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With air travel difficult right now, a road trip represents the best chance many of us have for a summer escape with our families this year. The good news is that road trips can be a lot of fun – you get to see bits of the country you haven’t before, have a brand new experience and make lots of happy memories, and be in complete control of your travel arrangements. All you need is a little bit of forward planning in order to make the most of your experience and ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Create An Itinerary

True, part of the attraction of a road trip is that it’s a little freeform –  you don’t have to be beholden to strict airline schedules or anything like that –  but it does pay to do a little bit of planning, if only to make sure that you see everything you want to along the way. Plot out where you are going to stop over each night so you can pre-book any accommodation you need – there’s nothing worse than rolling up somewhere tired and hungry, only to find there’s nowhere to stay. Try not to cover too many long distances in the car without a break, as all that driving quickly gets tiring. Keeping things in balance means that you’ll enjoy your trip much more. 

Get Prepped

Having everything you need with you lets you concentrate on the adventure, rather than on getting supplies. Load up the back of the car with bottled water, favourite drinks and easy snacks, so that if you or the family get hungry on the road you don’t have to pull over unless you want to. Before leaving, make sure that your car is fully serviced topped off with oil, coolant and brake fluids as well as fuel, and that your air conditioning is running well, and tyres and brake pads are in good condition. Just as you would keep on top of home maintenance, so you should make sure your car is running well. Make sure you can locate a mechanic en route just in case of any failures, and always take the number of your insurance and a good car accident lawyer just in case! Also take the chance to make a road trip playlist featuring a mix of different family favourite tracks that will always remind you of your break afterwards.

Load Up On Apps – And Bring A Charger

On the road, your smartphone really can be your best friend – so make sure you download all the apps you need to make the journey smoother. You could use Google Maps to plot out a route, and Waze to navigate while you’re driving. Parkopedia will help you find places to leave the car at the best prices when you’re on a stop over somewhere unfamiliar, while GetYourGuide lets you access city tours to enhance your exploration. And of course, downloading some kids shows on Netflix is a brilliant way to kerb any whining from the backseat when you’ve been on the road for a while.

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