Share on Facebook
Road trips can be the adventure of a lifetime. With so much to see and taking a leisurely pace to see it all, it can be the ideal vacation. At the same time, it requires some preparation so you can actually enjoy it.
Spending a lot of time in your car can get quite uncomfortable. And once you start feeling uncomfortable, it can put a damper on the trip and turn things sour. With the right plan and the right gear, you can be comfortable and be able to actually get the most out of your trip.
Often people put all of their attention and focus on planning the actual trip. They have their agenda planned down to the hour of where to eat, sleep and what to see and do. Obviously, this planning is very important but it doesn't end there.
In this article, I will go over several of the things you need to do to have a great road trip.
1 - Dress right
You can have all of the latest travel accessories imaginable, but if you aren't dressed right for the trip, then it won't matter. You're going to want to get out of the car as frequently as possible.
Dressing right is going to ensure that you are comfortable and as unencumbered as possible during your trip. This means that you should make sure you know the weather before setting out and have the appropriate gear for whatever you face.
If it is very hot, you may be tempted to wear shorts and a light top. The opposite is true since you are going to have the air conditioning on for long stretches. You should think about some light pants and maybe even a sweatshirt to throw on for when it gets a bit too cool. Opening the windows may just blow hot air around and won't offer much relief.
Also, when you are sitting in a car for long periods, your belt is likely to dig into your belly a bit. Or it may even end up feeling too tight. Having stretch belts for women is the ideal solution for this as they are comfortable enough to not dig into your skin and they stretch so when you are sitting for a while they won't ever feel too tight.
2 - Eat well
Part of traveling is eating everything in sight. For some it's the whole point of the vacation!
But, you do have to moderate yourself and make sure that you are not eating foods that are going to leave you bloated, with heartburn or simply weigh you down. This is especially true of the snacks that you bring along for the drive.
Make sure to eat snacks like nuts that fill you up without being heavy. Skip things like chips and sugary sodas. Nuts will give you a nice energy boost in addition to not weighing you down or giving you gas.
When you stop somewhere for lunch, plan out your meal so you don't load up on greasy food that is going to make you feel uncomfortable as you drive. If you do want that barbecue with mac and cheese, make sure that you're eating it with plenty of time to digest before getting back into the car to drive.
3 - Plan a place to walk
Stretching your legs at a rest stop for a few minutes is not good enough. Your muscles have likely built up some lactic acid while they are locked into position. The vibration of the car also makes your muscles tired so you need to get them moving after.
Look for areas that have a park or a walking trail somewhere so you can take a twenty-minute breather and actually get some exercise in. This will keep your muscles from cramping when you are going for a long haul.
4 - Avoid traffic
Nobody likes sitting in traffic but it's especially frustrating when you are on a road trip and trying to enjoy a break from things like this. Use an app to set up alternate routes in case you do encounter traffic so you can bypass it. And always be looking on these apps to see if there is traffic coming before you even get there.
If you are approaching a city around rush hour then find a way to go around the city, or try to plan your next day's travel better to be able to avoid it. Start out later or earlier to make sure you don't get stuck.
