Getting the most out of your summer road trip in 2024

Some people embark on a road trip with excitement and enthusiasm because they’ve been looking forward to being on the open road all year, while others dread the monotony of seeing the same landscape for hours and stopping at gas stations to use the restroom! Whatever camp you fall in, you can make “road trip season” work for you by ensuring you and your vehicle are road trip ready. From planning car maintenance to road trip activities, these 10 tips will help you feel prepared and ready to travel to wherever the road may lead you!

1. Make sure your vehicle is “road trip ready”

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your car has been “road trip cleared" by a mechanic. This will ensure that everything is running smoothly in your engine and that if something simple like an oil top up needs to be taken care of, it will prevent you from having to be stranded on the road waiting for roadside assistance in the middle of nowhere.

2. Check your tires beforehand

You will also want to inspect tire pressure and tread depth and check that the spare tire is ready-to-go and rotate or replace tires if necessary. If you’re planning to do more “off-roading” than “on-roading”, do you have a good set of Mud Tires on your vehicle? Or for mostly highway driving, you may consider switching to summer tires for better fuel economy, or All Season tires for versatility. Keep in mind also that tires expand with heat and contract with cold. So in the summer, make sure the tires are not over-inflated.

3. Plan gas stops and charging

If you have an electric vehicle, plan ahead where you will stop to recharge it and even call the charging station to ensure they are currently working. Also plan how you will keep entertained during that time. Fortunately, in an EV, you can keep the AC running once you start charging the vehicle so you can opt for some reading or having a meal at the said location while you wait for the vehicle to charge.

4. Create a playlist ahead of time

You don’t want to be fumbling on your phone looking for certain songs while trying to keep your eyes on the road, or scanning patchy radio coverage. If you don’t already have a premium music account on Spotify or Apple Music, it’s worth spending the extra $10-$15, even if it’s just for one month (or take advantage of a free trial) so you can create a specific playlist with some upbeat and down tempo songs, depending on whether you want to stay awake, or if you need something soothing while kids sleep in the back. 

5. Plan activities and games

If you are solo driving, consider finding some new podcasts to listen to (in addition to the music playlist). Having something to keep your mind engaged will help keep you alert. You may also want to knock some phone calls off the list, like the ones to relatives that you never get around to making. Having the time to talk will allow you to actually catch up with the people you don’t typically have the time to talk to at length. For family activities, find some trivia podcasts or games you can play and make sure you’ve downloaded some TV shows on the Ipad in case the Wi-Fi is patchy. 

6. Pack plenty of snacks, drinks…and more snacks! 

This tip is particularly important if you have children. Make sure you have plenty of snacks and water bottles, and even some pre-made sandwiches to keep them fed along the way. Stopping every hour when they get hungry (or bored) will slow down the travel time, not to mention, add unnecessary expenses to your road trip budget. Having a bag full of drinks and chip packets will keep them entertained and help you avoid the last minute spontaneous spend on an $8 packet of chips at a vending machine. Having something more substantial (like a bagel or sandwich) will also help with emergent hunger if you can’t find an appropriate place to stop around meal times. Sometimes the traffic is worse than you thought it would be, or the one restaurant along the way has a long wait time, or the set of eateries you were planning to stop at are actually several miles out of the way. You can’t always plan for the exact time you’ll be able to eat so having some back up options will make the trip less stressful. It is recommended that you drink half your body weight in ounces each day, so having plenty of water to get you through those long stretches of driving is especially important.

7. Prepare for the worst case scenario 

If you’re not familiar with where you’re driving to, print out a google map route as a backup in case your phone coverage gets patchy. Make sure you have a phone charger in the car and an emergency kit. If it’s a car rental, ensure you know ahead of time who to call for road-side assistance. If you have all this information handy ahead of time, it will be easier to navigate an emergency situation should it arise. 

8. Prioritize safety over getting there quickly 

If you begin to feel sleepy make sure you stop for a break, grab a caffeinated beverage and do some jumping jacks. Another way to stay alert is to crank the A/C or drive with the windows down. Remember not to push it if fatigue is setting in and stop to take a power nap. It’s better to arrive safely than try to push through inevitable fatigue and risk having an accident.

9. Plan stops ahead of time 

To avoid getting too far off your route, plan where you will stop to eat/recharge/stretch your legs. If you have kids, research ahead of time where you could stop at a playground or other attraction you may enjoy as a family. Navigating to the closest Starbucks on the fly can be stressful and it might add significant travel time if it's out of the way of the direction you're driving in.

10. Embrace the adventure!

Remember the point of traveling is to break away from your regular routine and discover something new. If you encounter unexpected traffic or other unusual situations, don’t let it ruin the fun. This is the time to listen to the podcasts you usually don’t get around to listening to, an audiobook to learn about a new topic, or even stop to explore a new town while the traffic dies down. Let the interruptions be part of the adventure!

Whatever the purpose of your voyage is, if you use this summer road trip checklist as a guide and ensure you leave home prepared, you’ll hopefully eliminate unnecessary stress and even have some fun along the way!

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