In this pandemic, plenty of travel restrictions and health protocols are sprouting one by one. So, how about that dream vacation of yours? Is it time to let it go and get back to work? Wait, have you considered adding long-distance road trips to your bucket list? Well, you may want to add it now.
If you have no idea how to plan a perfect road trip for you and your family, then you’re on the right article. This article will discuss everything you need to know about long-distance road trips. So, are you ready to begin?
- Prepare Your Vehicle
You certainly don’t want to ruin everything you planned just because your vehicle is not yet ready for the trip. So, before anything else, check up your shuttle and see if it needs immediate repairs, especially its oils, fluids, tires, light, and blinkers.
Also, you would need to check if you have a working spare tire and jack and make sure they are in good condition. You may also need to check if your registration is up-to-date, especially your insurance policies. Checking your vehicle before the ride will save you a lot of headaches, especially when problems arise.
Furthermore, if you want to free yourself from these headaches, renting a motorhome or campervan instead would be best. You may ask Wilderness in Auckland or other vehicle-renting firms for more details.
- Pack Your Travel Essentials
On a long-distance road trip, packing essentials can be a problem, especially if you don’t know how to store your things efficiently and effectively. You may follow these basic rules of an efficient road trip packer:
- Ensure that all large items, such as sleeping bags, tents, and more, are placed inside a weatherproof cargo box on top of your vehicle.
- Place your active travel gears, such as seasonal shoes and jackets, swimsuits, towels, and coolers, at the rear door of your car. This way, you have quick access to them, especially if you have surprise activities to do, such as fishing, boating, or river swimming.
- Put your handy essentials on your interior cargo box, such as chargers, earphones, phones, snacks, road atlas, and water bottles.
These are the three basic rules of packing your essentials. If you can’t follow these, you may have a problem later on your journey, especially if you can’t find what you need because of improper storage of necessities.
- Plan Your Route
You may already have a destination in mind. However, are these stops realistically planned, meaning is it possible to meet all of them safely and in a couple of days?
Planning a route may seem easy, but actually, you would need to consider a lot of options before embarking on your courses, such as pit stops, gasoline stations, convenience stores, and more. So, what should you do?
You may start by finding the top destinations in the area and pin them as your main stop. Then, link each possible stop on the way to the main and decide which route will be more cost-efficient and time-saving. This will be hard to do using a physical map. Instead, you may use an android map to locate which areas in different cities are worth the ride.
However, this doesn’t mean putting a paper map in the garbage, especially if some stops have a sparse internet connection. So, like how you plan your route digitally, you may do this on your physical map by tracing the entire travel route.
- Book Ahead
While road trips provide you awe-inspiring and picture-perfect destinations, you still wouldn’t want to ignore the benefits of renting accommodations, such as adequate resting time and stress-free camping preparation. Also, this will help you prepare better for the next day and in good condition.
In addition, if you want to make reservations, make sure not to do this when anticipated seasons, such as Christmas or New Year’s Eve. It is expected that most hotels and lodges are fully occupied during these seasons. So, you may want to start booking as soon as possible.
Furthermore, remember that time is nobody’s best friend. So, make sure your hotels are nearby the stops to save time and gas from going back and forth.
Final Words
What makes long-distance road trips exciting is that you have no idea what could happen while you and your family are on the road. No matter how you plan it, some things won’t go according to your wishes.
However, you can lower the chance of bad luck with this comprehensive guide. Make sure that before you leave your home, your vehicle is ready, all necessities are packed efficiently, accommodations are booked, and travel routes are set and clear. If there’s nothing wrong, then start the vehicle and go. Bon voyage!
