UK road trips with family can be the best experiences of anyone’s life – they are a great way to relax and have fun with the people you love most. But, like everything in life, disasters can occur when travelling. Preparing for anything to happen during your trip in the UK is the best way to ensure that no matter what, you’ve got it planned, and not even the worst outcomes can spoil your fun.
We’ll be talking about how to prepare for a UK-based road trip with your friends and family, so the trip is memorable for everyone (for all the right reasons of course).
Get Everyone Involved in Planning
As there are a lot of stages to a UK-based road trip and things to coordinate, getting everyone involved will make them feel like they played a part in the trip, as well as easing the pressure on you. Many hands make light work, after all. Assign a different role to each person – who is going to drive, who is going to plan stops, who is going to research activities, etc. This can be made even easier by creating a shared planning document on Google Docs or a travel app, where everyone can access it and provide input.
Someone can book the accommodation, and it’s better if the accommodation is booked early, especially in peak seasons, so you can get the place you want. Whoever is choosing the destination should take everyone’s preference into account and reach a compromise on the planned route and all the stops. The route should be realistic, with sufficient stops for rest and fuel, as well as attractions so everyone is entertained.
Mode of Transport
Do you plan to take your own car? Checking your vehicle is properly serviced, maintained, and in roadworthy condition is perhaps one of the most important aspects of a successful UK road trip. Having breakdown and licensing documentation is essential, as well as often-overlooked things like carrying a spare kit for servicing your car, loading a sat-nav system and bringing a phone mount so you can navigate without having to use your hands. And for your safety, we recommend installing a dashcam for incident documentation. If you don’t plan on bringing your own vehicle, there are plenty of options for hiring transport for the duration of your stay. Van hire in London is a great option if there are lots of people in your group and you need a lot of space for luggage. You could hire one van and hire a number of cars for the rest of the party to travel in.
Leave Room for Spontaneity
While planning and preparation is all well and good, it’s worth stating that you must leave room for last-minute, impromptu activities. On road trips and holidays, sometimes the best memories are not planned, so having some leeway for unexpected surprises will really make your holiday fun – even more so if have some younger travellers in your group.