While the summer may be coming to an end, there’s still time to plan an unforgettable road trip across mainland Europe. While planning a trip is never easy–there always seems to be something you forget–here are the three of the most important things you’ll need to make your next trip one to remember.
Take a Spare Camera
The old saying goes that the best camera is the one that’s with you. With the advent of camera phones, this certainly turned out to be the case. Most people now take the vast majority of the pictures with their phone. However, it’s important to remember that there’ll be moments everyday where you have to charge it. Bring along at least one other spare battery if you can, or bring another digital camera with you as well. Not only do these have much longer batteries, they may even take better photos than your phone as well. While you might not be able to upload them to Instagram right away, you’ll be making lots of memories along your trip so make sure you have a way of documenting these experiences for the future.
Make Sure You Have an Up-to-Date GPS
Occasionally, getting lost on your travels can lead you down a forgotten path that just happens to be home to a unique tourist spot. This could be something you’d never planned for and, if it wasn’t for a mistake, you wouldn’t have ever stumbled upon it. While this may happen once on your trip, the vast majority of times you get lost will end up with you feeling frustrated that you wasted an hour or more going around in circles or missing your turn. Make sure you take a sat nav that is fully up-to-date with European data. While you might think you can get away with just using the GPS on your smartphone, internet speeds, particularly in more rural areas, might not be what you’re use to back home and if you lose your connection entirely you’ll be left with nothing.
Remember to Stay Safe
That’s right. While anyone’s main priority on a road trip is about having fun, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put precautions in place against possible accidents. Having your vehicle checked and serviced by a licensed professional before you start the journey is a necessity. Even then, though, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any chance of any problems developing along the way. Flat batteries, tyre punctures, or any kind of mechanical breakdown are all common accidents on the road so make sure you take out comprehensive breakdown cover. This doesn’t necessarily have to from a local service provider either. Many UK-based companies can also offer short-term protection for those temporarily going overseas.
Trips with friends can be some of the most defining moments of an individual’s life. Make sure you give yourself the best chance of creating memorable moments by bringing along all of the essentials.
