6 Important Things You Need To Do Before a Road Trip

6 Important Things You Need To Do Before a Road Trip

Taking a road trip sounds like a fun adventure, however, there are unpredictable things that could happen along the way.

Now, I’m the kind of person that likes to think about the “what if” and do whatever I can to prevent the bad things from happening.

For example, a flat tire. Sometimes these are unpreventable depending on where you’re driving, but being prepared with the right tools and a spare is important.

Other items to be prepared with are car insurance coverage, survival items, and up to date Identification to name a few.

So, let’s get into the 6 most important things you need to do before taking your adventurous road trip!

Related: How to Plan an Amazing Family Road Trip

1. Check your vehicle insurance

This is an important thing to do so you understand your coverage. The last thing you want is to be in an accident of any kind and not have the proper or updated insurance. Make sure you know what coverage you have so there are no surprises if something happens. For example;

  •  Liability or Full Coverage; I personally have always had full coverage on all my vehicles. Full coverage also covers your vehicle if there is any damage, whereas, liability only covers the damage you cause to another vehicle. Having full coverage has provided me with peace of mind while driving. Whichever you choose, it’s important to know the ins and out of what coverage you have.
  • Medical Coverage; Having Medical on your car insurance is important. If the accident is your fault and the passengers must be hospitalized, then your insurance will cover the costs. Well, at least the amount that you opted to purchase for coverage.
  • Road-Side Assistance; Our insurance with USAA offers the option to add Road-Side Assistance to our plan. I think this is important! If you run out of gas, need a tow, or a spare tire change they are available with your insurance coverage. This is also available with companies like AAA, but knowing your insurance may have the option as well if you don’t have AAA is good to know.

These are just a couple of things to investigate when it comes to your Auto insurance before taking your road trip. I would give your agent a call or log in to your insurance website to go over all the different coverage opportunities.

2. Car Maintenance

Having your car get proper maintenance before you take a road trip is a safety measure that you need to take. Making sure your mode of transportation is going to get you to your destination is key to a successful road trip.

Here’s a list of items to check for your car before you head out.

Change your oil
Check car fluids (Windshield Washer Fluid, Brake Fluid, Steering Fluid, etc)
Change or Air up the tires
Get a Spare Tire
Get an alignment
Check your lights (interior and exterior – headlights/brake lights)

Many of these can be checked if you run your car by a Kwik Kar or other type of car maintenance shop. Often, when you get your oil changed, they will check all your other fluids too.

3. Check/Update your ID’s

Making sure your driver’s license is completely up to date is important. Driving with an expired license could potentially be a heavy ticket if you get pulled over.

This is super simple to do if you need to renew by going online at your local DMV website.

Tip: If you have kids, it’s a great opportunity to get them ID’s as well. Even if you make them yourself with their picture, name, and your contact information on a laminated paper or in an ID lanyard.

4. Take out some cash

I know everything is electronic in today’s world and almost every place takes debit or no-touch pay, but having spare cash is a good thing.

You never know if you stop for gas and their card reader is out of order. Or you may want to stop at a local market and cash is the only option.

Another reason to have some extra cash on hand is in case you lose your debit card. I have lost debit cards in random places and have had to call the bank to deactivate them. It is super-inconvenient but having the cash could save you if you lose your wallet or purse.

5. Tell a loved one where you’re going and with whom

Whether you plan on taking a road trip with a group of people, a significant other, or by yourself, always tell someone where you’re going.

You will also want to tell them other details like; How long you’re staying, when you will be back, who you’re going with or meeting up with, and any other important and emergency information.

6. Create a survival bag

I know this sounds a little like prepping, and out of the normal since we have cell phones.

However, there have been many recent stories of people getting stuck with no cell service and out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

This is a huge “what if” but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Survival is key and if you find yourself in the position of your car breaking down with no cell service, then some food, water, blanket, and whatever else you need will keep you alive.

Here’s a small list of items you can add in your survival bag;

Water
Trail Mix
Granola Bars
Beef Jerky/Turkey Jerky
Warm but Lightweight Blanket
Small Pillow
Toilet paper
First Aid Kit
Purified Drinking Straw and Bottle


Final Thoughts

If you’re heading out on an adventurous road trip, I hope these tips are beneficial.

I know for us; they have made a huge difference.

When you make sure these items are checked before heading out on the open road, you could prevent a potential tragedy like being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no ability to survive. As I said, that is a worst-case scenario, but it is better to be prepared than not.

So I highly recommend all 6 tips, especially telling a loved one when you’re leaving, when you’ll be back, where you’re going, and who you’re going with!

If you’ve enjoyed these tips and found them to be beneficial, please share so others can benefit from them as well!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

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How to Plan an Amazing Family Road Trip | With FREE Road Trip Planner

How to Plan an Amazing Family Road Trip | With FREE Road Trip Planner

Planning an amazing family road trip? Well, you’re in the right place!

If you’re taking a family road trip to a specific destination or doing a roundabout trip, memories are bound to be made.

As a kid, the youngest of 6, we would road trip anywhere we were going because flying was too expensive.

My family road-tripped to Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. We even rented an RV in Alaska and drove around for a couple of weeks. That was a long and eventful road trip I will never forget.

Now, we live in the Dallas Texas area and pretty much road-tripped around the whole state too. After all, Texas is the second-largest state and there’s so much to do and see. Driving to Port Aransas, Texas from Dallas is a 7 to 8-hour drive depending on how many stops and how fast you drive.

I remember as a kid getting so excited about family road trips. My parents would always find cool places to stop along the way. Some of these places included a cool car museum on the way to Tennessee and the Inner Space Caverns to name a couple. Plus, all the games, music, movies, and family time were what I looked forward too.

