Living in the confinement of home for months transpired to be tedious and stressful. So, post lockdowns, there is no better way to unravel yourself than to travel. But amidst social distancing traveling with strangers in long-haul flights may not be apt.
Road trips are, therefore, rediscovering past recreation with your family in a social distancing-friendly environment. With freedom, fresh air, beautiful surroundings, and the inclusion of your family, your journey will become the most rewarding and memorable in years to come. However, road trips are not as easy as they sound. They are quite exhausting and require extensive planning. Especially, post-lockdown extra care should be taken before traveling. So here are a few tips that can make your trip safe, easy, and unforgettable.
1. Research your Destination
Long road trips are hectic and tiring. Not only for the person who is driving, but for the rest of the family, it might be tough sitting at a stretch. Do some research ahead of your trip, to plan for the place you want to stop.Choose a destination that you can thoroughly enjoy along with your family. But at the same time, be cautious.
It is advisable to check with the respective authorities about the measures taken to implement post-lockdown safety guidelines, especially, maintaining social distancing and sanitization. Remember, the lockdown is taken off, not the risk of infection. Therefore, it is better to have proper knowledge of your destination before giving it a visit with your family.
2. Make your Vehicle travel-ready
Before traveling, you must ensure that your vehicle is in perfect condition. The smallest issue in your car can make your trip come to a standstill. Days before traveling, make an appointment with the service technicians who can check your car inside-out. All parts, including air conditioners, tires, wipers, and spare tires, should be checked to make sure they are in proper working conditions. Keep all necessary tools at a place that are required for changing the Stepney. Remember, these preventive maintenances can avoid any major breakdown during your trip.
Further, to ensure a healthy, clean, and safe environment inside the car, do not forget to sanitize it before your journey. Lastly, convert your automotive to a neat and organized luggage carrier. Make some room inside your car by attaching a robust roof rack and keeping all the big luggage that you don’t need immediately, over the rack. This will give more rear space to your car and provide your family with a capacious cabin.
3. Pack your Travel Bags effectively
Smart and hassle-free traveling means packing light. But a family trip especially, with children, needs a lot of stuff. Packing wisely apparently can reduce the number of bags you are carrying. The golden rule is to pack your bags with maximum capacity but not till the brim. By this, you can easily take items out of the bag. Keep the clothes that you want to wear first, on top. And make sure to put the heavier items at the bottom of the bag if traveling with toddlers keeps the necessary items like diapers, tissues, bottles, toys, etc. together in a different bag. Other children can have individual backpacks to carry their stuff like activity books, coloring supplies, games, and workbooks that will keep them busy during a long trip.
Remember to pack a separate handbag with all documents required for the journey, including permissions from an authority, insurance, IDs, and license. During trips, motion sickness is very common and can happen at any age. To avoid extra baggage, you can clip a multi-pocket storage bag at the back of the seats packed with medicines, wipes, and paper towels to avoid unnecessary delays when required. Place a bottle of hand sanitizer, extra masks, and disinfectant sprays in the same bag for that extra precaution you take while traveling after lockdown.
4. Keep enough supplies of Food and Drinks
Fresh fruits, homemade snacks, dry fruits, and yogurts are a few options for healthy and inexpensive foods while you travel with family. These homemade foods are the best alternatives to the available fast foods, which might be tastier but lack nutrients and may be unsafe. By encouraging home-cooked food, you can not only control the portion and nutrition of the food consumed but also has the flexibility to eat according to your convenience. Try to add variety to the snacks to keep your kids busy while relishing them.
While traveling with toddlers, keep enough supply of baby foods and liquids. Ensure to keep enough water, juices, shakes, etc. These will provide enough hydration and can be fulfilling and satisfying all through the drive.
5. Have a good source of Entertainment
Your road trip can turn boring without a good source of entertainment. And the best entertainment is the music of your choice. Selecting songs for a road trip is a family task. Every member can contribute by choosing his/her favorite music that can be added to the final playlist. This compilation will make everyone know about personal choices and hence strengthen the relationship bond. So, at times when signal strength interrupts the songs of your radio, switch to your favorite playlist and enjoy the ride.
Conclusion
Travelling can be fun but at the same time, it can be stressful with improper planning and poor execution. Check for the weather, routes, road hazards, and emergency stopovers. Remember that you are traveling post-lockdown, so take extra caution about cleaning your car at regular intervals. Your automotive should be hygienic to ensure no adverse health effects on your children. Also, remember to wear masks all through the journey and avoid unnecessary stops.
Follow all the lockdown rules and above tips simultaneously for a smooth and hassle-free trip. Keep in mind that although the lockdowns have hit your life hard, it’s time to hit the road and collect some beautiful experiences and memories with your family.
