car travel pros and cons

The Pros and Cons of Travelling by Car

If you don’t like using public transport and prefer to travel by yourself in your own vehicle, then this article is for you. Today I’m sharing some of the pros and cons of travelling by car that might help you decide whether or not this way of exploring is suitable for you.

In reality, everything in the world has its ups and downs, and if you want to make the best decision, you should weigh up the good with the bad. So lets have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by car .

Pros of Travelling by Car

Let’s start with the advantages for travelling by car, since it is more fun to find the good in things than to criticize!

Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the biggest pros of travelling by car. You can stop as much as you like, drive at your own pace, and simply enjoy the freedom of a road trip.

No one is dictating where you can and can’t stop and you can choose how much you want to drive in one day before stopping overnight.

The Pros and Cons of Travelling by Car - The Trusted Traveller

Another benefit of travelling by car is that your beloved pets can join you if you choose this mode of transport. Pets are not usually welcomed on planes or trains, and when they are it is usually pretty stressful for them.

Car rides can be fun for your pets, so nothing is stopping you from taking your pet to have an adventure with you! Just ensure you prepare your car appropriately in order to keep everyone safe.

Unlike on a plane there’s no baggage limit, you can take almost the entire house with you. Well, not literally, but you can definitely pack everything you think is essential for such a trip.

No worrying while in the queue at the airport to check in if your bag in underweight or not, just simple throw everything you think you may need in the car and off you go.

Better Views

A better view is another of the great advantages of travelling by car. When you travel by plane your view is limited and sometimes covered in cloud. If you choose to see the world from a ship, all you will see is water in every direction.

But if you pick a car as your transport, you will be able to see many beautiful villages, hills, and small towns along your drive. And you will always be able to stop and take some pictures.

Money Saving

Another great benefit of travelling by car is that it can save a bit of money. This works when you are travelling with a bunch of friends who can all chip in for gas. And, if your car is large enough, you can even skip renting a room and just simply sleep in your car.

Driving is considered to be a much cheaper way to travel, because you can control your finances easier and simply be more flexible when it comes to spending your money.

Read More: 12 Car Rental Hacks on Grey World Nomads

Cons of Travelling by Car

Now let’s get to the biggest disadvantages of travelling by car.

Long Distances

Well, let’s be honest. Driving takes a hell of a long time. You can sometimes drive for hours, and still not reach your destination. You can’t reach every part of the world with a car. You can’t drive through the ocean to travel to Australia , for instance.

In general, if you choose a car as your way to travel, you will have to travel only where you can drive your car, and that means you might not be able to travel everywhere.

If you choose to fly somewhere overseas, you always have the option to rent a car when you arrive, turning this con into a pro. Hertz has great car hire options with comparative prices, keeping your costs down while also allowing you to explore an overseas destination by car.

Bad Weather

Another disadvantage of travelling by car is that bad weather can have a serious impact on your trip. Rain, snow and storms can all change driving conditions and might even ruin your whole road trip if you’re not prepared.

Consider the weather before taking off on the road and be honest about your driving skills, too. Driving under these conditions can be a challenge for some and can be dangerous not just to you, but others on the road if you’re not properly prepared .

Hidden Costs

Finally, the last con of travelling by car is that before any kind of road trip, you definitely need to prepare your car for the long haul, and that might require additional finances and time. Ensure you spend some time checking your car for road worthiness.

Also, consider investing in a few car essentials, especially if you are planning to hit the road long term or with your children. And don’t forget the small but helpful gadgets you can use in a car, like phone or cup holders, a GPS, or sun visors. These all make your road trip that little more enjoyable!

Over to you!

Do you have anything to add to these pros and cons of travelling by car?

Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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4 thoughts on “The Pros and Cons of Travelling by Car”

There are just some places where long distance buses don’t go … cars are ideal in these scenarios!

Absolutely!

Nothing better than going on a long drive! My favorite thing ever 🙂

I totally agree!

Is Going on a Road Trip Right For You?

The idea of hopping in a car and setting off into the horizon on a Kerouacian adventure is a timeless notion for the ultimate vacation: exploring the rugged scenery, visiting pristine landscapes, and sleeping in a new place every night. The reality of a road trip is that it actually requires a significant amount of planning , especially for long trips that span several days and cover hundreds—if not thousands—of miles.

Traveling by car has a lot of unique benefits, but you also have to consider the drawbacks before deciding if a road trip is the right vacation for you. Cost and time are two of the most important factors but are by no means the only ones. Weight out these considerations before you set off.

Reasons to Go on a Road Trip

You are in charge.

You control your departure time, arrival time, itinerary, and stops along the way . You don't have to pay attention to train schedules or airline routes as you plan your trip. If you see something interesting on the side of the road, you can stop and take a look. This freedom and flexibility of traveling by car is perhaps the biggest perk of a road trip, and its value can't be overstated.

You Can Change Your Mind

If you don't like a particular place, you can just drive away. There's no waiting for the next flight or hassling over train schedules. Last-minute decisions are easy to make and they don't have to throw off your entire trip. In the same vein, it's just as easy to stay somewhere you're really enjoying. Maybe what was supposed to be a quick pitstop ends up being a place with a lot of potential that you want to explore more. No problem, just stay.

You Can See the Real World

Taking a road trip allows you to get off the beaten path and see actual communities and natural wonders, not just a train track or a view from 36,000 feet. Meandering through the countryside is a great way to relax and find out what it's really like to live in a particular area. Farmers' markets, local festivals, and state parks are yours to explore.

You Can Pack Anything That Fits Into Your Trunk

You can use the back seat, too. You don't have to pay extra to bring the items you need, either. If you plan to bring camping gear or sports equipment, packing it in a car is easier than transporting it by bus or train. Just make sure you have a safe way to lock up valuable items. A car that appears to be overflowing with goods can be an easy target for theft.

You Can Save Money

Even when you factor in wear and tear on your car, going on a road trip can be a frugal way to travel, especially if you're traveling with a group. Taking four people somewhere by car is usually less expensive than buying four round-trip airplane, bus, or train tickets. You can split the costs for gas and hotel rooms, or if you're camping it could be even cheaper. Since you have the freedom to stop and eat wherever you like, you can choose affordable restaurants or pick-up items in a local grocery store to eat in the car.

Reasons to Think Twice About a Road Trip

Driving takes time.

Driving is one of the slowest ways to travel between two points, especially between large cities with good rail and airline service. If you are planning a city-to-city trip, you can save a lot of time by taking the train or flying to your destination.

You Have to Do All the Work

From route planning and prepping your car to navigation and spending hours behind the wheel, it's all up to you. Trip planning is always a big task, but road trip planning requires even more forethought and organization. Sometimes it is easier to let someone else do the planning—and the driving. It's exhausting to be behind the wheel for hours at a time, especially if you'll be on the road for days. Having multiple drivers in the car helps to alleviate that, so share the responsibilities if you can.

You Have to Park the Car

In some cities, finding parking can be very difficult. High city parking rates are not fun to deal with, either, and can quickly eat up any cost savings you've gained by taking the car. If you're planning to be in smaller towns or natural areas, you shouldn't have as much of a problem. But if any one of your pitstops is a big city, plan ahead and research the cheapest and safest parking options for your car.

Traveling by Car Can Be Expensive

For solo travelers, in particular, taking a road trip might not save you money, especially when you factor in gas , tolls , parking, meals, and lodging along the way. In fact, depending on the length of the trip and where you stay, it can end up being much more costly than having taken another form of transportation. Even if you make a strict budget, unexpected costs such as a hapless breakdown can really throw a wrench at you.

Wear and Tear on Your Car Costs Money

You don't have to only worry about breakdowns, but also general wear and tear on your car. Long trips can really do damage to a vehicle, especially if it's an older model. If your car isn't up to the journey, you might be better off renting a vehicle instead.

