Preparing for a Road Trip – Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to taking our yearly vacations, there seems to be a bit of an obsession with traveling abroad.

Sure, there are some amazing places to visit on this planet we call home, but what about the country we actually live in?

It’s time for the rise of the staycation. Magical looking forests, breathtaking mountain ranges, and coastal scenes are all right here on our doorstep. We just need to head outdoors and find them!

Even along the way, there is some amazing scenery to take in, and the best way to witness all of the beauty on offer is by taking a road trip.

Road trips are fun too! What other form of transport gives you the opportunity to blast out your favorite tunes, allows you to stop wherever or whenever you want, and gives you full control of the route you take?

Not to mention, you haven’t got to deal with the nightmare situation of trying to negotiate your way down a narrow train carriage aisle or attempting to flag down a flight attendant when you need a snack.

Some people might be concerned about the cost of gas as you make your way across the country. But compared to rising train and airfares, it’s potentially cheaper to drive in the long run.

Remember, also, that the more people you travel with the cheaper the price of gas will be for each person, with the bill being split evenly among the group.

There’s no doubt that the road is the way forward.

Some of the most memorable vacation moments happen when you’re in the car as well, and you’re given the opportunity to connect and interact with your chosen travel companions in a way that other methods of travel don’t afford you.

Preparing Your Car For A Road Trip

If you’re planning a road trip, you’re understandably going to be eager to get out on the open road and see everything the country has to offer.

But, before you strap yourself into the driver’s seat and hit the gas, there are a couple of important things you need to do to prepare your car for a road trip.

Clean Your Car Before Your Trip

One thing to make sure of before you head out on the open road is that your car is sparkling clean, both inside and out.

You’re going to be spending a lot of time in it after all and your car will eventually begin to feel like your home from home.

It’s also a lot nicer for your passengers to feel they’re in a clean environment.

Take a vacuum cleaner to the seats and floors to suck up any dust or debris, and remove any items you don’t need for your trip from the trunk.

This will give your passengers more legroom and leave more space for your luggage.

Cleaning isn’t just about hygiene though. Giving your windows and mirrors (both internal and external) a good wash will give you a clearer view of what’s happening on the road around you while you’re driving and help keep everybody safe.

Cleaning your car with a pressure washer is a quick and efficient way to get your vehicle sparkling.

Once everything is clean, finish the job off by hanging an air freshener to keep everything smelling great!

Try to keep on top of your cleaning during your trip as well. Invest in a handheld vacuum cleaner that you can stash in the trunk to keep the interior up to standard. Be sure to stop at a car wash if you find your windows and mirrors are gathering a film of dirt or airborne pollutants too.

Check Your Vehicle

Once your car is clean, it’s essential to make sure you’ve performed all the checks that are necessary before you head out on a long trip.

Let’s take a look at these ones by one below, along with the correct way to carry out these checks and how to tell that everything is up to standard before you even pull out of your driveway.

This is best left until the night before or the morning of your departure.

Doing it too far in advance and using your car in the meantime will decrease the levels you’ve checked.

Oil

The first thing to check is your engine oil level.

If this is too low before you set off on your journey, you could find yourself stranded on the side of the road with an irreparable or extremely expensive problem!

To check your oil, follow the steps below:

Make sure that your engine is completely cold and that your car is parked on level ground.
Pop the hood of your car and locate the dipstick. This can usually be recognized by the finger-shaped hole at the top.
Once you’ve found the dipstick, gently pull it out and wipe away any oil with a clean cloth.
Place the dipstick back into the tube, wait for a couple of seconds, and then pull it out again.
You’re now looking for the measurement markings on your dipstick. If the oil is sitting anywhere between the minimum and maximum levels, you don’t need to add any more oil. If it falls below the minimum, you’ll need to add some engine oil into the engine oil cap a little at a time. This is usually marked with an oil can icon.
Follow the steps above in between pours until the correct level is displayed.
Once you’re satisfied that your oil levels are correct, replace the dipstick, wipe up any accidental spills, and close the hood of your car.

Some modern cars are fitted with electronic oil monitors. If your car has one of these, you don’t have to worry about locating a dipstick or checking your levels.

You’ll still need to manually add more engine oil if your levels are low though.

It’s important to make sure you’re using the correct oil for your make of car too. If you’re unsure, consult your car’s manual or check with a local car repair shop.

