1. Introduction

Via www.parents.com
Have you ever traveled with your pets or your baby?
I have actually. Before becoming a father of a 6-month-old baby, I had 5 cute little dogs and usually went on road trips with them. Those times were the best time I have ever had. But now, it is even better because I have not only my pets but also my little family to share the happiness of travelling with me.
However, not many people are thinking like me. Most of them find going on a road trip with their baby a super difficult task, and not to mention their pets. Plenty of my friends are sharing the same opinion and I think it’s so sad for them. Because having fun and seeing this beautiful world is one of the most magnificent thing that you could ever experience.
Therefore, I’m writing this HOW TO article today to share some of my experiences with anyone having problems with travelling with pets or kids, including:
- How to road trip on a budget
- How to road trip alone
- How to road trip with a baby
- How to road trip with a dog
- How to road trip with a cat
- See more: How to crochet the road trip scarf
Are you ready? Let’s move on
2. Informative & Useful Tips For Planning Fun Road Trips
How to road trip on a budget ?

These are some useful tips of mine that can help you minimize your road trip costs.
1. Making sacrifices is necessary
We have to admit that everything may not follow what we planned, so sometimes, we need to sacrifice some things to continue our trip. Perhaps you want to see Mount Rushmore, but your kids just want to spend time at the amusement park.
You want to pitch a tent somewhere in the middle of highway to the mountain, but your companions would love a warm bed with rosy smell in a hotel room more than your tent. You cannot afford for all of those things. There will always be different ideas, so that each of everyone needs to compromise a little or you only need to go with people who share the most interests and needs with you.
2. Get some sleep whenever possible

If you have friends in other parts of the country, don’t hesitate to ask for a temporary accommodation. Or staying at places where members of www.couchsurfing.com offer. This can minimize your cost of accommodation. Besides, staying with local people is the best way to travel, because you will have a chance to see places where they live through their own eyes.
It would be much more fascinating. But if it’s a long drive, and you and your companion don’t have any friends to stop by, you can take turns to drive. While this one is driving, another will get some sleep, and continue doing that respectively. That can decrease the cost of staying in hotels and departures. Another option is that you can pitch a tent like I and my wife did, but make sure that you have enough blankets or something to warm you up. It can get freezing on the mountain.
3. Erase anything costing too much money from your list.
Anything from lodging, grocery food, souvenirs, snacks, or restaurants can be eliminated if they are unnecessary. Calculating everything and divide them evenly to every person. Make sure you and your friends all have bank cards which allow withdrawals from any ATM in the country, so that you can cope with unexpected situations. Therefore, you vehicle will be less loaded and not waste so much money.
4. Have a light and efficient pack.

No one wants to have a pack looking and feeling like a rock behind their backs. Restrict all the backpacks to school size, with one pillow and one blanket. Put the backpacks in the trunk and spread the blanket over the backseats, or front seat if it’s not too difficult for your car. In this way, you will save a lot of trunk space. If people in the back want to sleep, bring the pillows in the backseats as well. In my opinion, these are the items that a person can put in his pack:
- A tent
- Two large sleeping bags (or an mattress that can be laid down for padding)
- A hardy pot or some pudgy pie makers, box of matches or lighter, in case you want to cook
- A few newspapers to kill the time.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Cameras
- Credit card
5. Sightsee for free
You don’t have to stick to your tours. Stop along the way if you see places or sights look so magnificent or attractive. Doing what others don’t do is another terrific idea, such as climbing a rocky hill at the side of the road, or riding a bike to the top of a hill and watching the sunrise.
6. Don’t buy souvenirs

Souvenirs can take a lot more money than you imagine. If you want to memorize your trip, some postcards are economic and reasonable. Moreover, take various pictures and hang them inside of your house or put them in your road trip collection when you come back. This is way more fun and memorable.
7. Save on gas
Gas can be very costly. Some stations have higher price than others, so try to fill up more where the price is lower. Furthermore, large semi trucks down the highway can be considered your windshield. Just take advantage of them to get less wind resistance and shift to neutral while coasting downhill, which takes less gas.
See more:
How to road trip alone ?

These are some of my directions if you want to have a road trip all by yourself.
1. Be safe
Whatever you do and wherever you go, this is the most significant thing. There were a lot of situation in the past that did not pay attention to safety warnings, so that they took horrible consequences affecting their matter of life and death. You can bring these to protect yourself:

- A cigarette USB charger for your phone
- A first aid kit
- If you’re worried, install a phone tracking app so a few select people can know your exact whereabouts.
- A list of the numbers in your phone (in case your phone broke down)
- Give someone your itinerary and the contact numbers of the people you’ll be staying with
- Some bottled water and granola bars in the trunk (so you won’t be tempted to eat them all)
2. Insurance is completely needed

Roadside Assistance:
Travel Insurance :
Rental Car Insurance:
3. Look for directions carefully before you go

Via www.calculatedtraveller.com
Before going on a road trip alone become familiar with details of the route. Even though many cars now are equipped with GPS navigation, don't rely on them too much. Explore the route on the map using Google Earth feature if possible. Mark down possible points of interests, rest stops and overnight stays if it's a long-day trip. Even though you like to have it to be an adventure with plenty of spontaneous discoveries, prepare a rough skeleton of a route at least.
4. Stay comfortable

Via www.huffingtonpost.com
A long trip in the car is not the time to wear your super cute, super tight vintage dress. If you’re going to be sitting for 6+ hours, wear comfy layers. When you’re driving through different climates you can put on/take off clothes as needed and you won’t get an angry stomach from that tight waistband. Yoga pants, ballet flats, a t-shirt, cardigan, and scarf are recommended.
5. Entertainment

Here are what I usually prepare before get going:
- Create a playlist of music that would support feeling a good vibe.
- Bring several audio courses that promotes your inner growth intellectually and spiritually.
- Have an audio book that nurtures your soul.
- Have an audio recorder for spontaneous thoughts
See more:
How to road trip with a baby ?

