It’s all about the journey: Tips on preparing for your road trip are here!
The great American road trip is an extraordinary experience for everyone. And preparing for your road trip is key to a successful journey. Travel safely through any climate in the country by following this preparation advice for your road trip. Follow these tips on preparing for your road trip and keep everyone on the trip feeling comfortable and safe through your thoughtful travel measures.
No matter how often you’ve prepared for a road trip, you may feel that forgetting something is inevitable. This time, it’s time to feel confident in how ready you are for the journey ahead with thorough planning and a bold outline.
Related: 5 Smart Planning Tips For Your First Adventure
Research The Journey When Preparing For Your Road Trip
How thoroughly do you research your route before you drive? If you look for a hotel to stay in along the way and find the fastest highways to drive on, you’re already doing part of the work! Get more involved in studying the drive to your destination by investigating the following elements:
- Tolls along the way
- Terrain and environment you’ll drive through
- The rating and reviews of your pit stop hotel
- Popular attractions
- The weather along the route
- Gas stations and stretches along the route without gas stations
By getting in-depth with your pre-road trip research, you’ll know exactly how to prepare your vehicle and passengers for the entire adventure length. Stay safe by ensuring that your car can handle the terrain and weather ahead of you, as some vehicles may struggle with highways along mountains, hot deserts, or slick ice if you don’t plan ahead.
Related: Tips for Safe Road Trips During Covid-19
Make Yourself a Checklist
Before packing, make yourself a lengthy checklist of everything you need to pack and every task you need to do around the house. Start on the checklist at least a month in advance to give yourself time to add to the list or change things you don’t like. Split the list into smaller parts by giving some jobs to other members of your traveling party. Delegate those ugly tasks!
Clean and Sanitize
A road trip provides plenty of opportunities for illnesses, even if you practice social distancing. Inside or outside of a pandemic, get into the habit of cleaning and sanitizing your vehicle just like your own home, and don’t forget to sanitize your gang after every pit stop. It may be tedious work, but it’s completely worth it if you don’t get sick at your destination or when you get home.
Related: Tips for Safe Road Trips
Plan Driver Switches
Suppose you’re traveling with one or multiple people who can drive, find landmarks or locations along the way where a driver switch is possible. In some cases, you may not need to stay at a hotel if someone can sleep in the car during the day and drive at night—this is an expert tip on preparing for your road trip if you need to drive through infamously busy city highways that calm down in the dead of night. Only consider doing this if you know the night driver can sleep in a moving car and handle sleepy passengers. Always consider the safety of yourself and your passengers when making the essential road trip preparations.