Road Trip Tips by Chasing Elephants

So this post was supposed to be for while I was in Greece, but my girl Meg was super sweet (as always!) and let me repurpose it for while I'm recovering from surgery!  A huge thanks to Meg for writing this awesome post for me.  Make sure to check out her wonderful blog Chasing Elephants when you're done here!

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Hey there Kristin's readers!

I’m Meg and I blog over at Chasing Elephants.  I can’t express how flipping jealous I am that my girl is in Greece right now.  Seriously one of the best experiences to have.  If you are debating on studying abroad there is just no debating, do it.  Don’t worry about finances just figure it out.  That’s my advice for anyone because it was something that I choose not to do because of money and I’m still bummed about it. 

I’ve done a lot of driving in my past and thought I would share some Road Trip Tips.  Whether you are traveling solo, with your best friends, your boyfriend or with your family I hope you find these tips helpful on your next road trip.

1. Do your research before your trip.  

Find out places you want to stop at along the way. If you are needing some sites to plan your trip check these out.  I’m personally a big foodie so checking out some neat/unique restaurants are a must on my list.  Ask your friends and family too because they might have some great recommendations as well. I even recommend checking out Groupon for deals near the area you may be going to. 

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/road-trips/articles/road-trips-for-foodies

https://roadtrippers.com/guides/best-of-roadtrippers

http://expresslane.idrivesafely.com/pit-stops/nggallery/image/dorothy%E2%80%99s-house-land-of-oz-in-liberal-ks-%E2%80%93-wichita-ks-%E2%80%93-albuquerque-nm/

http://www.planyourroadtrip.com/#/home

http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/808694/20-must-see-us-destinations

http://www.concierge.com/ideas/roadtrip/tours/502463

2. Don’t just make one playlist but make several.  

If you’re anything like me, I have different music moods. Sometimes I’m feeling all things pop and sometimes I’m like I feel like belting it out, oh hey Adele!  A blogger had turned me onto the Bachelorette Pandora station and it seriously just made my last road trip.  So I suggest checking that out!

3. Print out your route directions just in case.  

Sometimes I have the worst luck either with my GPS or my phone.  I may or may not have dropped my phone in the toilet three times so ya never know.

4. Pack a cooler with your favorite snacks and drinks for those long spurts of not stopping.  

It saves money and time so you can get to where you want to be.  Plus, I tend to like fruit and almonds and they don’t really have a great selection at rest stops.  And you may got stuck in a traffic jam and a chocolate bar just might be what you need to get you through

it. 

5. Be ready to dance, sing and have fun.  

No road trip is complete without looking like an idiot and laughing your head off.   

6. Pack sunglasses.  

Just pack two actually because you never know.  And there is nothing worse than when it’s first thing in the morning  or end of the day and the sun is shining bright. No one likes crow’s feet so yea, don’t forget sunglasses.

7. Bring your camera.  

I mean this one is a given but it’s a must to take pictures everywhere!   And don’t be embarrassed to take a million selfies!  Plus, I’m all about documenting because you will want to remember those moments!

8. Get your car fully serviced and clean it before you leave.  

Seriously, though.  There’s nothing worse than having your car break down.  Trust me.  It’s happened to me and it’s not pretty or cheap. 

9. If you are traveling with others do not be on your phone or ipad the flipping whole time.  

For one thing it’s just really boring for your driver. Use this as an opportunity to have conversations you wouldn’t normally have with your friends/significant other. After all it is a road trip so enjoy the sites along the way and heck playing car games are the best.

10. As I said in #1 it’s good to have some ideas of places you want to see but I wouldn’t plan too much.  

It’s good to have a loose itinerary so if new things pop up it won’t ruin your whole schedule.  

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