Whether you’re traveling over the river or through the woods this holiday season, these tips from travel experts will help you safely (and sanely) arrive at your destination.
Before the drive
- Get your car in gear. Now is the time to make sure you’re on schedule with oil changes, wheel alignments and any other services your car manufacturer recommends.Also make sure your tires are properly inflated—cooler weather can make the pressure drop more than usual.
- Master the art of not getting lost. Have all your addresses handy, and consider inputting them into your GPS before you set off. If you plan on using Internet-based map services like Google Maps, make sure to save the maps to your device—you never know when you’ll enter an area without service.
- Bring backup chargers—and lots of them. Things can quickly go south when devices run out of power. Bring extra chargers—or, even better, invest in a multiple-port car charger.
- Stock your emergency kit. To quote your mom, safety first. Even if you’re only traveling to the next town, it’s essential to have a fully stocked emergency kit.
- Don’t forget your furry friends! Traveling with Fluffy or Rover? Then make sure you have a safe pet harness and/ or pet carrier and a pet kit full of food, bottled water, toys and any necessary medications.
Helpful websites and apps
Here are five apps travel gurus rely on:
- GasBuddy to locate the cheapest fuel wherever you are.
- Roadfood to forgo rest stop food in favor of memorable small-town eats along the way.
- Sit or Squat to learn which public restrooms are clean—and which aren’t.
- iExit to find out what kind of food, fuel and lodging is available at upcoming exits.
- Beat the Traffic to get real-time traffic updates along your route.
Help is just a phone call away
A flat tire or a dead battery during a road trip is a major hassle. Fortunately, ERIE offers 24/7 Roadside Assistance that pays for reasonable auto towing and required labor costs at the site of your vehicle breakdown.
Roadside Assistance is an optional coverage that costs as little as $4 a year.* Even if you don’t have Roadside Assistance, you can still get help through ERIE’s Roadside Assistance hotline at 800-FOR-ERIE. You pay out of pocket for the service—but at ERIE’s discounted rates.
*Restrictions apply in North Carolina.
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