As life slowly returns to normality, the thought of planning your first vacation for over a year is exciting to say the least. Even if you’ve never taken one before, a road trip will stand out as one of the most attractive choices. However, you will need to prepare for it in style.

The appeal of avoiding airports and crowded spaces in these testing times is clear. With the right plan in place, it can be one of the best adventures of your life. Here’s how to keep your break on the right track in just 10 easy steps.

1| Decide Who You Will Travel With

It doesn’t matter where you plan to visit, the company you share will have a telling influence on your time away. Holidaying together can test friendships, especially when you aren’t as close as you thought. However, the sentiment rings even more true when taking a road trip. After all, you will be around each other on an almost 24/7 basis. Any disagreements that stem from conflicting ideas of how to make the most of the road trip will be amplified due to the proximity.

The great news is that any adventures shared with the right people will feel even greater due to the restricted lives we’ve all recently endured. Nonetheless, most people have become more comfortable in their own company. As such, it may also be a good time to consider whether a solo trip might be better. This could be your chance to tick off bucket list items when you’d usually be held back by others.

2 | Prepare Your Vehicle

If you are eager to take a road trip, it’s important to recognise that the driving aspects are a key feature. If you’re a true petrolhead, you’ll love the opportunity to drive across the country. Even if you’re not, you should want a comfortable ride as this will keep you in a more relaxed mood. Better still, it will put you in a far stronger position to embrace the backdrops and horizons seen en route to your destination. These moments can be among the most memorable of the entire trip.

Renting a bigger car or a motorhome is one option. However, most people will find that their vehicle is suitable. Nonetheless, it may need a little TLC before you head off. You can check out tyres for sale online to create a smoother ride. Alternatively, adding modern tech features to enhance the journey can work wonders. There’s nothing worse than a bumpy ride to harm your excitement.

3| Consider What Type Of Adventures You Want

While the driving itself can become a significant part of your break away, you must not forget the destinations. Road trips can be used to explore different city breaks, especially when you hire homestay accommodation. Alternatively, you could explore the great outdoors with a camping adventure. Knowing the type of trip you are taking will allow you to pack the right accessories for the great outdoors or comforts for the temporary home. Likewise, it’ll help you pack the right clothing and footwear.

Holidays are a chance to try activities that are outside of your normal habits. However, you will probably find that you stick to one type of vacation during your road trip. Building an itinerary that keeps this in mind allows you to enjoy the adventures to the max. Without this preparation, you will sadly run the risk of missing out on some of the activities. Or simply overcomplicating things.

4| Know The Climate

Weather conditions will impact virtually every aspect of your road trip. This ranges from impacting journey times to determining what sun protection or rain protection items are needed. Nobody wants to be caught in another part of the country without the right clothing or skincare items. Even if it is possible to find those items while you’re away, it will eat into your vacation time and budget. Besides, planning in advance allows you to buy the brands and products you already love.

The climate aspects may additionally impact accessibility to activities and attractions. For example, some venues may be forced to shut down when it’s particularly wet and windy. Given that you can find all of the necessary information in a matter of minutes with a quick online search, you have no excuse to ignore it. Making appropriate decisions based upon the results will enhance your holiday.

5| Consider Pre-Booking Places

A little spontaneity goes a long way to enjoying a fun vacation. Now more than ever, though, it is equally important to stay organised too. While many aspects of modern life are returning to the pre-Covid protocols, plenty of changes have happened too. Likewise, some venues may be forced to run at limited capacities or choose to use a diluted service for some months to come. Therefore, pre-booking restaurants and tickets to events or bucket list items is highly advised.

If you are looking to make up for lost time, try to do at least one new task in each location that you stop at. This could mean booking a helicopter tour, arranging a track day, or doing a bungee jump. Or you might just want to visit a landmark in each destination. Ultimately, we all have different visions of what the road trip should include. Just make sure that you don’t miss out due to continued restrictions.

6| Build A Budget

Vacations are a chance to let your hair down and forget about daily life. Nonetheless, it will be very difficult to switch off from financial stress. There is little point in enjoying 10 days away if it subsequently causes 10 months of financial difficulties. So sitting down to work out a realistic budget for your trip should be considered an essential part of the preparation. Only then can you enjoy the daily activities with full confidence and a clear mindset. This will feed into a better overall experience.

Supporting yourself with activities that are free or cost very little will serve you well. When heading to the great outdoors, taking your bicycles can have an influence. Alternatively, you could look at geocaching and other fun ways to spend a few hours without spending money. This can subsequently remove any guilt you may feel over the more expensive activities enjoyed during the trip.

7| Have Offline Support

Technology can play a significant role in making the road trip more fun. However, you should not expect to have good 4G or 5G coverage at all times. As such, saving a playlist to one of your music devices and taking traditional entertainment like books and board games can pay dividends. On a similar note, carrying a paper map is essential. If nothing else, it gives you peace of mind in case internet connections or device power is lost. Although a portable charger solves the latter issue.

Even if you can get a good internet connection, there’s something refreshing about not relying on it. Whether camping or taking city breaks and beach trips, increased engagement with the surroundings will help. It’s one of the many reasons road trips have grown in popularity in recent years. Try it once, and you’ll probably find yourself craving more on future trips.

8| Learn Some Camera Skills\

After such a long time of being restricted to your local region, you will want to cherish your first chance to explore new territories. Taking great photographs will be one of the best ways to ensure that the memories last a lifetime. While most smartphone cameras are decent, you shouldn’t have much trouble justifying a mid-range DSLR. After all, the photos could become home decor features. The camera itself can subsequently be used for family events and portraits.

A road trip will give you the perfect opportunity to capture a combination of wildlife shots, city shots, skyline photos, and more. Learning the basics of taking better photos before you head off on the adventure will also give you an extra source of enthusiasm. Getting the best photos of your life will inevitably make each road tri[ activity feel all the more special. It’s the least you deserve.

9| Prepare For The Worst

Road trips are a great deal of fun, especially when you have prepared for them in the right manner. Nonetheless, they are equally capable of serving up difficult and testing situations. While you might not be able to prevent all of them, you can reduce their impact. Finding an online road assistance recovery service that offers coverage across all locations is vital. Similarly, you should pack a first aid kit, along with any other items that may be needed in an emergency.

If you are planning to incorporate camping or hiking trips into the adventures, you will have lots of food packed. Even if you are booking a hotel or accommodation, it’s worth packing a few dry snacks and bottled water. A water filtration bottle is another tool that could prove to be priceless. Aside from the direct benefits that these extra steps bring, they deliver peace of mind. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

10| Free Your Mind

After the past 18 months, you deserve the chance to enjoy your next trip to the max.  Allow yourself to break free from the stresses of modern life by logging out of your work emails and ensuring all loose ends are tied up before you leave. When you do, the road to a happy vacation awaits.