AD|Road trip checklist

Getting away for the summer is a staple of modern life. Or, at least, it used to be. These days, thanks to cheap flights and cheap accommodation, ‘getting away’ isn’t so much something that people do in the summer as something that people do because it’s Tuesday and there was a deal online (“50% off Easter in Prague – book now for a free lollipop”, et cetera, et cetera). But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being young and adventurous it’s that cars are a ticket to freedom that won’t be ignored. The open road. The call of the unknown. Traffic jams in cities that smell funny. There’s so much to see and do. No need to wait for the departure date of that cheap flight, jetting off rather inconveniently within 48 whole hours. We want fun now. Not in two days. We only have an hour to act on this or people will change their minds. That’s settled, then. Who’s up for a road trip?! Well, we’re going to need a few things. Check out our road trip checklist, because you WILL forget something (and see here if you need to speak to a lawyer about car accidents along the way).

Money money money mon-ay, MON-AYYY

Ten points if you managed to read that subtitle without singing it in your head. Minus ten points if you don’t even know the song. Anyway, let’s talk hard cash. In a world that’s increasingly going digital, you might like to think yourself well prepared if you’re carrying a credit card and you have access to online banking through your smartphone. But wait. What about parking charges? What about the fast queue when going through tolls? What about purchasing snacks and drinks from street vendors that don’t accept card? Always carry some loose change.

Phone charger

Nothing will put a dampener on a road trip faster than looking at the corner of your phone screen to see that the battery percentage has dipped from the healthy 86% that was displayed the last time you checked to a now rather paltry 19%. Don’t forget, as phones travel, they search for connectivity and signal, draining your battery. The simple answer is to take a charger and recharge from your car. Avoid the upset. Grab that charger cable from the bedside before you head off. 

Umbrella

Road trips, with all the best intentions, can be wet affairs. The sun may be beaming when you clunk-click your seatbelt into place and pull off your driveway, but the weather is a fickle beast that likes to throw curveballs – we’ve all checked our weather apps to see that the sun is supposed to be out, only to look out of the window to see hurricanes and floods raising quite a stiff argument to the contrary. There’s no need for wellies and a small canoe and a flare gun, but certainly do take an umbrella. 

Taking the kids…?

Not all road trips are fun. Sometimes, you have to take the children. While their accidental funny remarks are a saving grace, the other 99% of the time spent with the children is much like looking after a drunk – they aren’t very cooperative, they don’t make much sense, and there’s going to be random crying. Save your sanity and take travel games, or a tablet, or a book. Anything. Don’t ever let them realise they are bored.