Tips for a Pleasant Road Trip

Recently, people who are choosing to travel are opting to take long road trips to closer destinations rather than purchasing an airline ticket and renting a car in a far off destination. Many people tend to spend more time planning for trips which involve airplanes and rentals than for long road trips. Not only can poor planning cause a rather uncomfortable experience, but can also cause the trip to be dangerous. Below are a few tips on staying safe and comfortable when on the road.

Plan and Prepare

Everyone should be keep up with their basic car maintenance. Check the air pressure and tread on your tires. Be sure they been balanced and rotated. Are you up-to-date on an oil change? Have your fluids been topped off lately? Also, if you notice that you are getting less gas mileage on your car, investigate. The reason you are getting less gas mileage may also be a reason you do not want to take your car on a road trip.

Before the trip, know how you will get to your destination. Plot one or more alternate routes in case your main route is too dangerous or is severely congested. Let someone know that you will be taking a road trip, how long it will take to get your destination, when you will leave, and when you expect to arrive. If you are visiting someone at your destination, be sure to give the information to someone at your starting point and someone at your destination. In case something happens to you, your passengers, or your car, at least someone knows where to start looking. Also, checking the weather before you leave is not a bad idea.

If you do not have an emergency kit in your car, then get one. Most especially if you are planning on traveling through desolate areas. Items you should have include, non-perishable foods, water, blankets, flares, flashlights with fresh batteries, lighter, and a compass. Although these items may not be in your emergency kit, be sure to bring a GPS and cell phone with you. These two items may be the difference between riding out bad weather in the middle of nowhere and actually getting some help.

Also, be sure to have money. If anything happens while on the road, you need to be able to buy the items and/or services you need to either get back on the road or find an alternate form of transportation.

Stay Alert

What are some ways you can increase your alertness while driving? Ensuring you are alert will be part of your planning. First, you need to weigh the risks of driving at night as opposed to during the day. If you or any of your close friends and loved ones notice that you can not fight off drowsiness at night, you need to be driving during the day. Also, be sure to get adequate rest before your trip. If you find that you can not fall asleep early enough, it is in your best interest to leave later and sleep in.

Be sure you are feeding and hydrating yourself adequately. One of the first signs of dehydration is fatigue. Also, when you neglect to feed yourself, your brain and entire body is robbed of energy.

During the drive, be sure to bring some form of radio entertainment. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is music. What about e-books or podcasts that normally stimulate your brain? You are more likely to stay alert when your mind is enjoying what it hears.

Another thing that you can do while driving is to make sure the car is comfortably cool. Warmth is too cozy. If you are driving through rural areas or suburbs, roll down your windows. Cool and fresh air can do wonders for a tired driver.

Some other things you may do to stay alert is to actually engage in conversation with the other people in your car. If you are traveling alone, consider bringing someone along. Also, singing out loud will likely awaken your mind. If you need to, make up your own song.

When trying to stay alert, the trick is to engage your mind. If you plan well and prepare your body for your trip, you will run into less problems with alertness.

Think Comfort

Many people do not like road trips because of a previous experience in which they felt uncomfortable during the ride. Plan for ways to make yourself comfortable. Many people tend to take on long road trips without giving one thought to comfort. Here are some things you can do to increase comfort during your drive.

If you are not traveling alone, alternate drivers. In many families or carpooling groups, you have the person that always serves as the main driver. When you are in the driver seat, your movement is more restricted than if you are in the passenger or back seat, so do not be afraid to let someone else take the wheel. If you are the passenger, offer to take the wheel for an hour or two.

If you are a person who feels pain building up in their feet after being in one position for so long, bring more than one pair of shoes and socks. If you are the one that ends up doing most of the driving, or if you are the only driver, it will benefit you to take two different types of shoes. When your foot is in a certain position for hours, pain may develop at the points where this is more pressure on your foot. The best thing to do is take a pair of comfortable closed toed shoes and a pair of flip flops or sandals. On one of your stops, you can change shoes and distribute the pressure.

One of the most important things you can do is plan your meals, snacks and beverages. No one likes being hungry or thirsty when forced to sit for hours in a vehicle. Plan for the amount of meals and snacks that you usually eat in that time period. Even though that may seem like common sense, many people do not remember until they are hungry. Also, If you like to drink coffee, get a thermos so you can have coffee readily available. This will not only help with comfort, but will save you money from eating out.

Road trips may not seem much of a big deal because everyone makes a trip here and there. When it comes to longer road trips, you have to make sure you are not treating it like a two hour drive, because the trip may become very uncomfortable or dangerous. Preparing for a long road trip does not take too much time or effort. Just be sure all your bases are covered before hitting the road.