road trip

How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip

Angela Manning Travel , , , , , ,
How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip

Going on a road trip can be a rewarding and reinvigorating experience. Before you go, however, there are a number of things you need to do to prepare. Mainly, you need to prep your car for the long and rather grueling trip. If your car is mainly used for driving to and from work or school, then it will require some hefty preparation before hitting the long road. Here are several tips to get your car ready for an awesome road trip:

Get Your Vehicle Checked and Detailed

First of all, you need to take your vehicle to the nearest auto mechanic for a thorough checkup. There are several things to check before you hit the road. Some of these can be handled by car owners, such as checking the engine oil or examining the tire treads for wear and tear. But it’s highly recommended to have a professional mechanic take a good look at your vehicle. Tell the mechanic about your road trip and the terrain you intend to cover. Then the mechanic can examine your car and tell you if it’s ready for a road trip.

You can also get your vehicle detailed at this point, which would involve checking and cleaning the engine—a must before any road trip. You can ask your local mechanic for good car detailing options before you hit the road for weeks.

Lease a Larger Car if Needed

It’s worthwhile to stop and think if that Hyundai accent you are using to get to work every day is actually suited for a road trip across the country or in the mountains. The car you take should be able to accommodate all the people traveling. It should be spacious enough for one driver to nap while the other takes the wheel in turns. The car should be able to tackle the terrain you intend to travel. Considering these option, you might want to rent or lease a bigger vehicle just for the road trip.

For those young, wild and free at heart going on a road trip, be sure to balance out your youthful enthusiasm with temporary car insurance under 21. Better to be safe than sorry!

Change the Tires and Pack a Spare

Ask your auto mechanic to change tires to suit the terrain you plan on traveling on. Tires should be checked for wear and tear, and also for inflation levels. The tires may require deflating for certain types of rough terrain. Before driving off, you must pack a spare tire in the trunk.

Install a GPS Navigation System

Even if you are very good with directions, it’s strongly recommended to install a GPS system in your car before you go on your trip if it already doesn’t have one. You will be traveling on strange and unfamiliar roads, so you will need all the help you can get. When you go off road, keep in mind that some route information will not be available on GPS. So pack a detailed road map for info on those side roads the digital maps don’t show.

When you hit the road, you must pack an emergency toolkit, extra fuel, and a first aid kit in the trunk. Pack more tools than you usually do for everyday transport to make sure you are not stranded in the middle of your road trip.

Why Rent a Car on Your Next Road Trip and Not Drive Yours

Angela Manning Travel , , ,
Why Rent a Car on Your Next Road Trip and Not Drive Yours

Road trips can be fun while traversing the country or even countries and experiencing different climatic conditions and cultures. They bring a big change from the boredom of the daily office life or the familiar home you have known for years. You get to sample different dishes and meet new people who change your view of the world.

As you plan for your next road trip, book hotels, map your routes and destination, and noting must-visit sites and can’t miss events, you have to address one issue: which vehicle will you use, yours or a rental? It is also critical to know who will drive. This article looks at some of the reasons for renting a car on your next road trip and how to save on it.

Reasons to rent a car for your road trip

While renting a car for a road trip seems like a costly option, below are some reasons you may consider it:

  •       To get a fuel-efficient car

If you own a car that is not fuel-efficient, renting one that is fuel-efficient could save you a decent sum of money. You need to consider the rental rates and availability of an economical car. Besides that, rentals offer protection products at a little extra cost that takes care of vehicle damages in case of accidents. You are better off using a rental if you are to take a long road trip since the longer the trip, the higher the chances of accidents.

  •       To avoid wear and tear on your car

Long road trips could take a heavy toll on your car, leading to future repairs at very high costs. Driving about 15-20 hours with few stopovers to cover over 1,000 miles may also make your car break down if it is old. It is no-brainer that to protect your car from wear and tear, renting, especially at good rates, is a better option.

