Are you getting ready to take a trip across several states, or even the Country? Making sure each part of your trip will go smoothly takes extensive planning and preparation. Preparation begins with selecting your destination and choosing the activities you will attend. For some, this may mean visits with your travel agent. If you have chosen to book your trip yourself, consider calendaring your pre-trip tasks. This will insure you aren’t booking reservations at the last minute.
Ft. Pickens, Pensacola, Florida (above)
Get your car ready! Before you can begin thinking about packing, a visit to your service technician needs to be completed. There is nothing worse than breaking down on your vacation. Do your best to avoid complications by taking your car to you local dealer for a pre-trip maintenance and servicing. This means changing your oil, checking all of your fluids, completing an electrical system check (including your testing your battery), changing wiper blades, testing your brakes, and having your tires rotated.
After you receive the green light from your technician, begin thinking about how you will keep your family entertained during your long journey. Do you have a television in your car? Will you have space for travel games? These are both options you should consider. See these Best Ways to Keep Kids Busy in the Car for more ideas.
How will you know the best route to take? Knowing where you are going on your trip is important, especially for the one driving you there! Prior to your departure, update your GPS and make sure your cellular data plan is current. You should also keep a road atlas inside your vehicle for emergencies.
Payette River, Idaho (above)
After the reservations are made and your car is ready to go, is the fun part – packing! Packing your luggage requires more than tossing your items neatly into a suitcase. It also means, you need to pack your car. Store as much as you can inside your trunk and away from passengers. Leaving only soft items (blankets and pillows) for the interior of your car. If you don’t have a trunk, your luggage should be stored inside your cargo area and secured with a cargo net for safety. Or consider storing your luggage in a rooftop cargo basket.
Now that your trip is planned, vehicle is serviced, and your car is packed – you can get onward with your spectacular cross country road trip! ~ Happy Travels!
