Road Safe: Tips for Women on a Road Trip
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of conquering a new road. All by yourself, or accompanied by a loved one, you get to taste new cultures, and expand your horizons. It’s an up-close and personal encounter with real life as seen and felt by other regions, even those just outside of the boundaries of your own comfort zone. However, it’s one thing to discover and explore, and completely another to leave things to chance.
Smart road-tripping requires plenty of preparation and Sherlock-like sharpness, so that your journey remains a pleasant one, even when riddled with challenges and obstacles. For every wanderlust-struck woman out there, read on to pick up a few handy tips for safe travels.
The master check-list
Remember, a road trip is unlike any other type of travel, so you need a list that will be specifically designed for this purpose. Unlike your regular air travel or A to B destination vacation, a road trip will be interspersed with unexpected stops, incredible, unplanned sights, and must-see vistas you didn’t mark in your itinerary.
Write down, both on your phone, and make a hard copy of your must-pack list, to ensure you bring everything you need. From your phone charger, tampons, a stash of cash, all the way to water-resistant shoes and a Swiss army knife, you’ll need to double-check your list before you hit the road.
Prepping the ride
Another preparation essential is making sure that your car is in perfect condition to endure a lengthy trip. Australians, for example, are famous for their frequent visits to the outback, and they often used reliable car maintenance services to have their cars checked and prepped for the journey. You can even phone a mobile mechanic and have a mechanic visit you at home and do the diagnostics on the spot, so that you can have a peace of mind when it’s time to start the engine.
Check if you have all the necessities, such as a spare tire, your first-aid kit, a durable flashlight, and a physical map among many other items in your car, to make your trip all the safer.
Talk to locals
Even with a detailed itinerary and all your stops well-planned in advance, you should always leave some wiggle room for local tips and ideas. It’s enough to stop by the road when you enter a small town and talk to the local families if they can direct you towards the most beautiful nature spot, or the best waffles in town!
Insurance on several levels
It doesn’t matter if you will only be away for a couple of days, as even a weekend road trip should come with an insurance policy to cover any possible incidents, health-related or otherwise. Together with that, you should share your travel plans with someone close to you and establish a calling schedule to check in on a regular basis.
Another great idea is to scan your documents, and upload them to cloud storage that you can access from anywhere, just in case someone mugs you or you lose your ID on the road.
Choose reliable resources
While it’s always great to stay flexible and spontaneous, certain things such as your accommodation, shouldn’t be left unplanned. At least do some research and check out available hotels, hostels and apartments, and use well-known and certified resources such as Trip Advisor or Airbnb.
You should always aim for those with the highest rate of positive recommendations, and preferably zero complaints. You can pay in advance and make sure there’s always an available bed waiting for you when you reach one of your stops.
Pack layers and safety gear
If you’re a passionate fashionista, you may find it difficult to say goodbye to all those fancy options and cool accessories on the road. However, this time, the focus should be on packing light, and choosing versatile, functional garments.
Breathable materials such as cotton, and layers such as sweaters and jackets will give you the chance to always adjust if the weather changes, and stay healthy for the duration of your trip.
Tech up
Finally, use the perks of the modern era! Pack your USB phone charger, a selfie stick if you travel alone, a GPS to make sure you’re on the right track, and use various apps to check out local eateries worth a visit, or any local events that are ongoing.
To wrap up, any gal on the road can make her travels safer by spending time in crowded places, talking to many people, and staying vigilant both on the road and during the stops. Stay smart, and safe travels, ladies!