You Have to Get Back

Planning your big road trip sounds fantastic and fun, but don't forget you have to get back to where you started. Unless you're in a situation where you can leave your car at the destination, you'll have to drive back to the starting point as well. Make sure you're mentally prepared not only for the initial journey but also for repeating it almost immediately after. However, you can make this easier by taking a different route home to shake things up.

Making Your Road Trip Decision

It is always a good idea to break out your trusty calculator and add up your travel costs before deciding how to get to your destination. Traveling by car is not necessarily the cheapest or easiest way to go. You may decide that time is more important than money. In this case, flying might be your best option. Taking the train might be a better choice for city-to-city travel, especially if you will not need a car at your destination.

In the end, the most important consideration is the type of trip that you're looking for. Faster transports are for those who want the destination city to be the vacation. But if you care more about the journey, then driving is the best way to truly experience not just point A and point B, but the infinite number of places between them. Even if it takes more time or ends up costing more, perhaps it's worth it.

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Traveling the world by car- pros, cons, and useful tips

Traveling by car is one of the most convenient ways to explore the world. You have the freedom to choose your own itinerary, your own schedule, and in some cases (or if you are more adventurous)- your own place to spend the night. You can jump in the car, and the whole Earth is in front of you! Or maybe it is not as easy as it looks like? Let’s get deeper into this question.

Table of Contents

Exploring the Earth

Our planet is full of images, colors, landscapes, and a lot of beauty. And every traveler has this passion to explore all of this. Although every point of its surface has its own charm, there are certain points called “travel destinations”, “places to see”, “points of interest” or the more popular of them- “landmarks”. But what is beyond these points?

While many tourists aim only at these points of interest, some travelers are interested in what is “between them”- not only points but routes that connect the points. This is a whole new level of traveling- in this way, travelers can penetrate much deeper into the geography of the Earth.

You can roam around our world by various means of transportation- by plane, by train, by bus, by ferry, by car, by motorbike, by bicycle, or just on foot. Unfortunately, no transportation way can reach every point on the surface of the Earth- water, land, plains, mountains, glaciers, deserts, etc. If you want to wander on all of these types of surfaces, you have to change your way of transportation.

Ways of transportation

All of these means of transportation have their pros and cons. Planes are fast and can fly over all of these types of surfaces, but only from above- you can’t see almost anything. Trains and buses are not as fast as planes but they are limited to travel only on certain roads (or railroads).

Ferries and boats are designed only for the water surface. Motorbikes and bicycles give you much more freedom, but they are too slow- you would need much more time to explore a larger area of the Earth.

And how about car driving?

Explore the world by car

So, you have your car (it can be your own car, a car of your friend, or a rental car). If it is an RV or just a van, it can be even your “moving hotel” too. You have your time and your budget. The world is in front of you. You prepare your luggage and just go. But can you really explore the whole world by your car?

If you start your driving trip from the US or Canada, you can explore these two countries (except for most of the middle and northern parts of Canada, and of course, without the Canadian Archipelago). You can go further south into the countries of Central America, but only on the continent. And you have to stop in Panama, in the so-called Darien Gap- an area with rainforests, swamps, lakes, and no roads.

Or, if you start your trip from Europe, you can easily explore Europe… but only Europe (easily). Yes, you can proceed further into Asia- through Turkey and Iran, or Russia. However, it requires a much more adventurous state of mind, because such travel can be more difficult and even dangerous.

Countries with closures, restrictions, or other problems

Some countries would be closed to you. For example, you can’t enter China (actually, you can, but it is complicated). Other countries are closed simply because their land borders are closed (for example- the border between Syria and Israel).

Similar problems can be found in South America and Africa- mainly border restrictions and regulations, bad roads, and in Africa- local conflicts. Concerning Australia, Indonesia, and every island, the limit is obvious- the ocean.

Combining different ways of transportation

In other words- only by car, you can freely travel only in some parts of the world, not the whole world. To extend your travel range, you have to use ferries or cargo ships. Or, of course, you can just leave your car at home, go to another continent (or an island) and rent a car there.

To travel on off-road and wild terrain without roads, you have to leave your car (yes, by 4×4 vehicle you can partially penetrate to some point, but this still has its limits) and proceed by bike, camel, horse, canoe, or just on foot.

Different traffic directions, traffic chaos

Another problem can be the different driving directions- in most countries, you drive on the right side of the road, but in some countries, the traffic is on the left side (like the UK, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and more). It can confuse drivers who haven’t gotten used to switching different sides of the road. Add to this the usually chaotic traffic in most of the exotic countries, and driving there can become a serious challenge.

Crossing the borders

And of course, the borders between countries, autonomous regions, or restricted areas with their checkpoints, and all the required documents, permits, etc. Sometimes it can be easy (just with some queue waiting), but sometimes can be difficult, requiring months of obtaining the necessary documents in advance. And sometimes crossing can be impossible.

However, there is an important document that can resolve some of these troubles. This is the International Driver’s License which “opens” more borders in front of you and your car.

International Driver’s License

You should have your own local Driving License. But it doesn’t mean that every other country would recognize it. So, you may need an International Driver’s License, called also International Driving Permit (IDP).

Yes, usually, if the official language of the country you drive is the same as the language of your Driving License, you would not need an IDP. But if the language is different, an IDP is advisable. Various countries have different rules about it and you can check in advance whether you need an IDP or not.

The IDP doesn’t replace your original local Driving License. Essentially, it only “translates” it in several languages. So, when you drive in countries that require IDP, you still have to bring your local Driving License too.

Obtaining an International Driver’s License

Today, you can easily get International Driver’s License . There are options to choose an IDP for 1, 2, or 3 years. You can also choose a digital + printed version, or only a digital version (cheaper). You can follow the process quickly, then just track your order until you get it.

Damage and accidents

One of the worst things that may happen during your driving trip is the car damage. It depends on where it may happen- if it is in a city, you can easily bring it to a car repair service. But if you are in the middle of a desert… that’s a problem.

So, it is always good to educate yourself at least on the basics of car management and if possible, to bring some spare parts and other useful things with you. Depending on the damage, it would not necessarily resolve the problem but still can increase the chances of repairing. I would advise drivers to check their cars in a repair service before a long trip- if there are hidden problems, they can prevent more serious damage in advance.

But that’s not the worst. The worst is a car accident with injuries or even lives lost. Yes, you should have your insurance and it can help later, but it can’t prevent an accident. So, follow the traffic rules everywhere and always be cautious!

The pros of traveling by car

On the other side, let’s remember the pros of traveling by car. You have full freedom on your schedule. You can go where public transportation doesn’t go. If you drive a van, an RV, or another big enough vehicle, you can use it as your “hotel”, as already said. Also, you can enjoy the landscape around you all the time (but you better stop somewhere for photos, don’t drive and look around at the same time!), being protected from the environment outside- heat, wind, rain, cold.

And finally, with proper preparation, by combining a car with other means of transportation, you can still reach the farthest frontiers on our planet!

Check some books about going on a journey by car driving:

Disclaimer: Journey Beyond the Horizon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites at no additional cost to you.

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Traveling the world by car is a great adventure. But it can bring some troubles. Read below about these troubles and how to avoid them.

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.

So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.

And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.

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The pros and cons of road trips: Are they worth it?

As the home of road trips, we at LazyTrips obviously believe there's no better way to travel than getting behind the wheel for a long, beautiful drive.

That being said, road trips are not for everyone. If you don't love driving, you get carsick often, or you have a tendency to get bored and tired behind the wheel, a road trip may not be the best way for you to get around.

Like everything else in the world, there are advantages and disadvantages of doing a road trip, and you'll need to think about every aspect of the trip including parking, luggage, costs and time in order to decide whether to go on one or not.

When you weigh up all the pros and cons of road trips, there's no doubt in our minds that embarking on a road trip adventure is absolutely worth it. The key is to know what to expect, and to welcome a bit of spontaneity into your life.

If you're having trouble deciding whether or not a road trip is for you, have a read through our pros and cons below to help you make your choice. We'll start with the cons:

Cons of a road trip

Contending with traffic.

One of the major downsides of travelling by car is that you are constantly at the mercy of traffic.

