It’s travel season and people are catching up with fun summer road trips and creative staycations. Is this possible without wrecking your budget though? Yep! Once you read the following 7 road trip / staycation tips you’ll be well on your way to some much deserved R&R.

#1 Planning ahead keeps you from paying extra for last-minute travel. 

Ask anyone with a gazillion travel miles under their belt and odds are, they keep a designated calendar just for travel plans. What gets measured gets managed, right? They constantly track hot deals and book waaay in advance. Not only does this save money but also ensures they don’t miss out on epic events.

#2 Keep your vehicle road-ready. 

Regular maintenance guards against paying a hefty towing bill 728 miles from home. Remember the Griswolds’ towing debacle in Vacation? Let’s don’t go there. Be prepared and pack an emergency kit, first aid kit, and get a good car clean-up beforehand; it makes for a relaxing drive. Using ZIPS unlimited car wash pass? If so, then your ride is always ready for a trip 24/7… no floor clutter, clean seats thanks to free vacuums, and clean windows for safe travels. Plus, check for ZIPS along the way. With 275 locations, you’re bound to find one on your journey.

#3 Beware of dog-gone wasted time on vacations and staycations!

Even a shiny ride is no fun when you’re stuck in traffic. Whether you just drove across your state or hopped over a few states to see some brand new places, Waze is helpful to avoid traffic jams… but so is prepping before you go. A quick scan of city reviews on Trip Advisor and Best Places will alert you to heavy traffic sections from local drivers. 

#4 The journey should be the goal, so make it fun in the car!

Naturally, you’ll want to entertain young children so they don’t drive you over the crazy limit when they get bored. Have simple games planned. We’re not talking chess here… it’s a road trip, folks. Counting signs or blue trucks will work. Or play spot the car most in need of a car wash. Don’t judge though, they may not have a ZIPS nearby????. Older children know how to have fun too, but you’ll have to nudge them a bit more. Just talk to these teenage humans and be interested in what’s on their mind. Ok, drop their phones out the window if you must! BTW, here are 3 popular car-ride games.

• License plate hunt (find various state tags)
• Mad libs (fill-in-the-blank stories)
• Trivia (we vote for automatic car wash inventors trivia ????)

#5 Itinerary to escape tourist traps.

Tourist traps have a bad name, literally! An itinerary may sound like you’re being too rigid with a vacation or staycation, when in reality, this plan helps you narrow your activities down to only the best ones. Trust us, we consulted a team member with more travel miles than Spirit Airlines.

#6 Somebody say cheap beach trips?

This fresh list of the most affordable beach towns in the USA has great timing. The home prices are reasonable, so the cost of living and visiting is more affordable than other seaside spots. Sure, diehard car enthusiasts check a destination’s proximity to the nearest auto car wash, but affordable travel means more to most road-trippers seeking waves, sand, and sunsets.

#7 Avoid these top travel regrets.

Doesn’t matter if you’re considering visiting unique locales near home or far away, don’t let summer end with regrets! These are the top regrets mentioned by experienced travelers. 

• Overthinking. Just GO and enjoy
• Not getting to know the locals
• Overpacking
• Timeshares (ok, we threw that one in there)

Yet, the biggest regret people have? Not traveling. 44% of adults report regrets about not going on more trips (Priceline). 

If you’re not in that boat, you’ll soon be in the car because these tips have propelled you to hit the road! We sure hope so and hope to see you at ZIPS for a car wash before you head out for those summer adventures. Think about us while you’re enjoying yourselves and we’ll be here when you get home, to clean up the mess????.