One of the most enjoyable and educational ways to spend your holidays is by taking a road trip. No matter which country you might hail from, traveling around that country and seeing different historical aspects of it first hand is a marvelous experience. There are many ways to enjoy travel. Some can be quite expensive, but it can be done quite cheaply barring any breakdowns or accidents, although the holiday ruining aspect of experiencing such a disaster can be minimized if you ensure you are fully insured against any loss.
With your peace of mind assured through appropriate insurance your next focus should be on how to enjoy your traveling at the lowest possible cost and this can be achieved in many ways. The following list of 10 money saving ideas for your next road trip are worthy of serious consideration, they are:
Money Saving Ideas for Road Trip
- Fuel. On very long trips it can sometimes be cheaper to fly to your destination but by doing so you will miss all the important and beautiful places on the way. Fuel is getting dearer but if you have a diesel engine fitted to your vehicle you will be able to travel twice the distance of a petrol engine. The price between petrol and diesel is not that big a difference these days, so this means you can effectively halve your costs in this area. It is also worth considering having LPG fitted to your vehicle if it has a petrol motor. Gas is about half the price of petrol so once again you can cut your fuel bill by half.
- Accommodation. It is expensive to stop at motels or caravan parks, especially if you do so nightly. A better approach is to camp in free wayside stops overnight and only stop at caravan parks every three or four days for washing of clothes and bathing purposes. Free parking is becoming quite widespread these days and is encouraged in some local council areas. Some even provide hot water showers.
- Food. Avoid buying any food at tourist destinations. Stock up from roadside sellers of vegetables and fruit and attend local markets as you drive through country towns.
- Destination Stops. When choosing to stop for a few days at one location make it a national park. You will be able to buy park passes and the costs of staying in such places will be quite beautiful as well as cheap. National parks are designated such for a reason, they are national treasures and well worth staying at.
- Refueling Stops. You will have to refuel regularly as you travel around but when doing so avoid making this your own refueling pit stop as well. You will save more by eating in your caravan or motor home. Don’t even sit down for a coffee as its price will be inflated to take advantage of the traveler. Some service stations do have shower facilities and by utilizing these you will be able to extend your time away from a caravan park stopover.
- City Visiting. Leave your caravan or motor home in a car park at an outer suburban railway station when visiting one of the capital cities. Parking in the city will be hard to find and expensive, not to mention the hassle of negotiating a big rig through city streets. It is much cheaper to hop on a train first then use trams or buses in the city proper once you get there.
- Vehicle Maintenance. Breakdowns can be expensive, especially when out in the country miles away from anywhere, so the best insurance is prevention. You can do this by checking your vehicle’s radiator water level, the engine oil level and tyre pressures on a daily basis. The best time is prior to traveling for that day. Make it a habit and keep it up religiously. Don’t forget to have your vehicle thoroughly serviced before leaving.
- Packing. Don’t pack more into your vehicle than you have to and don’t buy too much on your way around. The heavier the load the more the vehicle will have to work and this means more fuel usage. This is particularly obvious in hilly country where the engine has to labor.
- Speed. You will find that the faster you drive the more fuel you will use and the more money this will cost you. If you drive slower you will see more of what is going on around you and actually enjoy the trip much more. If you see a chain of vehicles starting to build up behind you, pull over to the side to let them pass before continuing.
- Budget. Keep a daily budget on what you are spending. This will show you if any money is being wasted and where you can cut back if you have to. It will also give you an indication of how much money you have with which to spoil yourself with from time to time as a reward for being disciplined as you travel.