A road trip is arguably the most exciting type of trip to plan. The freedom and flexibility that comes with being able to fully customise your route and itinerary is something that’s almost impossible to achieve with other modes of transportation.
However, being fully responsible for your own transportation comes with it’s own share of responsibilities and points to consider that can make or break your trip. If you’re new to road tripping or just making sure you’re covering all the bases before planning your next one, check out our 9 handy tips below to ensure you make the most of your latest adventure.
9 Essential Road Trip Tips
In This Guide
Stock Up Your Vehicle
First and foremost, make sure that your vehicle is well stocked up with everything you might need over the coming days. The obvious place to start is fuel with studies indicating that Mondays are the generally the cheapest time to fill your tank and Fridays are the most expensive. Keep that in mind both before and during your journey to get the best value.
The second most important commodity on a road trip are snacks. Service stations and roadside stands are generally more expensive due to the captive market so we’d recommend visiting a supermarket beforehand to get all your essentials. If you’re going to be driving somewhere remote then make sure you have enough food and water to see you through your journey until you’re back close to civilisation. In fact, it’s before to slightly overestimate here and carry a little extra just in case of any unforeseen circumstances arise and it takes you a little longer to reach your destination.
If you’re heading to a colder climate, it’s also worth checking if you need to carry snow chains with you. You need to carry them by law in some places at certain times of the year and they can be a literal lifesaver in adverse weather conditions.
Get Your Vehicle Serviced
The viability of your entire trip revolves around your vehicle being in good working order, so take care of it! If you’re going on a particularly long trip and taking your own vehicle, then we’d recommend getting your vehicle serviced by a professional before hand to ensure everything is running as smoothly as it can be. Getting fluids and oil refilled if necessary can negate any maintenance issues and we’d also recommend carrying some water and coolant for the radiator, especially in warmer climates.
Ensuring your tires are the correct pressure will make your car is as fuel efficient as possible and therefore saves you a bit of cash over the course of a trip. Even being 1 PSI under-inflated can cause you to use 15 more gallons of fuel over a 5,000 mile trip. It’s also worth checking the tread of your tires to ensure they aren’t too worn and need replacing. Worn out tires are a real safety hazard that’s multiplied ten fold if you’re out in the sticks with no phone reception.
Consider When You’re Travelling
The time of day, week, month and year can have a major impact on your road trip. Perhaps the most obvious consideration is whether you’ll be travelling through busy areas during rush hour each day. If in a major city, it could be worth either setting off early or waiting it out to avoid getting stuck in hours of traffic.
Small towns, at least in westernised countries, are likely to be fairly quiet and closed off on Sundays and Mondays. If your road trip takes places on these days then don’t count on too much being open when passing through. It’s best to fill up your tank and restock on food and water before these days to avoid getting caught short. It’s also worth checking out if the destination you’re visiting has any national holidays during the time of your visit which may cause business hours to be affected.
You should also consider the time of year you’re travelling and how that may affect your plans. It can be difficult to make travel plans out of peak times but it’s worth trying to avoid the crowds. Holiday weekends are likely to see a major increase in traffic on the roads that can impact travel times and popular destinations are also likely to be busier through the summer months which can cause major headaches so avoid these if at all possible.
Keep Offline Backups
Even in the most developed of countries, when driving any moderate distance you’re likely to encounter spots with no mobile data. If you’re driving in a foreign country and your phone plan doesn’t include the necessary roaming then you’ll need to be doubly prepared for this.
The most important step to take in order to be fully prepared is to download offline copies of the maps and routes you’ll need for your trip. Google Maps for example will allow you to download a copy of the area you’re travelling to which can then be used to generate directions with no internet connection needed. If you’d like to be extra prepared then it might also be worth picking up an old school street map to keep on hand just in case your devices fail you.
For those not in the driving seat, you may also want to get your entertainment options backed up so you’re not left twiddling your thumbs when you lose your service. Most music streaming services will allow you to download albums or playlists to listen to offline and the same goes for video streaming platforms. If you like to play mobile or video games during your journeys then check that these don’t require an internet connection either.
