Camping guides
Tips for long road trips alone
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Whether you’re travelling solo by choice or circumstance, it’s the perfect character-building opportunity to check out all the amazing sites New Zealand has to offer. While some people relish the peace and quiet of lengthy drives with no distractions along the way, for others, this distance can drag out and seem daunting to face alone. With these 7 tips for long road trips alone, you can enjoy a stress-free and entertaining journey on your own!
7 helpful tips for long road trips alone
1. Download some apps
Make sure you stay wide awake and entertained with some of the best apps to keep you busy on a road trip. You can also plan ahead with the CamperMate app. Go exploring with more than 100,000 points of interest at the touch of a button to help find campgrounds, things to do, petrol, ATMs, WiFi and so much more. Who needs a co-pilot?
2. Know your limits
When you’re travelling solo, there’s no-one else to share the driving with along the way. While you might be able to knock out 10 hours in one day, backing that up two days in a row might be pushing it. By both recognising and paying attention to your limits, you can plan your trip around these to make for a stress-free, easy-going journey.
Don’t forget to plan plenty of breaks along the way as well. Organise your trip the day before and do a bit of research about the best places to stop along your route. It helps to be prepared before that fatigue sets in.
3. Create an amazing playlist
This is easily one of the most essential tips for long road trips alone! Work out ahead of time what you want to listen to on the road. Whether you’re a fan of the beats to keep you focused on the road, or would prefer to get lost in a good book (while concentrating on the driving, of course), or challenge yourself with an interesting podcast - there’s plenty of choice!
The best thing you can do is download Audible for access to thousands of audiobooks and podcasts. Plus, you can try it free for the first two months, which might be enough to get you through the road trip.
Download Audible.
4. Pick up some hobbies
One of the most important tips for long road trips alone? Keeping yourself busy when you take a break from driving! While a lot of your time will be occupied behind the wheel, once you arrive at your campsite for the night, you might find yourself with a little too much downtime on your hands.
Preparing a hobby you can bring along for the ride is a great idea! Even better, if you can turn that hobby into some extra income. Here are some great ideas when it comes to how to make money while road tripping. It could be as simple as selling your photos that you take along the way!
Some other ideas to pass the time during your travels include knitting, sewing, journaling, reading, yoga and much more.
5. Stay in touch
When you’re travelling solo, it’s important to keep in touch with loved ones back home and update them on your trip. Before you head off on your trip, provide them with a rough route of where you’re planning to be and when.
Once you’re on the road, it’s a good idea to update them whenever you leave one place, and when you arrive in the next. All it takes is a quick phone call or email, and you have someone looking out for you, even if they’re miles away.
6. Make some new friends
It can get lonely when you’re on your own - this can start to take a toll on you, depending how long your trip is. But one of the biggest perks of solo travel is all the great people you have the opportunity to meet along the way.
From the worker at the petrol station to other campers at your campsite, you can learn so much from others and even get top advice for your trip. There’s nothing like a bit of local knowledge or tips from experienced travellers to help you out!
If you’re not a very outgoing person, have a few icebreakers up your sleeve to get the conversation started.
7. Pack an emergency first aid kit
Last but not least is one of the most critical tips for long road trips alone. Accidents can happen, and the best thing you can do is be prepared. The great news is, all Camplify vans have their own first aid kit included, which means it’s one less thing to worry about. It helps to check with the owner before your trip and make sure you have all the essentials you need. Use a checklist and tick off the important items.
Here are some of the basics to include:
First-aid essentials
Blankets
Flashlight
Basic tools
Batteries
If anything is missing, or you would prefer to be extra prepared, you can get a helping hand by purchasing a ready-made kit online that comes with all you need for a safe journey. St John has a range of first aid kits for workplaces, marine, sports, home, and, of course, the car. You’re sure to find what you need!
[Shop first aid kits](https://buy.stjohn.org.nz/firstaid/buy-first-aid-products/first-aid-kits/# ?page=1&pageSize=9).
Hire a campervan for your New Zealand road trip
Whether you’re sorting out campervan hire on the North Island or campervan hire on the South Island, there’s plenty of incredible road trips to experience solo. With these great tips for long road trips alone, you’ll be able to keep yourself busy behind the wheel as you make your way from one awesome destination to the next.
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