Top Tips to Help Prepare for a Road Trip for the First Time

Road trip are so much fun: you get to listen to music for hours, to talk and laugh with your friends, to discover new places each day, and to sleep each night in a different location. Plus, this is one of the cheapest way to travel (unless you would rather walk or bike your way around!).

But before leaving and enjoying your adventure on the road, you should think about 3 things.

1. Find the Right People to Share the Trip With

Alone, it’s not much fun, and if you don’t get along with the people in your car, it can soon become a nightmare.

Either it’s people you just met for this trip, or friends, you have to share the same idea of traveling. Some questions to ask yourselves before: do you have a similar budget? Do you agree on where you want to stay (camping, backpacker hostels, hotels)?

Of course there is not a way to know how well you are going to get along, but it’s always nice to meet a few days before leaving, to have a drink or to share a meal, it will give you an idea of how sociable your adventure mates are and if you share the same interests.

2. Get Prepared to Do Everything

Be ready to cook your meal on the ground because you are sleeping in a free campsite with no picnic tables.

You might have to eat noodle soups for weeks if you are on a budget! They are actually quite good and really easy to make ;).

You have to become organized; you should soon be able to find quickly a pair of socks or your toothbrush in your backpack without having to go through all of your stuff. And most importantly, you should be able to handle several days without showering. Easy, you say?

Then think about your adventure partners who don’t shower as well! Your sense of smell will get used to that, don’t worry.

3. Enjoy the Journey

And finally the last thing to think about before going on a road trip (and maybe the only one that really matters) is to not think too much about it.

The beautiful thing about a road trip is that you are free. If you decide to stay longer in a place that you love and where you feel comfortable, nothing will prevent you from doing it.

You can rent a car and drive from places to places to travel around Miami or wherever your heart takes you. If you get lost, you might just discover a place you had no idea existed.

The magic of a road trip is to accept to go with the flow and to follow your feelings. There is no such sensation than the one of hitting the road and follow the path you see.

By Pauline Bayle