A road trip is a great way to spend spring break. You don’t have to deal with expensive airplane tickets or bustling airports. You can set your schedule and follow your own timeline. Getting there is half the fun as long as your car is in good shape and you take the following preparation measures before you hit the road.

Plan the Road Trip

Most people have GPS on their phones. The technology makes it easy to be spontaneous. Are you the kind of person who just wants to hop in their car and go? If so, you might want to skip to the next section.

Even if you’re a freewheeling traveler, you should probably have a general idea of your destination, though. Ask yourself questions such as:

• How far do you want to travel?
• Do you want to see specific sights along the way?
• How long do you want to drive each day?
• What is your budget for lodging and accommodations?

Once you have the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to plan your route. For example, many campgrounds and hotels fill up during spring break, which means that you’ll have to make reservations ahead of time.

Prepare Your Vehicle

Your car should be functioning optimally before you take it on the road. Nothing puts a damper on a spring break trip more than a mechanical breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

Have your car inspected a month before the trip. This will give you plenty of time to repair the vehicle if something is wrong. If necessary, get an oil change, and top off your fluids. Make sure that your windshield wipers work well. You might even want to use a moisture-repellent product on your windshield to improve visibility during rainstorms.

You’ll want to check the air pressure in your tires before you leave. Don’t forget to check the spare tire too. If you need to replace your tires while you’re on the road, you’ll run into an unpleasant surprise if the spare is flat. Ensure that your jack and tire iron are in the car and you know where to find them. You should brush up on your tire-changing skills, especially if you’re traveling alone.

Don’t forget to prepare your vehicle’s interior. Organize your console and glove box so that you can stash necessities and find your essentials when you need them. Make sure that you have jumper cables and extra wiper fluid.

You’re going to be spending a lot of time in your car. It’s much more comfortable to drive in a clean vehicle than a dirty one. Vacuum everything, dust the dashboard and make sure that your windows are clean.

Stubborn smells can ruin a road trip and even make you feel sick while you drive. Take care of odor removal with a product such as PuroClenz. It kills the microbes that make your car stinky. Keeping some PuroClenz on hand during the trip can also save your nose and sanity by delivering effective odor removal if someone spills or gets sick in the car during your trip.

What to Pack