I love a road trip where you can explore on your own terms. Whether it is in your home state or if you are traveling by air across the Atlantic, you can take a road trip to see the local sites and enjoy the scenery.
Fortunately we have access to so much information on the web such as The National Geographic where in this instance, they feature a road trip through the Amalfi Coast. Further in the post I list both local and foreign sites that will help you plan your trip.
Amalfi Coast, Italy via Tyson Sadlo
If you are looking for a last-minute Father’s Day gift, National Geographic has a coffee table style book that sounds interesting: Drives of a Lifetime – 500 of the Worlds Most Spectacular Trips.
Road Trip Essentials
Here’s a list of road trip essentials beyond your suitcase.
- A cell phone and car charger
- A GPS Device with car charger
- Yes, GPS’s and cell phones are great for step-by-step directions but it’s also great to have a map! Yes, a good old-fashioned map. You can’t always count on getting a signal on your phone and your GPS may not be able to guide you through a detour.
- Print out the highlights of your destination, hotel addresses, confirmation numbers, etc.
- Do your research! Make sure you know the operating hours of any sites and stops that are on your list. You would be surprised at what is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Don’t be disappointed.
- AAA Membership Card or other roadside assistance information
- Pack some music whether it is on your phone, MP3 Player or CD’s. There’s nothing worse than having to keep changing the radio channel in between cities.
- Pack a separate camera other than your cell phone. Your passengers won’t want to miss a great photo-op because you are using your phone as a GPS.
- A small cooler to pack a light lunch, snacks and some water and sodas is ideal. If you are traveling by air before starting your road trip, pack a small folding flexible insulated cooler and some Ziploc bags. You can fill the bags with ice from your hotel. When we first traveled to Napa Valley from San Francisco, we visited the farmers market and packed fruit, cheese and bread for the trip. So much better than stopping for fast food!
- Bring snacks from home such as almonds, granola bars and peanut butter crackers.
- If you are traveling from home, freeze a few water bottles and you won’t need any ice. Once melted, you will have extra water.
- Pack some change and small bills for tollways and parking meters.
- I always travel with Advil, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, kleenex, gum and mints
- Make sure you have your car registration and insurance documents
- A first aid kit is always good to have in your car
- A sense of adventure is a must!
Misc. Travel Sites Worth Checking Out
Route Perfect for European Trips
Hotel Tonight (app)
Be adventuresome and enjoy! Safe travels.
This is a great checklist to print out and refer to for our next road trip. Thanks so much for sharing!
I hope you are enjoying your spring/summer.
Thanks Shelly. Summer is flying by. I hope you are well!
Road trip !!
Let’s do one!