Road trip with friends NZ: 7 survival tips guide

There’s nothing better than grabbing a group together and hitting the sights on a fun road trip with friends. Of course, making sure you stay friends for the entire trip can be an added challenge!

When you’re on the road, in a confined space with a number of differing opinions, things can spiral quickly. Here are 7 tips to help you have an epic trip with your friends. All it takes is a little planning and a lot of patience to make it work, time and time again.

7 tips to help you survive your next road trip with friends

1. Set a budget

If you’re setting off on a New Zealand road trip, costs can add up quickly. There’s so much to see and do and when you’re on a road trip with friends, no-one wants to get left behind. This is where tension can set in before you’ve even had a chance to hit the open road.

Everyone will have different budgets and expectations when it comes to choices in dining, accommodation, and so on. It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page before you head off, by having an open discussion about costs and how they will be split between everyone.

If all friends have a good idea of the costs up front, and how they will be split throughout the group, then there’s no room for tension to creep in on the road. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you can’t afford the trip, or like other friends aren’t contributing their fair share. Open communication is always the best policy.

2. Share the driving

This isn’t just about chipping in...it’s also the safest option when it comes to long road trips. It’s important to mix up the driving to make sure everyone is alert, awake and ready to go when it’s their turn.

It also makes sure all the pressure isn’t placed on one single person. There’s usually that one person in the group who always volunteers to drive and happily puts their hand up. DOn’t let them take on the responsibility alone.

Of course, if your friends can’t legally drive, then find other ways to pitch in. Plan the stops for the driver, give them plenty of time to recharge their batteries and help out in any other ways you can to take that pressure off them.

3. Plan some alone time

Just because you are travelling together, doesn’t mean you have to spend every minute of the day together.

Once you reach your destination, whether you’re stopping for one day or a few days, there’s plenty of opportunity for you to go off sightseeing alone.

Everyone has different tastes and interests, so instead of making people compromise, just plan your own thing! It’s the perfect chance to get away from each other for a little bit. After all, they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

4. Put together a road trip playlist

While both a North Island road trip and South Island road trip will bring you plenty of magnificent views, the music you have in the campervan really does set the scene.

Sitting in silence isn’t much fun for anyone, and you don’t want to place too much pressure to chat for the entire time. It’s nice to tune out and actually soak up all the areas you are passing through.

Get everyone to pick 20 of their favourite songs: with a couple of rules. All songs have to be upbeat and positive, and not distracting for the driver. Pop all the songs onto a road trip playlist and get going! Of course, you can update the playlist throughout the trip as well.

Need some more entertainment inspiration? Check out our favourite apps to keep you busy on a road trip!

5. Stock up on snacks

Fast food and sugar is great! But it won’t sustain you on the open road. The last thing you want is to be diving for the water and needing to plan extra stops along the way to relieve your bladder.

Plus, after any sugar high comes the low, where you’re all likely to get a little more snappy and impatient with each other in a confined space.

Avoid this by choosing your snacks wisely. Instead, stock up on healthy nutritious snacks that will keep you full for longer, so you can cover more ground.

Check out some more tips on how to make camping more comfortable!

6. Make (more) friends

Travelling in a group can often lead to everyone relying on each other throughout the entire trip. Part of the fun of travelling is all the new people you meet along the way and the experiences you get to share with each other.

While it’s nice to have friends to hold onto, make sure you give yourselves plenty of opportunities to branch out and connect with others along the way. It also gives your road trip buddies some breathing space from each other as well.

Sign up for pub crawls, head out to events, and open yourself up to meeting new people along the way. A friendly “hello” is often all you need.

Need to break the ice? Check out these fun camp games for large groups!

7. Be patient

With any road trip with friends, fights are likely to crop up along the way. These things happen. Just don’t let them ruin the entire trip.

If you do end up fighting, give each other a little space. Have one of the other friends step into mediate, and compromise to find a solution.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to ensure you have the best time ever. Don’t let one silly misunderstanding ruin the whole trip! You can even place a pause on the fight and agree to talk it out once you get home. Perfect!

Hire a campervan for your road trip

Ready to check out the best places to road trip with friends? Organise campervan hire on the North Island or South Island and get planning. With these handy tips up your sleeve, you’re going to find the trip a breeze, full of plenty of fun memories!

Rather go it alone? Check out our tips for planning asolo road trip!

Why Camplify?

Camplify is the fastest-growing camper vehicle sharing community in New Zealand. We proudly include the following advantages with all Camplify rentals:

• Comprehensive hire insurance

• AA roadside assistance

• 24/7 customer support

• Member verification

Plus, by hiring a vehicle through Camplify, you are directly supporting local families and companies who share their vehicle through our platform!

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