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Summer road trips are a popular way to bond with family or friends, but they require careful planning. Here are some essential tips to ensure your trip goes smoothly:
Vehicle Prep
- Maintenance: Before hitting the road, visit a mechanic to check your oil, tires, brakes, and AC. Address any issues to avoid breakdowns. Know how to change a flat tire and keep a spare.
- Emergency Gear: Pack spare keys, necessary documents (driver’s license, passport, car insurance), a roadside emergency kit (flares, flashlight, batteries), and a jug of water.
- Navigation: Bring a map in addition to GPS, whether it’s a physical map or one printed from online sources.
Essentials
- Food & Snacks: For short trips, pack snacks like fruit, veggies, and crackers. For longer journeys, consider sandwiches and kid-friendly, mess-free options.
- Beverages: Use a cooler with ice and refill it at hotels.
- Clothing: Pack layers, comfortable clothes, and shoes you can easily slip on and off. For kids, bring a change of clothes for spills.
- Comfort Items: Bring pillows, blankets, and possibly a neck pillow for added comfort.
- Toiletries: Don’t forget tissues, paper towels, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, garbage bags, prescription meds, pain relievers, motion sickness remedies, and basic first aid supplies. Include personal items like toothbrushes and hair products.
Electronics
- Devices: Bring a cell phone, camera, tablet, and portable DVD player with their chargers. Pack extra batteries and memory cards for cameras.
- Data: Contact your provider for a suitable data plan for your phone to use travel apps and GPS effectively.
Entertainment
- Music: Download music apps like Spotify or Apple Music, or create playlists to enjoy during the drive.
- Apps & Games: Load gaming apps on smartphones or tablets, and consider portable DVD players for kids.
- Audiobooks: Download or borrow audiobooks from libraries. Bring headphones or use car speakers for shared listening.
- Activities: Pack sports equipment for rest stops, create a license plate game, and provide small toys or activity sheets to keep kids entertained.
Additional Tips
- Water Bottles: Freeze half-full bottles of water and top off with cold water before leaving.
- Freshness: Keep an open box of dryer sheets in the car for a fresh scent.
- Parking: Use your phone’s map app to drop a pin where you park or take a picture of your parking spot.
- Directions: Capture a photo of your map directions in case you lose phone signal.
- Organization: Hang an over-the-door shoe organizer to keep small items handy. Keep change for tolls in a cup holder, and store passports and small snacks in accessible places.
With these tips, you’ll be well-prepared for a successful road trip. Enjoy your summer and happy travels!