Category: Trips

Planning for a Road Trip: Top Tips and Tricks

Going on a road trip is still one of the most fun ways to spend the holiday. Whether you are going on a road trip with the entire family or starting a solo adventure to new destinations, the adventure will be a memorable one for sure. The fact that there are many beautiful B roads and great spots to visit along the way make going on a road trip even more exciting.

Just like other trips, a road trip can be more enjoyable when you plan for it the right way. There are a lot to plan and prepare before you can go on a road trip and have a blast. To help you get through the planning and preparation stages, here are the top tips and tricks to keep in mind.

Budget and Time

The two things you want to start with when planning a road trip are budget and time. You need to know how much you can afford to spend on the trip and how much time you have to complete it from start to finish. Setting a budget is the easy part here. You can simply allocate a budget and plan the trip to stay within that limit.

Time is a bit trickier to handle. In order to schedule the trip properly, you have to remember that you need to consider the time required to drive home. You also want to leave some room for unexpected things such as the car breaking down. With these two elements figured out, planning the rest of the road trip is much easier to do.

Pick a Route

When planning a road trip, choosing a destination isn’t the only thing you need to do to get started. You also have to determine the route you want to take, since it affects the amount of time needed to reach the destination. Going on B roads rather than the M4 means spending up to twice the time to reach certain destinations.

Fortunately, you have the internet on your side. Route planning tools – including Google Maps’ new features designed for planning this kind of trip – are handy. You can choose a more scenic route or the fastest one or combine the two for a truly memorable road trip. You can even define the kind of stops and attractions you want to visit, and the route planning tool will help you plan for the trip better.

The Car

Just because you are going on a road trip, doesn’t mean you have to drive your own car (or motorcycle, if you are a biker). In fact, you can save a lot of time by using a rental car rather than driving your own from the beginning. You can start from one point and return the car at the destination without having to go back through the same route, saving you a lot of time in the process.

That said, driving your own car makes the whole trip more comfortable and memorable; you tie the moments you experience along the way to the car you are driving, so driving your own means you can look back at those funny moments at any time.

If you do want to drive your own car, there are some important things to prepare. First, you want to make sure that the car is in good shape. You also want to get a good car insurance and, more important, a breakdown cover policy. The latter – with its Onward Travel coverage and additional services – protects you from unwanted hassles throughout the road trip.

More Protection

The breakdown cover policy can also be used when you are traveling to Europe. There are insurance plans and add-ons that will offer the same roadside assistance and other added services even when you are in the EU. Make sure you get the right policy and that it is in force before actually driving and having your adventure.

You also need to protect yourself and those traveling with you. Prepare an emergency bag filled with essential items to make dealing with emergencies a breeze. Make sure you also get a good travel insurance and that your health plan also offers sufficient protection when you are in the road trip’s destination.

Prepare Yourself

Last but certainly not least, you need to prepare yourself for the trip. Driving in a long journey isn’t an easy task, so make sure you are physically and mentally ready for the adventure. It is also a good idea to make sure that your papers are in order.

To complete the set, do more research on road trips, the route you will be taking, and other details about the trip. The more informed you are, the more enjoyable the trip will be. With these preparations made properly, you can have a truly magnificent adventure. After the first road trip, you’ll be hooked and eager to go on future ones as soon as possible.