Depending on the time of day you set off and where you are driving to, there's a chance you could be stuck in a bottleneck jam for hours on end, which is no fun for anyone.

Luckily, there are some pretty fail-safe ways to avoid traffic, or at least to optimise your route as much as possible.

If you're going on a road trip and are nervous about traffic, download Waze beforehand. This nifty app will alert you to everything from accidents to police cars and obstructions on the road.

Waze will also automatically direct you to the quickest route, taking its cues from real-time traffic alerts on the road contributed by fellow drivers.

Don't have Waze? The Google Maps app - which automatically downloads on many smartphones - is another way to check the traffic status of your route.

Whatever tools you choose to use, you most certainly shouldn't let your fear of traffic stop you from doing an epic road trip.

Three male friends laughing with each other on a road trip

Parking can be a hassle

OK, so we've covered the fact that driving is a cinch, as long as you know how to tackle it. What about parking?

In all honesty, this is probably the biggest complication of a road trip - especially if you're travelling somewhere in Europe with lots of historic pedestrianised towns along the way.

On the Amalfi Coast, for instance, it can be seriously tricky to find parking spots, especially if you don't speak Italian and aren't sure what to look out for.

Again, the key to overcoming this obstacle is preparedness. Even if there's no street parking available somewhere, there will be a hotel that has a parking garage. You just have to do your research.

If you're booking a trip on LazyTrips, look for the parking (P) symbol next to the hotel name. This tells you whether there's parking at the hotel itself.

You should probably anticipate spending a bit of money on parking in these types of places because unfortunately, that's unavoidable.

For more advice on parking, check out our guides for driving in Italy , Portugal, Spain, and a number of other countries. These will give you all the info you need to be able to park in peace.

You can also look into downloading the JustPark app, which lets you reserve a space ahead of time in more than 45,000 locations.

You have to take on more responsibility

While taking the train or flying on a plane gives you the freedom to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, it requires a lot more responsibility to do a road trip.

For one, if you're doing the driving, you have to stay awake the whole time. Not only that, but you also need to pay attention to your surroundings, keep an eye out for potential hazards on the road, and keep track of time so you reach your destination as planned.

You should also have a rough idea of how to take care of your car. If you get a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere, for instance, it's invaluable to know how to change it and install your spare by yourself.

Having more responsibilities naturally means that road trips are not mega relaxing forms of transport. If you'd rather not have to think about these kinds of things, it might be worth giving that road trip a pass.

Road trips are expensive

From fuel and toll roads to hotel rooms along the way, the many different costs involved in a road trip really do add up.

And even after you've factored in the obvious elements, there will inevitably be some hidden costs as well that you haven't thought of in advance. Entry fees, parking tickets, food, car issues… these are things that are a little bit more unpredictable.

Nevertheless, choosing to drive to your destination rather than fly means you get to save on all the things that come with flights, including baggage fees, airline taxes, and the tickets themselves.

Plus, there are countless ways you can keep the costs down on a road trip. More on that later!

Bad weather can ruin a day of travel

If you've ever tried to drive through a thunderstorm or a blizzard, you'll know that it's near impossible.

Bad weather can not only hamper your travel plans, but it can also unexpectedly add a day or even two to your road trip - which is not ideal, if you have hotel rooms and activities already booked!

There's nothing you can do about serious weather except wait it out. It's not worth risking your life for the sake of the journey.

Of course, bad weather can wreak havoc on flights and train travel as well, with cancelled flights and trains thing that you simply can't avoid.

If you're planning on doing a road trip in the wintertime, when snow and ice are more likely to occur, make sure you prepare accordingly and kit your car out with all the necessary extras.

For a more detailed guide on how to navigate snowy conditions, check out our blog on driving in Europe in the winter.

Lights of a car and winter snowy road in a dark forest at night

Road trips are time consuming

Compared to an easy two-hour flight, road trips take a lot of time.

Not only do you have to spend lots of time travelling on the road, but planning ahead and doing all the proper research needed also takes a while.

From deciding which routes to take to booking hotel rooms, getting your car checked in advance, researching activities to do, and having plenty of playlists and road trip games at the ready, there's a lot that goes into preparing for a long driving holiday.

But here at LazyTrips, we happen to love the planning stage of a road trip, almost as much as the road trip itself.

There's nothing more fun than finding travel inspiration, asking friends for tips, creating wanderlust mood boards on Pinterest , and getting more and more excited as the starting date gets closer and closer.

Of course, if you don't enjoy spending time planning and compiling all the best road trip resources, then there's a chance road trips may not be for you.

It's all a matter of personal preference after all!

If you're still keen to do a road trip but you're not sure where to start, have a read of our guide on how to plan your first road trip for some expert advice.

Man in a hat sits at a table looking at a map with binoculars, compass and other travel accessories

Pros of a road trip

Flexibility, freedom and spontaneity.

Without a doubt, one of the best aspects of a road trip is that you get to explore the world at your own pace.

Unlike flights, trains, cruises and coaches, there's no one else dictating your travel plans on a road trip. You are your own boss, and you have the freedom to choose timings, destinations and activities, not to mention speed, music and food!

This freedom also allows you to be as spontaneous as you want on the road.

Feel like stopping at a roadside deli for a 99 cent doughnut? Go for it. Want to pull over at that beach to check out the sunset? Be our guest!

You simply don't get that kind of flexibility on a plane, a train, or an organised group tour, where your schedule is planned and set in stone way ahead of time.

There's a reason why road trips have a sort of mythic quality about them, associated with things like free spirits, hippies, adventure, and Jack Kerouac.

Our advice? Jump on the road trip bandwagon to see what all the fuss about.

Getting off the beaten path

Sure, planning a road trip effectively requires plotting a route on a map and making sure you get from one place to another in good time and in one piece.

But there's also lots of room for exploring small towns and destinations on the way, something you just don't get when you're on a plane or a train.

Often the best travel stories come from those off-the-beaten-path adventures you happen to have when you're doing a road trip.

For example, one of our LazyTrips team members did a road trip across America in 2016, and decided impulsively to pull over in a tiny town called Casey, Illinois, because a billboard on the side of the road caught her eye.

It turned out that this small city, which has a population of just 2,700 people, is home to quite a few unique points of interest - including the world's largest wind chime, the world's largest golf tee, and the world's largest rocking chair (it's 56 feet tall and weighs 46,200lbs, in case you were wondering.)

Not only did this pit-stop make for some pretty cool selfies, but it also provided awesome stories to recount when she got home from the trip.

Do yourself a favour. Get off the beaten path once in a while!

A car drives by the world's largest rocking chair in Casey, Illinois

You can roll down the window

This may sound like a minor point, but to us it's crucial.

Unlike the stale, recycled air you have to inhale on a plane, when you're in the car you can roll down the window and let the fresh breeze roll in.

If you're driving near the sea, you'll be able to smell the salt in the air. And if you're cruising through a forest, get ready to smell the fresh, earthy scent of pine and wood.

There's a lot to be said for fresh air, which has been shown to improve digestion, strengthen your immune system, clean your lungs and increase the amount of serotonin (the happy hormone) flooding to your brain.

But most of all, fresh air makes you feel alert and alive, which also - coincidentally - is what a road trip tends to do.

So roll down those windows, notice as your mood improves, and bask in the feeling of the wind blowing through your hair. This is what travelling should feel like.

Cheerful young woman with brown hair enjoying the fresh air with hear head outside the window of a car as it speeds down winding road

Enjoy beautiful scenery

Another bonus component of travelling by car is that you get to experience all of Planet Earth's beauty right up close.

Whether you're doing a road trip across the mountains, down a coastal road, through historic towns or past fields of wildflowers, there's always some stunning scenery to admire along the way.

If you're the one driving, of course, you'll have to keep your eyes on the road for the most part. But you can always pull over to snap photos of anything truly incredible.

But if you've got a travel buddy in the car who can share the driving responsibilities with you, you get to enjoy watching the world go by from the comfort of the passenger seat.

