Top Tips for Planning a Road Trip

There is nothing more annoying than wanting to travel and being strapped for cash to do so. Travelling doesn’t always mean boarding an airplane and jetting off somewhere; travelling also means a simple and inexpensive road trip. You can have a thrilling road trip while keeping your expenses to a minimum. This post is particularly for my mothers out there that want to travel more but need to find inexpensive and convenient ways of doing it whilst being a mum.

KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES

Travelling is great for your mental health and is always fun. This is why road trips are a great way for you to be able to travel without sometimes leaving your country. Here in the UK, we can travel across without the need of a car! National express coaches sometimes add ease to road trips.

When on a road trip, you need to firstly understand your priorities. What is your accommodation priority? Do you want a luxurious or modest stay? Are you looking to just get out of London and get some fresh air or are you looking for some sea?

Knowing your priorities will enable you to develop a plan for stopovers along the way and your destination. Ensure you find something that fits your tight budget and still have fun. Additionally, if you are not driving, finding a place that is close to the coach station where you are going will save you some bucks too.
​
Failing to plan is planning to fail. So, know what you want to achieve during a road trip. What is on your bucket list? Some of the activities might be visiting a museum, a national park, hiking, or biking along some adventurous trails.

BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Now that you know your destination proceed to make an early booking. There are various apps (booking.com, trip.com and etc) on the market that guarantee you a good deal if you make your booking in advance.

Booking early ensures you get a room of your choice in your preferred location. Make sure you check if the accommodation has parking and if you are going by coach; its proximity to the coach stop.
​
Booking a room a week earlier is cheaper. For example, hotel and motel owners usually spike prices as the week goes on. Make a booking when rooms are not in demand, and enjoy discounted prices that suit your budget.

GET YOUR VEHICLE READY

Taking a road trip is enthralling. But as a road tripper, there is an array of things you can never avoid, such as fuel expenses. Ensure your vehicle is road trip ready. Keep the tires inflated, consult with a mechanic if need be to ensure the wheels are in excellent condition. If you don’t have a car, you can borrow from your friends or colleagues.
​
Alternatively, if you don’t like driving (or are not a driver like me) you can definitely book a coach. The national express, flixbus, megabus and the like are great for savings if you book in advance.

SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS

​Driving through long stretches can be tiresome and hunger inducing. If you are driving, you’ll have to make stopovers to rest or grab something to eat. You’ll then get tempted to pull in the nearby fast food store to get something to drink or eat.
​
Before you know it; you’ll spend more than you budgeted for and be annoyed at yourself. To avoid the hard come down from your epic road trip (and you do not overspend) pack snacks! Pack dry snacks like crisps, fruits, and protein bars. Add in a few 2L bottles of water and a flask of coffee to keep you going.

Schedule stops along the way, pack some meals as well for those stops. The idea here is to avoid unnecessary spending.

THE BOTTOM LINE

​There’s no better feeling than setting off with a full-tank vehicle, open and smooth roads, and lots of adventure. With these four tips, you can still have an enthralling, inexpensive road trip.

Hope this helps you!

Tillyah