Bring a bike on your next road trip – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

It might be a simple suggestion, but… bringing a bike (or two) on your next road trip will yield rich rewards.

Not only does a bike ride stretch your legs after hours in the car, it helps provide a lay of the land when you make a pitstop. Further, you’ll absorb more local flavor (markets, parks, impromptu street performances) than is possible solely on foot. Finally, riding a bike is good exercise! (And who among us didn’t eat just a little too much on our last vacation?)

Bike racks conserve trunk space but if you manage to fit the bike inside your vehicle you’ll have less logistical hassle. Pro tip: Folding bikes like those made by Bike Friday take up less space.

See also: 20 great bike rides

Walkie talkies work everywhere – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Walkie talkies use radio waves to communicate directly with each other, unlike cell phones, which rely on a cell phone tower as a go-between.

People on road trips often end up in rural areas where cell phones are useless. A couple of inexpensive walkie talkies can help your group stay in touch, as well as keep the kids entertained.

Bonus tip: Walkie talkies also work on cruise ships!

Create a photo book when you get home – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Use the digital photos from your road trip to make a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

A photo book is a great way to share your adventures with friends and family, and it would also make a perfect gift for your traveling companions. Services like Shutterfly or Snapfish make it easy to turn your favorite photos into books. If you’d like to include journal entries or blog posts that you wrote along the way, try sites like Blurb or MyPublisher that have more advanced design options.

It’s fun, and it’ll keep your travel memories fresh for years to come.

Roadside geology books – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Ever ponder the origins of that distant mesa? Curious about those snowy mountains, those flinty hills, the flatness of Central Indiana? Perhaps you’re bored to death by the lack of scenery?

Consider taking a roadside geology book on your next trip. These books contain an array of maps, easy to follow mileage logs, basic geologic primers, and photographs that can bring a landscape — even a “boring” one — to life: cornfields become shark infested seas, lifeless brown deserts become breezy tropical islands, and dinosaurs roam in the next road cut.

Change drivers often – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

When sharing driving on a long trip, it’s tempting for one driver to drive until he or she is tired, then switch to another driver. The tired driver then wants to sleep, leaving the new driver “alone” while the tired driver sleeps.

You can drive for greater distances without being exhausted if you switch drivers on a schedule — for example, every one to two hours. This way, neither driver becomes exhausted.

Additional bonus: the switch allows for a brief stretch which also tends to diminish fatigue.