Whatever our age or our job, we all need a change of scenery from time to time. A long drive with friends or family can be a great way to change your environment and get a kick out of your life, relax, forget your troubles for a while, and make some experiences along the way that will turn into good memories. For those who live in very large countries like the United States, Australia or Canada, a long drive can be very adventurous and is almost an obligatory rite of passage that allows you to get to know your country better. Here's how to reinvigorate your spirit by grinding kilometers.
Steps
Method 1 of 1: Going on a long drive
Step 1. Decide who you would like to travel with
They must be people who need to have fun and are ready for it. They must be armed with patience and endurance and ready to spend hours and hours in the car. It would be good for each adult to have a driver's license and be ready to drive at least a section of the road so that you can rest.
Step 2. Meet these people one day or one evening to evaluate all aspects of the trip and put together ideas
You can meet for dinner or go shopping together, but it would also be enough to meet for a drink. Travel planning should be fun and excite people. Don't focus too much on the details. A general idea of where you want to go is enough, perhaps with at least one particular place that you really want to visit or a place reached which you go back.
There are sites that you can consult to build a general itinerary and check the average travel times by car:
Step 3. Find out how long the trip will be and what kind of places you want to visit
You just have to keep in mind the return date: it would be a problem to be in San Francisco if you have to be in New York the next day or two days later, or be in Paris in the evening when you have commitments in Rome the next morning! A little planning is obviously required to make sure you get back to base on time. If there are any places / parks / museums that you absolutely must visit, check in advance the opening times to the public, the dates of special events, and places to stay if necessary. If you have to go to a festival or similar event that attracts a lot of public it is likely that hotels, B & Bs and other accommodations are all booked, so you must be ready to sleep in the car or camp out somewhere; keep this in mind so you don't find yourself unprepared.
Step 4. Decide on a budget and stick to it
If you don't have a lot of money, you decide to stay in cheap hotels and not always go out to eat in restaurants. Pack carefully so you have towels, blankets, sleeping bags, food, etc. which will save you money if needed or if you arrive in a city at night and the shops and restaurants are closed. We will see below what should be brought. Make sure you have at least one emergency credit card (each participant better have one), and cash.
- If you travel to the United States there are sites where you can check the price of fuel and plan better when and where to refuel: gasprices.mapquest.com or roadtripamerica.com.
- Make stops in national / state / provincial parks (you will need an annual pass). You will save money and have a parking space and a pitch for the tent (don't forget to bring a tent!), And toilets and showers. There is nothing more beautiful than waking up to the sounds of nature.
- Avoid toll highways and stops in big cities, so as well as on kilometers you will also save on parking. Buy an up-to-date road map to avoid highway toll booths.
Step 5. Check the machine
It is the essential element of travel, and it must be reliable, efficient and safe. Have it serviced before you leave: it wouldn't be fun to have to spend your days stuck in a mechanical workshop. Have toe-in checked, tires replaced if necessary, oil changes, cracked windshield fixes, brakes and gears checked, engine in general.
- Have your spare wheel checked as well or buy one if it's not there, and also a jack. Let us show you how to replace a wheel if you don't know how to do it yet; it is not pleasant to have to learn it when you least expect it!
- Check if there are any ignition cables in the car
- Have copies of your car keys made and give them to other travel participants. You will avoid locking yourself out of the car, it will be easier to change drivers, and there will be no problems if you accidentally lose a bunch.
- Become a member of a roadside assistance company (ACI in Italy, AAA in the United States). These companies often offer the maps you need for your trip.
Step 6. Pack your bags
Situations must be foreseen. Food, necessary for sleep, clothing and water are essential things to have in order to be self-sufficient. Make sure you wear and bring comfortable clothes as you will have to sit for a long time. Don't wear anything that is hot, tight or uncomfortable.
- Include sleep necessities. At least one sleeping bag, one pillow and one fleece blanket or cotton blanket for each person. Add a multi-purpose tarpaulin or two and some tea towels, small towels or the like that can become window curtains if you have to sleep in the car.
- Bring something to pass the time, like a soccer ball to take two shots during breaks, a Frisbee, a deck of cards.
- Also take kitchen paper, cutlery, dish soap and a basin, waste bags, toilet paper. These are all things that could be useful and that could be more expensive if you have to buy them on the spot.
- If you have to travel from one country to another make sure you have a valid passport and any visas.
Step 7. Food and snacks
Food is very important, especially if you intend to make a long journey in no time and don't want to stop often to eat or if you prefer to avoid fast food. Also, if you don't eat properly you may feel sleepy and have slowed reflexes, which is very dangerous while driving. You need to be willing to pack food you don't particularly like. Snacks or energy bars are a great choice, as are fresh fruit, cereals, nuts and hazelnuts, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, etc. As for the food to cook, bring pasta, quick cooking rice, condiments, camping foods. You can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish along the way, perhaps directly from the producer! Food supplies are very important especially if you have to follow a specific diet, if you are gluten intolerant, if you are vegetarian, etc., because you will not always find the right food in roadside restaurants.
Buy a good collapsible cool box that is not too big and fill it up. Buy the appropriate popsicles and put them in the freezer (you can then freeze them during the journey in the hotel fridge if you stop for the night, just remember to take them back!)
Step 8. Bring a map and / or GPS
However, it is better to have road maps even if you have a GPS, so as not to be in trouble if the latter works badly.
Step 9. Pay attention to driving
A car trip is a beautiful experience, don't ruin it by driving in a dangerous or reckless way. Try to drive during the cooler hours. There are many things to keep in mind when driving:
- Do not overtake near blind curves or dips, even if you feel safe.
