The best time of year for a pandemic road trip is coming up! Fall is the perfect time to huddle inside a car and drive for miles with family or friends to see beautiful foliage and enjoy the crisp autumn air. In anticipation, you will need to prepare your vehicle and your passengers for the trip ahead. You’ll also want to pack the essentials that drivers should bring for fall road trips in general and Covid considerations.

Considerations to make for a pandemic road trip

A road trip during a pandemic is far from ordinary, and the preparations are a bit more unique. Here is what you should do before you go on your pandemic road trip.

Talk to the group

First off, you need to get everybody on board. Travelling will increase your chances of contracting or spreading the virus. So make sure you talk to everybody who will join the road trip and the people you are visiting.

Please make sure they are aware of the trip and the possible implications of a visit. Be sensitive about their choices and plan around their decisions. If they are not comfortable with aspects of the trip, then you should respect that and find alternatives that everyone can agree on.

Get your car into shape

The last thing you want to happen in a pandemic road trip – or any road trip – is getting stuck on the side of the road because your car broke down. Remember that your vehicle has been in the garage for some time, and you may not have taken it for a ride. That is why you should do a complete maintenance check-up.

If you don’t want to bother yourself with getting your car into shape, you can always rent a car. Most rent-a-car companies have complete Covid-19 protocols in place that ensure you and your passengers are safe.

Also, before driving off, make sure you have a car emergency kit in hand. The kit should include essentials such as a tow cable, a multitool, jumper cables, duct tape, blankets, water, and a first aid kit.

Pack light

If space is an issue in your car, then you should pack lightly as much as possible. This means bringing only the basic stuff that everybody needs. Give each passenger the same amount of space for their property. Using packing cubes is a good start.

Plan your food

Due to the pandemic, dining inside restaurants and diners might be risky. As such, your best options are drive-thrus, takeaway food, and preparing food on the road ‘ala backpacker’.

If you are particular about how healthy you are eating, then drive-thru food won’t be an option. So, bring supplies and find a couple of recipes online that you can easily prepare while on a stop or even while driving.

Prepare your tech

There is a good chance that you and your whole family/group will have at least one phone with them during the trip. Make sure you have the means to charge them while on the road (although getting everybody to put down their phones is much better). You can do this with the help of a car phone charger. You can also bring one (or two) power bricks that will give your devices extra juice throughout the trip.

Also, if you are not that familiar with the place you are traveling to, make sure you download the map of that location on your phone. It might be 2021, but there are still areas in the country with no reception, so it is best to err on the side of caution and have a downloaded map ready in case you happen to turn down the wrong road.

Start Your Pandemic Road Trip Right

Want to ensure your pandemic road trip is a memorable one? While you take care of the clothes, gadgets, and food prep, let T3 Atlanta take care of your car for you. Our expert mechanics can look at your car and make sure everything is in order before you set off on your journey.

Contact T3 Atlanta today!