Common Road Trip Blunders to Avoid

I am a self-proclaimed road trip queen. I’ve done multi-week road trips several times, always choose driving over flying and feel so at home behind the wheel. Because of this, I know that as much fun as road trips can be, they can quickly turn into a road trip from hell before you know it! Luckily, y’all can learn from my mistakes by avoiding these easy-to-make blunders.

DON’T PACK TOO MUCH INTO YOUR ITINERARY

We’re a big fan of leaving gaps in our itinerary. This sounds weird to some people, but we like to learn about new and interesting things from locals and fellow-travelers we meet along the way. Plus, on road trips it’s easy to find things alongside the road. These are easy to miss if you have a jam-packed itinerary.

HAVE EVERYTHING IN ORDER

If it’s been a while since you’ve had an oil change or regular maintenance done, do that before you head out, even if it’s a smidge early. Trust me, you want to know beforehand if you’re going to have to get your car worked on. We broke down in Savannah, Georgia on a Sunday and it took us forever before we could find a place to get a new alternator put in my car. Lesson learned. Also, be sure your insurance is in order and paid. We never plan to have an accident, but that’s why it’s call an accident. If you do get in an accident and have trouble making a claim, you can let someone like these car accident lawyers deal with your insurance company.

DON’T OVERPACK

There’s a great Susan Heller quote about packing for trips. She says to “take half the clothes and twice the money”. Anyone who has travel very long or very far knows that that is absolutely the truth. It’s very easy to gage what would be considered overpacking in your own car, but if you’re flying to a destination and then renting a car, it’s very important not to overpack. When we were in Scotland four of us rented a car and ended up having to take it back and get a bigger one because there wasn’t enough storage space!

DON’T FORGET A BIT OF CASH

We’ve gone through several toll booths that were cash only only to be digging in seats and cubbies in the car looking for enough change to get through. Or had to pull over to their office on the side of the road, get out and wait in line to pay with card. It’s something super easy to forget, but try to leave $5-10 in your glove compartment for this very thing.

ALSO, DON’T FORGET YOUR PHONE CHARGER

I know, I know. Plenty of people traveled without cellphones before they were around. But truthfully, for safety reasons, it’s great to always have your cell phones charged. Plus, if you’re anything like me, your cellphone is also your GPS, notebook and music player! Also, for many of us, it’s a camera to capture our memories as well!

DON’T DRIVE TOO MUCH IN ONE DAY

We’ve made this mistake too! Sometimes it is necessary to drive a long distance to make the most of a trip. That said, are you really making the most when you spend a large chunk of the day in the car? When we make long drives, we try to find something to break it up. For example, when we go to Asheville every year, we almost always drive. That means 12 hours in the car. So, we break that drive up by stopping in Nashville for lunch with one of my best friends. It’s a great chance to catch up with him and stretch our legs. Plus, it means we get to do something fun with that day of driving.

DON’T FORGET THE SNACKS

There’s something about a road trip that makes me crave snacks! I don’t mean junk food, at least, not exclusively. However, I will say, if you’re like me and crave those snacks, get them in advance. If you purchase goodies from gas stations, you’ll pay so much more for them. If you’re going to be in your car a decent amount, grab a cooler and pack stuff to make lunches too!

DON’T BE UNDERPREPARED

I know I said not to overpack, but there are a few things you should definitely keep in your car. A blanket for each person in case you break down, a first aid kit and anything else you think you might need for your trip.

Road trips are so much fun, and are sure to be a success if you don’t fall into the trap of these easy-to-avoid road trip blunders!

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