[arpirocks]

Here are some of my must-have's for a perfect road trip

• Sorted car (Check fuel, clean car, documents, tire pressure, etc.)
• Luggage kept in car previous day
• Early Start (~5 AM)
• I do a bit of google-maps research ahead of time, read travel forums, get to know the road conditions - overall be aware of the route
• Fully charged power bank - I carry a Mi 20,000 MaH power bank as it provides fast charging as compared to the car charging socket(s)
• [Optional] Carry a WiFi dongle - if traveling to remote places and dependent on online navigation. My suggestion is to take the dongle from a carrier different from your cellphone network
• Medicine Box (First-Aid)
• Obviously a great company to travel with!

Some of the COVID special add-ons as we would like to avoid highway stoppages and limit outside contact

• Pack a lot of snacks and some home-made food/breakfast
• Water (get a 6-pack)
• Cold Drink cans, etc.
• Tissue papers, napkins, garbage bags
• A big bottle of Sanitizer

[bj96]

Interesting thread. Not sure others have mentioned before, but one more thing I like to add is carry some sickness bags (polythene / thick paper etc) right in the back seat of driver and co-driver, if you have children on board.

My son was then 6 months old when my safari was about a year old and he threw-up on the road soiling the backseat, centre console and floor carpet. Had to deep clean to remove stains. After that we carried the sickness bag in the backseat everywhere. But he didn't repeat. Just a few weeks ago on our first outstation trip in new X3, he did it again on the road to Goa :-(. He is 10+ now and we were not prepared this time.

Luckily, my denim jacket was hanging behind my seat and he soiled it. The floor and center console AC duct were spared. Still we had to stop and clean the car, spray perfume etc. It was unpleasant.

Children don't know they are uneasy and don't flag in time. Lesson learnt- always carry sickness bags when on road trip.

-BJ

[haljosgeo]

Lots of good tips on this thread. I drive solo a lot between cities and on those drives, there is no set time to start. I just don't like peak hour city traffic anywhere. So try to find the best time to slip out of the city. As a family, we enjoy the road, lots of banter and tons of music. On solo trips, I'm listening to the road more. Music distracts me a little bit.

One vital item to check for me is the Fastag balance.

[Deadpool]

For me, essential things are -

- Early start, by 6am to beat the traffic and hit highway.

- Car servicing 2 days prior to trip.

- Tyre pressure check, full tank load.

- Good music is must have throughout the drive.

- Company of like-minded people to have a nice conversation.

- Good scenic road.

- Minimum pit stops, I like long uninterrupted drive.

- A good powerful engine is good to have.

[FlashMustang]

Great thread! Loved reading everyone's lists and thoughts!

Here are mine:

1. Car in good condition. Service completed at least a week in advance, so that any issues post service would pop up closer home than on the highway. When in doubt, I replace something that might potentially cause an issue. I only leave the fuel refill and air pressure checks for the day prior to the trip. Of course, all documents are always kept in the car up to date.
2. Route! If the route is bad or it's prone to too much traffic, it kills the experience. If that's the case, I prefer choosing alternate modes of transport.
3. A detailed plan. I like to go through the map and read up on these forums to know the good stops for meals and fuel refilling. I then create an Excel file with the distance from both onward and return journey for each of the stops, along with the estimated time from either direction, as indicated by Google Maps. I also add in optional stops along the way for any unexpected needs to stop or refill fuel. I also run the high level plan with my co-passengers, so that they are good with the approximate timings for the stops for meals and rest stops (approximately every 2 hours - might be for refueling the car, or for snacks at food joints, along with use of the rest rooms, if necessary at these places). If they are not comfortable with something, I take their inputs and adjust the plan.
4. Music. I like to keep myself and co-passengers entertained and relaxed on the trip.
5. Garmin GPS navigator updated with the latest maps from OSM. I punch in the coordinates for the planned stops and have a relaxed drive, not having to ask anyone directions. When in doubt, I cross check with Google Maps (I download offline maps to my phone as well for the route and the destinations).
6. An early start. I'm a morning person. And I prefer reaching the destination with some daylight to spare. This is also to avoid being out in the dark in case of any unforeseen delays or issues along the way.
7. Most of the luggage loaded the previous night.
8. Necessary provisions stocked up from the super market the weekend prior to the trip (water bottles, snacks, tissues, garbage bags, disposable plates and cutlery, etc.).
9. Umbrella, sun glasses, and other necessary items packed and kept ready for use.
10. An early end to the previous days and caught up on any sleep deficit in the week leading up to the trip, so that I'll be fresh, well-rested, and alert during the drive.

