Car travel can be fun if you plan properly and take care of some basic things.
In this article I am sharing my 7 secrets to help you enjoy your car trip to the fullest...
Secret 1- Get Your Car Ready for the Trip
It does not matter how you are traveling- Alone, with kids, with family, with friends or on a business trip, it is important that your car is ready.
Make sure your car is in good shape.
It is better to get the problems fixed in comfort of a garage rather than waiting for the local mechanic on the highway to finish his lunch so he can fix your car.
I've had a really nasty experience in 1999 while traveling to my home town Khatuali, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh from Delhi on scooter. I had left home reasonably early in the morning to avoid busy traffic and heat (it was summer time) assuming that my scooter was in good shape.
Everything was smooth till I reached Meerut By pass. I stopped there for a while to stretch my muscles and when tried to start the scooter again, it refused.
I had to drag it around a half kilometer to find a mechanic. That nasty thing wasted my 5 hours in scorching heat. It ruined my whole day. I got really frustrated and disappointed; don't let this happen to you
Here are some general things to check.
Now, here are some important things to keep in your car before making a move.
It is always a good idea to plan your trip in advance.
Make a list of all the things you require. They will not come to your mind at once. Note them down as and when they come to your mind, on a paper or in your mobile phone. This will help you keep all the things in place and not forget anything.
If the thing you forgot at home is something you can't do without, you'll have to buy it which will put some load on your pocket. (I remember purchasing a milk bottle for our baby because we had forgotten the bottle at home, the bottle we purchased was of inferior quality and we had to throw it away after single use, waste of money)
Also, you can take help from your past trips. Try to recall what all things you had taken on that trip, it surely helps.
Secret 3 - Leave Early but Don't Leave Too Early
I always prefer traveling in morning. Leaving home a little early in the morning is a good option most of the times. It not only helps you avoid city traffic and jams, it reduces your travel time, fuel consumption and stress level too
But here's a catch - Don't leave home too early. Why?
It is very easy to eat anything at home but when you are traveling, it might not be that easy.
To avoid disappointment always have plenty of food items and snacks to satisfy your taste buds.
Here is a general list to get you started (modify it to suit your needs. The list below is something I prefer when traveling by car.
If you don't have something which they like to eat, your trip could be a little uncomfortable. Discuss with your kids what they prefer and get ready with all the things in advance
Now, let's talk about the Highway restaurants.
Generally I don't like eating at them.
If you want to eat something at ANY such restaurants, make sure you clearly understand what is you ordering and how much you need to pay for that. (Some of them are notorious for overcharging and misbehaving with customers)
Secret 5 - Keep General and Specific Medicines Handy
Make sure to have general medicines like some anti acid tablets, painkillers (for mild headaches and stomachaches) in your dashboard.
I recommend purchasing medicines a day before from your trusted neighbor hood medical store so you get genuine medicine. Never rely upon roadside medical stores. I am not suggesting that none of them are genuine but you never know.
I have 2 medical stores from where I buy my medicines and I stick to them because I trust both in terms of genuineness of the medicines and cost.
Nothing could be worse than getting stuck in a traffic jam with a severe headache or nausea with no medicine.
It is very important to keep all your medicines in place if you are on some kind of prescription. Not having medicines when you need them could be very uncomfortable.
Secret 6 - Spice Up Your Trip with Music
Traveling can be boring if you have to cover a lot of distance.
Music can make you sing, uplift your mood and thus make your trip a memorable one.
Make sure your music system is working properly and you have lots of songs to enjoy in CDS, pen drives etc (Not to mention the Fm radio stations)
I remember going by bus for my cousin's marriage some couple years ago. The distance was around 130 kilometers. The driver had the music system but no cassettes to play and there used to be no FM Radio stations at that time. It was such a boring trip.
Don't let this happen to you, make sure you have both - music system and the songs.
Secret 7 - Don't Mix Drink and Drive
Safety is always first. You are heading out of town to get some fresh air and not to get into some serious trouble. I want you to reach safe and secure.
NEVER consume any alcoholic beverage before or while driving.
There are some medicines also which can make you feel dizzy. It is better to avoid them.
If that is not possible, let some one else drive.
No compromise on this, It is a question of life and death.
I hope you find these 7 secrets helpful to make your trip a happy and memorable one.
In this article I am sharing my 7 secrets to help you enjoy your car trip to the fullest...
Secret 1- Get Your Car Ready for the Trip
It does not matter how you are traveling- Alone, with kids, with family, with friends or on a business trip, it is important that your car is ready.
Make sure your car is in good shape.
It is better to get the problems fixed in comfort of a garage rather than waiting for the local mechanic on the highway to finish his lunch so he can fix your car.
I've had a really nasty experience in 1999 while traveling to my home town Khatuali, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh from Delhi on scooter. I had left home reasonably early in the morning to avoid busy traffic and heat (it was summer time) assuming that my scooter was in good shape.
