Top 10 Things to do Before a Road Trip
Road Trip
Road trips are fun and exciting. You will be able to see a lot and discover some incredible places. Going on a vacation with your car, can be very useful, especially if you want to explore a lot in the area. But even though it may seem exciting, there are necessary some preparations to be made before you hit the road. These are the ten things to do before a road trip:
Don’t forget the papers
Make a list with all the necessary documents for this road trip. If you are planning to exit the country with the car, check all the documents needed at the border. Make sure to have all the passports ready, the car registration documents and a valid car insurance. If you need to borrow a car, the owner will have to give you it’s legal permission to get out of the country with the car. Check if the legal permission needs to be translated in other languages or other documents are required. I advise making this list, at least one month before the day of departure, to make sure you have time to gather all the necessary documents.
Check your driver license
Check the validity of your driver’s license. Make sure that your license is valid in the places you are planning to drive. For example, in Europe, we have the European Driver License, that is valid throughout the entire European Union. For us, driving outside the EU, will require an International Driver License, unless stated otherwise. Make sure to check this out at the official borders offices of the country you are planning to visit.
Of course, don’t forget to check the validity period of the document. Make sure you have enough time to renew it, in case it expires soon.
A quick stop at a service
Take your car to a service for a quick check up. Make sure your vehicle is ready for a long road and do the necessary repairs and changes, for it to be in the proper condition. It is better to be safe, than sorry. Imagine how hard will it be, if a repair has to be made in the middle of your road trip. Prevention is the key here. Even if you had your regular service check up a month or two ago, take your car to the service again. You don’t need to change filters or other things, unless necessary.
Download the necessary apps
The printed map era is gone. Now, all you have to do, is to download some apps. Make sure to have al least two navigation maps installed. I usually compare the routes given on both of them. If it is necessary, download the offline maps, just in case you will be out of service. Our favorite and most used navigation maps are: Google Maps and Waze.
Besides the usual, navigation apps, it will probably necessary to download some government health apps. In several countries, nowadays, those are a must, because there you will be registered at the entrance in that particular country. All you vaccination and health documents will be submitted there.
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Get supplies for the road trip
A little shopping before the road trip is very much needed. Get yourself your favorite snacks, drinks and coffee for the road. Of course, you can always stop somewhere along the road, to buy something, but if it is a long drive, unnecessary stops will push your arrival hour even further away. Take food, water, pills and other must have products before your drive.
The final route
Although you can plan and explore the route when you start planning the road trip, the best is to leave the final route for the end. A lot may change in the meantime. The best time to decide on the final route is on the day before leaving. Roads may close for repairs; others may open and you will be provided the best route at that specific moment.
Sleep well before the road trip
Get at least seven or eight hours of uninterrupted sleep before your trip. It is very important to be well rested before driving. Don’t plan on starting the road trip, right after your work. You will be tired and your attention will be diminished. If you plan on leaving in the middle of the night, try sleeping at least four or five hours before your departure.
A little checkup
Even though you went to a service for a car checkup, it very advisable, to check somethings yourself. Right before you leave home, check your oil levels, your tires pressure and your windshield cleaning liquid.
Road taxes
Inform yourself about the road taxes. In some countries, they have taxes for each highway, while in others, there’s only one general road tax. Make sure you know about them and pay them. You will get a fine and you will not be able to leave that country, until you pay them. For the ones that has a general road tax, you will be able to pay at the border or in some cases, through an online system.
Sleep somewhere
It is advisable not to drive more than 800-1000km or 8-10 hours a day. For every uninterrupted 1.5h of driving, take a 10 minutes break or for every 3 hours, rest for a half an hour. If the drive is more than 1000km, sleep somewhere at the middle or if you have to check in at a hotel the next day, stay somewhere at a 2-hour drive from it.
Road Trip is Fun
We are big fans of road trips. At least, once a year we’ll go on one. Having our car with us, gives you extra mobility, extra space for luggage and we just enjoy the road. Driving and exploring other countries is very…Travelicious.