Now, family road trips always tested our relationships. But in the end, they made us stronger and more connected.

So, when you’re planning consider these ideas to help you prepare for a family road trip. They will get you started in making it one of the most memorable vacations ever! Including the best road trip planner app to use.

So, let’s get started!

Types of Road Trips

First, let’s discuss the three types of road trips you can take.

1. A Destination Road Trip. This is the main type of road trip my family would take. We always had a single destination that we headed too. For example, Dallas, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona where my grandmother lived. We took this trip many times growing up.

2. A Round-About Road Trip. This is the kind of trip where your ending destination brings you back home. These are fun because the whole idea of the road trip is to stop at interesting places. For example, there are some great National Park Roundabout Itineraries. You can check this awesome week-long Round-About Itinerary through the National Parks in Utah created by Nextdestinationunknown.com.

3. A One-way Road trip. We never took this type of trip because we always came back home. But, if you’re moving to a new city or state, this a single destination road trip.

Now that you know what type of road trip you will be making, consider who is coming and plan the route!

Consider who’s coming along

This is an important step because everyone has different tastes and ideas of fun.

Some people may hate the idea of taking a road trip to their vacation destination and others love it. When you understand who’s coming along, you’ll be able to plan better.

Plan the Route

Planning your route ahead of time helps you understand time, mileage, gas, and where you will need or want to stop.

There are plenty of sites and apps that can help you out with this including Google Maps.

But, there is one website/app I enjoy and recommend called Roadtrippers.com. Here is a link and if you want to get the Pro Version, use this code for $5 off. (BTR5QTP)

It’s perfect for anyone planning a trip and used by a lot of full-time traveling RVers.

Plan Cool and interesting places to stop

By using the Roadtrippers app you’ll be able to see the different places that you can stop along the way. The map highlights interesting places like Museums, Outdoor and recreation areas, and more.

When my family road tripped through Austin, we would always stop for an hour or so at the Inner Space Caverns. Stopping and exploring the caverns is a memory I will never forget!

Take your time

I know how tempting it is to see the time on the google maps directions and try to beat it. Also, I know there are some who only like to stop when someone must use the bathroom or get gas.

Depending on the type of road trip you are taking, I suggest you take your time. Enjoy the drive, the scenery, and if you do stop don’t be afraid to linger around and explore.

Like I said before, we use to stop at some cool places like the inner space caverns. We would spend an hour or so exploring.

Create a playlist

This is a must! I remember as a kid, way back in 1999 or 2000 my best friend and I would listen to the radio all day with blank cassette tapes. As soon as a song we liked came on the radio we would hit record. That is how we use to make road trip playlists.

Then came CD players, MP3 players, iPods, and now there is Apple Music and Pandora on our Phones.

Creating Playlists is super easy today! Also, the availability of music is world-wide, so get creative and have fun.

Pack healthy Snacks

Packing healthy snacks for your road trip is a great idea! It will prevent spending too much on gas station junk food.

Another plus to packing healthy snacks is no one gets a tummy ache from eating too many chips or candy.

Tip: Make Sandwiches ahead of time and pack easy options like apples, pears, grapes, and more. There are also some great applesauce pouches for kids you can purchase as well. These are great ideas to keep everyone happy, healthy, and full!

Bring a case of water

Seriously, this is the best advice because a case of water is like $4 or less. But if buy water at rest stops, you’re looking at 4 bottles of water for $1 or more each.

That’s a waste of money for water.

You can even pack some soda or juice boxes. Whatever the family or those joining on the road trip choice of beverage.

Don’t forget the Cooler

You will definitely want to bring along a cooler to keep your drinks cold. It doesn’t have to be anything large, just something that can fit a few drinks.

There are so many options to choose from including coolers that can plug into your 12v in the car. This eliminates the need for ice!

You can also choose a cooler bag that attaches to the back of the seat. There are now so many options to keep organized and keep your family road trip drinks cold.


Check the Weather

Depending on what time of year you will be traveling and also your desired destination, it will determine the weather. Winter brings a lot of snow and icy conditions, while spring can bring flooding.

Therefore it’s important to check the weather before you head out so you’re not surprised if you hit a storm.

Play Road Trip Games

We all know the classic games like iSpy or Slug Bug. These were my favorite road trip games to play. They kept us busy and having fun along the way.

If we weren’t playing those types of games, we had our handheld game systems like Nintendos.

Today almost everyone has a phone with downloadable app games. However, there are still some really cool handheld devices like the Nintendo Switch for kids who don’t have phones.

Tip: I suggest downloading some games on your phone while you have WiFi before you leave.


Watch some Movies

Some vehicles have DVD players already installed. However, you can always purchase one like this that you can take anywhere with you. These are great for all ages.

A movie is on average an hour in a half to two hours long. The time length is a great way to make a couple of hours go by, especially if anyone begins to get moody or tired.


Enjoy the opportunity to be together

This is one of my favorite reasons why I love taking road trips. It brings everyone closer together! Yes, there may be some arguments along the way but that’s a part of the experience.

I reflect back on all the Road Trips we took as a family growing up and they are some of my favorite memories. Family Road Trips are vacations that your kids will remember forever.

Get started in planning your family road trip with the downloaded and editable road trip planner below! 

Final Thoughts

Like I’ve said plenty of times, I LOVE taking Road Trips! They are fun and they get everyone out of the house and exploring. After all it’s great to explore new sights.

I hope you feel inspired and ready to plan your next road trip. Stay safe out there, take your time, and enjoy exploring!

What are some of your favorite road trip memories? Share below, I love good road trip stories!

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