My ultimate tips for having the most amazing road trip

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I love a good road trip. The freedom, the adventure, the not knowing what you might stumble across. It’s just perfect! You can go where you want, whenever you want. I’m still determined to own a campervan one day because I just love the autonomy it brings!

There are tonnes of places around the world that make for a great road tripping experience. The fantastic Maps & Merlot has an epic list of road trips to take before you die and I 100% intend to do so!

For me, a road trip wouldn’t be the same without having people to go with. And let’s be honest, I would just get lost, go round in a circle and end up seeing the same service station about 4 times. I need serious guidance when it comes to directions. But more importantly, it’s about sharing the experience and having a good laugh on the way!

I’ve done a few road trips on my travels, so I know how important it is to have provisions in place. Here are my little tips to make your next road trip epic!

PLAN A ROUTE. THEN BE PREPARED TO FORGET ABOUT IT

Obviously there are going to be places that you’re definitely aiming to see and that can’t be missed, but get used to finding all sorts of other amazing stuff in between! See a sign to somewhere that takes your fancy? Go for it! Your are your own car boss after all! It might be shit but it could be AMAZING and you have the chance to find out for yourself, so go and do it! Make sure you have a map covering you’re overall route or a decent sat nav, then you’ll have nothing to worry about.

SHARE THE DRIVING

If like me you’re a sucker for underestimating distance, you can often find yourself doing long stretches of driving in order to reach somewhere. Make sure you shake it up and have a switch round with the drivers. Getting tired or complacent is not ok behind the wheel! And besides, driving something different to the norm is way too much fun to let someone else hog it!

GO EASY ON THE PACKING

So campervans may look big from the outside, but seeing as the basic small campers can house 4 people, it can get pretty cosy in there. The last thing you need is everyone bringing their entire wardrobe, pets, and the kitchen sink. Road trips are for packing light. Having too much stuff quickly turns the back of the van into an Aladdin’s cave, but not in a good way. And campervans have kitchen sinks, so seriously, leave those at home.

MAKE AN ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST

Of course, the most important part of a trip anywhere. For me this means more cheesy than anything but each to their own, and that’s kinda the point! The music you play on a road trip will later remind you of the road trip! Choose a bunch of themes and enjoy screaming the songs at the top of your lungs!

GET YOUR CAR GAME HAT ON

Being the big kid that I am, I love a car game. It doesn’t just have to be the same old ‘eye-spy’ (although this is a classic so don’t knock it) as there are loads of other things out there. Buzzfeed has a bunch of hilarious games to play whilst on the road so why not give some of these a go? Also, it’s a good way to keep tiredness at bay and keep the driver alert.

GET YOUR SNACK SUPPLY

This will save you time, money and prevent a hanger argument happening (we’ve all been there). Before you hit the road, go to a shop and get some sweets and crisps as well as some fruit and water. Cereal bars are also handy to have to keep everyone fuelled up before you find your home for the night.

AND TALKING OF FUEL…

Make sure you don’t let the van hit the red. The last thing you want is to break down in the middle of nowhere, where you don’t really know where you are and you don’t have phone signal to get someone to bail you out. Equally, make sure you know what type of fuel you need to be putting in- having the tank drained is a bloody quick way to rack up the cost of a road trip! Save yourself the embarrassment and fuel up often (and with the right fuel) before you realise you can’t.

ENJOY THE ALFRESCO DINING

For me, this is the ultimate luxury on a road trip. Eating on a deserted beach or a next to a river bank under the stars is just bliss. Food always tastes better when you can eat it outside rather than in a boxy restaurant somewhere. Crack out a disposable BBQ or take a little gas stove with you and you can whip up a delicious meal in no time. Take some blankets, get cosy, sit back and just enjoy being where ever you are!

INFACT, ENJOY THE ALFRESCO EVERYTHING!

You might well be on a road trip like no road trip you’ve ever been on before. Make sure you stop regularly, get out the car and have a good look around. Take in the outside world that you wouldn’t be experiencing if you hadn’t done this on a road trip under your own steam. Even though many other people might be doing the same route, everyone will see it differently.

SET UP YOUR CAMERA

No road trip would be complete without a million photos of the millions of things you will stumble across. Get snap happy and take loads of photos of your surroundings and with your buddies. A GoPro is an amazing bit of kit to have for a road trip- the fixture for a dashboard or the outside of the car is a fantastic thing to play with and a brilliant way to make your trip into a video afterwards. Also, it wouldn’t be a road trip without a sneaky picture of that person who falls asleep with their mouth wide open. Just make sure it isn’t you!

Tell me about your favourite road trip below!