Summers are almost here – well, at least for Aussies – and that means only one thing – Christmas! Not exactly Christmas, but the Christmas break.
Road-trips are our personal favorite during the summers. Let’s share some of our tips for better road trips for you!
One of the most suggested tips about going on a long drive is that you need to, absolutely and most definitely need to MAP out your trip. What does that mean? It means that you need to know exactly where you are going and on a map. You should plan to understand which route you’re taking and which one you’re going to avoid. Check the route status, if the roads are all fully functional and if you can take that route. You also need to consider the possibility of other cities, towns or events you might want to visit on the way. This is a good hack if you want to cover multiple cities or areas in a short span of time.
You might want to be completely obsessive over a few things on such road trips. The thing is, as good as the idea of impulsive road trips sounds, it might not have the same appeal to it when you are physically on the trip. Hence, it is better to schedule your trip in a way that you can practically cover all the spots you planned for. Also, you need to remember that this trip is supposed to be fun for you, so don’t rush anything on your schedule. A lot of people go overboard and schedule things like massages for 15 minutes! Just making conversation with the masseuse could take you that long, so that’s def impractical. Keep a buffer period of 15 minutes minimum for everything on your list. That way, when you complete on time, you get an extra 15 minutes for the next spot!
Since we’ve spoken about scheduling your entire trip, you need to know the importance of knowing when to schedule all your breaks. A road trip does not guarantee the availability of usable washrooms or toilets (hygiene reasons). This means you need to figure out at least 2 spots in the day where you plan to use the restroom to freshen up. You can obviously make as many other stops as you want based on your soft drink consumption. This builds a timeline for you that is realistic and easier to follow.
Most road-trippers track the gas stations on the route for their road trip, so they are well prepared to refill whenever they need to. This is a pretty good idea since a lot of people need to call for help due to a shortage of gas. Most fuel stations also have a service station or someone who can help with minor (or sometimes major) repairs or car problems. You can also make note of a few car removal services in your city for emergencies. It’s always useful to have such information handy in case there is no internet cellular network available on your phone.
You need to take into consideration the possibility of running out of food that you’re carrying. If you’re not carrying food at all, you need to know that you will be hungry within the first few hours of driving to wherever you’re going. There are generally plenty of eateries available on highways since they’re meant for road-trippers. Your knowledge of the eateries available will give you the power to decide what you want to eat. Suppose you’re on a road trip in your car and you feel like KFC, but all you see are Macca’s signboards – so you end up eating at Macca’s. But a few kilometers later you see a KFC that you would’ve known about if you’d have done some research earlier!
Also, do keep enough water or liquids to keep yourself hydrated throughout the trip.
Long drives in the summers in a convertible, with the wind in the hair and a trip to the beach. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Except if it suddenly decides to rain. Yes! If you’ve lived in Australia long enough, you know how unpredictable the weather can be. Give the weather forecast a look before you head out and avoid the risk of getting caught up in unnecessary situations.
You don’t have to completely depend on the outlets on the road for food. Highway food, all of it, is junk food. It’s a good idea to carry some home-cooked food or snacks to keep yourself feeling fresh. Too much oil in your food or fast food can make you acidic, and that’s not good for anyone! Keep a snack pack in your car just for emergencies. (You know, in case you get caught in a zombie apocalypse or something on those lines.)
The risk of falling sick on a trip is way higher than when you’re in the safe vicinity of your own locality. Keeping a bag of sanitation products is highly recommended to stay clean and germ-free during the trip. You can keep a sanitizer handy, with a few antiseptic sprays, antibacterial mouthwash, insect repellent sprays.
In addition to these, keeping a few band-aids and a first-aid kit is essential.
If you have an old car, you might not have the most updated systems in place for entertainment. You can either sell your old car & get a new one with a good entertainment system, or you can do the average thing and just buy speakers.
Listening to good audio books, or songs, or even podcasts keep drivers and passengers awake and entertained. If you’re in a group, the assumption is that everyone will get tired after a point and stop blabbering, resulting in boredom. So, preparing beforehand for the trip would be lovely. We recommend It’s My Life by Bon Jovi for a fulfilling experience on road.
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