You can keep costs down

Although fuel and hotel prices do add up, there are ways to keep the costs down on a road trip.

For starters, if you're travelling in a group of four or more, it's inherently cheaper to drive long distance than to fly, since you won't have to buy multiple plane tickets.

It's also cheaper to travel in the off-peak season, as opposed to those busy school holiday months when everything is more expensive.

Another way to save money on the road is by turning your road trip into a part-camping trip by either renting a camper van or bringing along tents and sleeping bags and staying in campsites some nights.

Camping outdoors or in your car is not only cheaper than staying in a hotel, but it also adds an extra element of adventure to your trip.

While you're at it, bring along a portable barbecue and cook your own food when you pull over, so that you don't have to spend money on eating out at restaurants. You can also pack your own coffee maker in order to avoid the temptation of buying a latte every morning!

Tent and car under the night sky on a road trip

You can pack as much luggage as you want

For reasons that only professional airline workers know (if you are one, please enlighten us!) carrying extra baggage on a plane often comes at an absolutely extortionate fee.

Not so for road trips! When you're driving, especially in your own car, the only luggage limit is the size of your boot (or your trunk, if you're reading this in the US.)

As long as you can stuff everything in and still see clearly through the rear windshield, you're good to go.

This is especially useful if you're travelling somewhere cold, which means you'll probably have to pack lots of warm jackets and layers, or if you're carting along lots of equipment for a skiing or fishing trip.

It's also great to have extra room when you travel just in case you end up picking up lots of fun souvenirs while you're out there. You never know!

Bonding time

When you spend upwards of four hours in a car per day with someone for several days in a row, you can't help but have some pretty interesting conversations.

Whether you're road-tripping with your partner, your friend or your family, you're bound to get to know each other a little better on the course of your road trip.

By seeing new places, meeting new people and sharing experiences on your road trip adventure, you will undoubtedly create some special memories together that you can cherish forever.

That being said, there's always the chance that tensions might build up if you rub each other the wrong way on your road trip (couples, we're talking to you in particular). Before you set off on your road trip, find out how to maintain a cool head by reading our road trip tips for couples .

Road trips are the ultimate adventure

At the end of the day, the main reason we embark on road trips is not to get from point A to B; it's to experience that elusive and invigorating feeling of adventure.

Even if you're travelling somewhere uninspiring, you never really know what to expect on a road trip, which makes it all the more fun.

Keep that in mind, and you're bound to have an amazing time on your road trip.

Road trips are expensive, they're time-consuming and occasionally, they can cause frustration. But most of all, they're hugely exciting and rewarding, and they tend to make you look at the world a little differently.

If you're weighing up whether or not to do a road trip, take our advice and just go for it. You won't regret it.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Travelling By Car

Traveling by car is a popular and versatile mode of transportation that provides both freedom and flexibility. Whether it’s a road trip across the country, a weekend getaway, or a daily commute to work, using a car has its advantages and disadvantages. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the pros and cons of traveling by car to help you make informed choices when planning your next journey.

Advantages of Traveling by Car

Independence and Flexibility

One of the most significant advantages of traveling by car is the freedom and flexibility it offers. You have control over your schedule, making it easy to stop wherever and whenever you want. You can explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and make spontaneous detours, turning your journey into an adventure.

Cost-Efficiency for Groups

Traveling with a group of friends or family can be more cost-effective when using a car. Splitting fuel costs and other expenses, such as accommodations, can make the trip more affordable per person compared to other modes of transportation.

Convenience

A car is like a home away from home. It allows you to bring all the necessary items you need for your journey, whether it’s camping gear, sports equipment, or your beloved pet. You have ample storage space, which makes packing more comfortable and ensures you have everything you require.

Scenic Routes

Traveling by car allows you to take scenic routes and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. You can savor picturesque landscapes, explore hidden gems, and take in breathtaking views, enhancing your overall travel experience.

Privacy and Comfort

Your car provides a private and comfortable space. You can control the temperature, play your favorite music, and take breaks whenever you desire. It’s a personalized space that can make long journeys more enjoyable.

Disadvantages of Traveling by Car

Cost of Ownership

While traveling with a group can be cost-effective, the ownership costs of a car, including maintenance, insurance, and fuel, can add up over time. For infrequent travelers or city dwellers, the cost of owning and maintaining a car may outweigh the benefits.

Traffic and Delays

Heavy traffic and unforeseen delays can be frustrating when traveling by car. In urban areas, you may encounter congestion, and on long trips, road closures or accidents can disrupt your plans.

Environmental Impact

Cars emit greenhouse gases and contribute to air pollution, which can be harmful to the environment. Opting for more eco-friendly transportation options, such as public transit or carpooling, may be a better choice for the environmentally conscious traveler.

Fatigue and Safety Concerns

Long hours behind the wheel can lead to driver fatigue, which is not only uncomfortable but also a safety concern. It’s essential to take breaks, get adequate rest, and be mindful of your well-being while driving long distances.

Parking and Navigation Challenges

Finding parking in crowded areas can be a hassle, and navigating unfamiliar territories may be confusing, even with GPS. It’s important to plan your routes and consider parking options in advance to avoid unnecessary stress.

Traveling by car can be a fantastic way to explore the world, offering freedom, flexibility, and convenience. However, it also comes with its share of disadvantages, such as cost, traffic, and environmental concerns. To make the most of your car travel experiences, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons, plan accordingly, and consider alternatives when they better suit your needs and values.

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The Pros and Cons of Traveling By a Car

Going on a road trip can be a fun and exciting way to see the country. However, if you’re not prepared , it can also be a very uncomfortable experience. This is why it’s essential to plan and make sure you have everything you need to travel in comfort and style.

When planning a road trip, there are a few things to keep in mind to make the journey as comfortable as possible. You want to make sure that your journey will be as hassle-free as possible, so you can focus on enjoying the scenery and your time with family or friends.

Advantages of traveling by car

Traveling by car and plane are incredibly different. While both have pros and cons, traveling by car is often seen as the more convenient option, especially if you’re going on a long road trip . Here are some of the advantages of traveling by car:

Take a break anytime you like

You can take as many breaks as you want. One of the great things about road trips is that you can take as many or as few breaks as you need, whenever you like.

Enjoy the scenery and local attractions.

Affordable travel costs

Traveling by car typically is much more affordable than flying, especially if you’re traveling with a larger group. This helps keep your overall travel costs down, which can be vital if you’re going on a long road trip or visiting multiple destinations.

Disadvantages of traveling by car

Despite all of the advantages, traveling by car does have some drawbacks. For example:

If you’re not used to spending long hours in a car, then you may find it quite uncomfortable. This can be made worse by things like bad weather or traffic jams. In addition, sun rays can also make the experience quite uncomfortable. To lessen this kind of discomfort, consider installing tints for car windows , which can help to block out harmful rays and keep you cool and comfortable.

Limited storage

Another potential drawback of traveling by car is limited storage space. While there are some overhead compartments on most cars, these can fill up quickly with luggage, snacks, and more. To ensure enough room for everything you need, consider packing lightly and investing in storage solutions like a roof box or a boot organizer.

Another downside to long car journeys is that they can be pretty tiring, especially if you’re driving for most of the day. This can make it challenging to stay focused and alert, which can be dangerous.

To avoid this, you may consider investing in a car seat with a built-in massage feature. These are designed to keep you comfortable and help alleviate any muscle soreness or tension that may occur during long drives.

Difficult to plan

It can often be challenging to plan your route when traveling by car. You don’t want to spend too much time driving in one direction and miss out on things along the way, but you also don’t want to rush through all of the attractions that interest you. To avoid this, consider using a route planner or GPS so that you can easily find the most efficient route to your destination.

Less flexibility

If your flight is delayed or canceled for any reason, you can rebook your flight at little to no extra cost with a plane. But when it comes to long road trips, there’s usually less flexibility in rescheduling.

Longer travel time

Planes can get you to your destination much faster than a car, especially if you’re traveling long distances. If you’re short on time, a road trip might not be the best option.

