Are you moving house? Taking a road trip to get there? Why not make it an extended journey, and have a mini-holiday while you’re at it? To have an excellent road trip, you’ll need to prepare certain items for a successful journey. Got a boogie board for the holiday section of the trip? Look at trailer rental to transport some of your goods! Take the car in for a service. Have you got enough food?
We’ll go through the best tips to make your journey a success.
Rent a Trailer for Furniture
Firstly, it’s wise to move some of your own furniture, especially if it’s valuable. Consider furniture trailer hire—there’s no need to buy your own. Book it for the duration of the trip so you have enough space for furniture but also all you’ll need for the mini holiday.
Obtain Maps
You’ll need to have detailed maps. The AA will not only have maps, but also places to avoid, such as where there’s roadworks, potholes and the like. Some find it’s much easier to plan on a physical piece of paper, rather than online. Still, online maps are useful if you’re using them to direct you. But you may enjoy looking for attractions and landmarks on a paper map in front of you.
Book Accommodation Before You Leave
Find hotels, Airbnb’s, motels or campsites prior to departure. In peak holiday season, it’s going to be difficult to book a spot last minute. Also, moving is stressful enough. Don’t add more possible challenges by not planning ahead and not having a place to sleep each night.
It’s good to know exactly how far you’re going to travel each day. Plan when to start your day, and how long to make your rest stops or your holiday excursions along the way. Ensure you reach your destination before dark.
Take Your Car in For a Service
Your car must have a service. Tyres, oil, and headlights need to be in working order. Especially if the move requires you to pull a large trailer with more than just holiday items, you can’t take any risks. Your vehicle must be able to handle the load.
Get Car Accessories
You will need plug-in flashlights, a tow strap or two, warning triangle, jack, and jump-starter. You’ll also need your car insurance details and breakdown service numbers stored on your phone. Make sure not to accidentally pack the paperwork in one of the boxes that the movers are transporting on your behalf.
Pack Pillows and Blankets
After packing up the house, everyone’s going to be exhausted. The kids, and sometimes the adults, will want to sleep on the road. Pillows and blankets make it much more comfortable, even though you have to sit upright and wear a seatbelt.
Pack Snacks and Car Food
Pack snacks that won’t dirty the car:
- Small sausages
- Small packets of chips or nuts
- Carrots
- Apples or bananas
Bring some wet wipes to clean dirty hands and wipe mouths. Also, pack car-sick tablets as well as rubbish bags for the garbage.
Bring Video Players, Books and Games
Small video players will help keep the kids entertained. They may be emotional about leaving the home they know, so rather distract them in a fun way.
They can each have their own, and can watch uninterrupted for hours. If passengers enjoy reading books, and they don’t get car sick, then bring a stash to pour through on the journey to your new home.
You can also pack some puzzle books, car games, paper and pen for the kids to play with.
Download Music, Podcasts, Audio Books
Download music that you love onto your phone or other music player. Have a variety to accommodate everyone’s tastes. Podcast and audiobooks are interesting ways to while away the time. However, it’s not ideal to distract the driver, especially on a long journey, so be sure to bring headphones for the passengers who like their music loud.
Bring a First Aid Kit
A First Aid kit is essential. You require bandages, ointments, sticking plasters, disinfectant, an emergency blanket and scissors to cover basic requirements. If something happens on the road, you’ll have a solution on hand.
Plan Stops When Refuelling
You will obviously have to plan when to refuel. You know how far your car can travel on a tank of fuel and can have a rest stop before you reach ‘empty’. You can either eat and play at these rest stops or look for interesting detours nearby that you can visit.
Note: drivers need breaks of at least an hour during such long trips.
Plan to Avoid Peak Traffic
When you travel, plan to avoid peak hour traffic wherever you go. The moving-holiday is supposed to help you relax between packing up and unpacking your entire house. Don’t risk waiting for hours in a traffic jam, just because you didn’t consider people heading to work. Rather leave a little later, so you stay relaxed throughout the journey.
Switch Driving Duties
You will have to swap with another driver on long trips. It’s recommended that you stop driving after two hours, and rest. Driver fatigue leads to accidents, and you don’t want this new chapter in your life affected by an unnecessary misfortune.
Final Thoughts
A road trip can be a lot of fun, so why not use it to turn a stressful move into an exciting adventure? Start with the tips above and if you have more advice, let us know in the comments section.
