When you are about to embark on a road trip, everybody is pumped and excited for the journey that will come. But all this enthusiasm over this adventure can let you forget about the key things to surviving the road trip ahead.

On the Road photo courtesy of flickr creative commons: flickr.com/photos/toolmantim/6828955801/

Survival Guide for a Road Trip

1.    Passport

Remember to take your passport - otherwise your road trip will be cut very short when you get to the border of a country and have to disappointedly turn back.

2.    Choose the right people to go with

As you will spend long hours on the road in a confined car, it is likely peoples annoying habits will be discovered which will start to irritate you. So I suggest you choose wisely, not someone you would constantly want to fight with. To avoid ruined friendships, try going with your family because they are kind of hard to stay angry at as they are always there.

3.    Have a working car

It’s always annoying when you’re on the road, peacefully driving, and then your car makes a sound it shouldn’t be making. So you have to stop in the middle of nowhere, probably in a country that you can’t speak the language of. And, wait for a car repair company in the hot, blazing sun.  How do you steer clear of this? By ‘getting your car checked beforehand.’

4.    Don’t let your Sat Nav/GPS kill you

Make sure your Sat Nav/GPS is up to date with the latest road maps and is directing you the right way. If not, you will end like my family where our Sat Nav tried to kill us by leading us to a cliff. It was then when we realised that this road /cliff was not in use anymore. Luckily, in time.

5.    Pack loads of Food and Drink

Pack a lot of food and drink to keep your mouths occupied as you will not always have time to stop to grab a bite to eat. Plus packing food and drink= saving money. 

6.    Air conditioning

Road tripping in hot countries can often make you dehydrated in the car. This is why it is vital to have air conditioning, so people don’t start hallucinating because of the heat getting to them.

7.    Pit Stops

Being in the car for hours is not always healthy. Definitely try to stop frequently so you can stretch your legs and breathe in the fresh air. This also gives the driver time to rest for a bit. You might even want to book hotels before and stop there overnight so everybody can get some rest.

8.    Have a good time

Just enjoy yourself. Sing songs and play road trip games. Take pictures of the places you drive by, or even make cool road trip videos. I know the drive to your destination can be lengthy, but the memories that are created make the long journey worth it. 

Nadia Adusei-Boateng is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program