What is a perfect road trip? Is it one that is carefully planned, or a spontaneous decision in the moment? Everyone has their view of what a perfect road trip is; it can be with just yourself, a companion or a group. A road trip is all about enjoying the stops, the scenery, and the people you meet along the way—taking photos for memories, and the excitement of reaching your final destination. 

Many people go for road trips to reconnect with the environment. "My friends and I decided to go to Musanze, two of us study abroad and so the intention was to reconnect with our country and surroundings,” says Neige Ikuzo, a student at Northwestern University in Qatar. 

In June this year, Ikuzo and her friends decided to go to Musanze, a district in the Northern Province of Rwanda, to visit certain places up north. The plan to go on a road trip had its own setbacks, one of them being Covid-19, they had to apply for clearances and get tested to be fully prepared for the journey. 

A road trip will always be an affordable way to see the sights and spend time with the people who you care about. Photos/Net

"We engaged in different activities and enjoyed everything from hiking and canoeing, to the famous doughnuts of Nyirangarama,” says Ikuzo.  

In the week they spent there, they visited an art gallery, and sipped coffee at local cafes. They explored and enjoyed the various places, and met new people.

Road trips—especially a long car ride with many stops on the way—present their own set of challenges. When planning, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress if you map out how you’re getting to your destination before you leave. 

Olivia Tusiime, a communications specialist at The New Life Bible Church, struggles with motion sickness and yet loves to travel. She notes that on the eve of her travels, she packs the necessities to avoid rushing the next day and forgetting certain things. For anyone with motion sickness, she recommends carrying juice of one’s preference or sweet tea for the road ahead to avoid nausea. Tusiime also likes to chew lemon and gum, but not for long. 

Patrick Ndayishimiye, an audio-visual specialist, frequently goes on road trips and says that if it is a long journey, one should book a hotel beforehand, and frequently stop to enjoy the views and places. 

"I was with friends when we decided to go to Gisenyi, we stopped by The Palm Beach and Little Paris to eat, relax and make friends on the way,” says Ndayishimiye. 

Ndayishimiye says that he goes on road trips mainly to unwind, with the budget and transport planned. He recommends trying it once in a while, depending on what one can afford, but make it fun. The change of setting has been established to relieve stress.  

"There’s no point in sitting down and pretending like everything is okay 100% of the time, because it’s not, and it’s great to be able to admit that. Sometimes, you just need to be able to clear your head, not think about anything else, and just allow the miles that you travel to enhance your clarity on life,” says Harrison Rose in the article, "10 Reasons Why Road Trips Are Good For The Soul”. 

While many people just want to hit the open road and see where destiny takes them, not having at least a general destination in mind can result in disaster.  Multiple route options are ideal as well.  Weather could make the scenic route more treacherous, but on the other hand you could miss a lot of landmarks if you do not plan to drive past them.  This plan does not have to be especially rigid, but it can help you prevent unintentionally driving several 8 hour stretches, the article "5 Important Things to Consider When Planning a Road Trip”, states. 

"Whether it’s visiting a new place for the first time or just stopping off for gas, there are new cultures to be explored within every single corner of the globe. If you’re on the right continent then you could continue to travel from new country to new country to new country and beyond — experiencing a vast array of cultures along the way,” Rose writes.