Road Tripping Tips and Tricks
WE WROTE THIS PieCE WHEN WE WERE INTERVIEWED FOR AMEX ESSENTIALS, AS A PART OF THEIR SERIEs “Hit the Road: How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip”
Q: When planning a road trip, how do you decide where you’re going?
When planning a roadtrip, we normally budget how many hours we’d ideally like to drive per day, and then count backwards from our final destination to choose our overnight stops. And from there, looking at our route, it’s easy to find landmarks, tourist attractions, hiking/sightseeing spots where we’d like to make pit-stops along the way.
Q: What are your must-pack items?
Our must pack items for roadtrips include: a cooler for food and drinks, car chargers for both the usb ports and the cigarette lighter to cover our multitude of gadgets and gear, extra memory cards for the cameras, a paper map - just in case!, warm clothing for cool nights, and orthopedic pillows for a great night’s sleep. If traveling with the dog, we bring a packable bed for him, and most importantly - foot protection for any hikes or sightseeing.
Packing a cooler is a must for us. We have some dietary restrictions and sometimes it can be hard to find quick, healthy options on the road. Having water and other drinks in the back seat means we don’t have to stop as often, so it saves us time, and packing snacks saves us a ton of money too! In general keeping a stash of water is a smart safety tip too in case of a breakdown to make sure everyone stays cool and hydrated until help can arrive. 😎
You can never go wrong with extra chargers and memory cards. You never know when you might leave behind a charger at a hotel. And every once in a while memory cards glitch (or get full because of all the beautiful sights you’ve seen and photographed!) so a pocket full of spares doesn’t take up much extra room in your bag, but brings you peace of mind. Same with a paper map; you probably won’t need it, but there’s been a few times where we’ve been on the road somewhere remote and lost cell service, or a phone has died and the charger is fried, and I’d always rather be safe than sorry!
For comfort - making sure that you’re packing for the weather can’t be understated, especially if you’ll be doing some camping/car camping on your trip. Those cold nights can be a shock, so pack accordingly! And if you’ve got a favorite pillow - bring it. You’ll need to be well rested and avoid neck kinks if you’ll be on the road a few hours each day!
Q: How do you handle disagreements on the road (if you travel as a couple/group/family)?
Luckily, when we’re on the open road, we don’t find much to disagree about! We love that the car feels like such a ‘safe’ and comfortable space. We definitely entertain ourselves with podcasts and jams on the satellite radio, but in general, we tend to fill our time talking. A long drive is such a nice opportunity to ‘check in’ with your partner or family - to catch up on the things that may have we may have been too busy to get ‘deep’ about in our daily lives. We talk about our plans, our work, our goals and hopes and dreams, and we really do find that the car is such a wonderful place to have these nurturing and reflective conversations uninterrupted.
Q: What’s one secret tip that all travellers should know?
Leave before sunrise. Getting on the road before the sun is up and traffic gets heavy is one of the best ways to cover ground quickly, and best of all - you can get to your destination earlier, while it’s still light out, so you have a chance to do some sightseeing or exploring in the daylight! Another tip we think that’s definitely worth sharing for our fellow roadtrippers - we always use Yelp to find a great dinner spot in the town where we’ll be camping for the night or getting a hotel. The person in the passenger seat looks up options on the app when we’re about an hour or two from our destination. It’s a great way to find hidden gems and get the meal you’re craving at the end of a long day of travel!
