Planning your perfect road trip can be an exhausting deal, but we're here to help. We've talked a lot about planning an awesome vacation, but road trips where you take a long car ride and hit many stops on the way—present their own set of challenges (and opportunities). Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you plan.
Planning your perfect road trip can be an exhausting deal, but we're here to help. We've talked a lot about planning an awesome vacation, but road trips where you take a long car ride and hit many stops on the way—present their own set of challenges (and opportunities). Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you plan.
Plan Your Route and Stops Before You Leave...
You know your destination, but deciding on your route and stops can really depend on your travel style. How Stuff Works suggests that you make sure everyone is on the same page before you leave in order to avoid being stuck in a car with unhappy passengers for 8 hours a day. If you have to travel with someone who's style doesn't mess with yours, consider planning a shorter trip.
You know your destination, but deciding on your route and stops can really depend on your travel style. How Stuff Works suggests that you make sure everyone is on the same page before you leave in order to avoid being stuck in a car with unhappy passengers for 8 hours a day. If you have to travel with someone who's style doesn't mess with yours, consider planning a shorter trip.
You need to investigate the weather beforehand too. One route may look shorter on the map, but weather can turn that short route into a long and hazardous road. You can check the weather for your route with the use of any weather app or Google.
...But Keep Your Plans Loose
No matter how much you plan, you should expect things to go differently, says weblog Independent Traveler. Keep an open mind and go with the flow. Road construction, bridges being out, and messy accidents are almost guaranteed to slow things down along the way. Try not to stress about it too hard and remember that it will probably make a good story someday.
No matter how much you plan, you should expect things to go differently, says weblog Independent Traveler. Keep an open mind and go with the flow. Road construction, bridges being out, and messy accidents are almost guaranteed to slow things down along the way. Try not to stress about it too hard and remember that it will probably make a good story someday.
It's also a good idea to keep loose plans because you never know when fun and interesting opportunities will arise. You could be driving by one of most popular roadside attractions along the way, so think about including "free time" in your itinerary.
Have a Solid Budget...
Driving somewhere can cost you less money than flying there, but it still comes with hidden costs, be sure to include food and lodging in your budget, as well as any fun stuff you plan on doing along the way. If you need a little help figuring out your costs, you can use a travel budget calculator. These have fields for you to enter every cost you can think of so nothing ends up getting left out.
Driving somewhere can cost you less money than flying there, but it still comes with hidden costs, be sure to include food and lodging in your budget, as well as any fun stuff you plan on doing along the way. If you need a little help figuring out your costs, you can use a travel budget calculator. These have fields for you to enter every cost you can think of so nothing ends up getting left out.
...And Look For Ways to Save Some Cash
You might have a good budget in place, but that doesn't mean you can't still save. Going under budget means extra fun money, after all. Your big expense is going to be gas, and there are a couple things you can do to save:
- Fill up your car the day before you leave. You already know where the best prices for gas are around you. This will give you a solid start.
- Keep the weight of your cargo to a minimum. Your passengers' weight is set, but you can adjust how much stuff you pack in your vehicle. The lighter your ride, the longer she'll glide.
- If it's time to get gas, Independent Traveler suggests you look for an exit with multiple gas stations and tons of fast food chains on the signs. The prices will be lower here because there's competition, and you'll be able to compare and pick the best option for you.
- Drive the speed limit. Not only is it safer to drive the speed limit, but according to the Sri Lankan laws and regulations the speed limits are 50 kmph in city limits and 70 kmph out of the city limits for light vehicle category, and recent pass with the opening of the expressways drivers can drive up to 100 kmph
Your second biggest cost is food. We recommends packing your food beforehand in a cooler. It adds weight to your car, but the savings are guaranteed to be more than the cost of the extra weight. The best options are things that can be pre-cooked and keep well or food that doesn't require cooking at all. There are a few other plus sides to you packing food ahead of time as well:
- By packing yourself, you get to control the nutrition of you and your family. When you're on the road without food, you're left to forage the wilds of the truck stops for people fuel. That means eating fast food and tasty, but oh-so-bad for you snacks.
- You also get the gift of time. By bringing your own food, you can eat whenever you want and your stops can be much more efficient. Plus, having the flexibility to keep going when you finally get the little one to sleep is priceless.
Await for more info.........
You might have a good budget in place, but that doesn't mean you can't still save. Going under budget means extra fun money, after all. Your big expense is going to be gas, and there are a couple things you can do to save:
- Fill up your car the day before you leave. You already know where the best prices for gas are around you. This will give you a solid start.
- Keep the weight of your cargo to a minimum. Your passengers' weight is set, but you can adjust how much stuff you pack in your vehicle. The lighter your ride, the longer she'll glide.
- If it's time to get gas, Independent Traveler suggests you look for an exit with multiple gas stations and tons of fast food chains on the signs. The prices will be lower here because there's competition, and you'll be able to compare and pick the best option for you.
- Drive the speed limit. Not only is it safer to drive the speed limit, but according to the Sri Lankan laws and regulations the speed limits are 50 kmph in city limits and 70 kmph out of the city limits for light vehicle category, and recent pass with the opening of the expressways drivers can drive up to 100 kmph
Your second biggest cost is food. We recommends packing your food beforehand in a cooler. It adds weight to your car, but the savings are guaranteed to be more than the cost of the extra weight. The best options are things that can be pre-cooked and keep well or food that doesn't require cooking at all. There are a few other plus sides to you packing food ahead of time as well:
- By packing yourself, you get to control the nutrition of you and your family. When you're on the road without food, you're left to forage the wilds of the truck stops for people fuel. That means eating fast food and tasty, but oh-so-bad for you snacks.
- You also get the gift of time. By bringing your own food, you can eat whenever you want and your stops can be much more efficient. Plus, having the flexibility to keep going when you finally get the little one to sleep is priceless.
Await for more info.........
