9 Things To Consider When Planning A Road Trip
So you have been thinking about what to do for your next vacation and you stumbled across the idea of a road trip. Road trips can be amazing and they give you the opportunity to see the world from a completely different angle. You need to be mentally prepared for a road trip as well as having everything else you physically need. Road trips can take it out of you mentally, worrying about a car breaking down or getting to your destination on time. If you are convinced this is something you want to do then take a look at the article below for more information.
Budget
One of the first things you need to work out, as with any vacation, is the type of budget you have. For a road trip, it will all depend on certain factors. These include how long you are going for, whether you are renting a vehicle, where you are staying, and how much you need for food and souvenirs. All this needs to be taken into account before you book anything as the last thing you want to do is run out of money when you are far away from home.
Destinations
Another thing you need to decide before you go is where you are going to head out to. You could opt for a local road trip taking in the sites not too far from home, or you could jump on a plane and start a road trip in a completely different country. Your destinations for your road trip will all depend on what your goal is and what your interests are. For instance, if you love waterfalls and glaciers then you might want to do the Icelandic ring road. However, if you love diving into history and seeing funky things then how about the famous Route 66?
Consider Timings
When you are on a road trip there is one thing you need to keep in mind. Timing is everything, especially if you have events and activities booked already. You don’t want to miss these as you spent too long out on the road. You need to give yourself some wiggle room with timings as you never know what the traffic is going to be like on any given day. For example, you might have given yourself a total of two weeks to complete your road trip. Within this time you will need to work out how long it will take to get through each place and do what you want to do.
What Vehicle
Something else that should be on your mind when planning your road trip is the type of vehicle you are going to be using. You might want to take your own car, and this is perfectly fine but it can add some serious mileage to your car. If you are okay with this or if it is a spare car then that should be fine. However, if you want to avoid this then you have another couple of options. You could use an RV, either hiring one or using your own. These have everything you need under one roof from a kitchen to a bathroom with a bed in between. You could also hire a car, this can sometimes work out cheaper than using your own. Weight up all the options, consider all pros and cons and go from there.
Breakdown Cover
A lot of people seem to forget that out on the open road you are susceptible to breakdowns. If you happen to find yourself stranded at the side of the road then you need to have contact details to hand. It is much better to be prepared for such eventualities and not need the info than to need it and not have it. For each destination you are driving through, have a contact number for roadside assistance. They will come out, assess the situation, and may tow you back to a garage.
Accommodation
You won’t be out on the road for the whole time of your road trip, you will need to book rest stops so you can get your head down for a great night’s sleep. If you are wanting to book this before you leave then take a look at the best accommodation in the areas you will be driving through. This could be air bnbs or regular motels, make sure you are checking reviews before you go. You don’t want to get ill from the place you stay when you need to carry on driving the next day.
Eateries
You will need food along the way, there is no doubt about it. This is where an RV will come in handy if you are using one. There will be a fridge, microwave, and hob for you to use so you don’t have to rely on finding diners or cafes to use. However, if you don’t have this then you will need to do your research and find nice places to eat while you are out and about. This could be anything from a street food vendor to a nice sit down restaurant.
Things To Do
There will always be things to see and do on your road trip, that is why you are doing it. For example, if you are traveling along Route 66 then you might want to see the famous whale in Oklahoma or the cadillac ranch in Texas. Do your research, make a list of all the things you want to do, and check if you need to book anything. Remember, timing is everything when booking activities. You will also see some fantastic things while driving around so don’t worry too much if you haven’t pre booked activities.
Communicate
Lastly,if you are on a road trip then the most important thing is keeping in touch with those closest to you back home. They want to know you are not only having a good time but that you are also safe while doing it. It might help if you set up a group chat so you can add information and pictures onto there. This saves you the hassle of messaging many different people the exact same thing.
We hope you found this article helpful and that it gave you some ideas on how you can plan your next road trip. Road trips can be fun, you just need to plan it and execute it the right way.
