Planning a Road Trip Around the UK – 2024 Travel Guide
Planning a road trip in the United Kingdom is not as easy as you might thing. It might not be the biggest country in Europe, but it is filled with so many different cities, cultures, and landscapes which is why you will definitely need some help from someone who has already been through this experience.
After a few years of living in the same old city, a person can easily get very bored and frustrated. This is probably why you have decided to plan your own road trip around the United Kingdom. Sure, traveling on a tour bus, a plane or a train will get you to your destination much faster than driving your own vehicle, but it takes away some of the road trip’s experience. The best thing about driving yourself is that you get to decide where you are going to stop. Buses and trains have several stops throughout the country, but if you see a spot that you like on the way, you simply have no way of getting off. A plane is even worse because it takes you directly to the ticket’s destination.
So, if you want to truly experience everything between Edinburgh and London, you should travel with a vehicle.
However, it is important to understand that while a road trip may be rich with many more different experiences, it is a bit more complicated to plan for it when compared to other ways of traveling. When traveling by plane, all you have to do is to get a ticket and make sure that you get on time, but with a vehicle, you will have to plan your route, the things you will pack and so on.
Don’t let this dissuade you though. We are saying this just to give you a heads-up of what you should expect. To help you with your planning, we are going to give you a few tips to guide you through your travels.
How will you be traveling?
This is the single most important part when it comes to this kind of journey. You probably already have in mind which car you are going to drive, but you have to go through some checks to ensure that everything goes well.
The first question you have to ask yourself is whether the vehicle you are planning to use on this journey is in good shape and that it won’t cause any trouble in the next 3,500 miles. If you have a brand new car then you won’t have to worry. You will only have to make sure that the pressure of the tires is correct and you are good to go.
However, if you have an older model, let’s say, four or five years then we recommend that you take it on a precautionary car mechanic service. Once you get the green light by the mechanic, you won’t have to worry about the vehicle breaking down while on your journey.
Another thing to consider is whether you will have enough trunk space to hold all of your baggage. Sure, you could put them in the back seat, but if someone else is going to be sitting in the back, the whole experience will be awful for them. So, either find a car that will have loads of space in the trunk or one can place their luggage at Vertoe station which will be a win-win situation as no will suffer during the trip.
Plan your route
We cannot stress enough just how important it is that you create your own route. Forget about where Google or your GPS are telling you to go. You will need to look up a map and mark the locations you want to visit. In between these locations you want to visit, you will also have to find and mark the places you will sleep, eat and spend most of your time. If you do not want to waste too much time on creating your own route, you should check out check-distance.com. It calculates how much money you will need to spend on Gas, it will show you all the cities and small villages through your root and will inform you of any gas stations on the way.
Where should I stay?
Planning this kind of journey can get expensive because you will probably be sleeping in a new room every single night. These rooms can cost you up to twenty pounds per person if you do not carefully plan where you will sleep during the nights. If you do not want to waste your budget just after two weeks on accommodation, we recommend that you plan a route with cheap motels and Airbnb apartments. By doing this you can save up to thousands of pounds.
What should I take?
This is something that we cannot really answer for you because it heavily depends on your needs and your friends’ or family’s requirements. Of course, you will have to pack enough clothes to last you for at least a week or two, any important medications that you must take and just in case medication that might help you if someone raises a fever or gets a cold.
You will probably be carrying your phones with you, so make sure that everyone has at least one phone charger with them and maybe even consider buying a car socket adapter so people can charge while you are driving.
You won’t need to bring any food from home because you can find diners and supermarkets everywhere along the way.
You could also consider buying a GPS, but there really is no need for one if all of you carry a smartphone. Just download the offline map and you are good to go.
Where should I stop?
Well, that’s the beauty of a road trip. There are no rules about where and when you should stop. If someone feels like getting out to stretch their legs, there is no reason why you shouldn’t stop and maybe even have a short stroll in your surrounding area. All in all, it is important that you just enjoy your time and don’t rush it.
