Your Road Trip Checklist
Before you jump in the car and head off on your summer holiday, you should go through a road trip checklist. This will make your holiday a safe, stress-free and more enjoyable one. The first thing to do is to get a cheap car service in Auckland from our mechanical experts and make sure your vehicle is up to the long journey ahead. Once you’ve done that, you can tick off everything else on the list including:
- Download apps on your smartphone: Apps will make your journey so much easier. For example, the NZTA app will give you real-time information on things like road closures and roadworks. Or you can get tourist information on your next destination, find out where the best places to eat are, or where the nearest motel might be.
- Make your car fun and family-friendly: Stock up on car-friendly activities that will keep the kids amused and less distracting while you drive. Get the young ones to choose their favourite books, games and other portable but quiet activities.
- Pack snacks and water: Keep the munchies away and everyone will be happy instead of hangry! After all, the last thing you want when you’re trying to concentrate on the road ahead is grumpy, starving passengers. Pack healthy snacks if you can to make up for the more indulgent holiday diet you’ll be following once at your destination. And fill plastic bottles with water and freeze them the night before so you have plenty of cold water for the ride. Make sure you keep hydrated – as the driver you need to stay energetic and alert and water is as good as anything in helping you feel on top of things.
- Make your home secure: Before you leave, make your home as secure as you can. Needless to say, your holiday would be ruined if you return home to a broken-into house. Tell your neighbours you’re going away and ask them to keep an eye on the place when they can and to empty your letterbox for you; a letterbox stuffed with advertising junk mail is a dead giveaway that you’re not home. Leave some old boots or shoes by the front door, and hang some op shop clothes on the washing line to make it look like someone is home. Mow the lawns and weed the garden as an overgrown yard is another sign you’re away. If you can afford it, invest in timers that turn your lights on and off automatically. And it would be great if you could get a neighbour or friend to park a car in your driveway – an empty driveway is another indication that you’re gone.
- Know all about where you’re going: If you’re staying at a motel or hotel, give them a call and ask for some local knowledge. Travel guides will tell you some of the story about your destination, but people who actually live there will tell you the places you must visit, and the ones to avoid, and they’ll know all the other important things like where to get the best coffee, or fish and chips, or custard square – this is stuff you must know!
Doing just a few things like this can make your road trip a much more pleasurable experience. But remember, without a reliable vehicle there is no trip at all so make sure you book in a cheap car service with us.