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How To Plan A Road Trip

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Jonathan Asher Friday, 01 January 2010 10:22

An interesting way to see your country is to take a road trip. While road trip planning can be tricky, you can find interesting new spots that you certainly wouldn't come across on an organised tour. Road trips are also quite light on the budget, so it's a great way to see more and travel for longer.

An interesting way to see your country is to take a road trip. While road trip planning can be tricky, you can find interesting new spots that you certainly wouldn't come across on an organised tour. Road trips are also quite light on the budget, so it's a great way to see more and travel for longer.

I advise a minimalist approach when it comes to planning a road trip. You obviously need a little structure, but the fun is really in the random things you find along the way. By deciding only your final destination and the amount of time you have to get there, you open yourself up for all sorts of possibilities (and save yourself a crazy sprint at the end of your road trip).

When planning, definitely plan on taking snacks. One problem we face though, is that snacks are often high in sugar, which means we'll be getting energy slumps that can negatively effect our safety while driving. Look for farmers' markets which make great stops and also allow you to stock up on tasty, fresh fruit and veges: the will taste better than in the supermarket! Remember to pack a plastic bag for rubbish and avoid throwing things out of the car. Even organic produce can negatively impact some environments.

Drinking coffee or caffeinated energy drinks are also ways to induce the great highs and lows we want to avoid while on a road trip. Save your coffee needs up until you hit a real cafe, as too much caffeine equals too many rest stops! Pick up some water or fruit juice and drink that. Over your day, it'll help you stay much more alert than coffee.

A car full of people is better for the budget; splitting petrol five ways is certainly nicer than paying it all yourself. But five is really too many for a comfortable road trip; I find three or four friends works best. This gives the budget a much needed injection and also means there's a bit of room to stretch out on the back seat.

With more people comes more agendas and, sadly, you can seldom keep everyone happy all the time. Allow everyone to choose one non-negotiable activity and work with those to plan your route. If everyone has their one must-see or must-do activity included, then everything else is an awesome bonus. Make sure you don't plan in every stop and every place beforehand -- crazy stops and weird road side attractions are what makes road trips so much fun.