More opportunities for accidents

Of course, there’s always the potential for an accident when driving. But depending on the conditions, traveling by car can be riskier than flying in terms of potential crashes or collisions.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages to traveling by car. But if you’re comfortable with spending long hours in the car and you’re willing to take breaks as needed, then a road trip can be a great way to see everything that your destination has to offer. Just plan your route carefully and pack everything you need to make the most of your journey.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Traveling

by Melissa Giroux | Last updated Dec 31, 2023 | Travel Tips

When it comes to traveling, it can look like it’s all sunshine and rainbows on social media (and sometimes it really is).

However, like with anything in life, there are some pros and cons to the travel lifestyle, especially when it comes to long-term travel or solo travel.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of traveling so that you can decide if traveling is the right option for you.

Advantages Of Traveling

Let’s take a look at the main advantages of traveling the world.

Adventures And New Experiences

Without a doubt, the biggest plus to traveling is all of the new experiences you will get across the world. These are usually experiences you wouldn’t have otherwise like staying with local hill tribes in Thailand or snorkeling with sharks in Australia .

A lot of time while traveling is spent prioritizing having fun and experiencing new adventures, which is so different from our usual daily lives. You can create memories that last a lifetime while traveling, and this is definitely a huge plus when it comes to looking at the advantages of traveling.

Experience New Cultures

You can expand your mind and open yourself up to new cultures and ideologies while traveling. During travel, you are coming into contact with cultures and people that you might not have come into otherwise.

Immersing yourself in the culture of another country can be an opportunity for a lot of learning, and you will see the world through fresh eyes and with a completely new perspective once you get to see how other people live.

Personal Growth

During travel, you spend a lot of time outside of your comfort zone, which leads to a lot of growth at a rapid pace! You will grow to be more independent, even if you are traveling with others.

This can be a great way to gain more confidence too, and learn more about yourself, especially when traveling alone.

Traveling can bring a lot of clarity when it comes to how you want your life to be in the future.

Without the regular stressors of day-to-day life, your mind is clearer to start seeing what is really important to you for your life and your future.

Lower Cost Of Living

Depending on where you travel, your day-to-day living expenses could end up being much cheaper than in your own country. If you are working while traveling, you might even end up saving some money.

The great thing is, you will have the option of doing things on the cheap in the majority of places that are popular with travelers. You will be in a position to choose a hostel over an expensive hotel in more places.

Make New Friends

You will meet people from all over the world that you would not have met otherwise.

It often happens that you make deep and meaningful connections with people extremely quickly while traveling.

This has a lot to do with the fact that a lot of travelers will be on a similar wavelength to each other. Most people you will come across are in search of adventure and connection.

Depending on where you are traveling, you might meet people several times if they are on a similar route to you. If you are traveling solo, you might even find some people to travel with from time to time.

It’s also an incredible excuse to see more of the world by visiting your new friends in the future.

Disadvantages Of Traveling

Of course, there are also some disadvantages of traveling. Here are a few things to remember before booking your trip.

It Can Be Expensive

Although your cost of living may be cheaper than in your home country, if you’re not working while traveling, you could go through your hard-earned savings quite quickly. This is especially true if you are traveling to more expensive places like Europe or Australia.

Staying in hotels, eating in Western restaurants, or taking part in organized group tours are all likely to burn through your savings very quickly.

If you are willing to travel on the cheap and stay in hostels while only eating local food, you can definitely stretch your money much further.

This is an unavoidable part of travel, unfortunately. Whether it’s from food, water, or some mysterious source, the vast majority of people traveling long-term pick up some sort of sickness from time to time.

It can range from a simple tummy bug for 24 hours, to fully-fledged food poisoning that could require medical attention.

It Can Be Lonely

Particularly if you’re traveling solo, there can be moments of loneliness while traveling. If you are in a country that has fewer solo travelers or backpackers than others, it can sometimes be difficult to make connections and people can end up spending a lot of time on their own.

Homesickness

This is often something that holds people back from travel, and for good reason. Being homesick is a huge drawback for a lot of people when it comes to traveling.

Some people struggle with the thoughts of missing important occasions and milestones with their family at home. It’s also tough to imagine being away from home in case of an emergency.

Final Thoughts On Pros And Cons Of Traveling

So, what’s the verdict? There are advantages and disadvantages of traveling. It all comes down to what your priorities are.

I hope this guide helped you understand some of the advantages and disadvantages of traveling.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to your personal preferences and needs.

Consider your savings, opportunities for adventure, time away from loved ones, and personal growth, and decide what works best for you at the moment.

Want more travel tips? Read one of the following blog posts:

Tips for staying in hostels
Advantages and disadvantages of staying in a hotel

MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

BOOK HOTEL ON BOOKING.COM

BOOK HOSTEL ON HOSTELWORLD

GET YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

LEARN HOW TO START A TRAVEL BLOG

LEARN HOW TO VOLUNTEER ABROAD

Driving an electric van cross-country for a month showed me how far EV travel has to go

Alex Outhwaite was offered a VW ABT Transporter for a cross-country UK tour for work.
The trip required meticulous planning, and still, one in four charging stations had an issue.
She encountered long waits and out-of-service charging stations but found EV travel more affordable.

I want to get an electric vehicle one day. The reduced environmental impact and lower cost are appealing — but their range and the process of charging make me anxious to take the plunge, even as EVs go farther and charging points become more common. AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson said in February that most EV drivers were still not taking overnight trips away from their home-charging setup.

By chance, I got the opportunity to have a monthlong test drive and experience what relying on an EV to travel long distances is really like.

In my day job as a TV and events presenter, I had to drive with a colleague around Britain working at food events. When my client offered me an electric Volkswagen ABT Transporter, I jumped at it.

I knew it wouldn't be easy

The ABT had a range of only 80 miles, so my trip required numerous charges during the day and constant planning. Each morning, rather than setting a location in a GPS and simply setting off, we'd have to map the route via fast-charge points, individually checking each point against recent Google reviews to ensure they were in service.

Even this couldn't guarantee that another driver wouldn't slip in before us when we arrived.

Apps like PlugShare and Zap Map allowed for route planning. User-sourced data theoretically allows drivers to see which charge points are out of service or in use, but even using this information I found issues with one in four of the 36 charge points I visited over the month.

At some charge stations, these apps showed there was a free charging point because there were several. But at one, it turned out to be only possible to charge one vehicle at a time.

I was also glad I wasn't alone, as some of the charge points were badly lit

Another recurring issue was having to register to use new charge points, which could be challenging in places where I had limited signal. You can aim for a charge point you're already registered at, but with more than 300 electric-charging companies globally, that's not always possible.

Traveling across Britain, the provision of charge points — and by extension the inconvenience of one being unavailable — varied. Much of our tour was in the North of England and we had a few sticky situations near the beginning of the month where we hadn't planned as thoroughly.

Much of our tour was in the north of England, where we had a few sticky situations early on in which we hadn't planned as thoroughly. One time we arrived at a fast-charge point at a highway gas station, only to discover the card reader wasn't working to start the charge.

With limited options, we finally rolled into a spot at Ikea with less than 1 mile left of charge

It got me thinking how difficult it must be in more remote parts of the world.

California is home to a third of all the EV charge points in the US, but in North Dakota , home to only 60 charging stations, a suddenly out-of-service charge point could leave you stranded.

The VW ABT and other electric vans such as the Mercedes eVito — which has a range of 93 miles — have a significantly lower range than personal vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 (278 miles) and Mustang Mach E (370 miles). Range anxiety might be gone, but numerous inconveniences can still add hours to cross-country journeys.

The most common 7-kilowatt chargers in shopping-center parking lots in the UK require just under eight hours to charge a typical EV.

There were two of us, so one could check the apps to be sure we were heading to faster charges. But those driving alone must rely on highway signs to direct them, which don't specify what is available. More detailed signs would be incredibly helpful.

On the flip side, the low financial and environmental cost of my month on the road was significantly more important to me than the inconvenience.

