Road trips aren’t for everyone. The anticipation of just reaching your destination can be enough to make the hours in the car a painstaking experience. But, with some adequate planning beforehand, the venture doesn’t have to be a drag.
Katie Kramer, 25, a full-time content creator, full-time stay at home mom and a lover of travel, didn’t travel growing up. But when the Ontario native turned 18, she booked a trip to Italy by herself.
“That was my first ever travel experience and ever since then I was absolutely hooked,” Kramer said.
Kramer has a blog where she documents the many places she travels. Her content often features the several Canadian provinces she has explored, such as Quebec, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
1. Do your research and plan, plan, plan
Despite her spontaneous Italy trip, Kramer now enjoys planning and researching before hitting the road. When she researches a location, she takes notes, making sure to have them on hand while traveling. This helps her feel more comfortable if she needs to ask someone for directions, because she’ll at least have some idea of where she is and where she’s going.
2. Prepare for the worst
Although you may not want to think about all that could potentially go wrong on your trip, doing so could save you some stress should something happen. Kramer vouches for bringing a water jug. This can be crucial in an emergency situation, but it also gives you easy access to your own water supply for drinking and all of your hygiene needs.
Having a first aid kit on hand is always smart too. Make sure to be prepared for car-specific emergencies as well. During a road trip you are relying on your vehicle to get you from point A to point B, but things happen. Make sure you have jumper cables, a spare tire and some sort of roadside assistance.
3. Stay one step ahead
Avoid the frantic rush to get out of the house by 6 a.m. when the day of your road trip comes around. Buy any snacks you may want to munch on in the car in the days leading up to your drive. Put gas in your car the night before, load the car up the night before and even lay out your comfy car outfit the night before. With that, it may be beneficial to pick out shoes specifically for the drive that are comfortable or that you can easily slip on and off.
4. Make yourself at home
Bring anything that will make your drive more comfortable for you. Grab a spare blanket and pillow to elevate your road trip experience. Kramer also recommends a neck pillow.
Also bring items to keep you occupied. This could be a new book you’ve been meaning to start, paper and drawing utensils, or even a sleep mask if napping to pass the time is your thing. Headphones are a must to listen to your favorite music or watch movies or shows. Download any shows or movies you plan to enjoy from your streaming services in case cell service is spotty.
Properly preparing for a road trip can make or break that experience. Even if your car ride is just meant to get you to your destination, there’s no reason not to also make that part of your adventure enjoyable.
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