30 Things You Should Never Do On A Road Trip

‘Tis the official season of road tripping. While most people have their wills and their ways before setting off on a long drive, there are a few cult road trip commandments you’ll want to follow to ensure you have the best road trip. Here’s everything you should never do on a road trip.

1. Don’t stock up on holiday snacks at big supermarkets, hit local markets, bakeries and grocery stores instead.
2. Don’t stick to the highway, take a detour and explore towns you normally wouldn’t.
3. Don’t keep a strict itinerary.
4. On this—don’t rely on Google to get you places, chat to locals and get the 411 by word of mouth.
5. But don’t stress if you get lost, that’s part of the fun.
6. Don’t ignore the First Nations traditions and cultural sensitivities of places you visit.
7. Don’t hit the bitumen without giving your car a decent service. And check those tyres.
8. Speaking of, don’t start on your road trip without actually knowing how to change a tyre.
9. And don’t leave without jumper leads—self-explanatory.
10. Don’t be the city slicker that relies on EFTPOS, bring a spare bout of cash.
11. Don’t forget your phone charger, you might not be an Uber but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the essentials.
12. Don’t drive without sunnies. Just don’t.
13. Don’t leave that right arm bare of sunscreen. Nothing will start your holiday worse than a lobster-red T-shirt tan.
14. Don’t ignore the power of choosing your travel buddies, good bants make all the difference (sorry Nan).
15. Don’t let the singalong times slip and prep an epic road trip playlist.
16. Don’t ever skip Highway To Hell, it’s a road trip rite of passage.
17. Don’t just listen to music though, podcasts are a solid way to pass the time too.
18. Don’t drive with the aircon on and windows down.
19. Don’t save your packing until the morning of—it never goes down well.
20. Don’t forget to bring a film, disposable or polaroid camera to create all the memories.
21. Don’t ‘gram the entire trip, a digital detox is always a good idea.
22. Don’t rely on Red Bull to get you through the drive, have a good night sleep the night before.
23. Don’t drive the whole way yourself, always share the load.
24. By the same token, don’t drive for extended periods of time. Use rest stops as much as you can.
25. Don’t pack your swimmers and towels at the bottom of the boot, you never know when you’ll need them.
26. Don’t say “cows!” every time you see a cow.
27. Don’t forget your headphones, if you’re not driving, these will be your saving grace.
28. Don’t back seat drive. Period.
29. Don’t only road trip to Byron, there’s plenty of other places to hit and you know it.
30. And don’t play “Never Have I Ever”… because it never ends well.