One of the most common ways to connect from our location to our destination is by using a car. Cars mostly come in handy for short journeys. However, several people have taken their car on a long journey at least once. One of the major reasons why other modes of transportation are used when a person is traveling a long distance is because there might be no road network connecting the location of the traveler to the destination. Hence, even if they would have loved to travel in their car, it won’t be an option. That aside, convenience and time also come into consideration for many people who want to travel even when they have a car and there is a road network. If you are traveling to a destination where you can use your car and you have decided to use your car, here are some tips if you want to travel abroad with your car.
Be sure that your car is suitable for long-distance drives
When you want to travel in your car abroad, the first thing you want to do is to be sure that your car is suitable for long-distance drives. Virtually any car should be able to cover long-distance trips once they are in good condition, even though some are more suitable for long-distance trips than the others. Your fear of taking your car on a long-distance trip should not be because it is old. As long as you have properly maintained and used the car over the years, using the car on a long-distance trip will not be a problem. Just be sure that the car is sound enough to take you to and fro the trip without breaking down or getting you stranded on the road.
Ensure you have insurance that covers using the car abroad
The next thing you want to do is to make sure you have insurance cover for your car. If you already have insurance cover for your car, check with the insurance company to know if your current auto insurance covers traveling in your car abroad, or at the very least, the country you are traveling to. If it does, then you are good to go, if not you might want to ask them if they have an insurance policy that covers traveling abroad and you can upgrade to such a policy. If you don’t have an insurance policy at all or the company you are currently using does not have a policy that covers other countries, you can consider shopping around for a new insurance company that will provide you with the right insurance policy you are interested in. This could require you to read other insurances reviews such as Good Sam Auto Insurance reviews to know if they have the perfect plan for you and your intentions to travel abroad with your car.
Know about the driving rules in the country you will be passing through
Since you are likely to be driving through some other countries during your travel abroad, you would need to know the rules of driving in those countries. You would also need to know the rules of driving in the country you are traveling to. For example, some countries drive on the right-hand side while others drive on the left-hand side. You should also check to know if the driving license from your country will be valid in the country you are traveling to. If not, you should know their provisions on how you can upgrade your driver’s license immediately you get to the country to avoid problems with law enforcement officers.
Have some knowledge of how to fix basic car problems
Even when your car is in good condition, there are basic problems that could come up at any time. It could be a case of driving over a sharp object and your tire gets punctured among other faults. Hence, you should take time to know about the basic problems that could come up while you are traveling for a long distance and how to solve them on your own. This is to avoid a situation where a problem will occur in the middle of nowhere and there will be no way you will be able to get help. It might be that there is no residential area closeby where you can get a mechanic and the road might not be frequently traveled. You won’t want to be stranded for hours or days just because you can’t change your car tires.
Plan not to drive for long
It is also important to make sure that you are not driving for longer than you should. You would mostly have 2 options: either you travel with someone else who can drive so that after driving for some time, the other person can take over the steering while you get some rest. If you are traveling alone, taking breaks to rest and sleeping over in guest houses, might be the best for you. You shouldn’t drive for more than 9 hours in a day. And if you must drive for up to 9 hours, you should take at least a 45 minutes break after driving for four and a half hours. This will help to significantly increase your chances of getting to your destination in one piece and not being a danger to other road users.