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As much as we all love summer vacations, there’s always something about long car rides that can just make our skin crawl. A certain level of excitement is there at first – road trips don’t usually happen often, and they typically mean a vacation is on the horizon; so on paper they can seem fun and exhilarating.
After a couple of hours pass, however, and you realize you’re still not even halfway there, the mood begins to change. Suddenly your friends or family become the last people you want to speak to, your body aches from being cramped in a car for so long and you’re tempted to get out and walk the rest of the way. So what can be done to make your summer road trip as quick and painless as possible? How can you effectively plan so that you arrive at your destination in a timely manner?
1 – Plan Ahead & Consider the Length of the Drive
You most likely already know where you’re going, but do you know the route you’d like to take to get there? Consider how long the drive is. Do you want to make stops along the way to break up the drive a bit? If you’re spending days in the car driving across the country, it might be a good idea for you to research different places that you can stop along the way so that you find more of a balance between work (driving) and play (enjoying the scenery and experiences).
2 – Make Reservations in Advance
No matter what you’re planning on doing, make sure you book hotels or rental cars in advance. If you are going to be making multiple stops throughout your road trip, it’s definitely a good idea to book places to stay in the locations where you’ll be stopping. Making your way to random town in the middle of the country can be exciting, but it can also be daunting if you’re stuck having to sleep in your car.
3 – Pack Only What You Need
Spending a lot of time jam-packed into a car is even less fun when the car is full of stuff. Try to limit the number of bags that you pack to create a little more space for you and your passengers. It is a good idea for people to bring a couple of books or some other form of entertainment for the ride though.
4 – Make Sure Your Vehicle is Ready
The last thing you want to happen on a road trip is for your vehicle to break down. Make sure that as your vacation approaches, you get all of the preventative maintenance taken care of. Get all of the fluids checked, and be sure you have an emergency bag packed with the tools necessary to change a tire if need be.
It’s also important to remember driver safety. You should be incredibly careful when driving through heavy commuter traffic where the drivers can be fairly aggressive. Keep your eyes on the road at all times, and though you may have a full car, be sure not to let anyone distract you from driving safely.
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Photo: GettyImages