There are many families who are already planning their summer vacation. Why not go on a road trip? It doesn’t matter where you’re going as long as you and your family or friends are prepared.
Let’s see a couple of tips and ideas how to make a road trip even more enjoyable:
- Decide where to go: It’s always important to decide where to go so there won’t be any confusion. There are some great sites that can give you some hints. Check out Road Trip America, Fodors, LonelyPlanet or Frommers. You can try different cities, different countries – it’s up to you.
- Always prepare your car for the road trip: You can go by your own car or by rental car but always check the car whether it’s prepared for a longer road trip. Check the fluids in your car: motor fluid, windshield wiper fluid, transmission and engine coolant as well. Make also sure that the tires are properly inflated. Always prepare for emergencies. All rental cars have an emergency kit or if you drive your own car make sure you also have one.
- Plan your stops ahead: Plan the whole trip and your stops in advance. You should have maps and/or GPS. If you travel with your kids they can help you to read the maps and in this way you can teach them too. You have to eat something during your trip and you can find great spots to grab a bite along the road. There’s a site called RoadFood that can help you to find some great restaurants, don’t get stuck only with fast food chains.
- How to keep your fuel costs down: Try to be consistent with your driving speed when you’re on the highway. Cruise control can help you to reduce your fuel costs. Try to keep your car light, you don’t have to take the whole house with you. If you take a very heavy load you costs will add up. Your smartphone can help you too because there are different apps where you can find the best fuel prices locally – like GasBuddy or AAA TripTik Mobile (in the US).
I’m pretty sure that these tips will save you some money and you can plan a road trip on a budget.
