summer_road_travel
family,  Giveaways,  Travel

Be Prepared for Summer Road Travel

Summer’s almost here and that means summer road travel season is underway. There’s a part of me that’s counting the days until we can load up the van and drive somewhere new. Road trips are a tradition when the kids get out of school and we all take a collective deep breath. Nothing nicer to me than the easier rhythm of summer days. This July one of my girls will be working as a camp counsellor so our family will work around that schedule.

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Summer road trips are an important part of our family tradition here. In the last couple of years we have taken some amazing trips together, starting with a GPS app, a plan, and a van full of supplies. The weather right now, although a bit chaotic, is sure to be hot and sunny within a matter of a couple of weeks. Days stretch longer and summer adventures seem full of potential. Last year our family trip to Gatineau and Chateau Le Fairmont Montebello was amazing. Parc Omega was worth the visit and the drive. We will remember that road trip forever.  This season I have not yet got a firm plan but our travels might lead back to Quebec.

For sure, our summer travels will also lead to the beach and a cottage somewhere. One of my close relatives is considering renting a houseboat. That could be fun too for a change.

Regardless of what you are doing this summer and where it leads, there’s sure to be some summer road travel. That means you need to be prepared. Typically you will be packing enough things for a weekend or a week away. But you also need to remember to take certain things into account before you lock your front door and hit the road. Of course everyone hopes for a safe journey, but an ounce of prevention and a smart affordable insurance policy can go a very long way towards stacking the deck in favour of building happy memories. Nobody wants to return to a flooded basement or laundry room, or a break in.

Don’t stress over the possibility that something catastrophic could happen. Instead plan ahead. One of the ways we do that is to check insurance policies before we leave home. A good insurance policy can provide confidence and peace of mind.

5 Things YOU NEED To Remember Before You Embark on Summer Road Travel:

  1. Make sure you notify the neighbours that you are leaving. Give them your phone number just in case anything happens while you are away. Rumour has it that the house we are living in now was once hit by lighting. What if that happened when you were miles from home? What would that even look like? Would there be damage? Fire? Who would know where you are and how to find you? Leave that information with a neighbour you trust. Check your property insurance a couple of times a year and be sure what you are covered for.
  2. Of course you turn most of your lights off, but do you remember to turn some of your water off too? Turn off the water connection to the washer in the laundry room. Check other rooms where water is involved. A lot of times you might not realize that flooding is one of those things that can happen and cause massive damage to your property. Take precautions. Turn washer water off right before you leave.
  3. Make sure your vehicle has been serviced recently. Gas up, check the oil and then get the tires checked too. Windshield washer fluid top up? Do it now. Consider adding an extra bottle of the fluid to the contents of your trunk and if the trip is especially long then you have some more if needed.
  4. Always be sure to carry your health cards and a credit card.
  5. And last, but not least, check your insurance before you go. Insurance is something every family, every driver, and every property owner or renter needs to have. Accidents, break ins and floods can be devastating financially and emotionally. Have you heard of InsuranceHotline.Com?

    InsuranceHotline.com is a free online insurance rate comparison service that allows people to compare 30+ insurance providers to help you get the lowest rates on car insurance, home insurance, motorcycle insurance and life insurance.

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This post is sponsored by InsuranceHotline.Com and I have been compensated. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

7 Comments

  • gingermommy

    Great list! Letting neighbours know is really good as they can grab mail, watch for people and often scare off any possible intruders. We have a few trips coming up, I will be sure to call my insurance as well.

    • Paula

      Yes the mail is important too and getting flyers out from the door so people don’t know you are away.

  • Laura

    We usually get a house sitter while we’re away, that way we worry less when we’re away. Great tips, I’ll be sure to make sure my insurance is up to date before we head out this summer.

    • Paula

      We typically have a close neighbour look in and also gather mail and packages. There have been times in the past when so many packages arrived during the week away that it was a miracle they were all still inside the front screened door. Now I don’t take chances. I have learned. Then we do the same for them when they go away too.

  • Kathy mikels

    Great list of tips Paula for before you leave for any lengthy vacation. Have to agree with ‘gingermommy’, we made the mistake one year by not telling the neighbours we were on our holidays. My sister was informed when the break-in happened and she kept it quiet – bless her – until we returned, to save our worry. As in most cases, it was the missing jewellery – as that holds sentiment – that upset us the most. Still, we learnt the hard way and never again will we make the same mistake.

    Anyway yes, looking forward as always to some road-trips away with the kids and my hubby again this year. Last year we travelled from Toronto for 3 weeks making our way to Nova Scotia. and back. Had lots of fun singing and playing eye-spy… Stopped at lots of different places a long the way and some wonderful camp sites. It’s the first time the kids have been old enough to do some rambling so there was lots of exploring and trekking.

    If I had some tips on must take items for any trip then my two favourite things are the ‘j-pillow’ which is a ‘j’ shaped travel pillow. It supports your chin and neck, allowing you to manoeuvre it in all kinds of positions. Great when there’s a long drive, the kids are asleep and the hubby is taking over the wheel. Secondly, an external battery charger. This is most useful when you are camping in the tent and want to keep everything charged up in case of an emergency. I get most of our stuff from used.forsale as you get a mixture of used and new items being sold from different classified ad sites. Makes it a bit easier to find and compare similar items.. Some great bargains to be had if you want to keep the budget down. Just make sure you read the seller reviews but I’ve always been more than happy with my purchases so far.

    Hope everyone enjoys their holidays this year – just got to decide now on a route we like the look of and some more places we’d like to show the kids.

    Thanks Paula for the article,

    Kathy