10 Important Road Trip Tips

By: Jennifer Wright

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Preparing for a road trip may sound easy, but there are a few key points you might not have thought of; gathered here are ten important road trip tips for you to consider as you pack for your road trip. These tips are also great for every day driving as well.

Always make sure you check the map and gas up before long stretches. It is normally a good idea to never let your tank go under half full.
Pack groceries like sandwiches and fruit in a cooler to cut down on food costs and unnecessary stops.
Before a road trip, always make sure your car emergency kit is stocked and ready to use. Include things like jumper cables and fix a flat, a mini air pump, Jack and lug wrench, and blankets.
Plan ahead, find points of interest on a map and make the time to enjoy them. Sometimes when you’re in a hurry to get where you are going you don’t get to see the sights. Make the time, the sights will be worth it.
Make road trip CDs, or download music to your MP3 for the car because there will be a ton of places where your radio will not have reception.
Clean the car out at every gas station. This will help keep the car tidy for the entire duration of your road trip.
Make sure your insurance is up to date and know what it covers. Things like free towing are very important to have on road trips. It may also be a point of interest to look into programs like AAA.
If the weather permits, try camping on overnight stops. Sometimes, there is simply nothing like sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows under the stars.
Shop around for hotels on the internet before you leave on your trip. A lot of hotels have discounts available for different things, so be sure to ask the hotels about them. Do your homework and look for the best price for what you get!
If you have children, pack them bags full of road trip activities to keep them occupied. Yes, a DVD player works just fine, but we want our kids to be active right? So pack them some activities like coloring books, crosswords, healthy snacks, and books for reading.