Coolant

Engine coolant is a combination of water and antifreeze and is added to the mixture of mechanical goings-on underneath your car’s hood to stop your engine from overheating.

This makes it a very important thing to check before you start out on your journey. Luckily, it’s also pretty easy to do since most cars have a sealed cooling system and don’t need topping up.

So how do you check a car’s coolant level? Allow us to guide you through the process below:

Locate the expansion tank underneath the hood of your car. If you’re unsure where this is, refer to your car’s user manual. Don’t just guess, as adding coolant to the wrong compartment could cause some serious damage to your car.
Once you’ve located the expansion tank, you’ll be able to see the coolant level measurements on the side. The coolant itself will also be visible and should be somewhere between the minimum and maximum marks.
If your coolant level is below the minimum, take your car into a repair shop. It’s not normal for the coolant level to fall below this mark and could be an indicator of bigger problems.

It’s not a good idea to attempt refilling your coolant yourself. This is a fairly intricate process and could require certain products that are specific to your car’s engine. Topping up coolant should only ever be done by a qualified mechanic.

Filters

Another important thing to check before you hit the road is your car’s fuel filter.

Checking this before you leave will reduce the risk of your car stalling or losing power when you push down on the gas which, in certain situations, could result in a fatal accident.

This is a slightly more intricate thing to check, but you can do it by following this process:

Locate your fuel filter. On most cars, it will be located underneath the fuel tank and will look like a small cylinder.
Open the filter and look at the condition of the paper inside. It should be tan or golden brown in color. If it is dark brown, it will need to be replaced. It will also need replacing if there is any visible sediment in the gas trapped inside the cylinder.
Grab a helping hand and use a flat-head screwdriver to loosen the hose clamp on the fuel line that links the fuel filter and the gas tank. Hold the fuel filter so that it is angled upwards and then pull the fuel line off.
Place the exposed end of the fuel filter over a glass jar and ask your helper to engage the emergency brake and put the car into neutral.
Next, have them switch the ignition to the first position. DO NOT turn the engine on.
Now observe the rate at which the gas is released from the fuel line into the glass jar. Turn the ignition off and reconnect the fuel line to the fuel filter.
Loosen the clamp on the fuel line that runs into the engine. Again, hold the hose at an upward angle, pull the filter from the hose, and hold the end of the fuel filter over the jar.
If the gas coming into the jar from the engine is slower than the gas that came from the tank, your fuel filter needs replacing.
Reconnect everything and take your car to a mechanic who will be able to install a new fuel filter for you.

As we mentioned above, there are some intricacies involved with checking your fuel filter. if you’re not feeling super confident about doing it yourself, it’s highly recommended to take your car to a repair shop and have it checked there instead.

Tires

There are a couple of checks that you need to carry out on your car’s tires before you hit the road.

The first of these is air pressure. This can be checked using a pressure gauge and needs to be done when the tires are cold.

Here’s how to do it:

Check your car’s manual for the standard cold tire inflation pressure number. This is the lowest PSI (pound per square inch) that your tires need to be inflated to. You’ll be able to view the current PSI number of your tires using your tire pressure gauge.
The first step in checking this would be to remove the cap from the valve stem. This is usually located close to the hubcap.
Next, place your tire pressure gauge directly over the exposed valve stem and wait for it to give you a reading. This won’t take very long at all so make sure you’re paying attention!
Once you’ve got your reading, make a record of it, and then quickly replace the valve cap. Repeat this process for each tire, working through them one at a time.

Once you’ve got your PSI number for each tire, you’ll be able to decide whether they are inflated correctly and, if necessary, can add some more air into them. It is important to note, however, that an overinflated tire can be just as dangerous as an underinflated tire.

The second check you need to carry out on your tires is their tread depth. This varies from state to state but the minimum tread depth for most states is at least 2/32 of an inch.

If your tread depth is too low, your tires will have a reduced grip on the road and this could cause an accident.

It’s also illegal for your tires to be below the minimum tread depth, and being pulled over and arrested will definitely ruin your vacation!

Make sure that your spare tire is fully inflated before you leave too. This will save you a lot of effort and worry if you were to suddenly find yourself with a flat tire.

It’s also worth noting that the tire pressure indicator light will flash up on some cars once you’ve added more air into your tires.

This is usually perfectly normal and will normally recalibrate itself once you’ve been driving for a while. If the problem persists, however, make sure you check the issue with a reputable mechanic.

