No matter your age or your occupation, everyone can benefit from heading out into the outdoors and getting some fresh air from time to time. Road trips are an ideal way of exploring an area that you are not too familiar with and can also be perfect for people who want to revisit some specific attractions at a pace that suits them. Before getting buckled up for your first ever road trip however there are a few things that should be considered.
Travel Partners
One of the most important things that should be considered before heading off on your first road trip are your travel partners. Most road trips last for at least a couple of days and some can even last for months at a time, especially if exploring a whole country is your idea of fun. Unless you plan on traveling in separate vehicles you may find that you are spending anywhere up to 24 hours a day together so know it can try your patience if you don’t exactly get on with your travel partners.
Where possible it’s a good idea to travel with people who have a similar personality type. If you like your own space, traveling with a group of extroverts whose idea of fun is heading off on an extended party is probably not the best idea. Also think about traveling with people who can drive (and will be happy taking over the wheel for an hour or two) unless you are happy driving the party around on your own for days on end.
Places to Visit
Road trips are great in that it isn’t important for your plans to be set in stone. One thing that should be kept in mind however is your return date so if there are a few specific places that your group wants to visit it may be a good idea to plan the rest of your trip around these. Before traveling, invite your travel party out for a few cocktails (this is the best way to get your creative juices flowing) and see what you come up with. Don’t make the experience stressful, just try and get a general idea of what your trip will entail.
Your Budget
Road trips don’t have to centre around flashy hotels and top price attractions – if you are short on cash you can still have just as good a time, it may just mean sacrificing slightly when it comes to accommodation. Many people find camping is a great way of saving some money but guest houses and hostels can work just as well. When planning your road trip, remember to account for the cost of things like petrol and toll roads (some of which can be avoided altogether depending on where you are driving).
As you travel together you will get to know your travel partners even better than ever. This will either lead to a monumental success or a monumental fail so take the time to plan things together before even thinking about heading out into the world.
