15 Life Hacks for the Perfect Road Trip – Number 13 Worked Like a Charm for Me

Being on the road is hard. You have to plan your entire trip ahead—the routes that you will take to ensure less traffic, the stops for resting like motels and hotels, and the gas stations for pumping fuel and air. There are more aspects to consider when travelling, and we don’t mind going through every detail because what we all want is a hassle-free journey.

Read the tricks below and have street smarts about how you can save time, effort, and more importantly, expenses. Next time you hop in your car and get on the road, remember these few tips to make your cruise smooth-sailing.

1. Pump Your Tires for Free

2. Alternative Air Freshener

3. Join AAA

It is worthwhile to be a member of AAA. Aside from the car insurance, most roadside motels will give you a discount in the 10–15 percent range if you’re a member.

4. Know If Your Exit Will Be on the Left or the Right Side

5. Coffeemaker/Steamer

A coffeemaker can also be used as a steamer for vegetables.

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6. Offline Google Maps

Type “okay maps” into your Google Maps search bar to save a cache of the map for offline use should you need to reference it later.

7. Cereal Container Trash Can

Put a garbage bag in a cereal container for a convenient car trash can.

8. Plan Your Trips with a Dry-Erase Marker

Keep your map in its plastic sleeve and mark your routes with dry-erase marker so you can easily alter your routes should it change abruptly.

9. Quick Phone Mount

10. Shoe Organizer

Drape closet shoe organizers along the back of the seats for storage of random stuff in your car.

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11. Chromecast

Bring a Chromecast dongle in your trip. Plug that into the TV’s HDMI port and watch whatever you want on Netflix, Hulu or YouTube.

12. Free Satellite Radio

Before going out on the road, sign up for a free two-week satellite radio trials to get a better signal on the radio. You can immediately cancel your plan once your get back home.

13. The $20 Trick

Sandwich a $20 bill between your credit card and ID while checking in a hotel. After that, you can ask the question: “Are there any complimentary upgrades available today?”