- If you feel you've driven enough for that day, stop. Do not push the limits of your body, you may have sleepiness or slowed reflexes. Stop as soon as you can, park and stop for at least 20 minutes, stretch, walk, and maybe eat and drink something.
- Leave enough room for large vehicles like trucks, RVs, buses when you overtake them, and leave room for them when they turn. Remember that if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you; overtake them quickly but safely, and don't get back into the lane too quickly.
- If you travel at night, make sure that one passenger sleeps and one stays awake, to keep you company.
- If you travel all night and are all tired, take 1 hour and 45 minute shifts. People sleep in cycles that are usually an hour and a half. The extra fifteen minutes are to settle down and fall asleep. It is better to wake up the driver for the next shift a few minutes before he has to start driving.
- To stay awake, drink coffee, eat crunchy foods like apples, roll down the window, turn up the music (if it doesn't wake others), bite the inside of your cheek, pinch yourself, or change lanes frequently.
Step 10. If you have to sleep in the car, be careful
Choose well the place to stop and sleep. Look for well-lit places, away from pedestrian and car traffic, and where a patrol is unlikely to come and wake you up!
- Campsites and RV areas are good places to park (for a fee) and sleep in the car, so if you're in a hurry you don't have to waste time putting up and taking down your tent.
- Well-lit truck parks are also a good place. Many truck drivers use them, so there will be nothing wrong with you sleeping in the car too.
- When you have to travel through large cities or towns, try to avoid peak traffic times. There is nothing more frustrating (and sometimes scary) than getting stuck in a traffic jam. Try to understand which way the traffic is proceeding (traffic jams usually occur in the early morning and mid-afternoon) and look for alternative routes, or just avoid rush hours.
- If you can't avoid a traffic jam and feel tired or scared of traffic, take the first exit and wait for it to decrease. Take the opportunity to visit the surroundings or have a coffee.
Step 11. Go and enjoy the ride
Once you have everything planned and checked and know how to deal with any problems and risks that may arise, it's time to go. The trip will be as incredible and memorable as you want, so don't get fixated on preconceived or unachievable ideas. If you find something along the way that interests you but you had not put on the list, stop, explore and discover something new! You won't regret it, and you may even meet some really interesting people.
- If you are in an unfamiliar part of your country, take the scenic roads whenever you can. You will be surprised at the diversity and beauty you will encounter.
- Be spontaneous. If you see a billboard advertising an unusual shop or particular attraction, go and see. Don't be a prisoner of the itinerary or schedule.
- Wherever you go, visit the city and join the locals.
- Do your best to avoid restaurant chains. Local restaurants are almost always better and certainly more attractive to visit. You will also meet interesting locals there.
Step 12. Entertain yourself
Remember that conversation will be your primary pastime, but you need to plan activities for those times when you don't know what to talk about. You will be in the car for a long time and will not always be interested in the scenery or conversation. If you can read in the car, bring books and newspapers. If, on the other hand, reading in the car hurts you, you can listen to music with an iPod or a CD player or watch a DVD with a portable DVD player, or play games, especially if there are children who need to be always busy:
- Play “I see”: choose an object that everyone can see and say “I see something that starts with [letter], or something [color / size / material]. The one who guesses does it in turn.
- “Treasure hunt”: make a list of things to find / see along the journey at a set time (eg a red car, some cows, a cornfield, a church, etc.). The first who sees all things wins.
- "Count the cows": count as many cows (or other objects) as you can within a certain time.
- “Tell a story”: one player says a sentence, the next player has to add a sentence, and so on until a story is created. The stranger it is, the better!
- Singing is always an activity that is good for young and old.
- Prolonged closeness with some friends can cause friction, and this can be embarrassing when you still have to travel 100km together to get home. So try to "separate" from time to time so as not to get on each other's nerves.
Step 13. Keep a travel journal
Keep the memories of the trip alive forever by documenting it in digital and written form. Take lots of photos or you'll regret it later. Try to take at least a few notes every day about the places you visit and your feelings. This will help you relive the experience in the future.
- Digital is the best system when traveling. Make sure you have fresh batteries and enough memory. If the memory card is full you can download it to CD in some shops. If you are a guest of friends or family, take advantage of their computer.
- Take lots of photos. In this way there will surely be the perfect photo of the monuments, the landscape or some detail!
- Photograph things like a bridge, border signs, places where you stayed, interesting or fun billboards and signs, etc.
Advice
- Bring a car phone charger.
- If you intend to stop by friends or family along the way, remember to call ahead. Don't assume they have a place, time or desire to host you. Be polite and make sure they can accommodate you. If you feel some embarrassment, tell them that there is no problem and that you will be happy to meet them even just for a coffee or dinner.
- If you are traveling with children and / or pets, make sure you have everything you need. Remember that frequent stops, food and good air circulation, entertainment will be needed.
- If you plan to stay in a hotel, book before you leave so you won't have any surprises. Use your mobile to find and book other seats during your trip.
- Always bring a tent, it might come in handy.
Warnings
- Don't go so far that you can't afford the return trip.
- While it's exciting to set out into the unknown, it would be best to have at least a vague idea of how to get home.
- Do not continue driving if you are tired. Wake up another passenger: falling asleep can be fatal, not worth the risk.
- Avoid taking hitchhikers. You don't know who I am and it could be dangerous.
- Sometimes we argue about the music to listen to. If you can't decide, the choice goes to the driver.
- Always respect the road rules and the maximum permitted speeds, and always wear a seat belt.