These are some of my remarks, and I think it would be useful to any parent.
1. Watch what you eat
Do not drink and drive or use any kinds of sleeping pills, they will limit your ability to drive.
2. Keep calm
Anything can happen, especially with a baby. So if want to solve all of them, you need to stay calm.
3. Pay attention to food and drink
Avoid feeding your baby in the car seat while on the road. He or she can choke even when drinking from a bottle or a cup. If you want to feed your baby, it’s best to pull over.
4. Prepare some medicines
They are always necessary. You may want to prepare some for fever and pain, such as acetaminophen drops, allergy, and cough and cold medications such as saline nose drops and Benadryl liquid.
5. Soft toys
My baby is quite active, so I always have to occupy him with some toys. Anything in the car can become a weapon because of the high speed of travel. Therefore, soft toys are the safest items that you can carry for your baby.
See more:
How to road trip with a dog ?

Via www.philly.com
1. Contact your pet’s doctor
Make sure your dog is capable of the trip and does not have any serious disease. If it’s been a while he has not had a check-up, take him in before going. Ensure your dog is up-to-date for vaccinations, and ask if additional vaccinations are required for the trip since your dog may encounter different threats, like Lyme disease, at your destination or along the way..
2. Plan your road trip
You want to ensure that your schedule accommodates time for regular breaks. For his physical comfort and happiness, your dog needs to have the opportunity to have fun, walk around, and experience the new environment. Plan to take a 15 to 30 minute break every 4 hours. If there are some parks or places friendly to dogs, plan to stop by for a little time. You can enjoy the fresh air while your dog has a chance to run around.
3. Pay attention to weather broadcast.
This can help you better prepare for issues like rain that could slow your travel, and also to avoid potential natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Also, take the weather into consideration when packing for your dog. If it get colder, you may need to pack some clothing for her, too.

4. Book accommodations which allow pets
Not all hotels accept pets, and even campsites often have restrictions. This may require contacting individual hotels in advance to find out their pet policies, including breed restrictions, rules, and possible fees. So finding an accommodation friendly to your dog is the best solution.
5. Pack a bag for your dog
Separating them from your items will make them easier to access when you need them on the ride. Consider all the places you will visit along the way when packing. Items you may need include:
- Food and food bowl
- Water, water bottle and bowl
- LeashToys for chewing and fetching
- Medications
- Protective clothing
- Dog-safe insect repellent and sunscreen
- Water googles
- Blanket and dog towe
- Brush and shampoo
- Flea comb and tick remover
- Poop bags
6. Update your dog’s ID
If your dog is lost on your trip, you want to find him as quickly as possible. If the number on his tag is your home phone number, this could be very difficult. Take the time to make an ID just for the trip, listing not just your cell phone number but an additional emergency number for a friend or family member in the area.
See more:
How to road trip with a cat ?

Via thechive.com
There’s not much difference from travelling with a dog. However, cats seem to need more care than dogs, so I will give you some helpful information I know.
1. Prepare your cat a week before the trip.
Some cats might have car sick or have never been on a road trip before, so take him or her on a short car rides (30 minutes or less). Be sure to put the cat in travel cage to get the cat used to the noise and motion of the car and the smell of the cage.
2. Give your cat treats while it is in the car.
This will give it better feelings about being there.
3. Prepare the cage on the morning of the trip, or the night before.
Put the towel your cat has been sleeping on at the bottom of the cage, and put an additional towel under the cage if the cage floor needs extra padding. Add a favorite toy to keep your cat company as well.
4. Spray the inside of the carrier and car with Feliway 20 minutes before you're ready to go.
This mimics the pheromones that cats leave when they're comfortable and relaxed in their territory. It should soothe your cat on the ride. Be sure to test your cat's reaction to Feliway before spraying it in the carrier. A small number of cats interpret the spray as another cat's markings and may have a negative reaction to it.
5. Bring some medicines for the cats, like things for the dogs.

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See more:
See more: How to crochet the road trip scarf ?
What you will need to follow this tutorial?
All you have to do is preparing some paper and a pen to write down what I will show you in this article. And in case you want to try making a road trip scarf at home, these are the things you will need:
- One skein (or more)
- 5.5 mm Hook
- Straight Pins
- Gauge
Road trip scarf is a pattern which can easily be made bigger or smaller by increasing or decreasing the number of row repeats. This is a very trendy item to bring when you’re in your road trip.
You can see how to make one specifically in this video:
And more ideas about road trip scarf on Pinterest:
3. Conclusion
I hope all of the experiences I shared would help you have a wonderful road trip ever. And I love sharing, so if you have any questions or ideas about how to have a terrific road trip, please leave a comment and I will answer in no time.
Regardless, thank you for reading my article. Goodbye.