Use your vacation time this summer and hit the open road for a memorable summer road trip! Enjoy a long drive with close friends and go on a memorable adventure! Before embarking on your trip, you’ll need to prepare these 10 essentials so you can have the best road trip ever!
1. Pick a Destination
This is usually decided before any of the trip is actually planned. When going on a road trip, have an end destination in mind. This gives you something to look forward to throughout the long journey, building up excitement along the way! We recommend going somewhere you haven’t gone before and have a new experience you’ll never forget!
2. Plan Out Your Trip
Once you know your destination it’s time to plan out the journey. Map out your drive and see what fun things there are to do on the way. This adds extra adventures to your trip! Check out museums, amusement parks, and landmarks that are on the way, don’t be afraid to do a little extra driving to see them!
3. Prepare Your Car
Avoid unnecessary stops on your trip and get your car serviced before driving. This includes changing the oil, rotating tires, and checking your battery. Don’t pull over in the summer heat waiting for a tow truck and make sure your car is ready for the road. Automotive service centers often do road trip inspections and check for this so you don’t have to!
4. Budget Your Expenses
Planning out what you want to spend helps you better control your finances and prepare for unexpected costs. Give yourself a daily allowance on food, activities, and souvenirs to keep track of what you spent on other things. This also helps you choose activities to do as some may put you over budget. Set aside extra funds in case of emergencies or other unplanned expenses and stay prepared for the worst.
5. Pack Plenty of Snacks
Road trip snacks keep the peace between everyone in the car during a long day of driving. Don’t get hangry with each other and bring along plenty of goodies and drinks to keep everyone satisfied and well-fed. If you have extra time, you can make a quick recipe at home by baking some home made muddy buddies!
6. Curate an Awesome Playlist
Creating a fun, energy filled playlist will keep the car movin’ and groovin’ and gets everyone ready for the fun times ahead! Use Spotify to create a group playlist that lets everyone include their own songs or listen to the new album from your favorite band!
7. Go With the Flow
Have a plan but don’t feel like you need to stick to it every possible second of the day. Take the trip in an easy-going manner and let yourself have a relaxing vacation. If you see something interesting on a pit stop, check it out! You never know when you’ll be traveling in that are again!
8. Play Car Games
Car games help pass the time create fun competition between everyone in the car. This can be a visual game like I spy, road trip bingo, or the license plate game! You can also play a game of 20 questions or would you rather and get to know you friends a little bit better in the process!
9. Eat at Local Spots
Avoid commercial food chains and try out small mom and pop restaurants on your trip. Each town has spots only the locals know about that, giving you a perfect chance to try something new! These restaurants often provide better food and friendlier service than chains you’ll find in every other town. Plus, you’ll be supporting a small business!
10. Have fun!
Above all else, enjoy your vacation and have fun! Vacations are a fun occasion, leave work at home and enjoy spending time with your friends and family! Be firm with your outside obligations that you will be traveling and using your vacation time to rest and enjoy yourself.
With proper planning and execution, your road trip is sure to be a blast! Follow these preparation tips and have the best summer road trip ever!