Road Trip – Tips & Tricks

As you might be aware, we are all about travel at Americaware….well, travel AND big coffee mugs. Whether it’s by plane, train, or automobile, we travel all the time and we’ve learn some things that might be useful to those of you who don’t travel often. Today we thought it might be fun to talk about some tips and tricks for taking the family on a long road trip. While it might not be the fastest or easiest way to get to your vacation spot, there is a nice old time feel to taking a road trip that simply isn’t matched when traveling any other way. First and foremost is make sure your car, truck, van, or motor home is updated on all needed maintenance. The last thing you want to do is have your vehicle broken down in the middle of an out of state highway. So check your oil, your brakes, air filter, all basic upkeep on most vehicles to make sure you are ready to go. This also includes making sure you have some tools in the trunk and a good spare tire ready to go, just in case something does happen.

Now onto the fun stuff. This is probably the biggest piece of advice and that’s, take your time. If you wanted to rush to your destination you should have just flown. Take advantage of the special opportunities a road trip offers you. Make stops, plan your trip to hit some of the major sites along the way. This not only will allow you to take advantage of your travel, but also help alleviate the boredom that can come from extremely long trips in a car. Don’t hesitate to be spontaneous as well. You will see billboards for any number of attractions as you drive through the country. Happen to be driving by a local museum? Check it out. Maybe you’ll be passing through Iowa during the state fair. Why not go?

Of course there are a bunch of little things you can do to make the trip easier as well. Games for the kids, extra batteries and charge cables for electronic devices, are obvious things to keep the kids from getting too restless in the back seat. But did you know that packing can have a drastic effect on your trip? Many people over pack for a vacation, and on a road trip this can be an even bigger problem as digging through many suitcases and bags to find that one item you need, or god forbid you have a problem on the road and have to remove twenty bags from the trunk to get your tools and spare. Keep your packing light. Most hotels have a laundry service that can keep a minimal set of clothes clean throughout the trip. Learn how to pack only the most basic items you need, and as few sets of clothes you can manage and you’ll make life much easier on the road. For more Tips and Tricks check out some of these other articles that are sure to make your trip a breeze.

https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/road-trips/articles/family-road-trip-travel-planner

https://www.instructables.com/id/Tips-and-tricks-for-a-perfect-road-trip/