A good road trip is mostly decided before anyone gets in the car. These are the decisions worth making in advance.
Plan around driving hours, not distance
Highway speeds and city speeds are not the same thing, and neither survives contact with a festival weekend. Estimate in hours, add a margin, and be honest about how early anyone is really willing to leave.
Fix the stops, not just the destination
Decide where you will stop for food and fuel. Improvising this on an unfamiliar highway is how a six-hour drive becomes nine.
Break long days into two
Beyond roughly six hours of driving, the return on pushing further drops sharply. An overnight stop halfway is often cheaper than the day you lose recovering at the other end.
The best-planned trips leave room for the parts you did not plan.
Pack for the car, not the suitcase
Keep water, chargers, documents and anything for children within reach of a seat. Everything else can live in the boot.
