Today’s blog post is about a road trip checklist. 

As I always say, road trips are the best way to explore India.

I have been going on road trips for years, and one teaches me something new. The one thing road trips have taught me is to be flexible. No matter how much you plan, some things go awry. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan.

I like to believe that I’m a seasoned road tripper. So, based on my experience, I have compiled a road trip checklist.

• Tyre Pressure and conditions
• Spare tyre
• Car servicing
• Full tank of fuel
• FastTag balance
• Documents
• Powerbank / Car charger
• Google maps or map books
• Portable Tyre inflator machine

TYRE PRESSURE AND CONDITIONS

When packing for a road trip, tyre pressure and conditions might not be a priority. But they are.

Check the tyre pressure and conditions before a road trip (especially for long journeys), as it will save you a lot of trouble.

Ensure that all four tyres are in top-notch condition and not bald.

That’s because if they are bald, braking at high speed is difficult, there’s a high chance of tyres bursting and punctures, etc.

Tyre pressure is just as essential. If the pressure is low, the tyres might easily puncture, or it affects the average (mileage).

Recently, I travelled to Goa. On the highway, I saw that one of the tyres had low pressure. But it was early morning. No tyre shops were open, and the air pressure machine was not operating in the petrol pumps.

Since the tyre didn’t appear flat, I thought to refill the air when I stopped for breakfast. However, the tyre wasn’t happy with that decision.

A few kms later, the tyre suddenly went flat and tore, damaging it beyond repair.

I had to buy a new tyre in Goa to replace it.

SPARE TYRE

Spare tyres are essential.

Before leaving for a road trip, ensure the spare tyre is in working condition.

Also, bring along all the necessary tools to change tyres if necessary.

At times, we forget the spare tyre even exists. 

Recently I travelled to Goa. While on the road, the car’s tyre tore and was severely damaged. Due to the early hours, no shops were open. 

After swapping the torn tyre with the spare one, I continued my journey. Thanks to the spare tyre, I was able to reach my destination. Therefore, always carry your spare tyre, even if it takes up space.

CAR SERVICING

Always send your car for servicing before a long road trip. Inform the staff at the service centre about your travels. They’ll then inspect the vehicle thoroughly.

Don’t forget to change or refill the brake oil, washer fluid, water in the radiator, etc.

Also, some new vehicles require Ad Blue (Urea) to operate. If the level drops, cars can stop working. If you don’t know, ask your service centre.

My diesel Thar requires Ad blue (urea). I sent my car for servicing before a month-long trip to Spiti, Ladakh and Kashmir. That’s when the staff at the servicing centre informed me to check the Ad Blue levels on my return journey.

TIP:- Ad Blue is available on highways at truck stops and dhabas. It is cheaper there than at petrol pumps.

FULL TANK OF FUEL

Always have a full tank of fuel when heading for a road trip.

When travelling long distances, I leave home as early as 4 a.m. I have observed that many petrol pumps are closed during this time. So, I always fuel up the day before a trip. Also, it saves me time.

Having a full tank is always good when travelling.

During my trip to Pench National Park, I took the Samrudhi Maha Marg from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) to Nagpur. 

Assuming that the new highway will have several petrol pumps, we didn’t fuel up. So, imagine my surprise when there was only one petrol pump on the 400 km stretch.

We were driving on reserve fuel when we spotted a single petrol pump.

Learn from my mistakes. Always refuel when the tank is below half (especially when travelling to remote areas).

FASTTAG BALANCE

When travelling across India, always have sufficient balance in your FastTag account.

If you don’t have a FastTag, you can get one online on the government Website, Amazon, Toll Plaza and at certain banks.

You can recharge your FastTag via Gpay, Paytm and other UPI.

If travelling 500 kms, recharge your FastTag with Rs.800-900. Nowadays, Google Maps displays the total toll fees for the distance you’re travelling.

For those who don’t have a FastTag, get one. That’s because, without a FastTag, you have to pay double the toll fee.

For instance, the toll fee is Rs.50, but you don’t have a FastTag. Then you’ll have to pay Rs.100.

DOCUMENTS

Four documents are a must when travelling across India. They are – driver’s licence, car insurance, PUC, and RC (car’s registration certificate).

Before leaving for a road trip, recheck that your driver’s licence, car insurance and PUC are valid and not expired.

Often, the local police will stop vehicles from out-of-city or state. Therefore, always carry all the valid documents.

NOTE:- Also, carry your Adhar Card or other valid ID for hotel check-in.

POWER BANK AND CAR CHARGER

When travelling long distances, pack your power banks and car chargers.

Nowadays, everyone relies heavily on their phones for directions, music, payments, etc. So, note that you have sufficient phone battery.

Power banks are ideal for groups, as they have a couple of slots. So, friends and family can charge their phones simultaneously.

Car chargers are the perfect alternative if you forgot, misplaced or haven’t charged your power banks.

When I travelled to Spiti Valley, the villages were few and far. And sometimes, the homestays didn’t have electricity. So, charging phones was challenging.

Also, when I travelled to Ladakh, I stayed in tents. The owners switched on generators only for a few hours. So, everyone was rushing to charge their gadgets within a limited time.

I had saved routes, hotel bookings, maps and other documents on my phone. So, having a power bank and car charger was a godsend.

GOOGLE MAPS AND MAP BOOKS

In today’s world, everything is available at our fingertips. Cars and phones are equipped with navigation systems and Maps, respectively.

But years of experience have taught me to bring a physical copy of the route or a current edition map book.

When I travelled to Spiti Valley, none of our phones had a network. Even the local’s mobiles had spotty networks.

I had done my research and knew this was a possibility. So, I downloaded offline Google Maps and brought a physical copy of the route.

Therefore, always have offline maps or carry the latest edition road map book.

TRAVEL TIP:- The Eicher India Road Atlas is the best map book when travelling in India. I think the 2010 edition is the latest one.

PORTABLE TYRE INFLATOR MACHINE

Last but not least, a portable Tyre inflator is a must.

This small device can save you a lot of time and trouble. A few years back, I came across this machine on Amazon. At the time, I was taking a road trip to Bhutan. So, the portable tyre inflator was like finding gold.

I remember somewhere around West Bengal, the car notified me that one of the tyres had low pressure. So, I stopped at the nearest puncture shop to refill the air.

After inspecting the tyre, the man found a tiny puncture. But he didn’t have the tools. So, we had to continue our journey.

A couple of hours later, the same notification popped up. But, this time, there were no puncture shops in sight. It was the first time I used the portable tyre inflator machine. Within minutes, the tyre pressure returned to normal.

Since then, I always bring it along with me on road trips.

CONCLUSION

That brings us to the end of the road trip checklist.

Here’s a summary of the road trip checklist. Remember to cross off these nine things when preparing for a road trip across India.

• Tyre Pressure and conditions
• Spare tyre
• Car servicing
• Full tank of fuel
• FastTag balance
• Documents
• Powerbank / Car charger
• Google maps or map books
• Portable Tyre inflator machine

I hope the road trip checklist was helpful. Click on the link to download the road trip checklist PDF.

If you have any queries or suggestions, let me know in the comments.

I hope this ignites your wanderlust and you have a memorable road trip because

Sometimes the best therapy is a long drive with good music.

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