Laminate maps and printed directions – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Passengers eat, drink, and frequently move in and out of the car during a road trip. A paper map or set of printed directions easily gets shoved into a seat during a stop, or worse yet, ruined if food or drink is spilled on it. Upon arrival, directions and maps are even more likely to get misplaced or damaged. To keep maps and directions safe during the trip, laminate them.

For around $30, a home laminating machine will seal standard letter size pages. Copy and print stores have the capability to laminate larger maps for a minimal fee. Alternatively, you can use contact paper to cover paper maps.

Pro tip: you can draw your route on a laminated map and easily wipe the mark off, if you change your mind.

Bring a dry-erase board – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Road trips are some of the most amazing adventures, but unless you capture the moments with your camera, then all you’re left with are mental pictures that are bound to fade over time.

The best aspect about road trips is that you can pull your vehicle over at (almost) any time and capture the amazing scenery, stunning skylines, or bizarre bits of life sprinkled along the highways.

One huge tip is to bring a small dry-erase board along to “caption” the photos so you aren’t left wondering, “Where was this photo taken?” or “What in the world is that?”

Bring an extra car key – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Road trips can be some of the best vacations ever. Don’t ruin yours by losing your car keys.

When I was an undergrad, one of my most memorable road trips was from Ann Arbor to Chicago. Although we had a blast, our trip took a turn for the worse when our driver lost his car keys. As a result, he had to take a four hour train ride back to campus, pick up his spare key, and return to get the car.

If our driver had an extra car key in his wallet, he would have saved himself a lot of trouble (and time).

Play ‘Radio Station Roulette’ – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

One game my friends and I developed during a few of our epic road trips is something we call “Radio Station Roulette.” Here’s how to play:

  1. Push the scan button on your car stereo.
  2. Wait until it stops on a station – the first to name the title and artist of the song playing on the station wins a point.
  3. Repeat as many times as you want. The person with the most points at the end is the ‘Music Master.’

This game is a great way to boost energy during your road trip (and it might even inspire a little fun competition among music-loving friends!)

Use a junior navigator on road trips – Traveling with kids tip

by Gadling Staff on

The front passenger is always the navigator when I’m traveling with my family or a group. However, I discovered that you can turn your children into junior navigators while helping them learn geography at the same time. It helps eliminate them from asking, “Are we there yet?”

Just ask them to look for a specific landmark or road sign. It will keep them interested in the travel and less likely to be bored along the way, because they’re actively doing something. In short, it keeps their interest in traveling while having fun — and learning about the country!