A Guide to Surviving the American Roadtrip

October 24, 2011 · 4 comments

This is a guest post provided by rent a car.

Anytime you drive literally and sometimes figuratively out of your comfort zone, you are engaged in a road trip. The road trip conjures up images both positive and negative in people’s minds but the negative mostly depends on who is riding in the car with you and whether or not your destination is worth the drive. When five college buddies hop into a 1998 Honda with a sun-damaged roof and head to a rock concert in another state, so they can eat beef jerky and corn nuts at convenience stores along the way; they are engaged in a road trip they might remember long after they lose touch with each other. But, a loving family of four driving from NY in a brand new Mercedes SUV with a sun roof to Wisconsin in order to stay with family members they rarely ever see just to attend a wedding, could turn out to be a trip that is only remembered for the arguing in the back seat and the threats of punishment coming from the front.

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Obviously, whenever possible you want to choose a destination that everyone is going to look forward to going to, like Las Vegas for friends or Disneyland for kids. It’s tough to get excited about a four-hour drive to the Ticonderoga pencil factory. Possibly one of the greatest inventions of the late 20th Century, the GPS device in the car has almost eliminated the need for the pilot-navigator roles that couples fall into in a relationship. It’s still a wise move to print out a map, plus it’s a fun way to get children excited about the trip beforehand. Even though your 10-year old can probably access Mapquest on his iTouch quicker than you, it’s good to have an actual physical map for him or her to hold and try and refold.

Another necessity for any time spent in a car is the right amount of snacks and beverages to keep you and your family/friends from getting so hungry you have to pull into the rest stop on the highway more than you really need to. Healthy choices like granola bars are a wise choice, but with kids in a car for long periods of time, you also want to give them some of their favorite snacks to occupy them. Another great advancement in recent years that aids in raising the comfort level in the car is Sirius radio. Having a multitude of stations at your fingertips that won’t cut out when you leave Philadelphia and enter the more rural part of Pennsylvania is nice. Some major car rental companies, such as Avis, offer Sirius radio packages.

Of course in the era of texting, your kids will probably still be bonding with their friends instead of each other anyway, so a few mini versions of board games or bringing a stack of old-school Trivial Pursuit cards is a perfect way to pass the time while the driver keeps an eye on the road.
If you are planning a road trip be sure to visit RentACarNow.com. They search all major car rentals (Hertz, National, Budget, Avis, Alamo and more) with a single click.

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Maverick October 25, 2011 at 8:51 AM

Yes, I agree with you… When traveling, the first thing in my mind is to shop for snacks and beverages. You have stressed the important points for long trip here and I thank you for that…
Maverick´s latest blogpost – Womens Health Blog

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AdventureRob October 27, 2011 at 8:55 PM

That’s the most important bit!

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Aleksander October 25, 2011 at 9:26 PM

I am not traveling now. I am working hard to make money. I will visit USA, may be.

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emerald November 2, 2011 at 3:36 PM

I love to travel, specially road trips. When traveling, first thing first the foods and drinks that i’ll bring with me
emerald´s latest blogpost – What Is An RSA Certificate

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