Phew, that was a long drive from Arizona to Florida. I forgot how that long car rides can get. Growing up, we traveled by car every summer. Traveling by car as a child vs. an adult is very different. I thought it would be good to pop on here and share a few tricks I used while traveling over 2300 miles.

1. BRING EXTRA DRINKS

I know it’s a basic one, but you can never have enough drinks. You will get opportunities when you get gas to grab a drink, but sometimes you finish them early. We choose to take a reusable tumbler and filled it with ice and our beverage. That way, our drinks didn’t get warm on us.

2. BRING ALL THE SNACKS

When your traveling by car food is one of the most expensive things. We planned on stopping three times a day. I learned that we would be hungry in between those stops. So we went shopping the night before we left. I suggest getting snacks close to the time you leave, so you get the items you want.

3. PLAN TO STOP AT ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

If you try to drive straight through you will get antsy very fast. Plan to stop at attractions on the side of the road. It gives you a shorter destination to look forward to along the way.

4. MAKE SURE YOUR HOTEL ACCOUNTS ARE CURRENT

If you use hotel reward/loyalty programs, make sure they are current. Unless you know exactly where you are going to stay each day. Otherwise, you will want to try to find a hotel you will get a better saving at because of your rewards/loyalty account. Sometime you can’t plan out where you are staying, and these programs can save you sometimes.

5. A PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED

I don’t know if it just my family but every time we road trip, something always goes wrong. From flat tires to dead batteries to needed new parts. I have had it all happen. I have an extra budget set aside for any unexpected car expenses that might pop up. The amount varies depending on the length of the travel. The longer your on the road, the more that can go wrong. Just make sure you have a plan for something that might go wrong.