Everything was smooth till I reached Meerut By pass. I stopped there for a while to stretch my muscles and when tried to start the scooter again, it refused.
I had to drag it around a half kilometer to find a mechanic. That nasty thing wasted my 5 hours in scorching heat. It ruined my whole day. I got really frustrated and disappointed; don't let this happen to you
Here are some general things to check.
- Condition of tires
- Battery
- Headlights
- Coolant
- Wipers
- Horn
- And of course...brakes
Now, here are some important things to keep in your car before making a move.
- An extra tire with proper air pressure
- Tool box and a military knife
- 1-2 matchboxes
- A torch with new batteries
- 1 Toilet soap
- 1-2 Small towels
- A small water can (I prefer 5 liters) for general use like washing hands, cleaning your car's wind screen and cooling your car in case it gets overheated.
- Plenty of drinking water (I remember buying a bottle of packaged mineral water to wash my 6 months old son's potty because we had none left in the car)
It is always a good idea to plan your trip in advance.
Make a list of all the things you require. They will not come to your mind at once. Note them down as and when they come to your mind, on a paper or in your mobile phone. This will help you keep all the things in place and not forget anything.
If the thing you forgot at home is something you can't do without, you'll have to buy it which will put some load on your pocket. (I remember purchasing a milk bottle for our baby because we had forgotten the bottle at home, the bottle we purchased was of inferior quality and we had to throw it away after single use, waste of money)
Also, you can take help from your past trips. Try to recall what all things you had taken on that trip, it surely helps.
Secret 3 - Leave Early but Don't Leave Too Early
I always prefer traveling in morning. Leaving home a little early in the morning is a good option most of the times. It not only helps you avoid city traffic and jams, it reduces your travel time, fuel consumption and stress level too
But here's a catch - Don't leave home too early. Why?
- If there is some technical problem in the car that you can't handle you might have trouble finding a mechanic
- If you get lost, you might not find some one to ask for directions
- If you need something to eat or may be a medicine, you might face a difficult time.
- You might get stopped by police for checking and that might consume a quite a good amount of time.
It is very easy to eat anything at home but when you are traveling, it might not be that easy.
To avoid disappointment always have plenty of food items and snacks to satisfy your taste buds.
Here is a general list to get you started (modify it to suit your needs. The list below is something I prefer when traveling by car.
- A 2 liter bottle of soft drink
- 3-4 packets of plain salted potato chips
- 2-3 packets of my favorite biscuits
- Some apples, mangoes and grapes or any seasonal fruit
- Last but not the least 4-5 paranthas (A kind of Indian bread) with Aam ka achar (Mango pickle) and Aaloo ki subzi (Spicy dish made from potato)
If you don't have something which they like to eat, your trip could be a little uncomfortable. Discuss with your kids what they prefer and get ready with all the things in advance
Now, let's talk about the Highway restaurants.
Generally I don't like eating at them.
If you want to eat something at ANY such restaurants, make sure you clearly understand what is you ordering and how much you need to pay for that. (Some of them are notorious for overcharging and misbehaving with customers)
Secret 5 - Keep General and Specific Medicines Handy
Make sure to have general medicines like some anti acid tablets, painkillers (for mild headaches and stomachaches) in your dashboard.
I recommend purchasing medicines a day before from your trusted neighbor hood medical store so you get genuine medicine. Never rely upon roadside medical stores. I am not suggesting that none of them are genuine but you never know.
I have 2 medical stores from where I buy my medicines and I stick to them because I trust both in terms of genuineness of the medicines and cost.
Nothing could be worse than getting stuck in a traffic jam with a severe headache or nausea with no medicine.
It is very important to keep all your medicines in place if you are on some kind of prescription. Not having medicines when you need them could be very uncomfortable.
Secret 6 - Spice Up Your Trip with Music
Traveling can be boring if you have to cover a lot of distance.
Music can make you sing, uplift your mood and thus make your trip a memorable one.
Make sure your music system is working properly and you have lots of songs to enjoy in CDS, pen drives etc (Not to mention the Fm radio stations)
I remember going by bus for my cousin's marriage some couple years ago. The distance was around 130 kilometers. The driver had the music system but no cassettes to play and there used to be no FM Radio stations at that time. It was such a boring trip.
Don't let this happen to you, make sure you have both - music system and the songs.
Secret 7 - Don't Mix Drink and Drive
Safety is always first. You are heading out of town to get some fresh air and not to get into some serious trouble. I want you to reach safe and secure.
NEVER consume any alcoholic beverage before or while driving.
There are some medicines also which can make you feel dizzy. It is better to avoid them.
If that is not possible, let some one else drive.
No compromise on this, It is a question of life and death.
I hope you find these 7 secrets helpful to make your trip a happy and memorable one.
Avdhessh Arya is a Personal Development Coach & Voice Actor based in New Delhi, India.
Learn what true personal development is and how to walk down this mysterious path.
Learn what true personal development is and how to walk down this mysterious path.
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