road-trip

Planning the Perfect Road Trip

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There is something quite delicious about a road trip. It’s just you, your friends and family, your pet, the open road. It can be one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating ways to travel even if you are driving the whole time. No one says that you have to enjoy every single minute of your road trip because let’s face it – sitting in backed-up traffic is no fun. However, for the most part, it is a great way to travel.

Planning the perfect road is a lot of fun. It might be that you need to travel for work, or you want to get out of town for a while to relax and take in some new scenery. There are very few things in life: life-affirming as an open road, open window, and your favourite music.

There are a couple of simple planning tips that can make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Route

There are always more ways to get to your destination. And, in some cases, it is about the journey, not the destination anyway. A great way to check out your routes in advance is to tap your destination into Google or Waze. You will be giving a few options for your routes and can choose the one that suits you best. They are both able to run your chosen music streaming service and your directions.

It is essential to choose the one that has a speedometer too. It is important to remember that your phone at this point is a SatNav and nothing more. It should not be played with when you are driving. You might choose to travel some sections of the journey by rental car and others by plane; in that case, you can book with Rapid Shuttle to get you to the airport and hire a rental when you land.

Car

Comfort is a big deal. You want your car to be clean, so get it detailed before you leave. If you are long-distance driving, it is also vital that you have a mechanic give you are a service. This makes sure that your car is road-ready and safe. Check what is on the regular service and perform some checks yourself too. These safety checks should include break, lights, first aid kits, and torches in the car’s glove compartments and trunk.

Music

The key to a fantastic playlist is time. Spend time creating a range of different moods and times. If you are going to be driving for 6 hours, have 12 hours of music. This will avoid duplicates playing, and if you want to skip 12-20 or more songs, you can. Create different playlists for different times of the day. Try to avoid having music in the ‘chill’ or ‘relaxing’ category in the wee hours of the day; these might help you drift off into a relaxing snooze – behind the wheel.

Rentals

There is always the option of driving a brand-new car – without the hefty purchase price tag. Make your driving experience even more exciting by renting a car that you wouldn’t usually get to drive in your day-to-day life. Car rental offices are typically well spaced, meaning that you can even trade your vehicle a few times on the way to your destination. The first hurdle is getting from home to the car rental company; Lockerby Transportation can solve that for you, though, so no problem!

Snacks

Driving is thirsty work. It is easy to get dehydrated on long drives, even though you are sitting still for most of it. It would be best to take regular breaks to sleep, and head to the restroom anyway. Bringing snacks with you is cheaper than buying them at the stops – by a long shot. Think about easy to snack on foods like nuts, dried fruits, and energy bars. They contain plenty of slow-release energy to help give you a little boost. Try to take snacks that won’t be impacted if the car gets too hot. Plenty of water is a must also.

Checking in

If you are traveling alone, set up Find Friends or something similar so that friends and family can track you. Have designated stops that you will call to check-in, so people know that you are safe too.

Finally, remember that when you feel even mildly tired, you should head to the nearest safe stop and get some sleep; driving while tired is dangerous and can cause serious accidents.

And that’s it! A few simple tips to get your road trip off without a hitch.

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