8 Tips to make your road trip more memorable

Who doesn’t love a road trip? It’s a chance hit the wide, open road en route to adventure and all things awesome. There’s nothing we love more than road tripping, so today we’re sharing some road trip ideas that will help you make precious memories!

After you’ve checked off everything in our Essential Road Trip Car Safety Checklist, it’s time to think fun times ahead…

Create a mix tape

First up, bad music can lead to a bad mood and a bad experience, so make sure you’ve pre-planned your tunes. If you are traveling long distances, the radio just won’t cut it, especially when you travel out of reception range.

Determine how long your road trip is going to take you, then collaborate a bunch of your favourite tunes (and those of your passengers) into a playlist that exceeds your travel time. Don’t forget to take into consideration the trip back, and ensure you have enough songs in your selection.

For our top suggestions, check out these Music Playlists worth downloading now.

Plan adventure on the way

So, you’re heading from Jozi to the Kruger on the most epic, family road trip. Sure, you want to get to your destination on time, but consider making it more memorable by planning a little adventure on the way. It’s about the journey, not the destination, right?
Read more: Stop over in Dullstroom on your way to Kruger

Stop for lunch somewhere unique

Instead of stopping for lunch at a petrol station, you could stop for a quick bite to eat somewhere different. Consider doing lunch at Tiezers Padstal for example. It’s totally kiddy friendly and has a great outdoor restaurant where you can enjoy something a little different to the traditional Wimpy road trip breakfast.

Be a tourist

No matter where you go to and from on your road trip, you’ll be sure to find some great stops along the way. Do your research beforehand to discover cool places you can visit as you pass through the little towns and dorpies.

If you’re driving from Jozi to Durbs to catch some sun, how about a pit stop in the Midlands? Meander your way through the cool little galleries and shops and even stock up on some treasures.

A great place to visit for ceramic treasures is Dargle Valley Pottery. Once you’ve explored the gallery, you could stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants on Nottingham Road.

Visit our Ultimate Journey website to plan your route. It’s full of little gems to discover, all recommended by South Africans who love exploring our beautiful country!

Consider an overnight stay along the way

We want you to enjoy your holiday, but also enjoy the road trip part of your holiday too. Who said that you have to go from point A to point B in one go?

Consider spending one night along the way to add more fun and memorable moments to your road trip.

If you’re traveling from Durban to East London, eight and a half hours is long! Very long! So why not consider a stay-over let’s say in Kokstad? A great spot to visit is The Old Orchard Guest House, which is about 3 hours from Durban, then about 5 and a half hours to East London.

You could even stop for your first breakfast at The Waffle House in Ramsgate on route to Kokstad, which is about one and a half hours into your drive.

Pack your camera in the car

Whether or not you’ve planned adventure on the way make sure you’ve packed your camera/ cellphone (and battery charger) in your car along with you. You never know when those Instagram moments will strike.

Know your potty breaks

This little tip may go under the radar, but trust us, it’s important - especially if you’re traveling with young children. Before you head out make sure all your passengers know how far (time and kilometers) to the first potty break. That way, everyone will be prepared and you can at least try avoiding those annoying and embarrassing side-of-the-road moments.

Once you’ve wrapped up the first potty break, ensure you’ve planned roughly how far the next one is and inform your passengers.

If you’re travelling in convoy, stay in communication

Yeah, yeah we know you all have cell phones to stay in touch, but that’s not the point. We wanted to share tips on how to make your road trip more memorable, and trust us when we say Walkie-Talkies are the most fun you’ll ever have when travelling in convoy.

Being able to communicate with other cars in your convoy allows you to warn the cars following you about potential dangers (“there’s a pot hole up ahead”) or mention sights they might have missed (“look to the right, you’ll see the giraffes”).

Be safe and let the passengers be in control of the Walkie-Talkie (not the drivers) and make it more fun by naming your car in the group. That way, when you radio in, you can use cool military/ aviation lines like “Suzi1 (for your Suzuki Jimny), this is Volksie1 (for your Volkswagen Golf), do copy?”