When you’re a kid, you just get your backpack ready, hop into the car, and ask your mom for all the snacks. But when you become the adult, or even the mom, suddenly it’s not that easy anymore! You have to prepare the car, the snacks, the luggage for the trip and much more. 

Since most likely YOU are the adult now, you have to know how to prepare for road trips. And this where I come in. I’ve gone on so many road trips in my life (both as a child and as an adult), that I already know all the best tips & tricks to make it a good and entertaining one. 

So here is how to prepare for road trips. Discover the best tips & tricks to organize your car, snacks and luggage for the big trip. It will make your life so much easier if you do these things!

How to Prepare for Road Trips – Your Car

The car is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to road trips. 

You need to make sure that:

1. The car is clean, inside and out;
2. The car is equipped with everything you need.

The first point is pretty straightforward: make sure the car is clean. Take it to a car wash and also make sure the inside is clean, too. Vacuum the floors and the seats and wipe down the handles and board with a wet wipe. Trust me, it sucks to start a new adventure in a dirty car, it will ruin your mood.

The second point is also vital for the success of the road trip. If you want to know how to prepare for road trips, you firstly need to know what to have in the car. So here is my list:

Car maintenance & repair items. Make sure you have a spare tire (if you have space for it), a first aid kit, a small extinguisher, and other necessary tools. 

Full tank of gas. You can fill up a day before, to have a head start, or right when you leave, in the morning. Your choice. 

Cleaning & Organizing items. This is vital especially if you have kids (or messy adults). Make sure you have wet wipes, tissues or towels, and some disposable bags to act as  trash bags. 

Entertainment. If you have kids or even if you get bored quickly, you will definitely need entertainment. This could mean books, toys, tablets, you name it. If you have time beforehand, I also recommend looking up online some car games, like guessing games or story-making games, especially if you’re more then two riding.

Music. The easy way out is to listen to the radio. Or you could prepare a playlist, or some CDs that you could play in the car during the road trip. I suggest making a playlist, or using the Spotify / Apple Music pre-made Road Trip playlists, they’re great. Check out my road trip playlist below, it’s a classic rock playlist.

How to Prepare for Road Trips – Snacks

This deserves its own category: SNACKS. My favorite part of road trips. When I was a kid, I used to look forward to road trips, especially for all the snacks my mom would pack for me. She would even ask me beforehand what I wanted. It was heaven. (if you have kids, please do the same for them, it would make them so happy)

My go-to road trip snacks are:

• M&M’s. Grab a big bag of it, it will be devoured in an hour max.
• Chips or Popcorn. Salty snacks are also good because they usually fill you up quickly.
• Jelly beans / Sour Patch Kids / Haribo. Something chewy and sweet / sour. Both kids & adults will enjoy it. 
• Soda / Juice. I love to enjoy a good, ice Coke when road tripping. My partner usually goes for apple or peach juice. If you have kids, you could get them apple sauce pouches.
• Fruit. I know I should firstly recommend fruit, but I admit I rarely pack it for my road trips. But when I do, I go for bananas and apples, they are easier to eat and dispose of. 

I recommend buying them beforehand, in your last grocery run before leaving for the road trip. It’s much cheaper to buy snacks from a Costco or a Safeway, then from the gas station. 

How to Prepare for Road Trips – Luggage

If you want to have a relaxing, entertaining road trip / vacation, make sure you pack accordingly. There are some things you need to know on how to prepare for road trips in terms of packing.

Here are my best tips & tricks for packing for road trips:

• Plan your outfits. This is the best and most efficient advice I can give you. It will save you time (when on vacation), space (no unnecessary items in your luggage) and energy (to figure out daily what to wear, instead of what to do that day). Have an outfit per day prepared, taking into consideration what you will do that day. If you will hike, have a hiking outfit. If you will go swimming, also pack your swimsuit.
• Pack light….and smart. Mix and match your clothes so that you don’t have to pack too many clothes. For example, pack a pair of jeans that can be worn in 2 or 3 different outfits. That way, you save space for more souvenirs and shopping, or to have a smaller luggage to begin with. 
• Always pack 1-2 extra tops, in case you spill something on you or you get sweaty.
• Have a car outfit. What I mean is to have a specific outfit just for the car riding part. When you get there, you can change your top or your whole outfit. You feel better and refreshed. I go for sweatpants and a t-shirt (or jeans and a t-shirt), and when I get to the hotel, I change into another top (or directly into pajamas, depending when we get there).
• Each person should have its own luggage or packing cube. This way, you will stay organized, and each person is in charge of their own bag. If you have small children, I recommend having separate luggage for them, you will probably need it.
• Use a packing cube or bag for dirty laundry. This will be a lifesaver when you get back. While on vacation, put all your dirty clothes in that cube / bag. So when you come home, you won’t be overwhelmed with unpacking. You will just need to dump the cube’s / bag’s contents in the washing machine and you’re done.