Power Steering

Most modern cars are now built with power steering which makes driving them a lot more comfortable.

If your power steering fluid isn’t kept topped up, you’ll immediately feel the extra effort needed to navigate your car. This can be even more difficult when you’re traveling on unfamiliar or rural roads.

To check your power steering fluid levels and to top them up, follow these simple steps:

Pop the hood of your car and locate the power steering fluid chamber. Most of the time this will be located near the power steering pump, but if you’re unsure take a look at your car’s manual.
Remove the reservoir’s cap
As with your engine oil, most power steering fluid reservoirs will have a small dipstick that will give you an indication of what your levels are. If this is between the minimum and maximum markings, your levels are fine. If it falls beneath minimum, you’ll need to add more power steering fluid.
Adding more fluid is as easy as pouring it into the reservoir in small measures while checking your levels in between. Once they’re in the perfect position, secure the cap back in place.

Power steering fluid is available to purchase online and can also be found in a few specialist stores.

If you’re in doubt, either contact a sales team or ask a member of staff in your chosen store for help. Adding the wrong fluid can cause irreparable damage to your car, so it’s best to check.

General Maintenance

Although most of the above checks are engine-focused, some other things need checking before you depart that won’t only ensure you don’t break down but could prevent you from getting into a potentially fatal accident.

Brakes

Checking your brakes before you head out on the road is absolutely essential.

If your brakes fail or are too slow to respond, you could be putting yourself, your passengers, and anybody else on the road in serious danger.

There are a few ways to check your brakes are working correctly, but these are some of the easiest ways of doing it:

Listen: Take your car out for a slow drive and, as you gently press down on the brakes, listen to them. If your brake pads are too thin, they’ll either emit a squealing or a low rumbling noise.
Feel: Another indicator of worn brake pads is if your car doesn’t come to an immediate stop when you push them all the way to the floor.
Vibration: If your brakes feel as though they are vibrating or pulsating against your foot, this can be a sign of warped rotors.
Pulling: Should you notice your car pulling to one side when you come to a stop, it could be that one of your brake pads is more worn than the other. This doesn’t mean it can go unchecked though. You need a full set of working brakes for a road trip!

If any of the above are happening when you test your brakes, take your car to a mechanic who will be able to diagnose the problem further and will be able to fix it.

Battery

A flat battery sits up there with the worst possible things that can happen when you’re on a road trip, so it’s important to check your battery’s life and performance way ahead of your departure date.

Here’s a quick and easy way of doing it:

Turn your ignition off and make sure there is no power being fed to the engine.
Pop the hood of your car and locate the battery. Once you’ve found it, remove the battery’s positive terminal cover.
Arm yourself with a voltmeter and connect it’s positive lead to the battery’s positive terminal.
Likewise, attach the voltmeter’s negative lead to the battery’s negative terminal.
Now take a look at the voltmeter’s readings. If all is well, the reading should be anywhere between 12.4 – 12.7 volts. If the reading is less than 12.4 volts, you’ll need to charge your battery. If it’s over 12.9 volts, your battery has excessive voltage and needs to be drained a little.

Charging a battery is easy and can be done by connecting a car battery charger in the same way as you connected your voltmeter.

If your battery has excessive voltage, this can be fixed simply by leaving your lights on full for a while and then checking your readings with the voltmeter again.

Lights

Long road trips will take you through all kinds of adverse weather conditions and you might even find yourself traveling through the night.

In both of these situations, it’s imperative that your lights are fully functioning.

Checking this couldn’t be easier and is as simple as turning your car lights on and seeing if they all work.

Be sure to check your full beam and brake lights too.

If any of them are out, you can purchase replacement bulbs that are easy to fit.

It’s worth taking some spare bulbs with you on the road too as you could find yourself being pulled over by a police officer and given a ticket if you’re found driving with a light out.

Check your lights ahead of each stage of your journey and, if necessary, replace them before you hit the road again.

You can, if you prefer, take your car to a reputable workshop ahead of your journey and ask them to look at all of the items listed above.

This is a good thing to do if you’re not overly confident in your at-home mechanic skills and will help to give you that extra peace of mind before you embark on your road trip.

Organize The Interior Of Your Car Pre-Trip

You might be familiar with the phrase “A tidy home is a happy home”. Well, the same can be said about your car.

Organizing your glove compartment, side compartments, and any other little storage places the interior of your car has will help you keep a clear mind when you’re driving.

