Strong urges to visit our favorite holiday destination, especially after being locked up at our homes is quite natural. In-fact, the travel has already begun as the restrictions have eased out considerably. But travel during the times of social distancing, is quite different with travel recovery beginning locally. Travellers across countries have started travelling domestically and are increasingly choosing driving down to their favourite getaways over taking flights to a far-off destination. Although road tripping in your favorite SUV or car is now your ticket to freedom, there are more reasons to go on a road trip and to achieve your Zen.
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From enjoying the leisure trip at your own pace to avoiding the hustle & bustle, road trips can be a great stress buster and prove to be a soothing experience. So, while you are bugged with being travel-restricted, it’s now a perfect opportunity to hop in your car, head off to an ultimate vacation and break down the monotony of ubiquitous corona-dominant life. Happy road tripping!
8 Reasons to go on a road trip
Here are my top 8 reasons to go on a road trip and reasons on why road trips are good for you:
1. Take pleasure in road tripping with built-in social distancing
Social distancing becomes annoying when travelling via air or rail but road trips can offer undeniable built-in convenience of social distancing. You can do away with your mask and let the wind fiddle with your hair while enjoying your trip either solo or with your partner. Forget about regular wiping of hands and surfaces and maintaining six-foot distance in the car. Of all the reasons to go on a road trip, this one particularly tops the list.
2. Enjoy your freedom
Do you often feel pre-travel anxiety to catch your flight or reach the platform on time? If yes, a road trip is your answer to beat the anxiousness out of you and start your trip whenever you are ready. You can take frequent breaks, record picturesque views, be romantic while the sun sets on the way down the hill, grab your favorite food while on the go or halt whenever you may wish to. In short you are in control of your trip and life. You can forget about all the worries related to cancellations and changing dates and be in-charge of your own logistics. Such a luxury sounds great. You can stop stressing and start enjoying it!
3. Soak in solitude & tranquility or enjoy quality time with your partner
If you are looking for some adventure either alone or looking for the same while spending some quality time with your partner, road tripping is your key. If you are travelling solo, you can relish the divine gift of solitude. All you need is just you, your car and an open road. You can spend time soaking in reminiscence, or rediscovering your hedonistic self. This can be a liberating experience that will enable you to unwind from daily rigmarole and clear your mind. Expect yourself to be connecting with nature and rediscovering your lost self.
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If you are traveling with your partner, your family or your bff, a road trip can prove to be an ultimate bonding experience. You can enjoy a dedicated quality time with each other, free of all the distractions. Travelling with your significant other also means you can alternate the driving seat and enjoy the dawn or the dusk at the comfort of your own personal rolling cabin.
Road trips are therapeutic, release your stress, and give a thrill or adventurous feeling to your overall trip while giving you an adrenaline rush.
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4. Savour the journey without worrying about destination
Driving down on your vacation, will lend you enriching experiences that will define your holiday as a journey and a destination. When you travel by air or rail to a far-off destination, you don’t have much of a time to cover the ground and experience the place. Travel by car definitely allows you to savor the local experiences and enrich your journey rather than simply marking one destination off the list. If you enjoy more serenity, you can choose to drive down the forest road or take the off-beat path and explore your adventurous side rather than sticking to the main highway for example. Also, you can enjoy the countryside. Studies indicate that spending time in the countryside increases overall mental wellbeing and wellness of people as opposed to city breaks. This way you choose to not race against the clock and achieve the next level of travel contentment.
5. Avoid the travel related stress and focus more of enjoying the trip
While I love flying, I hate spending time at the airports. The idea of packing light, customs clearance, long lines at the security check-in, mid night airport transfers and overnight layovers gives me jitters. As you prepare yourself for an upcoming trip, your subconscious constantly reminds you of reaching the airport on time, or keeps you on your toes for not missing the train or the bus. However, when you choose to road-trip, you invariably avoid the stress caused by airports, bus stations and railway stations. As you chose road tripping, you chose to enjoy your holiday from day one, as it starts the time you step in your car, unlike rail or air travel where you are subjected to a lot more stress before your actual holiday begins.
When you decide to take a road trip, you leave behind all the unreliability and uncertainty of using public transport and choose to take control of your journey from day one. You can choose to put on your favourite music, party on empty roads and get clicked on the way! In short you focus more on your trip rather than the schedule!
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6. Enjoy the liberty of packing heavy
When you choose to take your SUV for a trip you are at liberty to pack your heart’s content in your suitcase without worrying about its weight or dimension or number as compared to air travel which is restrictive in all the aspects. Of course, this is subjected to the capacity of your vehicle. You can choose to pack different outfits for different occasions, pack pairs of shoes, and take your tripods. Remember to leave ample space in your car so as to enable you to comfortably sit, relax and stretch. Also do not forget to pack your favourite pillows for an extra-long journey.
7. Travel with your furry-friend
If you are a pet parent, and leaving behind your four-legged child makes you fret, a road trip is the solution to all your problems. You can enjoy a family vacation with your partner and your pet or if you are travelling solo, your furry friend can be a sigh of relief. You do not have to be guilty or worry about leaving about your pet at home or in foster care. It is always soothing to see your pet ogling out of the window catching the breeze or cosying up in your lap on the go!
8. Save on your hard earned moolah
Road trips cost you less than expensive flight tickets and hotel accommodations. While you still have to spend on fuel, car maintenance & accommodation, it is still much cheaper than the former. You can sleep in your car, or adventure camps, bring your own food or eat in local eateries rather than eating out in expensive restaurants while on a city break.
Fun things you should do when on a road trip
The sense of flexibility, control and freedom while on a road trip is awesome, but sharing these moments with your best buds or partner can make it a lifetime event. Apart from the reasons to go on a road trip here are few fun things you should do when on a road trip with your buddies:
- Listen to your favourite music while on the go
- Click lots of pictures
- Play road-trip games like singing songs turn by turn or playing “never have I ever…” etc.
- Crack jokes and bring humour across the table
- Listen to podcasts and audiobooks
- Take frequent breaks and enjoy local meals, coffee and tea
- Take a detour and checkout something exciting
- Watch the sunset and sunrise and take it easy
- Enjoy your food on-the-go or stop in nature and have a picnic
- Consider camping if you like
- Have heart to heart session with fellow travellers
- Plan a future trip with friends and/or partner
Are You ready for a Road Trip?
Although there are many reasons to go on a road trip and traveling by your car offers a host of benefits, you also have to consider various factors like cost, time & energy before planning a road trip.
- Driving takes a lot of time to reach your destination and can be really tiring. So, if you are comfort oriented, rethink road tripping. Having someone alternate driving & sleeping cycle and sharing responsibility is always a good idea.
- Be ready to do all of the work on your own – from planning the trip, navigating the map, changing the flat tyres, to meeting exigencies.
- Finding the parking of a car is a real challenge, especially if your pitstop is the main city. High parking rates are also no fun to deal with.
- Travel by car can turn out to be more expensive in the long run due to fuel cost, wear and tear of the car like more frequent servicing, and replacing of tyres from time to time, coupled by unanticipated breakdown and hotel parking charges. It is a good idea to rent a vehicle rather than taking yours.
Are there other compelling reasons to go on a road trip in your minds? Let us know the same in the comments section below. Also check out our Youtube Studio for some inspiring and quirky videos.