  •       To have the right vehicle

You may own a small car but want to go for a family road trip that may involve some off-road drives. In such cases, getting a reliable, comfortable SUV from a rental, for example at https://milanirentals.com, would be the best option.

  •       To have fun as a gang

Taking a road trip in a convoy of small vehicles slows down the journey and kills the fun. Instead, you can rent a 7-seater SUV or a 12-seater van and drive in turns as you have your fun and move faster. You could also hire an extra driver from the rental at an additional fee so you greatly enjoy the trip.

Tips to save on car rentals

While renting a car for a road trip, you may use the tips below to save some money:

  •       Check several rentals

You need to visit several rentals to compare the rates and even use online resources by visiting big sites to compare prices. Try the small rentals since they sometimes have incredible deals.

  •       Keep away from airport rentals

Due to the high demand from visitors who want convenience and high operating costs among other factors, rentals based in airports tend to be more costly, so avoid them if you can.

  •       Rent on off-peak days

Most business executives travel on Sunday night or Monday morning, and vacationers rent mostly from Thursday to Saturday. Visiting the rental on Wednesday could get you better rates. The idea is to opt for off-peak times to get better deals.

Final thoughts

Renting a car for your road trip is the better option most of the time due to the reasons discussed above. Furthermore, it adds fun and excitement to drive a different car on such an adventure. However, if the rates and other costs are so high and your vehicle is in good shape, you may opt to use it. You may also want to drive the car you are used to or are certain about its condition, which makes sense to use yours.

Checklist For A Great Summer Road Trip

Angela Manning Travel , , , , , ,
Checklist For A Great Summer Road Trip

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With summer upon us and the kids soon out of school, you might be wondering just what to do with them all summer long. It can be a daunting prospect of having them home all day, so why not consider taking a family vacation somewhere fun! Even if you can’t afford to jet off to a far flung locale for a beach escape, there are plenty of things you can do in and around your local area, such as going on road trips of varying durations. Road trips are a great way to spend some time with the family for a whole variety of reasons. But how can you get ready for a great road trip that the kids will be talking about for years? Here is a quick checklist you can use before any road trip to make sure it’s full of fun and enjoyable memories you will cherish forever.

Check Your Vehicle

Making sure your vehicle is ready to hit the road for a lengthy drive is one of the first things you should do before any road trip. After all, being stuck on the side of a motorway with cranky children is not anyone’s ideal plan when it comes to crafting great family memories. Visit your nearest Ford dealership to get your car looked at and serviced to make sure it’s running in top condition, and replace any potential problems that may need attention.

Buy Road Worthy Snacks

Snacks are a great way to keep the kids (and you!) happy on the road. It can be long stretches between stops and those roadside services can sometimes jack the prices up a bit, making it a costly adventure to buy a snack or two enroute. Stocking up on lots of healthy snacks will keep your  mind at ease as well, knowing that your kids are still getting essential vitamins and minerals even when on the road.

Pick A Great Route

Routes around the country can vary and you should pick a great route that fits well with your schedule as well as the interests of both you and the family. Perhaps going on a road trip to visit a relative in another county could be a great option for a summer road trip, or maybe you’ve always wanted to check out that one great location in the country but haven’t gotten there yet. Road trips to popular places include Cornwall, the Lake District, the Peak District and the Isle of Skye.

Be Flexible

Flexibility is always a great attitude to have on any family vacation and results in a lot of fun had by all. Being flexible includes being okay with stopping off for lunch, stopping to take pictures, maybe taking a small detour to check out a cool attraction or lookout point and of course, being okay with changing plans slightly on the fly if something happens like an attraction is closed. Being flexible will help everyone stay relaxed and enjoy the experience.

So if you’ve been wondering what to do with the kids this summer and you want to entertain the option of a road trip, hopefully this article has helped give you a bit of a starting point on how best to get road ready for this year’s great family getaway.