Are Road Trips Worth it? 5 Reasons why Road Trips are THE Best Way to Travel
So, are road trips worth it?
Are road trips worth it? I say definitely! Since leaving the UK and moving to mainland Europe, I discovered a new love of travelling across borders on a road trip.
We’re in the age of easy and affordable travel and with more people than ever darting from country to country on a budget airline, it’s hard to see why you’d travel any other way. I’m here to try and persuade you why road tripping is not out of fashion and why old-school is the way to go.
Of course, if you’re looking to travel to a completely different continent, this may not be for you. But if you’re looking to explore a continent by itself, maybe you should consider a road trip by car.
So, if you have a car (which is still in one piece) or you’re prepared to rent a car AND you have a driving license, then read on!
1. You See the WHOLE Place, Not Just the Airport and the City Centres
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had conversations with people about a certain place I either haven’t liked, or I haven’t been overly keen on and they couldn’t understand why. Never judge a place based only on what tourists see.
Of course, flying doesn’t mean you can’t explore outside of the key areas, but if you’re short on time it’s very time-consuming. Also, cars take you places that other forms of transport can not. I’ve stopped in places in the middle of nowhere on route to my destination which have been breathtaking and you wouldn’t have ever come across them without a car.
This is bittersweet in some cases. I’ve gone to some places and thought the city was absolutely stunning – we’ve gone just outside of it and you get the real story. It clouds your mind over the place as a whole. However, it does make you more acutely aware of these things and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Are road trips worth it? With views like these – of course!
2. It’s a More Environmentally Friendly Way to Travel
Travelling as a whole is not environmentally friendly full-stop (unless you walk or cycle the whole way). But if you still want to explore and want to reduce your carbon footprint, then this is one way to do it.
Whether that be a car or a coach, most things are better than jumping on a plane. If you’re flying from city to city, this is even more relevant. So if you want to do a little bit of guilt-free (but not 100%) travel, then this is one way to do it. Getting a coach if you can handle the long journey is even better.
If your journey isn’t too far, don’t just hop on that flight, look at alternatives.
3. You Have the Freedom to Do What You Want, When You Want and for as Long as You Want
When you travel on a plane (or another form of transport), you’re restricted by a schedule. Of course, road trips should never be schedule-less, but they can be more flexible, as you are the one who decides when you leave. You’ll find that when you’re travelling, you may have left not enough time or even too much time in one place.
Travelling on the road basicallly gives you the flexibility to cut-short or extend your stay.
Some places I’ve been to, I’ve managed to finish what I’ve wanted to do within a mere few hours, other places I could really have done with a few days there. Bear this in mind when it comes to moving around. This is why road trips are the best way to travel in these circumstances. 😉
Are road trips worth it? If you love mountain drives, then 100%
4. If Things Don’t Go to Plan, You Have Somewhere to Go
I mean this in more than one sense. I’ve actually been left stranded with nowhere to sleep in Prague before. The hotel I booked with messed up my reservation and considering it was like 2-3am, I had nowhere to go and other places wouldn’t let me check in. I ended up having to sleep in the car with my partner and thank god we had that option.
That’s not the first time we’ve slept in the car either – so they’re secret lifesavers and safe spaces. This is also great if you run low on money.
In another sense, if plans mess up, you have your car, you can just go somewhere else. It won’t be the end of the world. You likely won’t lose out on money either. If you miss your flight it could be game over or a lotta money down the drain.
5. You Have No Luggage Allowance
Ahhhh, I absolutely love this about road trips! Okay, so you can’t go too overboard, but it’s absolutely blissful to be able to throw everything shoddily in your case the night before your trip. Then when you’re travelling from country to country you can essentially buy what you want without restrictions.
I always buy a bottle of wine from each country and then when I get home I have around 10 different wines to try. Presents is another. I’d actually completed my shopping by the end of October as I’d bought presents from different countries throughout summer and into October when I got home.
It’s just having that freedom to take and bring back whatever you want. It’s blissful to a girl who wants to take everything with her (and bring the world back too).
Check my previous article for more!
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Join the Conversation
I just came back from Kazakhstan road trip, had so much fun. One of the best ways to travel.
I agree – thank you so much for reading! Hope you had a great road trip.
I’m absolutely in agree with all the mention points. I literally had like 7-10 coach journey during my time in Polska. I In fact 3 journey back to back and they were never boring. You could talk with your fellow passenger plus you get to see the beautiful view of lakes, mountains, plains etc ? especially from the window seat if there is day journey .
Exactly! If the view is good, then who cares. I’ll never tire of it either.
Absolutely agree with all the points mentioned. I almost took 7-10 coach for my journeys when I used to stay in Polska. And they are absolutely fantastic, the view of beautiful landscapes from the window seat are just eye struck.?
Thanks so much for reading!
Absolutely beautiful post! I loved taking road trips when I was younger, it’s definitely something I miss. Having a whole family pack in a car was an adventure of it’s own. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! I know right – road trips are literally the best. Glad I’m not the only one who thinks the same!
My brother and I are road tripping through Mexico next month. Cheers for the road trip adventure!
Have an amazing time and thanks so much for reading!
We love taking road trips. I really love that you can make your own schedule and do exactly what you want to do. No luggage allowance is awesome too!
Exactly – it’s great, isn’t it! Thanks so much for reading.
I absolutely love road trips, and you have some good points here, to why it is so great:) Really want to build myself a camper van, so that these things could apply to me all the time hehe:)
I would LOVE to do that too! Thanks so much for reading 🙂
We love road trips. Our first proper one was a two-week usa road trip with our son and we lived it. So much so we always try to ensure we do at least one a year since then!
I would love to do a road trip in the USA – it’s on my bucket list! Thanks so much for reading.