From the moment that my good friend Stacey L Tokunaga passed her driving test, we would head off on road trips across California and beyond. As we grew to become adults those road trips happened less frequently but we always tried to make sure that at least once per year we would embark upon one of our famous road trips.
Over the years we have been to no less than 23 states in 4 different cars and during that time we have managed to completely perfect the preparation and the planning of a wonderful and memorable road trip.
It doesn’t matter whether your road trip is going to take place in Europe, the US or any other country in the world, the preparation that is required is just the same. For me, the adventure and the fun that you are going to have will all be determined by how well you plan, and these are our tips on making sure that your trip is going to be every bit as memorable as it should be.
Destination
The rule that Stacey and I always had was to pick a destination and map out a rough route, but if we saw something which interested us then we’d be happy to take a detour or two. The idea of a road trip is about being free, pointing the car wherever you wish to go and see what you find on the way.
It is for the reason that we never placed too much importance on the actual route itself, as long as we eventually got to the destination. If you get too hung up on the route then things may get boring but if you simply get in the car and drive without a destination then you are going to be leaving yourself wide open for problems. Pick a place and casually make your way there.
Car Maintenance
Getting your car checked over may sound boring but trust me, you are going to regret it if you fail to do this. We learn things the hard way and Stacey and I most certainly had to do that during our first road trip, when we ran into car trouble in the middle of a quiet road in the middle of nowhere.
Getting your car checked over is not going to completely guarantee that you won’t run into maintenance issues but it will at least minimize the probability of that happening. You have to remember as well that it is not just breakdowns which you are looking to avoid here, but also an accident which can happen if the car is not in perfect condition.
Music
A road trip just isn’t a road trip without some music and that means that you are going to have to invest plenty of time in downloading albums and making sure that you have got some killer playlists ready.
Moods will change throughout the road trip, sometimes you’ll be happy, bored, frustrated, who knows, but what can help you out in all of these situations is the right music. Aim to get a good collection of uplifting and downbeat songs so that they can fit with just about any occasion or mood.
Entertainment
Music has its place on the road trip but you are also going to need some in-car entertainment, specifically games which you can play whilst you are on the road. Stacey and I would play all kinds of games during our time on the road and in particular, we used to love quizzes.
If you are looking for a game that can entertain everyone in the car then a quiz could be the perfect option. To make sure that everyone can enjoy a quiz I always thought it was best to download some and put them on audio.
We used to play Jeopardy and things like that which would seriously pass the time and make sure that we all had a laugh on the journey. I’d also recommend that you put a frisbee or a football in the trunk, for those moments when you are stopped and just hanging around.
Survival 
Always remember to pack some emergency supplies in the car, as you just never know what may happen whilst you are on the open road. Pack some warm clothes and a blanket, a first aid kit and some refreshments like chips and water.
The hope is of course that you don’t need any of these things but you can guarantee that if you don’t pack them, then you are going to find yourself in need of them.
The better that you plan the better a time that you are going to have on your journey, follow these tips and have the time of your life!
