6 Points To Remember When Planning Your Next Road Trip

1. Decide Your Destination

If this is your first road trip, you may want to look into places that are not a terribly long drive. However, if you are up for a long journey, there are places like Thunder Bay about 14 hours and 45 minutes from Toronto. You might make multiple stops, so it is important to plan where to go and how long you want to stay at each destination.

Make a list of attractions you must see on your road trip. It will give you an outline to follow for each day and how long you would like to stay at each of them. Be sure to add extra time for last-minute things that intrigue you so you can remain there longer.

2. Plan Driving Hours

If you decide on taking a more extended trip, you will want to section out how many hours of driving you’ll want to do each day. It can be draining to drive a long time without any stops. Look up places along your route that you can take breaks or even attractions you may want to explore.

Add desired destinations to your GPS. Google Maps allows you to add multiple stops to your route, making it easy to include them in your trip. Determine how long you can drive and find the best places to stop in between.

3. Consider Your Vehicle

Certain vehicles may not be able to sustain a long trip. If you are travelling to a place with rough terrain, a truck or large SUV may be your car of choice. It will leave you with plenty of room for your supplies and passengers. Although it can be beneficial in that aspect, you’ll want to take measures to keep fuel costs to a minimum since gas mileage might not be the best on those cars.

You can improve fuel usage by the way you drive your car. Some things you can keep in mind while driving are:

Driving the speed limit
Avoiding rapid starts and stops
Using air conditioning when traveling 40 mph or faster
Setting cruise control on the highway

4. Plan Entertainment

You are planning to spend long hours in the car so there is sure to be a time when things get boring. It is a good idea to include a couple of forms of entertainment. Make a playlist of songs you and your passengers love or find an interesting podcast everyone can tune into.

The driver should be focused on the road, but passengers can stream long movies to make the time fly by. The films could strike up a fun conversation to allow the driver to be included. You can also play classic car games like ISpy or Would You Rather.

5. Pack Essential Items

Your road trip will be a lot more fun when you have everything you need for it to be successful. Be sure to grab essential documents for emergencies and store them in a holder to keep your trip running smoothly. Some things to remember are:

Car registration
Driver’s license
Owner’s manual
Proof of insurance
Phone charger

6. Bring Meals and Snacks

Nothing is worse than being hungry with nowhere to stop on your road trip. You will want to prepare healthy, energizing snacks and meals to keep you alert while driving to your destination. An easy handheld classic is sandwiches. Making them takes minimal time, and they are easy to store with little mess risk.

If you’re looking for a smaller snack to hold you over, pack these healthy options to keep you feeling full.

Protein bars
Trail mix
Veggies with hummus
Easy-to-eat fruits like blueberries or grapes

Take Your Time

The most important part to remember is to take your time on your road trip. There is no rush, so stop to see things that intrigue you or check on your vehicle. It’s all a part of your journey to whichever beautiful location you choose. Drive safely and enjoy the memories you will make on your trip.

About The Author:

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded, where he writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Check out @TModded for regular updates!

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