Thinking about touring Britain by car? It’s actually becoming more and more popular, particularly with people aged 50 and over, as well as with younger, more mobile generations. Whether you’re driving to and from a specific destination, or you’re just enjoying the stunning scenery, natural beauty, and rich history of Britain’s countryside, tours can be incredible options. Of course, you’ll need to know a few things prior to setting out.
1. Inspect the Vehicle
Whether you’re hitting the road in a rebuilt classic sports car, or a modern vehicle, safety and reliability should be at the forefront of your mind.Even if you have the knack for mechanical maintenance, it’s best to have your vehicle fully inspected by a trained mechanic. This ensures that everything from your brakes and tyres to your bonnet latch and heater are fully functional and in good repair.
2. Safety Kit
Make sure to pack your safety kit in the car. This should include a wide range of things, including a spare jerry can if possible. You should also have a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher, spare bulbs, a first aid kit, hand tools, a jack and lug wrench and more. Remember that most ferries do not allow you to carry jerry cans on board, though, so if you intend to bring one, you should plan your route appropriately.
3. Know Where You’re Going
There’s something undeniably romantic about seeing where the road might take you, but that is also quite risky. It’s all too easy to end up in a dangerous or hazardous situation without intending to. So, the best advice here is to plan where you’re going. You should have at least a rough outline of the route that you’ll follow. Feel free to leave some room for flexibility so that you can change plans, extend stays, or venture on side routes if you like, but have an overall plan and stick to it. Also, let someone else know the route you intend to follow for the sake of safety.
4. Carry SpareCash
In this electronic age, we all tend to rely on things like bank cards and credit cards. However, make sure that you have a good supply of actual cash on hand, too. You may find yourself in an out of the way location where cards are not accepted (yes, they do still exist), or you could find that your cards have been stolen, or that you have trouble using them for some other reason.
5. ConsiderSmaller Roads
Certainly, motorways offer the fastest travel to your destination, but if you’re taking a car tour, it’s more about the journey than the destination.Choose to use smaller roads and limit your use of major motorways and you’ll enjoy more challenging driving, more access to unique sites, access to small towns and city centres, and other benefits.
There you have them – five important tips to understand prior to setting out on your UK road tour.
Source:
http://www.tripsavvy.com/planning-your-first-uk-trip-1662392
http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/motoring/cars/using/six-tips-for-driving-long-distances
http://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/articles/guide-to-driving-in-the-uk/
