Traveling the world in style doesn’t always mean getting up early to go to the airport to beat the crowd and get the window or aisle seat. You can just as easily and quite affordably travel the globe by car. Instead of packing all those highway miles on your daily driver, get a cheap rental car and pack your bags. Don’t forget to consider the following pointers for packing fast, efficiently and economically.
1. Check the Weather
One of the easiest things to overlook when in anticipation of travel is the weather. Sure, renting a vehicle allows you to take more things than you normally would on a plane, but that doesn’t mean you should pack a ton of extra stuff. Checking the weather for the location and dates you plan to be on the road will make it easier for you to pack the right things. After all, no one wants to have a luggage bag full of summer gear if the weather is going to be brisk and windy. Don’t forget that rain is often an unexpected event, so be sure to pack a few rain items to help keep you dry while you sightsee.
2. Pre-trip the Vehicle
You may be anxious to get all packed up and on the road, but you need to make sure that your vehicle in excellent shape first. Inspect your vehicle, fill up the tires, gas tank and top off all fluids and double check that it is fully operational before you pack on the miles. Don’t forget, rental cars need a little TLC before a road trip too.
3. Pack Mobile Device Chargers
As attached as most people are to their cellphones, tablets and smart devices, an insane number of them manage to leave their chargers behind at home or lose them during their travels. The last thing anyone wants to be is inconvenienced and out of sorts because their cellphone is about to die and there is no charging cable in sight. Do yourself a favor and pack a spare charging plug or two into separate bags to have just in case one comes up missing.
4. Pack a First Aid Kit
You may not be a clumsy or accident-prone individual, but the sheer reality is accidents that can cause minor injuries occur all the time, especially in places where there is less familiarity. It’s always a good idea to pack a first-aid kit into your things just in case you need to give yourself a little personal medical treatment while on the road. For example, a slip-and-fall could result in you banging and scraping up your knee. There’s no point in going to the nearest emergency room when you can easily clean your wounds and dress them on your own without the expense and frustration of sitting in an ER.
5. Bring a Map
You may be relying on the car’s or a smart device’s GPS navigational system for directions. Sometimes, those systems give wrong or confusing directions that could leave you second-guessing the route. Be sure to include an updated physical map or two with your things that you can refer to if necessary to ensure you make it to your destinations safe and sound.