Who doesn’t love hitting the open road? We do, we’re massive fans of a road trip, they’re either a well thought out adventure or a fantastic and spontaneous way to spend a day. But it only takes one bit of the trip to go a bit wrong to have a knock-on effect on the rest of it.
We’ve put some top tips together to help you make the most of the next time you decide to jump in the car and go on an adventure.
Check the route
So, you have a destination in mind, your next step should be to check the route. You don’t want to set off with grand plans in mind for the day to spend them stuck in traffic or crawling along through roadworks.
A quick check before you set off can help get around traffic problems or even let you know you might need to rethink your destination.
Prep a playlist
One of the best things about driving anywhere is the fact that you’re in control of the music. It’s one of the unwritten rules of driving.
Making sure you have a driving playlist set up and ready to go can help you relax into driving, but also gives you the opportunity to stack your trip full of opportunities to go full Carpool Karaoke on everyone else in the car.
Pack snacks
Avoid anything crumbly, stinky, easily spilled, or tricky to eat while driving, that way you limit the distractions getting something to eat can cause. Snacks are nice to have on your road trip, and if you’re travelling with kids can help keep them occupied on the journey. There are other ways to help keep the kids distracted on a road trip, which we’ve put together here.
Snacks that don’t make a massive amount of mess help avoid needing to spend ages clearing out your car.
Scheduled stops
Think about where you’re going. Are you going to need a break along the way, either to stretch your legs, refuel or top up a battery? Have a look at your route when you’re checking for roadworks and work out a good place for a break if you’re going to need one.
Something to do
A road trip needs a destination, something to do at one end of the journey that makes getting in the car worth it. That can be as simple as driving out to the countryside for a nice lunch in a pub or driving somewhere for a picturesque walk. It doesn’t have to be something crazy, treat it like a rest-stop or a break from driving.
Plan 2 routes
One way to make all of a road trip interesting is to make the route home from a destination different to the route you took to get there, that lets you take in more sights and see more of the world as you drive around.
Having a second route helps to keep the whole trip feeling new and exciting, just make sure you apply the same checks before you set off, looking at traffic and any potential issues before you hit the road.
Give your car a check-up
If you’ve decided to go on a longer road trip then it’s worth giving your car a once over before you set off, checking important things like tyre pressures, oil levels, even things like your wiper blades being in good condition should be looked at. These are all quick checks that can help you avoid problems on the road that might ruin your trip.
Wherever you head to you need to be able to park, pay and recharge easily. Luckily, we can help. We’ve created the Evology Parking App to help you find the right parking space and pay for parking in the way that’s right for you.
You can download our app now from the App Store and Google Play Store.
