Hello Collegiettes! Winter is basically over, and summer is coming up quickly! That means fabulous weather, no stress, and of course plenty of vacation time! Although vacationing can be a blast, it can get pretty costly and sometimes pretty tough to plan. Even though staying in a hotel in a tropical place for a while can be fun, making your own plans and heading out on a road trip is a great way to create an awesome and versatile vacation!
Here are some tips to make sure you have your most fun-filled, stress-free road trip yet:
1. Get an oil change/check your car before you leave. Going on a road trip, especially a longer one, can be really tough on a car. Making sure that your car is running well beforehand can help you escape any bigger problems later in the trip, which will ensure that you don’t get stuck somewhere that you weren’t planning on!
2. Grocery Shop! Eating out is usually the go-to thing to do on vacation, but that can get to be really pricey, especially if you’re going on an extended trip. Instead, keep a cooler in your car and periodically go to grocery stores to get food. This way you can get multiple meals for the same price versus what you would be getting in a restaurant. It also gives you a chance to get creative with your money and food choices. (Even if it’s hot out, if you consistently keep ice in your cooler, any food that might need to be refrigerated can stay good for a few days.) With this one, make sure you don’t buy more than what you can eat in those few days. Also, keeping the cooler under your seats and out of the sun will make sure that it stays cooler for a lot longer!
3. Car camping – There are a few ways that this can work out. Some people keep camping supplies tents, sleeping bags, etc. in their cars, and as they get to each of their destinations, they rent a space at a camping ground to stay for the duration of time that they’re in the area.
4. Living in your car will quite literally require you to physically live in your car for the duration of your trip. This may sound really tough in the beginning, but once you work out the kinks of how to travel it gets much easier. With this method you won’t have any housing costs to pay for the duration of your trip. In my experience, I put down the back seats and use a mattress pad to sleep on in the back. If you have material or extra curtains, you can use those to cover up your windows for more privacy. While you are on your way, you can sleep at rest or truck stops. If you’re not sure what types of places are best to sleep in, you can check out EarthEasy’s article, which discusses staying in your car and has a section on places that you can sleep safely and tips on how to do so.
5. Hygiene – If you are stopping and staying at campsites or hotels, you’ll have all of the amenities that you need for showering/hygiene available to you. If you decide to camp out of your car for your trip, showering is a thing that you’ll have to plan out beforehand. Most truck stops have showers available, costing between $5-$10 per shower (if you’re traveling with more than one person, some places will let you pay for one, and use it one after the other). Also, if you have a gym membership (like at Planet Fitness), you can go to whatever location is nearby you, and take a shower there too.
6. Pack smart! If you’re going to live out of your car in any way, you’ll have to make sure you pack effectively. Especially if you’re living in your car, you’ll need to make sure you have a small enough amount of things so that you can still have space to sleep. Try to pack clothes that all go together and can be layered if you need to. On your trip you can stop in towns or rest stops too, as some of these places will have a laundromat for you to use. Also, having a physical map along with your GPS (or phone, if that’s what you’re using) and a first aid kit is always a great backup to have, just in case you run into any problems.
7. Have fun! Road trips can really be any type of vacation that you want them to be. You can change where you want to go at any point, and have experiences you wouldn’t have on any other trip. Remember, don’t get stressed. Just relax and have a great time! Happy travels!