Tips for a Killer Road Trip. Part 2

Road trip planning season is in full swing and here’s Part 2 of my road tripping guide! Make sure to check out Part 1 here!

To ensure road trip is enjoyable and safe for everyone:

4. Have More Than One Driver.

We were very lucky to have one of my friends drive us through the three cities (LA, SF, LV), but how crazy it must have been for her. Driving for long periods of time, in unknown areas, in a different country requires a lot of attention, care and focus – all very exhausting tasks. And it is simply unfair to put it all on one person.

This was definitely our bad for not thinking it through too much, but we didn’t have an option, because only she could drive. To keep your driver… em, driving:

• Take breaks! Stop for gas, stop to see the views and to just stretch and let the driver’s eyes rest a little.
• Keep your driver entertained – with conversations, games, music, whatever it takes to not let her fall asleep, especially when driving at night.
• Switch people in the front passenger seat to keep it fresh 🙂
• If necessary, stop and park the car and take a nap. Safety should not be compromised.

5. Pack Light.

This one may be a no-brainer, but I’m still mentioning it.

Even if you are driving and most of the time your clothes and everything else are in suitcases that you don’t need to carry around, packing light just helps you to focus on what matters – your trip and not the fact that it takes an unnecessary effort to fit 4 or 5 huge suitcases in one trunk, packing and unpacking it in each motel and just having a… heavy car to drive.

My favorite process for packing light includes:

• Check the weather! Take clothing items and shoes that are appropriate for the weather of the cities where you’re going. If it’s California and Las Vegas in May – chances are you won’t need a thick coat or a pair of bulky boots. However, DO CHECK, because anomalies happen. And special note for San Fran – no matter when you’re going, take a scarf with you and carry it around at all times. You can thank me later.
• Take shoes that are comfortable for you to walk in. I trust that I don’t need to explain this one.
• Pre-plan your outfits! There must be outfits you’ve been dying to wear and photograph when you’re traveling. Take the clothing pieces out of your closet, pair them together, try them on, lay them out on your bed, add accessories to complete the look and… take no more!

If you’re going for 5 days, take 5 daytime outfits, 2 evening ones, 1 home/sleeping one and a few swimsuits. Try to have a few pieces that can and should work with a few different outfits. This can be a jacket, a pair of shoes, a basic T, a pair of jeans etc.

• If you’re going with your girlfriends, talk to them and take 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 hair drier, 1 straightener. I’m sure you can figure it out, but these items take up a lot of space in your luggage and can definitely be shared for a few days.

6. Prepare Your Immune System.

Pack vitamins to help boost your immune system and any emergency drugs like headache, stomach ache and fever reliefs as well as common cold remedies.

I think all of us got sick by the end of the trip. Driving with little rest and sleep + running around with lots of activity is not something we are used to in our day-to-day, so your immune system can take a hit pretty easily.

Begin preparing for you trip a week or two in advance by strengthening your immune system, getting enough sleep and just taking care of yourself. You should do that all day everyday, regardless, BY THE WAY.

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Finally, and I hope it goes without saying, don’t be a hard ass on yourself if a trip doesn’t go exactly as planned. To be quite honest, it never will, and it also is the beauty of traveling. But being prepared and having your primary necessitates accounted for definitely helps to leave some room for error and improvisation.

Never Stop Exploring!