Happy driving, everyone!

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by GTO

Nice thread!

- A good car. Has to have a sorted engine + gearbox + suspension + brakes. I don't suffer badly engineered cars.

- Early start. I like to hit the road real early and beat the traffic. Nothing quite like an empty road with a good machine.

- Minimal number of stops. I prefer to stop once in 2 hours and hate it when passengers want to frequently stop for some reason or the other.

- Perfect destination. Most are fun, but at times, we have to go to boring places because of family / social commitments.

- Minimum of 65 - 75 km / hour average speed. Else, heavy traffic can really wear you down on long road-trips.

- Music. Is a must. It's a constant in life. I don't have a waking hour without music.

- Passengers who love road-trips (my family does!).

- Not overcrowding the cabin (4 is perfect for most sedans) or the boot.

- Great conversations & loads of laughs . But don't talk too much to me. I love to focus on the car & road.

Well summarized GTO. Nothing like having the right machine in the right roads. Its pure bliss indeed. Here goes my informal checklist, something that I religiously follow for all the trips.

1. Car's exterior and interior cabins well cleaned before the trip starts. I look for minor sand/dirt/mud residue in the interiors and near the footwells as I cannot stand the sight of them in any car.
2. Check for any notifications in the MID, Full tank of fuel and air topped up. Papers double checked. My wife helps me top up the Fasttag when we start. She has grown be appreciate roadtrips and now loves them more then me! Right company- checked!
3. I cannot drive without music and I got to sing along for my favorite tracks. My wife occasionally needs her Telugu numbers so we take turns and switch between Tamil, Telugu and English. So good music a must on any drives!
4. Sufficient amount of water bottles and some amount of snacks loaded. We prefer doing multiple stopovers at nice restaurants and CCD for some nice cappuccino. This keeps us well fueled so we dont have any kind of tiredness. The stopover helps all of us to stretch especially if its a farther destination.
5. Charging cables, Sunglasses, Umbrella etc are usually pre loaded in my car, so we take extra ones as needed.
6. My son gets a business class setup and treatment at the back with a ipad mounted that streams endless kids videos and he puts on his Bluetooth headphones. If its hotter than usual outside, we put on sun blinds on all the windows and close the panoramic roof to create that perfect ambience for him. I like gloomy cabins
7. No luggage in the cabin and we hate over packing. Whatever it is its got to be at the boot behind.
8. Cruise along no greater than 100/110 KMPH and I follow this no matter what. Wannabe racers and a few Jokers in the highway constantly race ahead and I usually let them pass and have their egos massaged. A road trip cannot have any elements of racing especially with family onboard.
9. Random chatter, Jokes are always part of our trips and we enjoy them thoroughly!

[indrangiri]

Not many are aware that google maps has an offline download feature to take care of poor internet connectivity on highways.This is very much applicable to India

Its a good idea to check the route the previous day to travel and store the offline google map for the areas you plan to visit. If the internet connectivity is poor, you can still continue to navigate but the voice commands will not be active.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by bj96

Interesting thread. Not sure others have mentioned before, but one more thing I like to add is carry some sickness bags (polythene / thick paper etc) right in the back seat of driver and co-driver, if you have children on board.

My son was then 6 months old when my safari was about a year old and he threw-up on the road soiling the backseat, centre console and floor carpet. Had to deep clean to remove stains. After that we carried the sickness bag in the backseat everywhere. But he didn't repeat. Just a few weeks ago on our first outstation trip in new X3, he did it again on the road to Goa :-(. He is 10+ now and we were not prepared this time.

Luckily, my denim jacket was hanging behind my seat and he soiled it. The floor and center console AC duct were spared. Still we had to stop and clean the car, spray perfume etc. It was unpleasant.

