suggest there is another option to consider — simply getting in a driving. Some of my best road trips with friends were when we just looked at each other (granted, we were younger and just out of college, with much more freedom in terms of time than many of us now have) and said “road trip” at which point we clambered into the vehicle of choice and drove off … sometimes to a place to climb, sometimes simply to a beach spot to hang, and sometimes until we ran out of time and needed to turn back home. Road trips are awesome.
Even though I am far from being an early bird, I agree with you on starting early. My eyes are very sensible when driving in the night, and there is something especially beautiful in seeing the world wake up while on the road. Two weeks ago we were driving through Istria, Croatia early in the morning, and got to enjoy beautiful misty landscapes covered in morning fog. Music is a must in our car as well, and although I do like to stop for lunch when traveling, sometimes it’s so good to have a meal prepared at home with you on the road. 🙂
I am the road trip planner in our family. We love to take road trips. and we love to seek alternative routes with fun destinations to stop along the way. Great advice to always have your car serviced before heading out. Although we all can use our phones and apps for travel today, we still like to travel with a road atlas and teach our kids some of the markers on the map.
Absolutely love road trips! Thanks for the helpful tips!
Thank you for these hacks. I am gonna use them. Bookmarking it for tlmy next trip 😊
We love taking road trips, often covering more than 1600km’s in 2 days. It’s super far, but there’s just something about the open road that is so calming and appealing. You are right, checking your car is the most important thing one should do first. I can’t think of anything worse than a broken down car in the middle of nowhere! Like you, we also try to make an early start and cover as much road during daylight.
Thanks for sharing tips for perfect road plan. I agree type of destination, type of vehicle and budget affects the success of our road trip. Google maps is the big savior if we take wrong roads to bring back on correct road. It also gives us the traffic scenario.
I love a good road trip and it one of my favourite things to do especially with my husband. What did we ever do with out google maps right, they are such life savers. My husband I use our gps in the car for our road trips but I do use google maps for when I am walking. Definitely agree you should always check your car and give it a once over before you leave.
These are all such excellent tips. And I think defining your purpose is key, especially when you’re travelling with one or more others! Things like the fast route v the scenic route – best to have these decided before heading off onto the journey. But road trips certainly are special, and you learn a lot during the time you’re on the road too. Always keep emergency supplies though in the car! Great advice.
I absolutely love road trips too, especially in the U.S. And I almost alllllways choose the scenic route if this is a vacation! Thanks for reminding me to put a first aid kit in my car. I’d rather be safe than sorry!