Start your engines, National Road Trip Day is on the way.
The Friday before Memorial Day Weekend has been declared National Road Trip Day as well as the unofficial kick-off of summer.
This year, according to AAA, the summer travel season is going to be a busy one-the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday statistics in 2000. And despite soaring gas prices, many people are planning to drive to their Memorial Day Weekend destinations with an estimated 37.6 million hitting the road.
So, when the first National Road Trip Day rolls around-or maybe a bit before-make sure you have everything you need for the perfect trip.
Here are some tips to make sure you are rolling down the road rather than heading to breakdown alley:
-Plan ahead: Download travel apps and plan your route in advance and don't forget important steps such as ensuring you are up to date with vehicle maintenance.
-If your car isn't up to snuff, consider renting one. With unlimited miles and weekend rates, rental cars can also take the sting out of expensive repairs on the road.
-Load up the tunes: 63 percent of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip, according to a May Zeno Group Research & Insights study.
-Make sure you pack some snacks: Good eats are an essential element of the road trip-especially if you are traveling with small children. No one wants to pull out of the driveway to a chorus of "I'm hungry," just as you are starting out.
The top "road trip essential" snacks are chips and salty foods (52 percent), freshly made, grab-and-go foods (50 percent) and fast food options (49 percent), according to the Zeno study.
Drive and Save
Pilot Flying J is helping road trippers plan the perfect getaway with an enhanced trip planner feature in the Pilot Flying J app. The tool helps users create their route and find Pilot and Flying J locations along the way, showcasing specific amenities, fuel prices and more.
Travelers can share their road trip memories, favorite road snacks, drinks, books, podcasts and more using #NationalRoadTripDay. And, on the Pilot Flying J app, drivers can enter the promo code "ROADTRIP" starting on May 21 to save $5 off their next purchase of $10 or more from May 21-27, 2019.
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