Preparing for Your Road Trip

Taking a road trip is exciting and can often account for some of your best travel memories. A road trip is never without its setbacks though so take care to eliminate as many as you can. Being ready for a road trip involves more than packing a bag and heading off. There is some safety and automotive related issues that you need to address if you want to make it home without any problems. Any trip you take requires planning so schedule things ahead of time rather than leaving everything until the very last minute.

Check the oil in your car before you plan to drive off anywhere for any great distance. If you are going to be due for an oil change soon then make sure to get one. The first thing that will ruin a road trip is the car breaking down. Don’t let this happen. Make sure your vehicle has received all of the required scheduled maintenance. Your car is the heart and soul of this trip. Take care of it so that it can take care of you and return you home safely.

Put together an emergency kit before you leave. This should really be self explanatory. Bring a First Aid Kit filled with everything that should be inside. If anything is missing, replace it. Road flares and other items like jumper cables and a car jack should all be in your trunk. A good emergency kit should have a flashlight, cell phone, shovel, and food. Stock up before you go so it’s fresh and full. Look up ideas online for further emergency kit items that may have helped others.

You may want to consider joining a service like AAA so that you have road side assistance if you should need it. This can be extremely beneficial if you need the vehicle towed for some reason. You never know when something can go wrong. Planning ahead like this can save you loads of money in the event that you do need help.

If you plan to stay in a hotel or other facility, don’t wait until you arrive to find a room. Reserving your accommodations ahead of time is always recommended, especially in a location that is known for high tourist traffic. Arriving to find a lot of no vacancy signs is not going to be ideal. A road trip is supposed to be an adventure but it’s unlikely that you will enjoy sleeping in the car.

Keep yourself and your travel companions entertained as you drive to prevent boredom. Things like satellite radio or an iPod filled with music can help break up the silence and keep you motivated. DVD players can be great for passengers but make sure the driver can’t see it. It’s illegal and incredibly distracting.

Bring all of your identification and legal information with you when traveling away from home. There is a good chance you will need to present them at some point. Change for toll booths is handy too so keep some in your console. A road trip is fun but it’s best when it’s trouble free.