Tips For Taking Your Car On A Road Trip This Summer

Before you go jumping into your car or motorhome, make sure you’ve got everything you need for your road trip and leave home fully prepared.

Make Sure Your Car Is Ready

Before you even leave your driveway make sure your car is up to the journey. Make sure your tyres are the correct pressure (remember to adjust for the amount of passengers in your vehicle), check the oil, check the windscreen washer, in fact check everything. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get your car serviced and thoroughly checked by a mechanic, before setting off. There are a few things you should take with you, including engine oil, a jack, tyre puncture kit, jump leads, jerry can, first aid kit, inflator, tow rope, and if you don’t have one, it might be worth looking into getting a spare wheel – you don’t want to get stranded. Although it doesn’t matter how prepared you are getting breakdown cover will save you a lot of hassle it something unfixable does go wrong!

Check That You Can Fit Everything In

If you’re going on a road trip with friends it’s important to make sure you can all fit comfortably in the car. Even if your car has got five seats it doesn’t mean everyone is going be happy sitting squashed up for hundreds of miles. It would be a good idea to go on a long trip on home soil first to see how everyone gets on, especially if you’re touring around Europe. Another thing to consider is everyone’s luggage; will everything fit? Make sure your passengers know how much they can take, as it will avoid arguments on the day.

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Plan And Research Your Route

Looking up your route on Google Maps is definitely not enough and it’s not always 100% correct and reliable. You’re going to want to check for local road closures and any events that might affect your travel time. The best course of action is to get a good quality satnav but it’s not wise to set off and totally rely on one. It might sound laborious but it would be worth finding out what local landmarks and significant buildings are along your journey. It may even be worth studying your route carefully to give yourself a rough idea of where you will be going. If anything, it will give you a bit of peace of mind, plus researching your journey will help you find places you may want to stop off at that you didn’t know about.

Make Sure Your Journey Is Comfortable

Planning the route is a big part of this, and so is making sure the inside of your car is a nice place to spend long hours. Get a good selection of CDs & playlists ready, as well as stocking up on air fresheners, window shades and lots and lots of snacks to make the drive a lot more pleasant.

Going Abroad?

For those taking their cars to France for Euro 2016 or those driving around Europe, you need to make sure you’re familiar with the road laws in whatever country you enter, and you need to make sure your car complies with the driving laws too. One of the best things you can take with you when travelling abroad is a phrasebook, but if your French accent isn’t up to scratch, you might be able to find an app for your phone that can help you translate. Finally, if your number plate doesn’t have GB on it you’ll need to get a sticker for your car!

Keep Yourself Safe

Research a list of all the numbers you may need for going abroad, things like emergency contact numbers are a must to have written down. Additionally consider getting a dashcam for your car in case of an accident or anything untoward happens.

Insurance

Before departing, you should contact your car insurance provider to make sure your cover extends to driving overseas. Most policies include automatic cover for a certain period, but it’s wise to check, and to give them a call to let them know. If you go away without the appropriate cover in place or without the proper breakdown protection, then you would find yourself significantly out of pocket should anything happen. To speak to one of our experts about car or travel insurance, call us on 0800 221 8077 or click Get a Quote.