HOW TO PLAN A PERFECT ROAD TRIP (WITHOUT TURNING IT INTO A DISASTER)
"Travels forge the youth." - French proverb
In French, this is how we express the importance of travelling across the world. It could be seen as an initiatory journey. Personally, I truly believe in the idea that travelling allows you to know yourself better, but also to develop your vision of the world. I have been lucky enough to travel for my entire life to North America, Asia, Africa and Europe. I still have a lot to discover, but I am glad to have been in contact with so many cultures and people. In a way, it help you to grow.
Even if, I went to various countries across the world, sometimes the best, the ones I learnt the most of, were not the farthest one from home. You don't need to take a 15 hours flight to enjoy a trip and to discover a lot of things. Actually, one of the cheapest and funniest travelling idea is to do a road trip.
Obviously, everyone has in his entourage someone that did a road trip. We all have this very American vision of it too - yeah, we are all addicted to blockbusters and US movies. There is a kind of mythology surrounding the road trip experience, making it super attractive.
However, before you hit the road, you'd better know what it takes to go on a road trip. Ask yourself questions. Where do you wanna go? For how long? With who? What kind of activities?
Feeling overwhelmed? No worries! Here are some tips and tricks to help you plan and enjoy your road trip without going crazy and turning it into a disaster.
#DETAILSMATTER
BEFORE LEAVING:
Plan your main stops: When going on a road trip, you will travel through a country or a continent. The number of stops depends on how long you plan to hit the road. This should be your main focus before leaving for your travel. You don't need to plan every seconds of the trip - hell no! Just know what are the main stops of your road trip. Which cities do you want to visit? Point them on a map and then create your itinerary.
Who are you going with?: Your second main issue is to know who will be part of your squad. If I can give you some pieces of advice, go with friends or family that have their driving license, at some point you need to rotate to avoid accidents, and with whom you already went on trips with - you're going to be stuck with them in a car, you better not involve Godzilla in your road trip! Once again, your choice! Just remember that the main cause of travelling disasters is the people accompanying you.
Book the cars, hotels, flats, museums and restaurants: Obviously you need to book your transportations (trains, buses, flights), especially if you don't own a car. For your main stops, reserve hotels or flats. It depends on your budget and what you prefer, more particularly if you're with several persons. Most of the time, you don't need to book museums and restaurants. You can just walk in. Except for certain places, some exhibitions are super difficult to access without pre-paid tickets - I know what I am talking about I am from Paris! It is the same for the trendy restaurants. For those special places, it's always better to make a reservation it will avoid you disappointment.
Check your insurance and your assistance service: This is the not-so-funny part of travelling, especially on road trips. You are exposed to risks: accident, sickness, robbery, currency issues. Trust me, I have been in some of these situations and I have always been glad to know I was insured and to know who to call for help! People often neglect this part of a trip and because of that it turns really into a disaster. When going on a road trip, you need to make sure you are insured yourself, but also that the car and the people with you are too. This is essential, guys, DO NOT MESS AROUND WITH THAT! I am not being bossy, I am just trying to warn you that sometimes unpredicted things happen and the fact you are a very careful individual won't change anything.
Dig informations about the country and cities: Before travelling, I recommend you look for informations on the places and the countries you will visit. At least to know what is trending their (restaurants, music, arts), not to only do super touristic activities. Also you can try to learn some common words in the local languages. It can always be useful, even just to start a conversation. You should - not forcing you at all, its your trip after all - make sure you know the traditions of the countries, to find cultural activities, but overall to know what you can and can't do. I am sure the last thing you wanna do is to be in trouble because you did not know that what you did was against the customs.
What about the packing?: Are you afraid to forget something? Or do you often take to much? I know that packing can provoke a lot of anxiety. Especially, when you are gone for a long time. Trust me I am a control and packing freak. To avoid to forget the essentials and to overweight my luggages with pointless stuffs, I do checklists. You don't need to be a monk during your road trip. The deal is to balance the useful and sentimental belongings. I do recommend for people leaving for a long time to take with you little stuffs reminding you of your home, friends and family. The aim is to find comfort when feeling homesick. It can be pictures, a candle, a clothe, whatever making you feel home. I almost forgot to explain why you shall not take to much things: you are going to buy souvenirs on your way that need to fit in your suitcase! Another advantage of the checklist is to help you not to lose stuffs on the road too.
DURING THE TRAVEL:
Be open-minded to changes: I repeat BE OPEN-MINDED! I know, I know, I said you need to plan your trip before, but I didn't said you had to plan everything and to stick to the entire plan. Sometimes you might be tempted by doing changes or the people accompanying you might want to go different places. My advice? Do compromises. Do not changes everything, do small detours.
Talk to the locals: You want to go off the beaten tracks, but can't get your hand on a travel guide specialized in non-touristic places. One and only solution: talking to locals. Locals are the best advisors you can find. They live in the cities you are visiting. Why should you not allow yourself to use this treasure? You don't know? Me neither! So ask, talk, join the locals. Your experience will be more genuine.
Don't forget to take pictures: It might be obvious, but many time when coming home after enjoying yourself you realize you forgot to take pictures. Pictures are part of the memory process, guys! I am not talking about you doing selfies all day long. I am talking about taking pictures of the places you go, of the people you are with and all the funny moments. Trust me you will be glad to have them later on in your life to reminded you those amazing moments.
Take time for yourself: When you've been gone and stuck with people in a car for a long time, at some point you will need some time apart for yourself. It might just be a walk, a nap or a massage, a shopping session. Basically, whatever you need! Don't forget you need to enjoy yourself!
One last thing:
Leave and don't forget to live!
(Photo credit: 4am Journal)