Children don't know they are uneasy and don't flag in time. Lesson learnt- always carry sickness bags when on road trip.

-BJ

Wow, this brings back memories! I took my Wife's(then girlfriend) family for a long trip in 2017 for the first time and no-one told me they have motion sickness. I had borrowed a friend's XUV W8 which had leather seats and the scene was like a murder on backseat. We couldn't stop in time and everything was soiled, looking at that almost everyone (barring me off-course) puked on that trip. We spent few hours getting the car detailed from inside and luckily everything dried overnight. It's not just about being a kid, sometimes Adults do that too.

Back to the topic of the thread my list is simple,

• Check all fluids, top up fuel and air one day before, inspect the car visually
• Pack all the stuff and load the car one day before
• Download the map and Spotify playlist well before time, music is must for me while driving else I get erratic sometimes
• Good company, usually my wife sits as a shotgun and handles the music so I don't have to touch anything. This goes long way in being comfortable

Timings are usually based on my calendar, we prefer to plan late in the night as it doesn't bother much with our schedule. I do not have many sleep issues which can not be solved by a nice hot cup of coffee.

[MadTiger]

Have done a variety of long trips in different cars -

I have a list of prerequisite for long travel-

A well maintained car. (No pending job cards) else get it fixed before the long haul.

Wheels balanced and aligned. (Many ignore this, but this adds life to the tires and confidence for the journey you embark on)
All fluids topped up and in good health.
Check all lights. Good to carry a few spare bulbs.
Tire pressure check, a good tire tread recommended. Do not forget to check the spare tire, inflate a few PSI above the recommended pressure.
Ensure all tools are in the car.
Good to have a pocket flash light.
Nice to have a good playlist and have them downloaded since there may be sketchy connection during your travel, you don't want the songs to buffer and spoil the fun.

This is probably not the most exhaustive list, but surely a good start.

I prefer to top up my tank the night before any long trips.

It is also good to have a plan if not itinerary.
Have a clear state of mind, enjoy the travel do not take any stress. Avoid any pent up adrenaline rush, as this could cost you dear and can bring in unwanted turn of events that can dissuade you from completing your journey.

Above all enjoy the journey!

[vasanthjn]

A wonderful thread.

Few things done by me before / during a road trip.
1. Always start with a full tank fuel and reset the trip computer and reload FASTag account.
2. I prefer to start around 4 / 4:30 AM so that I can avoid the city and suburban traffic and hit the highways by 5:30/6 AM.
3. All of my road trips are mostly solo only. Hence I prefer to carry my breakfast (either some sandwich or a sub)
4. Atleast a bar of dark chocolates
5. Fully charged phone and a printout of the route
6. Try to maintain an average of 75-80 KMPH and use cruise control to the maximum

I have a not so good habit of driving non-stop. Recently I drove a 600 kms non-stop. Many a times I think of taking a break but I dont. How to address this??

[drfood]

The only thing missing from already listed items is Food !! Gujjus and Food go hand in hand and are inseparable.

We are very big on the mantra Good Food Good Life. Almost 20 percent of our luggage consists of food luggage even before the pandemic. It consists of varieties of munchies and drinks according to everyone’s preferences.

With food comes crumbs in every nook and corners of Trixie and she is thoroughly cleaned post every trip.

[reihem]

Making sure to crowd source / verify the optimal route with fellow enthusiasts is key ! Google Maps is still not perfect and the shortest / quickest doesn't always mean the least hassle for the driver. I'd gladly add 10 km to my journey if it means more highways / toll roads and less avoiding autos / cows on narrow roads.

[Sheel]

The right passenger/s. This is the most important thing, either my family or very close friends.

I stop at good / reputed pumps to fill and use its rest rooms and food at places where the staple food is easily available and is fast moving.

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

We all make numerous road trips throughout the year and try to take one whenever we get the opportunity to. What are your prerequisites for a perfect road trip?
The top few for me are:
1. Proper sleep the night before.
2. Minimum Traffic.
3. Cloudy Weather.

Do share yours!

