You finally decided to do the road trip you were dreaming of since years, but you don’t know where to start? Well, don’t panic, it’s easier than you can imagine. We road tripped in Europe and Australia for two years, and we learnt some methods that will help you to organize your trip in an easier way.
In this article, you’ll find our favorite tips that we still use every time we go on the road!
Choose the destinations
First thing to do is to sum up the places where you want to go. Do some online researches, talk with people, inspire yourself with other
road trip itineraries you find online. Reading blog post, surfing on Pinterest and Instagram, are the main sources we get inspired the most to choose the places we want to visit.
Create your itinerary
After choosing the places you want to visit, you need to consider the number of days you have on the road and the number of kilometers you will be able to do in one day, taking into account the breaks and visits. If you’re planning to hit the road an unknown time frame, just sum up the points and go with the flow. Of course, if you have a limited amount of time this requires some time and organization.
Take an insurance
Then, one of the most important to have if something happens to you while the road trip, is an insurance that covers you in every countries where you are planning to go. Be careful and read closely terms and conditions. . Having an insurance isn’t optional and if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. Travel Insurance is financial security against accidents that may happen on your trip.
Choose when to go
According to the destination chosen, you need firstly to check when is the peak period to avoid crowds of tourists and double prices on attractions, and secondly the best time for the activities you planned to do. For example a trip to LA for whalewatching is great is summer, but if you wanna see the Northern Light in Iceland you need to plan it in winter season. Consider as well the weather, this will help you knowing what you have to pack.
How to move
Road trip doesn’t necessarily mean vans, isn’t it? There are many different ways on how you can move on a road trip : a simple car, a mini van, a caravan, a motorbike, or even a bicycle for the more challenging people. Having a van to call home is indeed the best way to be self sufficient – you can sleep inside, cook inside, pee and shower inside.
Where to sleep
It will depends on your vehicle.
◦ Car : you have the choice to sleep in tents, airbnbs, hostels, and even in your car if it’s big enough ! We did 2 road trips (Australia, Eastern Europe) and always did it with a wagon car, big enough to sleep inside.
◦ Mini van / Caravan : you also have all the choices listed above, but a van is really cosy and big enough to sleep and be comfortable everyday.
◦ Motorbike : sleeping in tents will be the best way as you can drive in locations that wouldn’t reachable with bigger vehicle. Find a sneaky spot, and enjoy the nature! Of course it depends on the country where you are traveling.
◦ Bicycle : you’ll be tired of biking all day, the clever way would be to book a good airbnb or hotel, but if you really are an adventurer, the tent will be your best friend and will allow you to keep your budget low.
TIP : We don’t advice you to book in advance all your nights.
You might decide to spend extra time in a location that you really like and this require flexibility; booking in advance could spoil your experience. Plus, you never know who you will find on your way. Some locals could tell you about hidden gems that will arouse your curiosity or even invite you in their house as it happened to us in Albania. Of course it’s something that you don’t really want to miss just because you have to go.
How to pack
Now, it depends if you decided to go in winter, or in summer. But you still need to take in consideration everything. Even if you decided to go in summer you might catch rain!
◦ Rain : plan a rain coat and boots, especially on a motorbike or bicycle. It is also useful if you are planning on hiking.
◦ Cold : plan a jacket, gloves, scarf, beanie and big socks ! If you are planning to go in winter, we suggest you to pack thermal clothes to don’t pack your bags with thousands of big sweaters.
What to pack
Here comes the big question ! Depending on your vehicle, be careful to don’t pack too much (or too less!) It is better to opt for backpacks rather than trolleys. To optimize space and weight, bring only the essential.
There are stuff you don’t necessarily think to take, but that can be really useful in some situations: for examples ear plugs if the spot for your night is noisy, tweezers if you walked by accident on a sea urchin, or even the insect repellent to make those mosquitoes run away!
How to organize your vehicle
If you are planning to do like us, sleeping in your car, you need to be well organize, otherwise it can quickly get messy. And trust us, you don’t want this to happen !
We organize ourselves by folding the back seats and install a wooden platform that we built inside the car. On the top of it, we set our mattress, and the bottom part is used as storage.
Make sure to create lots of storage, it will really help you to keep your vehicle clean and organize.
Go and enjoy the road !
Road trips are fun! You get to meet new people, connect with nature, explore beautiful places and try new things.
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