Traveling by car is a great opportunity to visit the most beautiful parts of the country that you have long wanted to see. You are free to choose the routes and places you want to visit, and do not depend on the schedule of public transport and tour guides. In any city, you can stay longer than planned and make your own list of attractions that you want to see. And it is up to you to decide how long or short your trip will be: you can change the route, reduce or, on the contrary, expand it. So here we’ll talk about the pros and cons of traveling by car. Let’s go!
Planning A Trip
The fact that traveling by car is cheaper than an organized tour, trains, and planes is undeniable. But still, need to plan a budget trip, and better in advance and buy the best subwoofer for car. The approximate calculation is based on the following.
- We determine the approximate kilometrage in both directions.
- Focus on the average cost of fuel in the country and the gasoline consumption per 10 kilometers.
- The resulting amount is increased by 20% because at different parts of the route will be different fuel consumption, as well as extra kilometers due to travel within settlements.
- Include the cost of parking, accommodation, meals, souvenirs, excursions.
What Is the Cost of Traveling by Car?
- Fuel costs. You need to calculate how much money it will take to fill up your car. To do this, you need to calculate how many kilometers you will travel. Based on the average cost of gasoline, calculate and increase the amount received by about 20%. This reserve is necessary in case of additional movement around the city and other routes.
- Parking expenses. Before traveling to a particular city, find out the approximate cost of parking, clarify the locations of free parking, etc. Also, if you are going to stay at a campsite, you need to consider the amount of the car entrance fee. Plus you still need to pay a certain amount for each person, in each campsite it is different.
- You have to pay a certain sum in advance for each person, it’s different at every camping. You can book a hotel room before the trip. But also in each point of expenditure, you need to add an additional amount for unforeseen circumstances. You can calculate the amount of food, taking into account whether you will eat in cafes, canteens.
- Entertainment. Do not forget to include in your trip expenses for excursions and various entertainments. Make a plan of all desired sightseeing trips and include the amount in your estimate.
The Main Advantages of Auto Travel
This method of travel has its obvious advantages and obvious disadvantages. Let’s dwell on the first. So, the main advantages of traveling by car are the following:
- You absolutely do not depend on the schedule of public transport;
- You do not need to look for a long time, comparing the best price offers on various websites and offices of rail, bus, and airline tickets;
- The ability to take as much luggage in the car as you need;
- You can also recruit travel companions and save on gasoline by filling up your car in a pool (blablacar, hitchhikers.ru, etc.);
- Mobility: a small car can be easily parked anywhere, you can make “sanitary stops” when you need it, etc.;
- If you want, you can sleep overnight on the road directly in the cabin of the car or on special camping sites, if you prefer to relax in nature with a tent and a sleeping bag;
- The opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the scenery along the way.
Some Disadvantages of Traveling by Car
- In the case of long distances or the importance of the speed of your movement faster, more profitable and comfortable will be to get by plane, train or high-speed train;
- It is better to have two drivers in the car, as being behind the wheel all the time is quite exhausting physically and psychologically, and after 4-5 hours of the monotonous road the concentration of attention of the driver is reduced almost twice, and on dangerous road segments (mountain “serpentines”, potholes, potholes in the country roads, which require slow driving around, etc.) it happens even faster. Therefore, this travel option is not always convenient for those families or companies where only one person has a driver’s license;
- long travel by car with overnight stays in the cabin or clear field also badly affects the attention and care of the driver – a full sleep on a good bed, walks in the fresh air and a warm-up is necessary;
- Sometimes this way of traveling is not the safest, especially if you are going on vacation or have brought credit cards, cash, or expensive digital and video equipment, so it is better to think ahead about the route, avoid completely deserted areas, and not too attract attention to the expensive jewelry, phones or wallets;
- Also, in countries where fuel is quite expensive, many road trips are not economically justified.
Adventures and Experiences
You’ll have so many experiences in one trip that you’ll have enough for a long time (provided, of course, that you don’t get hung up on one city – the goal of your trip, looking at one point until you arrive at your destination). The locals are always very hospitable, and tourists get a lot of signs of attention from them. Seeing Russian plates, people can wave at you, flash their lights, talk to you in the parking lot during the holidays (and you don’t have to know the language!), you’ll even be offered to save gas! All this is very interesting and enjoyable! If you go on a trip with two or three people, you’ll save a lot of money on your trip and visit more than one city. Moreover, if you are interested in the Tamworth country music festival, then be sure to go here and you can find a conversation partner and discuss the important points. Only here you will find all reviews and opinions about the festival in various countries!
Bottom Line
More has been written about the disadvantages than the advantages, which means that the minuses should be thought about and taken into account when preparing for the tour, and the pros are so obvious that there is no point in writing about them all. In any case, traveling in your own car is the best way to travel! Exceptions: your car is very old, you have health problems and cannot drive more than two hundred kilometers, you want to visit only one city and do not plan to stop along the way. But have a nice trip!