Sharing a few from my side (not in the order of priority): -
1. Planning.
2. Fuel stations.
3. Places to have food and loo breaks.
4. Locations to visit enroute
5. Timing of departure.
6. A little research about the local cuisine at the place of visit and where to find them.
7. Condition of the car, tyres, servicing, spare tyre etc.
8. First Aid Kit and immediate use medicines.
9. Functional jack, tyre inflator, torque wrench etc.
10. Spare cans of engine oil and coolant.
11. PUC.
12. A sticker on windshield with "In Case of Emergency, contact- _______"
13. Renew roadside Assistance.
14. Snacks and eatables. Dry fruits and nuts.
15. Reusable Water bottles- atleast six.
16. Hot water flask.
17. Ready to eat food, Maggi etc.
18. 12v socket plug in water kettle.
19. Dustbin with gash bag.
20. Updation of music playlist.
21. I always get my wheels removed, inspected and fitted back. When fitting back, I always get it done manually. The machine tend to overtorque the nut, rendering it too tight to open manually. I also carry two additional wheel nuts at all times.
22. Wheel alignment and balancing is always done prior the trip.
23. If the car is approaching any servicing, I get it done before I start for the trip.
24. In any case, if going to high altitudes, I get the engine oil, oil filter and AC filters changed prior the journey.
25. Souvenirs/ gifts for the journey.
26. Camera memory card cleared. Battery full charged- main and extra batteries.
27. Wet wipes to clean headlights, fog lamps, ORVMs and rear view cameras.
28. Shampoo sachets and newspapers to clean windshield.

Just wrote it from memory; shall add further if something pertinent comes to mind. I generally go by a standard checklist and modify it according to the destination. For eg:- for mountains, I add winter clothes. If going to the beach, I add sun hats, carpets and additional water to wash down the sand

[vtecblast]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Sharing a few from my side (not in the order of priority): -
1. Planning.
2. Fuel stations.
3. Places to have food and loo breaks.
4. Locations to visit enroute
5. Timing of departure.
6. A little research about the local cuisine at the place of visit and where to find them.
7. Condition of the car, tyres, servicing, spare tyre etc.
8. First Aid Kit and immediate use medicines.
9. Functional jack, tyre inflator, torque wrench etc.
10. Spare cans of engine oil and coolant.
11. PUC.
12. A sticker on windshield with "In Case of Emergency, contact- _______"
13. Renew roadside Assistance.
14. Snacks and eatables. Dry fruits and nuts.
15. Reusable Water bottles- atleast six.
16. Hot water flask.
17. Ready to eat food, Maggi etc.
18. 12v socket plug in water kettle.
19. Dustbin with gash bag.
20. Updation of music playlist.
21. I always get my wheels removed, inspected and fitted back. When fitting back, I always get it done manually. The machine tend to overtorque the nut, rendering it too tight to open manually. I also carry two additional wheel nuts at all times.
22. Wheel alignment and balancing is always done prior the trip.
23. If the car is approaching any servicing, I get it done before I start for the trip.
24. In any case, if going to high altitudes, I get the engine oil, oil filter and AC filters changed prior the journey.
25. Souvenirs/ gifts for the journey.
26. Camera memory card cleared. Battery full charged- main and extra batteries.
27. Wet wipes to clean headlights, fog lamps, ORVMs and rear view cameras.
28. Shampoo sachets and newspapers to clean windshield.

Just wrote it from memory; shall add further if something pertinent comes to mind. I generally go by a standard checklist and modify it according to the destination. For eg:- for mountains, I add winter clothes. If going to the beach, I add sun hats, carpets and additional water to wash down the sand

Basically that's the whole list of things I keep in my road trips as mandatory. Few things I always like to add other than these are:
1. Checking the Fire Extinguisher's status
2. Pee safe (this is a boon if you or any passenger has to use the bathroom in any restaurant or fuel station)
3. Neck pillows (just in case if any passenger is feeling sleepy)
4. Checking the status of spare headlight bulb in the car.
Since the current times require more attention to sanitization I have started adding sanitizer wipes as well because I'm never in favour of carrying large bottles of sanitizer taken their inflammable nature.
Happy Exploring!