Summer is right around the corner, college kids are finishing up their finals and are ready to relax for the summer. I know a lot of college kids are planning to take Road Trip with each other and just get away and do everything they couldn’t while they were busy in school. Or parents want to take the kids out to a nice amusement park and stay a week at a nice hotel for the summer.

But let’s set aside the excitement for a second and get on a serious note, before planning to take a trip anywhere you want to make sure you are ready. There are a lot of things that can happen when your car travels for long periods of time, the last thing you would want is a broken down car in the middle of no where, then you remember you forgot your car charger at home as well. You want to avoid all the worst possible things that can happen.

So before you plan on taking that trip you were talking about all year, read through these tips to make sure your trip is fun and safe.

First and for most, make sure you bring in your car for a full check up. Especially to a well-known, and highly recommended mechanic. Make sure you get everything checked, tire pressure, oil, engine, every last thing. You don’t want to run into a problem last minute and have to cancel your trip or try and find a trustworthy mechanic in a different area. Make sure you have a spare tire as well, and educate yourself on how to change a tire if you don’t know already.

In this day and age, phones are everyone’s best friend. When something goes wrong most people will make sure they have their phone to be able to contact someone, or look something up. So make sure yours and anyone else who will accompany you on this trip has thier phones charged. This will be easy with extra wireless chargers, car chargers, etc.

Check the weather and look up any fast routes and if any accidents happened on those routes so you won’t be stuck in traffic. Or even worse come across a bad thunder storm making you behind schedule.

When packing don’t forget to Pack a map, when all else goes wrong you can look to the map for help. Also, make a list for stuff that needs to be packed, then check it twice. List from the most essentials things to the least essential. Like ID, money, driver’s license, prescription (if needed) , contact list, maps, toiletries, clothes, accessories, etc. Depending where you plan to go, pack for it. If you plan to be somewhere in hot weather pack mini portable fans, suntan lotion, and the right clothing. Same if you are going to be in cold weather or rainy weather, pack umbrellas, pants, etc.

Take shifts. If where ever you are traveling to is quite a ways away make sure you take shifts between drivers. You don’t want someone who has been driving for hours on end at the wheel, they’ll get groggy and tired and their focus won’t be sharp. Along with this trip, make sure you map out the nearest gas stations, you want to be filled up at all times.

When traveling with kids, make sure the car seats are in correctly. Don’t forget to pack car snacks and car games, books, get a portable DVD player and a bunch of their favorite movies and such. For a long ride, you won’t want grumpy, bored kids enclosed in a small space with you. Make sure their tummies are full and that they are happy and entertained.

These are just a few tips you should take into consideration before you plan your fun trip this summer!

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