Holiday Road Guide

Holiday Road Guide

Road trips are part of a holiday tradition for many people, whether visiting family in another state or visiting a scenic national park. From packing to snacking, wherever you drive this season, make sure you follow the simple steps in this holiday road guide to ensure a safe and fun getaway.

Clean Out Your Car

Cleaning out your vehicle from the day-to-day debris gets you started on the right foot and leaves room for everything going with you on your journey. It’s also helpful to clean your vehicle every few days while you travel to help maintain peace of mind.

Service

Check Before Leaving

Before you leave, be sure to take your vehicle in to check your fluid levels (oil, transmission, wiper), brakes, and tires. You want to ensure that you don’t have any problems along the way. Also, bring along jumper cables in case of battery trouble.

Savvy Packing

Organized packing can mean fewer bags, better storage, and more room to stretch your legs on that long car ride! Be sure to bring blankets and pillows- these are road trip essentials, whether for napping on the way or extra bedding once you get there!

Important

Documents

Do a double-check to make sure you have your license and driving insurance before heading out of state. You never want to get pulled over in a strange state while driving without an ID, unless you think jail time is an ideal vacation.

Have a Flexible Plan

Sure you need to get from point A to point B, but the best road trips leave room for sightseeing and improvisation. Sometimes your vacations can be so planned out that it doesn’t seem like a vacation at all, while too little planning may lead to missed reservations – so try have a flexible plan and keep it light easy to all to enjoy.

Snack Smart

Save money and time on the road by packing snacks on the road. Things like juice boxes, string cheese, and fruits such as oranges, grapes or apple slices are all easy, no-mess snacks. Keep all your food and drinks secure during long road trips in a small cooler. Then, you can even load it up with holiday leftovers for the trip home!

Plan for Traffic

There’s a big difference between rush hour traffic and holiday havoc. Because there will be more people out on the road and traveling over the holidays, keep an eye out for traffic jams. To save yourself a big headache, try using a driving app, such as Waze, to help plan your route around the congestion.