[NoraSilas]

I am happy to join this forum because I love long drives and road trips, especially around countryside or new towns. I recently took long trip with my family and we learned many things about comfort and safety. Before we go, we check car tyre pressure, oil level, lights, and also plan our breaks every 2–3 hours to avoid tiredness. Sometimes weather suddenly change, so it is good idea to prepare warm clothes and water for everyone in car. We also use lists on phone and paper to not forget small things like snacks, chargers, and first aid kit.
I like to plan things carefully not only for travel but also in everyday work.
I want to ask you all: what are your favourite tips for planning a long drive? Do you use any apps for fuel stops or rest places? How do you manage if traffic or weather changes suddenly? Thank you for reading and looking forward to your advice!

[Santa]

Every 2 to 3 hours may be overkill, especially in daytime. I was a long-distance truck driver and found 4 hours was a good time to aim for. All the rest is, or should be, routine for anyone.

When our kids were small, we often drove at night, with them happily sleeping quietly in their seats.

[Lily]

@NoraSilas welcome to the Community! 🙂 If you like long drives and road trips, you have definitely come to the right place.

Now, when it comes to advice for long road trips, I have several:

- Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork in the car: driver's license, MOT certificate, etc. You should have all of this all the time, but sometimes people forget basic stuff when travelling (all that stress of packing and planning).

- Maybe a controversial one, but wash/clean your car before you start your trip.You are going to be spending a lot of time on it and funny smells and discarded packets of crisps are going to make the trip rather unpleasant.

- Get rid of any unnesary stuff you might have in the glove compartment, you will need the space for useful things.

- If you are travelling with young kids, consider prepping some "on the road" games, like "I spy". We have a whole list in the RAC here.

- Research the best motorway services on your way to your destination. Last year I visited
Gloucester Services and for a young family, it was a gamer changer: great food and plenty of green spaces. I was travelling with my toddler and he burned so much energy running aroung the place.

- When it comes to traffic, my husband and I try either to leave really early or travel after 7 pm (great tip for the Christmas season!)

- If the trip is very long, we always book accommodation on the way (trips to continental Europe for instance).

Looking forward to reading about any useful apps to better plan a trip!

[Rolebama]

I think the most important thing is to drive in the right frame of mind. Do all the things necessary on the morning of the day before, prepping the car and packing etc. It gives you plenty of time to think about things you may have forgotten. Then get a good night's sleep with no worries.
Personally I prefer to drive through the night, using motorways and major A roads where possible. Even if it may add a few miles to the journey.
I also find it useful to look on Google maps in street view mode to look at junctions to get some idea of the route, especially with a new route, or as a refresher for a route you haven't driven for a while.