How to Prepare for a Great Road Trip

So you’ve decided to go on a road trip with your friends or on your own, but you aren’t certain where to start. Perhaps you think that you are ready but you really aren’t. Taking a road trip can be very exciting and it’s an amazing experience you can share with your friends.

This is a great opportunity for seeing new places, meeting new people and deepening the relationships you already have with your loved ones or your friends. But this is not a small thing, taking long road trips with a car or a bike means that you will be far away from your home and you need to have all the necessary things with you to make sure you don’t encounter major issues that might end your whole adventure.

You need to make the necessary steps in advance, both concerning the stuff you should bring along and the logistics that will make your whole trip a complete success.

Create a route

The first thing you need to do is create your trip route. You should make sure to literally create a circle in order to drive through more interesting places and simply have a more interesting trip. Simply use Google maps and set your routes; not only will you be able to have a clear overview of your whole trip, but you will also have an estimation of how long you will need to get from one place to another.

When you have everything in front of you, determining your timeline will be much easier and when you know how long you will be on your trip, you will be able to determine your budget and the amount of things you need to bring along with you. Additionally, when you save your route or put it down on paper, you will ensure that you don’t miss anything.

It can happen, and once you’ve passed something, going back can take a lot of time, which can disrupt your whole plan.

Take some navigation for the road

You should never go on a road trip without proper navigation. No matter how well you think you know the route, there are a lot of things that can confuse you along the way as things change and, in some cases, you might come across bad traffic signs that might mislead you. No need to take a map, just get a GPS or some other mobile app that can help you get real time coordination.

You will, of course, be looking to follow your timeline and avoid wasting any of your valuable time and this means that you simply cannot afford getting lost or having second thoughts of where you should go. On the other hand, you don’t need that kind of stress on your trip; the point is to feel relaxed and have fun.

Make sure that your vehicle is insured

Never go on a road trip without first insuring your vehicle; who knows what might happen on the road. No matter how good of a driver you might be, accidents happen. No matter if it’s your fault or someone else’s, you need to make sure your insurance can cover it. Making sure that you don’t lose anything during the road trip is a high priority as well.

Additionally, you can also find a car accident lawyer or a motorcycle accident lawyer who you can rely on in case of accidents. There are reckless drivers out there, and you can expect those people to be fair and admit their mistakes, sometimes taking the whole thing to court is absolutely necessary.

Take the necessary equipment in case of an emergency

Make sure that you bring a spare tire and all the basic tools that you can use to make the easiest repairs. For example, one of the most common problems people face on the road is getting a flat tire. Learning to change a flat tire is not that difficult, but it can be the difference between continuing your road trip and heading back home.

Be sure to also bring a basic first aid kit with you and all the necessary equipment and papers the law requires in your country. You don’t want to go on a fun road trip and end up going back home prematurely with a fine waiting for you at home? If you plan on hiking, take the gear you need or if you want to go on a bicycle route, make sure that you get an adequate basket where you can attach it and drive it around with your car.

Make sure you take care of all these preparations before you sit back in front of the wheel and start your car. Additionally, make sure that you pack enough food, snacks, clothes and drinks that you can carry with you and enjoy while on the road. Take turns behind the wheel if traveling with a friend and if you are going alone, take breaks and get the rest you need so that you can drive safely. Safe travels!

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/aleksandarilic/how-to-prepare-for-a-great-road-trip/