The best way to see and explore a new location and its surrounding area is, of course, by planning a road trip. Vacations don’t just have to mean staying in one place – a road trip will allow you to spend your time away exploring lots of different locations. Of course, when it comes to planning a road trip, there’s a lot that you need to think about. Especially, if you’re planning your very first one.
To help you ensure that your road trip is a success, here’s everything that you need to know. Have a read, consider your options, and start your planning.
Select a location
First thing first, you need to select a location. Be it somewhere in your home country or a location abroad, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you choose somewhere to explore that’s interesting and has plenty to see and do. There’s no point staying somewhere that lacks entertainment, else you’ll get bored. So it’s important to pick your location carefully. Especially, if you plan on travelling for longer than a few weeks. For a guide to the best places to road trip around, have a browse online. You’ll find plenty of information on all the best locations.
Pick a route
Once you’ve selected a location, the next step is to choose the places you plan on travelling to within it. Once you’ve picked out the places, you plan on visiting, the next step is to work out your route. It can be fun to go with the flow but if you want to ensure you don’t miss anything and road trip in the most fuel-efficient way, route planning is a must. Using a map is best for this, as you can then work out which locations are closest to one another. SatNavs are great for working out a route to one place but not multiple ones. Of course, while you’re travelling a SatNav can be incredibly helpful to have to hand.
Think about your vehicle options
Once you know what roads you’ll be using to get around, the next step is to think about your vehicle choices. Are you planning on hiring a car and using that to travel around? A car is by far the cheapest mode of transport as the fuel and insurance costs are often low. However, it’s not always the best option. If you’re travelling with kids in tow, then an RV or trailer could be a good option. It’s a case of thinking about yours’ and your travel buddies’ needs and what type of vehicle would be best. Of course, by opting to buy a trailer or RV, the major benefit is that you wouldn’t need to worry about the cost of accommodation.
Decide where you’ll stay
On that note, it’s time to talk accommodation. Obviously, if you opt to travel in an RV or with a trailer attached to your car, you don’t need to stress about this. However, if motorhomes aren’t for you, there are plenty of other accommodation options on offer. The cheapest of which is camping – you can opt to camp on the roadside or at a campsite, it’s up to you. The benefit of camping is that you don’t need to pre-book accommodation so can go wherever the wind takes you. If camping isn’t for you, the next budget-friendly option is staying in hostels. Hostels aren’t all shared dorms and roughing it; there are lots of more luxurious hostels to choose from. Of course, if money isn’t an issue, there are also hotels and guesthouses you could stay in. It’s just a case of thinking about your budget and the needs of you and your travel buddies.
Hopefully, this guide will have given you all the information you need to plan the most amazing road trip. Happy travelling!