Trying to navigate new routes while debris slides across your dashboard doesn’t make for a particularly relaxing drive.

Not to mention, a messy car interior will really pull focus from the natural beauty of the open road for yourself and your passengers.

Taking some time to organize the interior of your car before your trip doesn’t only give you the opportunity to clear out any rubbish though.

It also lets you store any devices or tools you might need at a moment’s notice somewhere that’s easy to find.

So, if you find yourself lost on a road and need to pull out your satellite navigation system, you’ll know exactly where it is, rather than fumbling around in all of your storage compartments as you desperately search for it.

Preparing Yourself For A Road Trip

As with most things in life, organization is key when it comes to taking a road trip. It’s not just your car that needs to be prepared for the long journey ahead though.

Prolonged periods of time on the road can be draining for the driver and the passengers, so it’s important to make sure everybody involved is prepared too.

Prepare A Plan For Your Road Trip

A few days ahead of your trip, take a couple of hours to sit down with everybody, and prepare a plan.

What time are you leaving? How much luggage are you taking? How often will we be stopping for rest breaks?

These are all good things to think about and lay a plan out for before you get on the road.

Of course, there will be some situations where you’re not able to stick to your plan fully.

But, having it written down and discussing things beforehand helps keep the points in your mind.

And, of course, the most important thing to plan is the route you’re going to take. Consult maps and online route planners to find the best way to your destination.

Think about what you’d like to do when you’re out on the road as well and make a plan for that. Perhaps you’ll visit a particular tourist attraction or landmark on the second day of your journey.

Is there a certain restaurant you’ve read about that you’re excited to try?

Planning each day of your trip in this way will keep your journey on track and give everybody something to look forward to.

More importantly, it will help to ensure you’re not spending too much time behind the wheel.

Get Off The Highway - Take The Scenic Route!

The whole point of taking a road trip is to visit beauty spots and places of interest.

However, looking at nothing but miles and miles of boring, tarmacked highway between each place you stop at is pretty much guaranteed to kill the mood between stops.

It doesn’t have to be this way though! When you’re planning your road trip, take a moment to look at any off-road, scenic routes that are available to you instead.

What could be better than taking in an ocean view or the rolling countryside hills as you make your way to your next destination?

There are also some really fun things to stop and look at when you take the scenic route too.

From the world’s biggest beagle to the world’s largest ball of twine, taking in some of the weird and wonderful offerings the American landscape has to offer is a great way of adding some extra special moments to your road trip.

Anticipate Potential Trouble Spots

It’s a good idea to stay one step ahead of the game when you’re planning a road trip.

Once you’ve decided where your destination will be, take a little time to research the route and find out if there are any potential trouble spots along the way.

These can be areas that are notorious for traffic building up during certain times of the day or unmaintained roads that are difficult to maneuver safely on.

Looking ahead of your journey in this way will make your trip easier and safer.

You’ll also be avoiding any potential frustration or road rage and, instead, you’ll be able to take in the scenery as you make your way to your chosen destination.

Have A Backup Route Planned

The more organized you are in every aspect of your road trip the better but, no matter how much you plan, sometimes things don’t always go quite the way you were expecting.

As you work your way along the highway, you might find yourself facing road closures, fallen trees, planned engineering works, and a variety of other issues that could interfere with your original route.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to have a backup route planned too and there are a couple of avenues you can take to get yourself back on track.

The first of these is a satellite navigation system. This will give you the option to quickly recalculate your route and work around any closed roads.

These are available to purchase as a stand-alone accessory that connects to your car via a charging point (usually the cigarette lighter port) and can be clipped to your windscreen or dashboard.

Some cars have built-in navigation systems. Both of these types will display your route on a small screen and give you a guiding voice as you make progress.

Depending on the brand, model, and software, you might even be able to use your smartphone as a satellite navigation system.

Using your smartphone to help you avoid road closures saves you from having to purchase a dedicated external system if your car doesn’t have an inbuilt navigation assistant too, leaving you with a little more money to spend on your trip.

You can also take the traditional approach when it comes to planning a backup route and consult a map. This is a slightly more difficult way of doing things, however, and you’ll need to make sure you’re using an up to date map with named routes in it.

It’s always worth checking travel updates regularly as well, as this will help you avoid any closed roads or heavy traffic long before you find yourself tangled up in it.

