Road Trip Essentials, Tips, & Tricks

If you read Monday's post, then you know that Todd and I took a mini road trip earlier this month. We drove from Pennsylvania to North Carolina for a long weekend. It was our first road trip together, and overall it was a success. I thought it would be fun to share some of our tips, tricks, and essentials to road tripping. If you're anything like us, then you are living with champagne tastes on a post grad budget.  The two of these don't always align, but we are finding ways to make it work while still living life to the fullest.  We love traveling and exploring, but it can be costly. One of the ways we manage to travel while sticking to our budget is by driving places rather than flying. Yes, it takes more time but it is actually fun! Plus, it gives us time to chat about our wedding planning, life plans, and everything else you could possibly imagine. 

Once you decide where you are going and where you are staying there are a few more things to do before you are actually read to jump in the car and hit the road. The more planning and preparation you do the smoother your trip will be. 

Get the car ready

I'm not talking about loading it up, but actually prepping the car. It's important to make sure your oil and other fluid levels are filled. If you're going further it also might be a good idea to take your car to the mechanic for an oil change, tire rotation, and overall check in. Your future self will thank you for spending a few extra dollars on this if it means you get to and from your destination without any car issues. It's also more comfortable to travel in a clean car. Confession- I'm the worst at keeping the car clean and will avoid cleaning it at all costs.  However, recently I realized that it only takes thirty minutes to vacuum it out, clean out the trash and extra stuff you've accumulated, wipe down the interior, and wash the windows.  Traveling in a clean car just makes you feel so much better during the trip. The final preparations is to make sure that the car is stocked with chargers, and AUX card, hand wipes, and tissues. 

Map Out Your Route

Before heading out for your trip, be sure to map out to see what the best way to go is, where to stop, and the best place to leave from.  This was definitely one of the mistakes that we made. We didn't realize until we got on the road that the plans we had before leaving for our trip actually took us out of the way and added almost an hour to our trip. While mapping out your route, it is also important to note about when/where you will need to stop for gas and where the gas stations are along your route. Gas stops should be quick, so it's best if you can stop along your route rather than taking a detour because of your lack of planning. 

Combine Your Stops

If you're anything like us, then you like to just get to your destination as quick as possible. One way to do this is to combine your stops. Try to plan stops that allow you to grab food, let the dog out if he/she is traveling with you, use the restroom, and fill up your gas tank all at once. This will check three things off the list all at once and allow you to get back on the road again. 

Pack a Cooler

Pack a cooler or lunch box with water, sodas, and snacks. This will allow you to keep driving when you get hungry or thirsty. Plus, when you do stop you will be able to save any leftovers you may have for later on in your trip. 

Use Cruise Control

As you are driving it is helpful to use cruise control.  This keeps you from traveling too fast and getting a ticket.  It also makes it easier on you and it will save you on gas too.

Create a Playlist

Good music is definitely key to a successful road trip. I highly recommend creating a playlist filled with a variety of music. Variety is key because it keeps things exciting. We listened to my summer playlist for a lot of the trip. We also used to the time to begin searching for the first dance song for our wedding. We are still searching, so if you have any favorites we'd love to hear your recommendations!
Check out our playlist here! 

Caffeine Stop

What's a road trip without a caffeine stop? We definitely were in need of one during both ways of the trip.  Back to spending minimal time on stops and optimal time on the road.. I highly recommend downloading the Starbucks App or app for your favorite chain to get caffeine from. On the way home, we used the Starbucks app to find a store along our route and order our coffee ahead of time. When we got there, our coffee was waiting for us. We took a total of seven minutes for the stop to use the restroom and pick up our order.  Fun fact- water is free at most places. We got our water bottles filled with ice and water while we were there too. 

Eat Before You Go + Pack Snacks

It is helpful to not start the trip out on an empty stomach. This was a mistake we made on our way down to North Carolina. Starting on an empty stomach means that you will have to stop for a meal, which is a longer stop and you probably won't need gas yet which goes against the optimize your stops rule. Packing snacks allows you to satisfy your hunger without driving. Here are some of our favorite road trip snacks/drinks.

What are your road trip essentials?

XOXO