The average gas price in the UK is about 1.45 pounds (about $1.96) per liter, which works out at around 25 pence (about $0.34) per mile, compared with about 12.5 pence (about $0.17) per mile or 10 pounds (about $13.50) per full charge on the ABT.

This would be a lot cheaper for those able to charge at home rather than public charge points.

True, it required more planning, but with 500,000 charge points in the US promised by 2030 , I'm hoping the problems I encountered will be no more when I buy an EV for myself.

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So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Turo vs. Traditional Car Rentals: The Pros and Cons of Booking

Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter.

Outside of work, she loves fitness, and she competes in both powerlifting and weightlifting (she can deadlift more than triple bodyweight). Naturally, her travels always involve a fitness component, including a week of cycling up the coastline of Vietnam and a camping trip to the Arctic Circle, where she biked over the sea ice. Other adventures have included hiking 25 miles in one day through Italy's Cinque Terre and climbing the 1,260 steps to Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi, Thailand.

She lives in San Francisco.

Megan Lee joined the travel rewards team at NerdWallet with over 12 years of SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international education and nonprofit work. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for websites like GoAbroad and Go Overseas. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

What is Turo?

Turo rental car prices: are they a good or bad deal, when renting a car with turo is a smart money move, is renting a car on turo worth it.

Ever considered renting a car from the actual owner? Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing platform, lets you do just that. The car rental alternative allows you to potentially save money compared to traditional rentals. Plus, it unlocks more potential places to rent cars beyond standard rental car facilities.

But is Turo the right fit for you? Here's your guide to renting a car through Turo, including the pros, the cons — and any potential fees to watch out for.

Turo is a peer-to-peer car sharing platform that allows car owners to rent out their own cars to regular people. Consider it a sort of Airbnb for cars .

Peer-to-peer car sharing platforms are growing in popularity. The global car sharing market was worth $2.9 million in value in 2022, and is expected to grow 20% annually from 2023 to 2032, according to January 2024 data from Allied Market Research. That would make the market for car sharing services, including Turo, worth $17.8 million by 2032.

Interest in Turo exploded in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was an era of high rental car prices due to high demand for roadtrips and limited rental car availability. Skyrocketing rental car prices became one of the biggest pandemic-era travel stories as they hit record highs in July 2021. Given all that, alternative rental car services like Turo were often a lifesaver.

And while rental car prices have eased from their record highs set in the early years of the pandemic, they're still high. Car rental prices in May 2024 are up 34.8% versus May 2019 — the last equivalent month pre-lockdowns in the U.S.

And while Turo car rentals can provide an excellent rental car alternative, it’s not necessarily better. It's also not always cheaper. Here are some of the times you might consider booking with Turo, and what to look sorts of fees and potential pitfalls to look out for if you do:

Turo prices are highly variable. Because car owners set the prices, sometimes they can be cheaper than traditional rental cars — but not always.

A car owner who now works from home and has minimal need for a car during the week might be inclined to make it available on Turo at a low price to make some extra cash or even to get some value out of a car that's otherwise sitting idle.

Many owners offer discounts for longer trips, and some offer discounts to guests who book at least a week in advance.

Beware of extra Turo fees

The total cost to rent on Turo might balloon once extra fees kick in.

When you browse the primary search page, which displays available vehicles in either a map or a list view, Turo displays the rental fee and the tip free. But your price can balloon higher than that.<br><br>For starts, Turo adds standard protection by default (though you can decline damage protection). You might include extras such as a pet fee, child safety seat, unlimited mileage or prepaid refuel.

Here are some examples of Turo fees you may be on the hook for before checking out:

Turo trip fee. Turo adds a trip fee that goes to Turo (not the owner). Fees vary, but in the U.S., trip fees range from 2.5% to 100% of the overall price. This fee is disclosed up front when you compare prices on the main search page.

Turo young driver fee. Folks under 24 owe a young driver fee (a minimum of $50 per day if under 21 or $30 per day if under 25 in the U.S.).

Miscellaneous extras. You may also owe other fees including airport fees, pickup or return fees, and optional extras like unlimited mileage (many rentals have a mileage cap).

And the fees might not end there, adding to why Turo could be wrong for folks anxious about potentially unknown costs.

Reimbursement bills. Hosts can send renters a reimbursement invoice for all sorts of potential situations. That might include fuel replacement, distance overages, failure to return an EV with charge, tickets and tolls, if applicable.

Turo cleaning fees . If you return a car in a condition that violates Turo’s cleaning and disinfection policy, the host can report the issue to the company. If Turo sides with the host, you’ll owe $150 for the cleaning violation plus a 3% processing fee.

Turo explicitly says that renters “aren’t expected to clean or disinfect the car before returning it,” but there's a gray area between what Turo considers normal wear and tear versus what teeters into violation territory.

“Significant amounts of pet hair” are a violation, as are “major stains or residue,” but “minor food or beverage spills” are OK.

Plenty of renters have documented negative experiences of receiving violation penalties they felt were unjustified, leading to back and forths with customer service to get those fees removed — or just paying the fine.

Your personal or credit card insurance may not apply to Turo

Turo offers three optional protection plans at an additional cost, each with increasingly more insurance coverage: a minimum, standard and premier plan.

Depending on the level of add-on insurance from Turo selected, prices in the U.S. start as low as $10 per rental day. It’s pretty easy to compare and add plans at checkout.

You can decline protection, but you (or possibly your own personal insurance company, if covered) are responsible for all costs related to physical, mechanical, and interior damage, plus administrative claims fees and appraisal costs.

Usually NerdWallet recommends holding a credit card that offers car rental insurance , which provides some level of free protection for rental cars paid for on that card. Some of the best credit cards with car rental insurance benefits even offer primary rental car coverage, so you don’t have to use your personal auto insurance.

However, when renting on Turo, don’t assume your personal auto insurance policy or credit card coverage works in the same way it applies to traditional rental cars.

Many credit card car rental insurance benefits specifically exclude coverage for peer-to-peer car rental companies , such as Turo.

“Turo is not a rental car company,” according to a post on Turo’s site. “We’re a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform, so credit card companies may provide no coverage for a car booked through Turo.”

Popular credit cards consumers leverage for car rentals

To better understand if Turo is the right fit for your car rental needs, compare its three protection plans with insurance, reimbursement and rewards rate details about credit cards commonly used when renting a car. Options can include:

on Chase's website

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

on American Express' website

Primary rental car coverage with reimbursement up to the cash value of most rental vehicles.

Booking a car rental through Chase Ultimate Rewards® earns 5 points per dollar spent.

Redeeming points to book travel through Chase — including renting cars — gives you 25% more value per point.

Earn unlimited 10x miles on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Auto rental collision damage waiver.

Complimentary elite status with Avis, Hertz and National, which entitles the member to upgrades and discounts.

Secondary rental car coverage.

Other benefits include expansive airport lounge access and hundreds of dollars' worth of travel credits.

Terms apply.

Primary rental car coverage with reimbursement up to $75,000.

Booking a car rental through Chase Ultimate Rewards® earns 10 points per dollar spent.

Redeeming points to book travel through Chase — including renting cars — gives you 50% more value per point.

Cardholders eligible for special benefits from Avis, National and Silvercar.

There are a few situations where renting a car through Turo makes especial sense:

If you can pay for your rental car in advance

Turo has a generous cancellation policy, allowing you to cancel free-of-charge up to 24 hours before the trip starts. Trips canceled within 24 hours of the start time are typically entitled to a partial refund.

Refunds are issued immediately, though it can take three to five business days to receive the money.

While Turo’s cancellation policy is relatively generous, you still are required to pay for your rental before your actual trip date. You can opt to pay in full upon booking or pay later, closer to your trip.

Here's when you get charged:

Cars booked 3 to 4 days out: You get charged two days before the trip start.

Cars booked 5 to 13 days out: You get charged three days before the trip start.

Cars booked 14 or more days out: You get charged seven days before the trip start.

