Going on a trip is fun but having a long road trip is the most distressful task. Surviving a long road trip requires careful planning and preparation to ensure comfort, safety, and enjoyment throughout the journey. For a road trip, preparation is essential, and its not only about the packing stuff but also the problems which can be faced unexpectedly. These trips can be a very big task if not prepared in advance. So down here are some amazing tips tried and tested personally and also recommended by the researchers which can be utilized while going on a long trip.
Have A Restful Sleep Before Long Road Trip
Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep before hand to avoid feeling grumpy and restless. Sleep is an essential part of journey which has to be fulfilled at the right time. Especially it matters for the person driving as there would be no opportunity to have sleep during the travel.
Getting enough sleep helps you stay aware and focused, and it will also give you energy for the day ahead. The best time to start a trip is in the morning after having a good sleep to have a wonderful long road trip ahead. Take regular brakes to stay focused. It’s not fun to drive around spoiled, tired people, so make sure you get enough sleep to ensure everyone has a comfortable trip.
Determine Your Route Beforehand
Before starting your journey do try to analyze the map in advance and check the route to your destination to get an overview. Do notice and look at the areas through which your journey would go through to get an idea beforehand and then you can plan pit stops and food places easily.
In case your phone dies or you lose signal while traveling, try to familiarize yourself with your route, this will definitely be helpful in emergencies. Make sue to travel with GPS as it is very handy and can alert you in advance about emergencies like road closure, time differences in 2 or more routes etc. This really helps a lot while having a long road trip as you are prepared in advance for any situation which may occur.
Consider Having Comfortable Seats
Long road trips usually are tiring and that’s why it is important to have cozy and comfortable seats to avoid having irritation and ruining your trip. Your comfort may suffer if you drive for extended periods of time. Invest in high-quality back supports or seat cushions to enhance your travel experience.
To lessen fatigue and enhance general comfort, regularly adjust your seat position, take breaks, and think about purchasing ergonomic accessories.
Pack Food And Snacks
It is very important to pack snacks and food for the trip and not to be dependent on food places in between the journey. Carry healthy food to avoid having only junk food leading to problems like stomach ache, cough etc. In summers do carry energy drinks or hydrating drinks to avoid dehydration. Also ensure to carry a lot of water, specially at the time of summers.
Choose food that’s easy to carry and eat during the journey. To stay cool during the drive, throw some fresh produce, such as apples, bananas, or baby carrots, in there. This will help in having a healthy and amazing long road trip.
Don’t Forget To Take Breaks
Since you are carrying a lot of water and food then taking breaks during long road trip is really important to have an enjoyable trip. One of the most crucial tips for road trips is to get out of your car and stretch your legs every two hours or so, our experts suggest. Schedule these breaks into your lengthy drive, allowing you to see interesting locations or scheduling them to coincide with mealtimes.
You might be able to plan your rest stops around kid-friendly destinations like parks, playgrounds, or any other enjoyable stop if you do some advance research. Try to plan your stops ahead of time and look up for restaurants to avoid the stress of constantly searching for a place to stop and rest. Whether the trip be of one day or ten days, the planning done ahead of time really is worth it for long road trips.
Make Custom Playlist Of Songs
Everyone enjoys listening to music and having a good time while traveling. Not only passengers but also the driver goofs around the music and it makes the long road trip more fun and lively. Imagine wind blowing through your hair as the car moving forward while listening to some good artists, will anytime make my day.
Download the songs beforehand and enjoy music non-stop so not to worry about internet while listening to songs in the car. You can use tons of apps like Spotify, apple music, iTunes etc to download the music. It will definitely make the trip more interesting. Everyone enjoying on songs and having fun will make the long road trip worth it.
Pack A Bag For Essentials
Carrying a bag full of essentials is one of the most important things while packing stuff. The important things which are covered in essentials are such as required and necessary medicines, some poly bags to throw garbage to avoid littering nearby areas, extra clothes, napkins, power bank, hand sanitizer, masks etc should be kept for emergencies.
No, it’s a tiny backpack that you can carry around with you even during a pitch stop, not your checked luggage. Occasionally, individuals neglect to pack a small backpack and stuff everything they need for their trip into their luggage. However, this will only make the long road trip more difficult because it is much simpler to simply reach into your backpack and retrieve what you need.
Record Down Your Journey
Lengthy drives usually become boring after sometime and nothing becomes memorable after journey. It will give you something to do on the long ride and something to remember with the other riders. It can be a good idea to record your journey by either making reels or vlogs or videos which can be stored and seen after trip to make it much more amazing and memorable.
Making memories of the trip with your loved ones can be a fun way to look back on the enjoyable times. Furthermore, on a long road trips with lots of moving parts, it’s easy to forget things. There can be end number of ways to record but the most amazing one is to post photos on social media platforms.
Make the passengers feel occupied
Long Road Trips without something to amuse can be boring and chaotic. Specially its important to carry some games, books and puzzles if there are kids in the car. If there is continuous entertainment in the vehicle then the journey becomes short and entertaining. Quiet and passengers getting bored makes it a clumsy journey.
A noisy vehicle due to music and everybody vibing or playing car games to occupy all the passengers will definitely pass your time easily and will make the trip much more memorable. Do make sure that the passengers don’t get bored and are totally occupied and entertained in any form possible.
Get Accommodations With Fantastic Amenities
This tip is one of the most underestimated tip and mostly not mentioned by most of the people but accommodations having amazing amenities is really important as it makes your whole journey either good or bad. After a long road trip the amenities provided at the hotel really is worth for money. A swimming pool in summers or a sauna bath in winters really takes away your tiredness.
Free breakfasts are almost always a good idea, but they’re much better when traveling. You don’t have to make a detour to get breakfast somewhere else. This really helps in decreasing the expenditure on food and cost us less. Do make sure to choose hotels not on the basis of price but what amenities they are providing.
FAQ
Question – How can I keep from getting bored on a lengthy road trip?
Answer – Make a custom playlist of songs, download audiobooks or podcasts and bring games which can be played and drivers should rotate to keep everyone focused. Also videos can be filmed to keep the passengers occupied.
Question – What actions should I take if my car breaks down?
Answer – Try to pull over you car in the corner side of the road to avoid accidents. Turn on the hazard lights and put reflective triangles if possible. Call for some assistance or ask for help from people passing by.
Question – How can I maintain my focus on a lengthy drive?
Answer – While going on a long road trip people should rest properly before the journey, switch drivers if possible to avoid feeling restless and last resort is to rely on caffeine and energy drinks to stay awake.
Question – How one should approach fatigue from travel?
Answer – The best ay to tackle fatigue is to take short breaks during the journey, always stay hydrated and in between breaks try to take short walks to get rid of it. Also switch drivers if not feeling well at that time if available in the passengers.
Question – Any advice on taking children on a trip?
Answer – To keep your kids happy the most important thing to be kept in mind are taking games with you for kids to play. On long road trips take stops in between and have food at some place. Also ensure there are things for their entertainment.
Conclusion
Thorough planning, careful preparation, and an open mind to the unexpected are the keys to a long road trip’s success. You can guarantee a smooth and safe travel as well as make enduring memories that will make your road trip an experience to remember for years to come by paying attention to these 12 crucial pointers. Happy travels!
