Travel can be an expensive undertaking. Even public transport has become more expensive in recent months and years, as prices continue to rise against decimated local services. But travel is not just a localised means-to-an-end, as with daily commutes and visiting family. Travel is also an exercise in enjoyment, as the facilitating factor in most holidays.
Holiday travel has fared worse than public transport with regard to average costs, as conventional package holiday deals soared in cost towards the start of 2023. The prohibitive cost of such travel has, once again, thrust more provincial forms of travel back into the limelight, as road tripping in a motorhome once again becomes the quintessential British holiday.
Motorhome holidays are no bad thing, either, with British landscapes and staycation getaways being amongst the best in the Western hemisphere. But as a new initiate to such travel, what might you need to know about travel preparations?
Pre-Travel Checks and Maintenance
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly of all, the vehicle you intend to travel and rest in will need a good looking-over to ensure it is indeed suitable for the trip ahead. At its simplest, this means a check-over with the local mechanic and a day of ensuring all motorhome insurance documents are up to date.
Motorhomes are not necessarily complex things, but more complicated checks might involve ensuring its electrical system is enough to service your devices and ideal appliances. If not, you might consider updating your leisure battery to keep important devices charged throughout.
Route Planning
The next port of call for your pre-travel preparations involves the travel plan itself; where, exactly, are you planning to go? Road trips are glorious precisely for the fact that they are modular, easily adjustable and practically begging to be improvised mid-trip.
However, this should not preclude you from making some basic decisions about the length of your trip, key stops you’ll make and rough areas you’ll rest within. At the very least, someone else knowing your rough route can ensure you aren’t too long without help in the event of a stranding incident!
Packing Wisely
With a core route put to paper, your attention can now turn to the exciting act of packing. Knowing some basic details about the form of your trip allows you to make decisions more readily here, such as whether or not you’ll need that mosquito spray after all. In driving a motorhome, you’ll have more storage space than the average camping trip – but don’t let this trick you into packing without care! You’ll be better off packing shrewdly than widely.
On-the-Road Entertainment
The final piece of the puzzle relates to your time on the road. If you’re lucky enough to be sharing this motorhome trip with a friend or beau, their presence in the passenger seat can be enough to brighten each leg of your trip. However, you might consider arranging some mid-drive entertainment to keep you both awake, alert and having fun. This could be a holiday playlist to listen to together, some pre-downloaded episodes of your favourite podcast, or even a holiday game or two to while away the traffic jams!
