The road trip is a glorious mix of freedom, snacks and questionable playlists. There is also a sprinkle of smug satisfaction of knowing that you don’t need to deal with airport queues. You could be planning a breezy weekend escape or a full blown cross country adventure, stopping at RV parks and campsites along the way. But prepping properly is the secret to keeping your trip joyful instead of chaotic.There is plenty that you need to do, so I’ve put together a very short guide to getting road trip ready.
Bring maps, navigation and backup plans. Sat navs and apps are brilliant, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to have signals wherever you go. We rely very heavily on the Internet and signal drops, phones die and roads close, so you need to make sure that you have a carefully plotted route. Pack a paper map retro style and download maps offline. This way you’re not going to be stuck.
Give your vehicle the love it deserves. Whether it’s a car or an RV that you’re planning to bring with you, you need to make sure that you trust your car and it’s in top shape. Before you hit the open road check your fluids, brakes, tire pressure, lights and that mysterious rattle you’ve been ignoring for months. This is not the moment to say that ‘it’s fine, it always makes that noise’. A simple pre trip check up can save you from becoming a dramatic roadside cautionary tale.
Give your vehicle a clean. You might think that the crumbs, receipts and rogue water bottles give your vehicle character, but they will matter when they multiply on day 2 like gremlins. Start fresh, toss the rubbish, vacuum the carpet and create an organised space for you and your guests. A clean vehicle feels bigger, calmer and less like a mobile landfill. Plus, you’ll have plenty of room for the snacks you actually want on this journey, rather than the floor snacks that are waiting for you.
Have a strategy for your snacks. Speaking of all the snacks you could be bringing with you on a road trip, snacks can make or break your mood. You need balance, so the classics like chips and chocolate should be in the car, but you also need to have some nuts, fruits and energy drinks. You should bring napkins, wet wipes, and a garbage bag unless you enjoy the chaos. You could also pre pack a driver snack box so you don’t have to ask passengers to awkwardly unwrap things while swerving.
Plan out some good entertainment. Make a playlist or five and download a couple of podcasts, audiobooks and maybe a guilty pleasure soundtrack or two if you’re travelling with others. Set some ground rules so no one is stuck listening to a three hour conspiracy theory episode that slowly erodes the world to live. You could also rotate DJ duties unless the group contains that person whose music taste is legally classified as wrong.