Schedule Service
These summer road trip tips will help you have fun and stay sane if you’re traveling by car this season. Living in the Chicago area means you have the option for all sorts of
exciting road trip ideas, from parks and lakes to historical spots. So, if you live in Cicero or Oak Park and want to plan a road trip, this checklist will cover everything.
Pack Smarter
It’s tempting to overpack when you’re not flying, but reduce the chaos by sticking to one bag per person. Duffel bags are ideal because they’re easy to stow. Personal backpacks can hold books, devices, headphones, and games for kids. Keep your packing lists stored on your computer so you can remember things from past trips.
Car Service
Don’t leave town without doing some car maintenance. Either do it yourself, or get it serviced by your
mechanic. The key items are oil and water fluid levels, tire pressure, hose connections, wiper blades, and headlights. Always carry a cell phone charger, and be sure you trunk contains some
basic necessities like jumper cables, a tire iron, reflectors, flares, and a fire extinguisher for emergencies.
Outsmart Your Kids
If you’re
traveling with young children, think ahead so you’re ready for the boredom and meltdowns that are sure to happen on long road trips. Family games like finding signs with letters of the alphabet and license plates from every state will keep everyone occupied. Music, audiobooks, comedy podcasts, toys for the car, and of course, snacks are a must. Plan your stops around meal times and good places to burn off energy. And if you pack pillows and blankets, you just may luck out and get them to sleep.
Compute Your Gas Budget
It’s easy to plan for the cost of your hotel, restaurants, and things like park entry fees, but sometimes people don’t think about the true cost of gas when traveling by car. You can use an online fuel cost calculator or figure it out yourself using some simple math. A website like Google Maps will show you how many total miles you’ll be driving. Then multiply your car’s estimated miles per gallon times the number of gallons in your fuel tank. Finally, multiply that number times the average cost per gallon of gas where you’re going.
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