You could even download a ‘Live Route Planner’ app which will send notifications directly to your cell phone and keep you informed of any potential trouble on your route.

Preplan Your In-Car Entertainment

Part of the fun of a road trip is the prolonged time you spend on the road. As the designated driver you’re going to be occupied enough simply by driving. The rest of your passengers, however, might need a little more entertainment to help while away the hours.

Get ahead of the game and preplan your in-car entertainment. There are loads of things you can do to pass the time, keep everybody entertained, and prevent the dreaded question of “Are we there yet?” from being asked every five minutes!

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular options below.

Music

A playlist of killer tunes is a great way to keep everybody in high spirits when you’re embarking on a long journey.

Try not to be too much of a dictator when it comes to music though.

Make your playlist collaborative and ask your passengers to add their favorite songs to it ahead of your trip.

This is a guaranteed way to keep everybody happy and entertained.

Nothing raises the spirits quite like a good old fashioned sing-along either, so it’s a great way to keep yourself alert when you’ve been driving for a long time.

Audiobooks

Listening to an audiobook is another fantastic way to keep everybody entertained and yourself alert while you’re driving. Again, ask your passengers for their input and decide collectively on a novel or autobiography to download for your journey.

You could even download an audiobook about the place you’re visiting to give you some ideas about what to do when you get there. This adds to the anticipation and excitement of your vacation!

Portable DVD Players

This is a great one for anybody traveling with kids. Purchasing a portable DVD player that can be connected to headphones either through BlueTooth or a wired connection will keep your children entertained (and quiet!) while you’re navigating the open road.

Ask your children to put together a stack of their favorite DVDs and let them work their way through each of them whenever you’re driving.

You can make it even more exciting for them by letting them choose a new DVD especially for the trip ahead of your journey.

Tablets

Investing in a tablet gives you a multipurpose way of keeping everybody entertained and can be used to play games, engage with social media apps, and read eBooks.

Depending on your car’s stereo system, you could even keep adding to your collaborative playlist while you’re on the road and connecting to it via BlueTooth.

If you have young children, it’s worth looking for a tablet that has parental control options and downloading some kid-friendly games ahead of your road trip.

You might also want to purchase a life-proof cover to keep the tablet protected in case it gets accidentally dropped.

Games

Not all games need to be played through a screen though.

There are a ton of traditional road trip games that everybody in your car can enjoy. Give some of these a go:

I Spy: The game that we all grew up playing! The person in charge of the round simply picks an item within their field of vision and states “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” The sentence is finished with the first letter of the chosen item. To prevent any arguments from breaking out, however, it’s probably best to stick to items within the car itself!
Road Trip Bingo: This one takes a little planning ahead of your trip, but is guaranteed to keep everybody entertained. Create a bingo card for each of your passengers with items they might spot as you make your way to your destination. Things like ‘birds’, ‘a gas station’, or ‘a yellow car’ are just a few examples.
What Color Is It?: The player in charge states a list of things that are all the same color until another player guesses it and steals the round. For example, you could say “Banana, Taxi, The Sun, Corn…” until the correct answer of “Yellow” has been guessed.

Scrapbooking

If you’re going on a road trip with several destinations along the way, collecting souvenirs from the places you’ve visited and adding them to a scrapbook is a great way of keeping everybody entertained.

They don’t necessarily have to be expensive souvenirs either.

A paper napkin from a restaurant you’ve visited or a ticket from an amusement park are both great examples here.

Purchase some brightly colored pens, stickers, and other fun pieces of stationery so that each person can add their creative flair to their own scrapbook.

Packing A Car Survival Checklist

No matter how well you plan your road trip or how organized your car is, life might decide to throw some unforeseen circumstances at you. So, before you head out on your long journey, it’s a good idea to pack a car survival kit.

This will be your best friend if you do find yourself in a tricky situation and will give you some extra peace of mind before you hit the road. Below, you’ll find some items to add to your car survival checklist, all of which will help you create a kit for any situation.

Flashlight

A road trip can take you down some rural, beaten tracks.

Not all of these roads are maintained in the same way as public highways and you may find yourself facing potholes, loose ground, or muddy conditions.

Depending on the time of year you’re traveling, you could even find yourself trapped in the snow.

Coming up against these conditions and getting stuck is scary enough for most drivers during the day.

But, come nightfall, things get even harder to deal with.