For example, if guests choose to pay later and their trip is booked three to four days in advance, Turo will charge the full amount two days before the trip starts. If a trip is booked more than 14 days in advance, Turo will charge the full amount seven days before the trip starts.

In contrast, most rental car companies allow payment at the counter. That’s often more convenient than Turo's system because — if your travel plans change and you can no longer rent the car — you likely won’t be on the hook for a rental car reservation you didn’t show up for. Just understand the rules of any rental car company you book through, as some may still charge a no-show fee.

If Turo is more convenient to your destination

Turo operates in countries including the U.S., Australia, Canada, France and the U.K.

What’s unique about Turo is the range of places you’ll find the vehicles. Traditional rental car companies typically operate in places with a lot of tourists, such as airports, downtowns and hotels. But with Turo, you could very well find a car available from the home next door.

The map’s purple dots indicate available vehicles. You might find one in a location far more convenient than the nearest traditional rental car.

That’s convenient for someone who is usually car-free but wants to rent one every once in a while from a neighbor. Travelers who want a car only for part of their trip might skip the airport rental car and rent a Turo nearby for the days they need it.

But Turo isn’t available in every city. While it’s now available in all 50 U.S. states, availability is largely contingent upon whether a host is willing to post their car for rent.

If you need special pickup and drop-off locations or times

When renting from many rental car companies, you’re tied to their operating hours. That’s annoying if your flight lands at 9 p.m. but the rental car company closes at 8.

Many Turo rentals, however, are available for drop-off and pickup 24/7 because of a built-in service called Turo Go. Turo Go allows renters to unlock cars directly from the Turo app, thus never needing to meet the host in person.

Other hosts prefer in-person exchanges. The owner might pick you up at the airport and drive you to your hotel before handing over the keys (typically for an additional fee, though some hosts offer the service for free).

Turo’s delivery service can be especially convenient if you want the car for only a few days or a few hours.

While the range of pickup options can certainly be a pro, it also adds layers of complication — and it means your next Turo experience won’t be exactly like your last.

Read the pickup and drop-off rules carefully, as they vary by owner. Some cars are parked in facilities requiring a fee to exit. While Turo requires hosts to disclose such fees in their vehicle listing, it’s still one more annoying cost.

While Turo Go can certainly be convenient, you must have Wi-Fi or cellular data to unlock the car at the start of the trip. And you won’t have in-person customer support, which might pose challenges if you run into any problems upon pickup.

For one-way rentals, it’s tricky. You’re not able to book one location for pickup and a different location for return.

There is a one-way rental workaround where you can request to change your pickup or drop-off location once the trip is booked, but you’d have to work that out with the host — and it’s not guaranteed they’ll accept.

If there's a particular vehicle you're looking for

Ever wanted to test drive a car you're considering buying — without the car salesperson sitting in the seat next to you making a pitch? Maybe you're just dreaming about driving the latest Tesla or drive a specific luxury sports car.

That's where the Turo limitless search feature comes in. With this unconventional search tool, Turo puts the car’s make and model as the first point of search, rather than filtering vehicles initially by location. Turo's limitless search encourages you to search by specific vehicle, or at least style of vehicle.

(Image courtesy of Turo)

Turo also has created curated lists of cars available for rent that span themes like vintage cars, sports cars and campers.

Turo can provide myriad benefits. Especially in big cities, you might find a car in far more convenient locations. Turo Go enables pickup and drop-off at any hour, so you’re not constrained by rental car companies’ operating hours.

Because much of the rental price goes directly back to the car’s owner, more money stays in local communities. Turo often offers a range of cars, from a tiny Smart Car to electric vehicle rentals to flashy muscle cars.

But renting on Turo also entails high variability. The experience is rarely consistent, nor are the cars (or their owners). A vehicle might have squeaky brakes, and some owners might have higher cleaning standards than others.

If Turo doesn't have sufficient options, but you're generally enticed by such rental car alternatives , you might also consider Turo's competitors, such as Getaround .

Sometimes Turo is cheaper, but once the fees add up (and you realize your credit card car rental insurance likely won’t kick in), it’s not always as budget-friendly as you might think.

Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance

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Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

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Renting A Car For Travel: The Pros, Cons and Worst Case Scenario

Have you ever considered renting a car for travel.

Now, of course, I’m not talking about arriving at an airport and renting a car. I’m referring to renting a car to travel in on a road trip rather than driving your own vehicle.

We did it for 3 different trips this past year:

24-day trip across the country
3-day trip to the mountains
6-day trip to New York City

On 2 out of 3 trips, the pros outweighed the cons for renting a car to travel. (If you’re curious, I think it was a mistake to rent a car for our 3-day mountain trip.)

Before I outline the pros and cons of renting a car for a road trip, let me tell you about worst case scenario and why it’s a pro…

As you may know if you’ve followed us for a while, our decision to rent a car for our 24-day road trip came at the last minute. As I read back through the post I wrote about that decision ( Rental Car Deal = Last Minute Change of Plans ) the irony of my words amazes me. Essentially what tipped the scale on our decision is that we didn’t have time for any unexpected problems on the road.

At the time I was envisioning engine trouble or something that would require my car to be in a shop. With such a tight itinerary, that type of occurrence would have completely ruined the trip.

Well, we never had a maintenance issue (unless you count our first rental needing an oil change which I’ll cover under cons), but we did have a break-in.

On Day 11 of our cross-country road trip, we woke in Albuquerque to find that our rental car had been broken into.

I’m not sure which was worse, the panic of thinking our belongings had been taken. Or feeling like our day at the Grand Canyon was ruined. As it turns out, we were incredibly blessed in both cases.

Although our car was absolutely jam packed with belongings, only one thing was taken. Poor Miller had his camera stolen. Of course he was super sad about it, but it could have been so much worse (not to mention the camera was very replaceable!)

So many people who saw me post one of these pictures on social media asked me how we handled it. And the answer is incredibly simple. BECAUSE WE HAD A RENTAL CAR!

We took everything out of the car and cleaned up enough of the glass for Brent to be able to safely drive the vehicle. (Side note: Our car rental company offered to handle everything including coming to pick us up and taking us to get another car. However, we were concerned with how much time that would take and opted to drive it ourselves.)

While Brent headed to the closest airport to exchange vehicles, I spent over 30 minutes vacuuming and cleaning Miller’s car seat to make sure it didn’t have any glass in it. I also cleaned out our food basket because I found a few stray pieces of the window in there too.

About an hour later Brent arrived back with a brand new rental car. We were able to load it up quickly and head to the Grand Canyon. (I should also mention that we called the police and filed a report.)

The whole ordeal- from when we discovered the break in to when we were back on the road in a new car- took less than 2 hours!

Which brings me to probably the biggest “pro” of all…the repairs were not my problem and not on my watch.

We didn’t have to find a repair shop. Nor did we have to postpone our travel waiting on repairs. We literally washed our hands of the broken car in a very short period of time without giving it another thought.

Can you imagine what a headache that would have been if it was my personal vehicle that got broken into? It’s not like we could have just kept going and left MY car in New Mexico! Likewise, if we’d experienced any mechanical issues on the road- all we would have to do is swap cars and let the rental company handle it.

Thankfully this worst case scenario worked out for us without too many issues. I could not have said that if we’d been driving my personal car.

Here are the other “Pros” for renting a car on a road trip:

Keep miles off your own car’s engine and tires
Upgraded features (ex. better gas milage, more storage, sun shades…whatever is important to you!)
Typically a newer car so less chance of engine problems
Cheaper than parking in big cities

Let me explain #4.

We opted to do two 1-way rentals when we traveled to New York City in November. Each rental cost exactly the same price as the parking at our hotel. We stayed in the hotel for 6 nights. It doesn’t require a calculator to see how much money we saved by renting a car!

There’s really only one major “Con”:

It costs money to rent a car

Brent and I did attempt to make some sort of spreadsheet that assigned a value to miles we were putting on our car (meaning cost of maintenance + new tires.) We also tried to include the average MPG on gas in my SUV. And then we planned to compare it all to the cost of the rental. But, honestly, we really could never figure it out.