Keep Your Itinerary Flexible
Being flexible is absolutely essential to not only have a successful road trip but an enjoyable one too. You can try to map out a bulletproof itinerary with timings down to the minute but weather and traffic conditions can throw all that out the window. Be prepared for routes to take longer than navigation apps suggest and build in a contingency so that potential delays don’t ruin your plans.
We’d recommend being overly generous with the time you think it might take to reach your next stop so you’re not stressing about making it time. Having the ability to take your time is what make road trips so much more freeing that other types of travel so make the most of it. The freedom to take a random detour or stop off at a roadside attraction is perhaps the main reason to take a road trip.
Travelling this way allows you to really experience a destination in a way that can’t be matched. Personally, we found that the quirky small towns and roadside oddities found when driving between major cities in the USA were some of the most memorable parts of our trip and something we would have missed entirely if taking a plane or train.
Get Your Documents in Order
To save time and hassle during your trip, it’s helpful to get all your documents neatly organised beforehand. If you’re driving your own car then make sure you have your licence, registration and insurance details to hand as well as the details of any breakdown cover you might have. If you’re driving a hire car then make sure you keep all the necessary paperwork on hand should you need to show it.
It’s also worth keeping any additional documentation needed for your trip along with your vehicle paperwork too. If you’re driving through national parks or have campsite reservations then you’ll likely need to show these to gain entry. As stated above, don’t rely on having an internet connection and have offline backups printed to show at various booths or gates. If you’ll be crossing through are borders then make sure you have a passport to hand as well as any VISA documentation that might be required.
Keep Yourself Entertained
Even in the most picturesque surroundings, it’s almost guaranteed that boredom will strike at some point. Having a solid rotation of entertainment options can help to keep you entertained during those long drives. We find that curating some playlists influenced by our destination or activities really adds to the trip experience. We also find that switching between forms of entertainment can help to make the time pass a bit quicker. Bored of listening to music? flip over to one of your favourite podcasts instead and once you’re done with that, you could try out an audio book instead.
For those not on driving duties, your options are a little more varied. Mobile streaming platforms are a great way to pass time on longer drives, with offline downloads allowing you to stay immersed in the most remote locations. Mobile or handheld gaming is another excellent option to keep yourself occupied when the boredom creeps in.
Another slightly more unusual option would be to tune in to local radio during your drives. Like a curated playlist, this can help to set the tone of your trip but also has the added bonus of filling you on the local area too. Listen out for adverts for businesses or attractions that might be of interest to you as well as any events taking place during your visit.
Consider Scenic Routes
When you’re on a tight schedule, the fastest route from A to B is always going to be the best option. However, if you build some flexibility in to your timeline, you’ll have the freedom to explore some more scenic routes and back roads. These will generally be less crowded as well as much more interesting, allowing you to get a true sense of your destination rather than speeding past it on a highway.
The fastest route from San Francisco to Los Angeles is just under 400 miles and is basically a straight line down I-5. If this is your first time making this journey though you’d be making a huge mistake in not taking the pacific coast highway instead. This adds about another 100 miles on to the journey but is on many people’s bucket lists for a reason. This spectacular stretch of coastline takes you past rugged cliffs and lush forests before slowly giving way to the iconic Los Angeles area beaches. There are so many interesting towns and attractions to visit on the way that you could spend weeks making this drive. You can heck out our full itinerary here.
Next time you’re planning a trip it’s worth researching a little deeper than just looking up the fastest route. Do some digging around the area to see if you can find out some scenic back roads or unusual detours to spice up your journey.
Wrapping Up
We hope that this list of essential road trip tips is helpful for you when planning your next adventure. The freedom that comes with undertaking your own road trip is absolutely unmatched and a little bit of planning and preparation goes a long way to creating the perfect experience.
As with all travel, make sure you’re up to speed on local laws and regulations to avoid any headaches on your journey. For example, parking facing the direction of travel or turning right on red lights is something that took us a little while to adjust to when travelling the US. It can be helpful to familiarise yourself with driving etiquette before driving abroad to ensure you’re prepared for any unfamiliar situations and don’t run into any issues.
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