And this is how to prepare for road trips. Make sure your car is stocked and ready to go. Then all you need to do is relax and enjoy your vacation!

Let me know in the comments what you like to snack on when you are road tripping, I need new ideas!

p.s. If you’re looking for Staycation Ideas, check out 13 staycation ideas when you can’t travel internationally!

The post How To Prepare For Road Trips – Car, Snacks, Luggage appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.

In a time when the tourism industry is heavily affected by the pandemic, because of travel restrictions and country-specific rules like quarantine after entry, staycations have become the norm.

Probably because people are afraid to travel during these uncertain times. When the virus is so easily transmitted, it is said an enclosed space like an airplane could be a great place to catch it.  So most avoid it, in order to stay safe and healthy, which is totally understandable.

That’s why I think most people will resort to staycations in 2020, 2021, maybe even 2022. If you’re here, you’re probably one of those people, too. (I know I certainly am)

And while you might think this is horrible news, I am here to help you realize that you can definitely travel and make wonderful memories in your own country. 

I’ve compiled 13 staycation ideas to help you enjoy your vacation this year. Two of them require minimum planning, while the third can be more complex and will require some time set aside for figuring out what you actually want to do. 

The staycation ideas have no specific person limit. You can do it with your partner, or with your family, or you can arrange a vacation for a larger group. You can even go solo (just please exercise caution). It’s your choice. 

They are split in three big categories, but the first two have at least 5 staycation ideas you can try. The third is a beast in itself, and needs a plan of its own. 

Without further ado, here are the top 13 staycation ideas when you can’t travel internationally: 

Day trips

This is the easiest version of a staycation, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. 

The day trip is pretty self explanatory. You take only a day to go into an adventure. It’s usually pretty close to home, because you need to travel to and back from. I recommend you leave as early as you can in the morning, so you don’t have to return too late into the night.

Where should you go? So many one day staycation ideas to choose from:

• Local national park, for a hike. 
• An amusement / adventure park. 
• Walk / hike in a nearby forest trail, or by the lake. Please don’t go alone, always have at least one other person with you.
• Beach day, if you’re lucky enough to live close to a beach.
• Local farm, for fruit picking or for watching the animals. (recommended for families)
• Other attractions / Museums. For example, World’s Largest Ball of Rubber Bands, in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Shopping. Some states have very large shopping outlets / malls where you can get great deals. Disclaimer: I know some might not consider this an actual vacation, but to each its own.

How to plan a one day staycation? Just research your area for a 100-200 miles radius, and pick something you always wanted to visit. Fill up your tank and go on an adventure! Have fun!

Weekend getaways

You might read “Weekend getaway” and think of a romantic weekend in two at a cabin, during winter, all white and cozy. You’re not particularly wrong, that was my inspiration. 

But you can take a weekend trip anywhere, with anyone you want, anytime.

How? Plan one weekend, either Friday to Sunday, or Saturday and Sunday, away. Find the location, book the accommodation, and you’re done. You can choose from the following weekend staycation ideas:

• Romantic getaway. I recommend a cabin in the mountainside, or a rented apartment on the beach. Perfect for couples.
• Rent a beach house for you and your friends. Maybe to celebrate the 4th of July? Or someone’s birthday? You don’t really need a reason, just go for it.
• Go to Disneyland. Perfect trip for people with kids, but definitely not only for them. Book your fairytale vacation now!
• Camping with family. This could be so much fun. I can just imagine the camp fires, the s’mores, the laughs, the games. I wish I could go camping right now. 
• Big City (lights). I used to do this when I was younger with my girlfriends. I would choose one of the bigger cities (New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco) and fly in for a weekend. We would do sightseeing, eat delicious food, go to bars, and just explore the town. 

Cross-country road trip

If you really want to feel like you’re travelling, you need to plan a cross-country road trip. Now, I’m not saying that you should go from Los Angeles to New York, but I do mean you should travel through at least 4 different states. 

This type of staycation idea is not as easy to plan as the first two. That’s because you need to actually sit down and figure out your itinerary. What’s your starting point, what do you want to visit on the road, and where is your end point (or where you plan to turn around home). After that, you need to secure accommodation for each stopping point. 

It might take a while to plan, but I bet it’s going to be worth it. Imagine 1, 2, maybe even 3 weeks on the road with your partner, friends or family, discovering new places and exploring your country. You will have so much fun!

This type of staycation is, obviously, best suited for driving (car, RV, you name it), but  you can also fly to a place and then explore the cities and places in that area. Whatever feels good!

So here we are: 13 staycation ideas for this summer! What are you choosing?

P,S. If you need to save money to plan a staycation, find out how to save money!

The post 13 Staycation Ideas When You Can’t Travel Internationally appeared first on Cozy Home Hacks.