Travellers Summer Road Trip Checklist

Guest Post by John Miller

Taking a road trip takes some planning but by making a checklist you can ensure you don’t miss the essentials for your journey. Travelling can be stressful sometimes, especially if you are stuck in the car with the family for a long period of time. But thinking ahead can help you to tackle these problems and to enjoy your journey. Whether you are taking a road trip at home or somewhere further afield such as a road trip around the Greek Islands. These tips will help you to plan an awesome time on the road.

Get your car ready

Make sure you do all the normal checks before you hit the road. Check your tire pressure, oil and fluid levels and check for any windscreen chips. If you are concerned or can’t do this yourself then take your vehicle into a garage and get the professionals to do it for you. Also, fill up on petrol the day before so you know you are ready to go at the time planned.

Clear out your car and pack everything to make sure the journey is as comfortable as possible. Of course, keeping the things such as snacks and entertainment items to hand rather than at the bottom of the pile.

Plan your navigation

I don’t know about you, but I think you can’t solely rely on your Sat-Nav or phone when traveling on the road. Although most trips will follow the route with no problems, you need a contingency if something goes wrong. For example, the old-fashioned map might be your best friend if you run out of signal, or find yourself lost.  Perhaps print out your route before you set off and bring you’re A-Z map with you just in case.

Writing down the address and telephone number of where you are heading is a good idea too. This way if your electronics do die, you still have the information you need handy.

Use the right bags

Packing correctly for a road trip is essential. There is limited space in the car and you don’t want to be overcrowded or overloaded on your journey. Using soft duffle bags is a good idea as they can be squashed and weigh less than conventional suitcases.

Using travel packing cubes is a good idea as it keeps everything together and helps both with your packing and when you get to your destination too. It’s easy to pack too much when you know you aren’t getting on a plane, or if you don’t have to worry about liquid bottle sizes etc. But remember you will still have to carry these things and keep your car comfortable for your journey too.

Bring along your snacks

You and your family are bound to get hungry whilst on the road and you don’t always want to stop to get something to eat or delay your journey. Bringing snacks along from home is a great way to keep those tummies from rumbling on your way.

Great snacks include dried fruit and nuts, cereal bars and trail mix. All of these can be stored easily and don’t need to be refrigerated. They can also be eaten on the go with little mess too. When it comes to mess you should also bring along wet wipes or baby wipes to clean up after too. Don’t forget your drinks, bottled water usually does the trick and a thermos if you can’t do without your coffee on the road.  

Don’t forget the entertainment

Do you remember those road games from your child hood? You might be old enough to remember the times before mobile phones and electronic games where you had to use your imagination to play in the car. Well there are lots of things to keep everyone entertained during a long journey in the car nowadays.

Bringing along a tablet for movies and tv shows will keep kids quiet for a while in the back seats. Electronic games are also a good idea to keep everyone entertained. But if you want everyone to join in how about a sing along? Even if you don’t want to sing playing music can pass the time and will invoke memories of your trip in the future as well.

Safety first

Bringing a first aid kit is an essential for your road trip. You never know where you will be when you need a plaster so having a kit on hand is necessary when on the road. Another fundamental piece of kit you should bring along on the road is an emergency road assistance pack.

Other items you might need are a torch, a blanket and a spare phone battery or charger. Keep yourself safe by making sure you have a good night’s sleep before driving and take regular breaks if you are feeling tired. The regular advice is to stop for a break every two hours.  

Have a budget

Inevitably you will stop to fill up on petrol, to eat a proper dinner and even just to rest if you are spending a very long time on the road. The key to not using all your holiday cash at the service stations is to have a separate budget for the journey.

You will likely know how many stops you’ll be making and what you’ll need when you do stop. But by planning ahead, you can stick to a budget and not blow your holiday money at the services. Checking out services or stops along the way is a good way to help you to do this.

What tips do you have when planning a road trip?

Even if you are a novice traveller having a plan will make your road trip a lot smoother and way more fun! There you have just few things to think about when planning your next road trip. But as long as you pack smart and think about safety then you shouldn’t go too far wrong!

Do you have any tips to add to this checklist? What are your essentials when packing for a road trip?

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John Miller is a travel blogger who enjoys travelling and writing so has combined both into his blog. When he is not travelling, he enjoys learning new languages and spending quality time with his family and friends. You can check out his blog at  pretravels.com  and follow him on  Facebook  and  Twitter