This is why it’s important to keep a flashlight in your car survival kit. With a flashlight, you’ll be able to locate the issue and either try and rectify the problem yourself or give a detailed explanation to your recovery service.

Even if you get stuck during the day, it could take a few hours for a recovery van to come out to you.

Knowing you’ve got a flashlight will help keep things visible for you as the sun begins to set, and also makes you visible to anybody that’s coming to help.

Chain or Thick Towing Rope

Depending on how rural the area you’re visiting is, you may find yourself in a position where contacting a recovery service isn’t possible.

It’s a situation we all dread, but it’s one that you need to be prepared for.

However, just because a recovery service might not be able to get out to you, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost.

If your car breaks down, you might be able to find a local person to help you out of your tricky spot.

Keeping a chain or a thick towing rope in your car survival kit is a great way to ensure you’re able to work with your rescuer and get yourself towed to the nearest service station.

Tools

Unless you’re a qualified mechanic, there’s a small chance that you’re going to understand the intricacies of what’s nestling underneath your car’s hood.

However, keeping a range of tools in your car survival kit will allow you to take a closer look at what might be going on during a breakdown.

Equip your survival kit with some basic tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches.

A car jack is another good tool to keep in your kit and will be essential if you find yourself needing to change a tire on the side of the road.

Bungee Cords

Bungee cords have a variety of useful purposes and are a fantastic addition to any car survival kit.

They can be used to hold luggage firmly to a roof rack, secure your trunk if you’re unable to close it properly or fix a tarpaulin in place over an open-backed truck.

They can also be used to help secure any luggage inside your car, acting almost like a seatbelt for it.

This means that if you find yourself having to suddenly slam down on the brakes, there’s no risk of any suitcases you’ve placed on the back seats from potentially being thrown through your windshield.

Hand Sanitizer

From cleaning sticky-fingered children in your back seats to killing any germs you fear you might have picked up at a particularly gruesome rest stop, there are a variety of situations that hand sanitizer can help you with.

It’s also a pretty useful thing in a medical situation too and can be used to efficiently clean any cuts and scrapes that might occur during your travels. It’s useful for cleaning up any accidental spills too.

Spare Face Masks

If there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that a face mask is a useful piece of kit to have on you at all times.

You really don’t want to get sick when you’re on vacation, so keeping a few spare face masks in your car survival kit will help you stay protected from any potential airborne germs you could pick up from visiting various places.

We’re not suggesting that you need to wear your face mask throughout the entirety of your vacation.

They are simply a useful thing to call upon if you find yourself feeling uncomfortable about the hygiene standards of anywhere you need to stop, such as gas stations or bathrooms along the road.

Face masks are also super useful if you find yourself needing to look underneath the hood of your car. This is because they’ll reduce chemical and dust inhalation, allowing you to breathe more comfortably while you inspect what’s happening.

Anti-Bacterial Wipes

Just like hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting both people and surfaces.

The difference between the two, however, is that anti-bacterial wipes are arguably a little easier to use in certain situations.

Take an accidental spill as an example.

If you can’t find a cloth or a tissue to wipe the mess up along with your hand sanitizer, an antibacterial wipe is your saving grace.

They’re also useful for cleaning dirty mirrors and windshields, keeping your 360º driving vision clear at all times.

Disposable Gloves

Keeping a box of disposable gloves in your car survival kit is perfect for hygiene reasons and for any messy, mechanical maintenance you might need to carry out on the road.

Hands covered in grease or engine oil are hard to clean after all.

Some substances used in car maintenance can be harmful or corrosive too, so by popping on a pair of gloves you’ll be keeping your hands well protected.

Conclusion: Are We There Yet?

Congratulations! You have arrived at your destination.

These are the words that will fill your ears with joy once you’ve finished your long journey and your vacation can finally begin. And the sound will be even sweeter when you know you’re advanced planning paid off.

The key to a successful road trip is to plan, plan again, and then plan some more! Make sure your car is in good working order, make a list of everything you want to do when you get there and what you want to see along the way.

Remember, also, that cars are unpredictable. No matter how much you’ve planned and how many checks you’ve made, you’ll need to put together a survival kit to help you cope if you find yourself in a sticky situation.

The biggest piece of advice we can offer you when though is, wherever the road takes you, remember to check your car before every step of your journey.

Take regular breaks or hand the wheel over to somebody else when you’re feeling tired too. All of these things will keep you and your passengers safe, and ensure that you all have the best road trip vacation ever!