Let me say upfront…
Road tripping is not the best choice for everyone.
For many, the glamour of the open road is enticing. But I can say from experience that choosing to take a road trip (and having a successful one) requires serious planning and foresight. Jumping into your car and heading out without much preparation can be a recipe for disaster. But if you do it right, you will be well rewarded!
Road trips have provided my family some of our best travel memories.
Believe me… Nothing brings people together more than hours in a car!
You will learn more about each other’s others likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Personal bonds will be created and strengthened. And at the same time, you may actually learn something! Around every corner in every town is something to be explored. Crossing over every state line, you can enhance your family’s knowledge of history, geography, art and more.
Believe me, I approached the possibility of our first family road trip with two young kids with trepidation. But it worked and I’m so glad we took that first step.
Click here to read about my family’s first road trip story: https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/my-familys-travel-journey-begins/
Now.. back to the question at hand. Is taking a road trip the right choice for YOU?
Before you gas up, my advice is to ask yourself the following questions:
DO YOU LIKE DRIVING?
Simple enough, huh? But you honestly need to ask this of yourself, especially if you will be the primary driver.
If driving a half an hour to an hour to work each day makes your blood boil, getting into a car for several hours or more to get to a destination may not be ideal for you . It just may not be the “road” (ha! ha!) to take for your next travel adventure.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO DRIVE TO YOUR VACATION DESTINATION(S)?
Flexibility, control and cost may be your reasons for this choice. Or perhaps your trip is a last minute choice and other transportation options are not viable. But a bit of advice…Make sure that flying to and from your destination or possibly train travel is not more affordable once you add up cost of gas, food and possible extra overnight hotel stops.
But remember…with driving comes the perks of stopping and seeing things you may otherwise miss on your journey.
WILL YOU BE THE ONLY DRIVER?
Sharing the driving load helps out, especially on longer, more extensive road trips. If you are the only driver, make sure that you are ok with having this responsibility land squarely on your shoulders.
For me, the act of driving is enjoyable. I personally love it and am more than happy to take on most of the driving load on my family’s road trips. But for many, driving can be frustrating and tiring. As the driver, you can’t relax like you can on a train or plane. But the benefit is…
You choose your fellow passengers. I’m not sitting next to a person who just had a garlic bagel or perhaps, forgot to apply deodorant that day!
IS YOUR CAR UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Again, this may seem an obvious question to ask but if your car is old, has difficulty making short trips, is iffy at best on the road, you may want to choose another mode of transport.
Of course, a rental car is an option if you REALLY want to road trip. But if cost is why you’re choosing this style of vacationing, the car rental cost will probably wipe out any transportation cost savings.
DO YOU OR YOUR PASSENGERS GET CAR SICK?
Car sickness is horrible! I know this too well since I’m one of the unucky ones that gets sick as a car passenger.
But I love to drive! On most family road trips, I do the majority of driving because I actually enjoy it. If I know we’ll be driving on a flat, not curvy interstate for a period of time, my husband can take over the wheel.
If you or your passengers get motions sick, you may want to think long and hard about this mode of travel. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. Motion sickness medicine can help but that’s a personal choice, especially with children.
So if you’re ready to road trip…
go for it.
Hit the road and enjoy!