A solo road trip, should you do it? Isn’t it scary? In this article, I’ll share 10 tips so you’ll experience the best solo road trip ever!
Tip 1: Make sure how to navigate
It’s impossible to check the map while you’re driving, so make sure you’ve got spoken navigation. Buy a navigation system like Garmin or use your smartphone (don’t forget to buy a phone holder for your car).
During my solo road trip in the USA, I used my phone with Google Maps. A great combination, because it gives your real-time traffic information.
Tip 2: Let someone know where you’re heading
When you travel solo, it’s always a good idea to let someone know where you’re planning to go. I usually sent a text to my family. Especially when I expected that I wouldn’t have any service at my destination (like in a lot of the US National Parks)
Tip 3: Make sure you can grab your snacks
When you make a road trip with friends, you can always ask for a drink or food and they will give it to you. But when you’re road-tripping solo, you have to grab everything yourselves. Make sure you can easily grab a snack, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road.
I put a bottle of water with a sports cap or a can of soda in my cupholder. Both are really easy to open with just one hand. For snacks, I made sure I had something without packaging, so I wouldn’t need to open it. My favorites were M&Ms, Skittles, or Twizzlers. And grapes if I felt like eating healthy.
Tip 4: Make a stop on a regular basis
It’s tempting to keep on driving as long as you can, but that’s not the smartest thing to do. Take care of yourself! I always checked the map before I left, to see if there were any cool places to stop. Viewpoints, picnic areas, or a relaxing beach park. Make a stop every hour (or every 90 minutes) and you will enjoy your road trip even more. Don’t forget to bring a book if you like reading!
Also, make sure to get comfortable when you take a break, especially when you’re going camping. So add a folding chair to your car camping packing list. You will thank me later ;)
Tip 5: Make sure to have an awesome playlist
Since you’ve got nobody to talk to during a solo road trip, so you might as well listen to some music! Before every trip, I make a playlist on Spotify (if you have a premium subscription, you can download them on your phone). On that playlist, I usually put songs to sing along with, the best road trip feeling ever!
Other alternatives are listening to an awesome podcast and there are also many great audiobooks for road trips.
Tip 6: Lock your doors
Just for safety, lock your doors when you make a solo road trip. Especially in cities and places with traffic lights, it is a good feeling to know, nobody can just jump into your car. It probably won’t ever happen, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Tip 7: Know where you will stay the night
Most of the time, I book ahead, so I know where I will stay at night, especially when I’m traveling solo. During my last solo road trip, I didn’t plan everything ahead, but I always made sure to get a place to sleep before it got dark. Driving around in the dark is not always the best idea when you’re by yourself and it’s nice to tell your friends and family where you are.
Tip 8: Know your own boundaries
When you travel solo, it’s good to know your own boundaries and to be honest with yourself. Are you feeling a little tired while you’re driving? Make a stop as soon as possible. Safety always comes first and you’ve got to be able to trust yourself.
Tip 9: Get the right car
Not everybody has their own car to go on a road trip, so they have to get a rental car. If you’re one of these people, make sure to pick a good one. A car where you feel safe in and know how it works. I usually pick one with a rear camera (I suck at parking) and a Bluetooth connection (I need to connect that playlist!).
Tip 10: Enjoy, you’re on a solo road trip!
Last but not least: enjoy every second of your solo road trip! Stop whenever you feel like it and if you would like to go on a detour, just do it!
These are my tips for a great solo road trip. Did you ever go road-tripping by yourself?
Would you like to read more about solo travel?
Get one of these amazing books filled with tips about traveling solo:
Or check out one of these articles that I wrote about solo travel:
– The best destinations for solo travelers
– Tips & tricks: traveling solo for the first time
– 14 fun travel-related staycation ideas for solo travelers
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