Best practices of a road trip:
VERDICT : "I agree road trips involve advanced planning, but be flexible at all points"
My Journey of life – no destination: (, but an excursion, --with destination --and max. gusto : )
Well, when it comes to road trips, we all know that, with the stroke of internet/ advanced media etc., all the tourist attractions and itineraries to these places is at the touch of our finger tips. Or even better, at the tang of our nostrils!
Ex : Road trip planning.com offers links to auto clubs and other valuable resources for those planning future road trip family vacations. All these includes bits and pieces of best places to visit; best packages available; best summer road trips; budget planning; cheap fares; route planners; driving directions etc..
But, my initiative in the wake of this write-up is to make any road trip interesting instead of making a specific location-to-location road trip as the cynosure!!
Carry outs of a Road-trip:
1.Choosing your travel partners:
Road trips are much more than just getting from point X to point Y. It involves exploring the surrounding beauty; bird chirping; wind whistling at your ears; playing antakshari; lays; pepsi; music; fun; frolic etc; fighting for the window seat/ squabbles over window pop up/pop down. So, if you are here for a trip in the best way you can, try to hang out with people with whom you have 100% mental dexterity.
2.Get your directions right:
If your excursions are pre-planned, get your basics right about the short cuts/traffic/directions to the area/one-ways/distance/hotels on way/petrol pumps (gas stations) on the way etc.
But, if you are letting the road take you where ever it ends, skip this part and just drive carefully.
3.Get the mode of transport right :
Stars? Girl, what ya writing? Its road-mode (kill me for the bad joke). Yep, true. But, I meant.. Tonga/chariot/cab/taxi/bus/own vehicle/tt/pre paid taxi/ post paid taxi etc and make appropriate preparations accordingly.
4.Carry enough medication/first aid kits:
If you are piercing through ghat section, it leads to nausea for some people. Hence some medicines like Vicks vaporub (head ache)/moov (body ache)/eno (gastric problems)/aspirin (head ache or fatigue)/paracetamol (feverish feeling) etc.
"DO NOT PANIC IF YOU COME ACROSS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION ON ROAD. ALWAYS CARRY A FIRST-AID KIT."
5.Choose an affable timing:
Which ever suits you as per your travel and agreement from the peers!
I am definitely a late owl and not an early bird.
6.Keep in mind some travel games to enjoy the drive:
Othello/dumb charades/antakshari/fuzzy duck/count 7/pick n speak/hot seat/mafia (personally, my favorite…for a big group)/making fun of others (hee hee)/pass the pillow (or even slaps or spanks)/killer etc.
7.Outline where to go :
Trip+fun+enjoyment ..yep sure. On the contrary, management/brain storming the places/planning events for the day et al. is it necessary? Sometimes, yes!!
8.Cost control :
Decide on the splitting part .Especially the fuel costs:
"[The calculator] allows road trippers to obtain fuel costs when comparing different types of vehicles, fuel efficiencies, and miles traveled, " says Sedenquist. I say, do not let money affect the excitement/ harmony.
9.Find appropriate accommodation before hand:
To avoid oblivious dialogs like, “sorry mam, no rooms available for the day!”
contd. in the comment due to space constraint :(