So in plain English (since I don’t have an impressive spreadsheet to point you to) here’s my summary of renting a car for a road trip:

The longer you rent a car, the better deal you will receive. If your trip is just for a few days, you will likely not get a good rate. For short trips, stick to your own car. For trips over a week, seriously consider renting.
If you are driving over 500 miles away from your home, and especially if you are not taking the same route to/from a destination- renting a car is a smart decision.
Renting a car with better features than your own makes sense on a road trip. Make sure you’re getting better gas milage and have better amenities (more storage, cup holders…whatever is a priority.) If you have to downgrade features, renting a car may not make sense for you.

Here’s my last rental car tip: consider a van, they are truly the most ideal rental vehicle!

If you’d asked me a year ago if I’d EVER make that statement, I would say “no way.” But we found ourselves absolutely blown away by how much we loved driving a van on the first leg of our cross-country road trip.

Unfortunately, our rental van needed an oil change mid-trip. We stopped at the Dallas airport thinking they’d change the oil real quick and we’d be back on the road. (Per the information we were given over the phone…it should have been our choice to wait on the oil change or switch to a new car. We were planning to wait.)

It ended up that they were too backed up and we were asked (nicely) to switch vehicles. And that’s how we ended up in the Expedition that got broken into.

What are your thoughts on renting a car for road trips? Have you done it before? Do these pros/cons convince you to (or not to?) Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Be sure to pin this post:

Huge shoutout to National Rental Car for being so awesome throughout our 2018 travel. Although they are not an affiliated sponsor, they did offer us the best rates for each of our trips. Not to mention, they provided exceptional customer service…especially when we had our ‘worst-case-scenario’ moment. Thank you National!

momwithamap

I like how you mentioned renting a car with better gas mileage and updated amenities. My brother and I need to rent a car while we’re in California to see our cousins. I’ll be sure to rent a nice car that has good gas mileage since we’ll be going from Los Angeles to San Diego.

I just attended a wedding in North Carolina. I live in northeast Ohio, off Lake Erie. I have a work truck and a new Kia Soul. I figured the round trip miles to be 1400. I 3as able to rent a full size car for $206 for three days. When I went to pick up the car, they upgraded me to a full size Dodge SUV. The mpg was 5 less than my Kia, but as you stated, no miles or wear and tear on my car. I’m driving from Cleveland to Stuart, Fl in two weeks and I have a car reserved for a one way rental. Again, once I turn the car in, I fire up the boat abandoned start the Great Loop. The one way rental is about what a flight would cost, but I’m also bringing my dingy motor, a bunch of electronics and provisions I’m purchasing from Costco locally. The one way rental is worth the $600 fee.

NICE! It sounds like you see the benefit in renting a car for road trips too. I was actually really surprised at how much I think we saved- not to mention the wear and tear on our own vehicles. I want to hear more about you starting the Great Loop!! Are you taking off from Stuart? What kind of boat?

[…] Renting A Car For Travel: Pros, Cons and Worst Case Scenario […]

Reading this post was like having a chat with a seasoned road-tripper. The unexpected break-in turned into a breeze with the rental car flexibility. I’m sold on the idea renting seems to be the secret sauce for a worry-free adventure!

Road Trip Dilemma: Renting Vs. Driving Your Own Vehicle

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Pros & Cons of the Doona

We put together a list of list of the major pros and cons of the Doona car seat/stroller travel system.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links . This website is largely reader-funded through making purchases using affiliate links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

Is the Doona Worth It?

Each family should look at the pros and cons of the Doona to decide if it’s worth it for them. We put together a list of the pros and cons of the Doona to help you make your decision!

Pros of the Doona

Here’s a list of the major pros or benefits of the Doona stroller:

1. Infant car seat turns into a stroller

If you want a car seat that turns into a stroller, the Doona is the only car seat that does this. It’s truly a unique product!

Doona vs Evenflo Shyft DualRide usability

2. Easy to convert from car seat to stroller (and vice versa)

It is extremely easy to unfold the Doona and convert the car seat to a stroller (and vice versa). It literally takes only seconds and you do not have to remove the baby!

You simply place the carrier on the ground, adjust the handle, unlock the wheels then lift upwards until the wheels lock into place. To convert from stroller to back to carrier/car seat is just as simple.

3. Easy to take in and out of car

Like most infant car seats, the Doona comes with a car seat base, which makes using the car seat a breeze. With the use of the base, it takes only seconds to put the Doona in and take it out.

If you have multiple cars, you can buy an extra base for your Doona to make switching the Doona between cars seamless.

4. Don't have to juggle putting the car seat and stroller away

With traditional travel systems, parents have to juggle putting the car seat and stroller away. If you’re by yourself, you essentially have two options: 1) Put the car seat in the car then put the stroller in the trunk or 2) Put the stroller away first (with the car seat at your feet), then put the baby and the car seat in the car. The Doona solves the problem of the juggling act.

5. Lightweight as a stroller

The Doona stroller weighs in at 16.5 pounds. This would be considered a lightweight stroller.

For comparison purposes, the stylish UPPAbaby Vista V2 weighs 26.6 pounds, the popular Mockingbird stroller weighs 26.5 pounds, and the UPPAbaby Minu weighs an impressive 15 pounds.

The Doona travel system doesn’t take up a lot of space. It’s perfect for maneuvering through tight spaces like stores and restaurants. It’s also perfect if you have limited storage space.

7. Good for city living (rideshares, taxis)

The Doona is compact, making it perfect for city dwellers who have limited storage space for bulky car seat and stroller systems. Not only that, it can also be used very easily in Ubers and taxis without the car seat base. If you plan on traveling in rideshares or taxis, you should know that not all infant car seats can be installed without the base (like the Nuna Pipa Lite).

8. Good for airline travel

The Doona is great for airline travel. It is FAA approved and can be installed on most airplanes without the base with the airplane’s lap belt. The Doona can also be pushed down the center aisle of most airplanes as a stroller. Experts (including the AAP and car seat technicians) recommend that children sit in car seats when traveling by plane and the Doona makes this task easier and less daunting. (P.S. it can also be gate checked if you don’t want to fly with it, but still want to use it in the airport and at your destination).

Many parents love the convenience of using their Doona stroller when navigating through the airport. Though probably the biggest convenience is not having to travel with a separate stroller and car seat – it’s an all-in-one system!

9. Good for preemies

The Doona can be used for babies weighing as little as 4 pounds. Nearly half of the infant car seats on the market start at 5 pounds.

10. Easy to wash

The Doona seat cover, shoulder pads and canopy can be removed for washing. Many parents report that removing and recovering fabric for the Doona is easy. With infants, car seat messes are inevitable and having easy to remove car seat covers makes cleaning much easier.

11. Stylish color options

The Doona comes in many different stylish color options .

12. Conversation starter

The Doona definitely is a showstopper and conversation starter. It stands out from any other stroller. If you get the Doona stroller , you’ll likely get many looks and people coming up to you with questions.

Cons of the Doona

There are tons of positives or “pros” to the Donna stroller, but there are also several negatives or “cons” you need to consider.

1. Heavy as an infant car seat

Though light for a stroller, the Doona is heavy for an infant car seat. The Doona, weighing in at 16.5 pounds is much heavier the the vast majority of car seats, which range from 8-11 pounds. The lightest car seat on the market weighs only 5.3 pounds!

2. Short lifespan

Like with most infant car seats, the lifespan is about a year. Depending on the growth of your child, you could get less or more time out of the Doona. Children can use the Doona until they exceed one of three limits: 1) 32 inches in height, 2) 35 pounds or 3) less than 1 inch of space between the top of the child’s head and the top of the car seat.

Once your child outgrows the Doona, it can not be used as a stroller anymore either. The (approximate) one year lifespan of the Doona stroller is short compared to the useful life of any other stroller on the market.

3. Safety concerns over babies spending too much time in car seats

Many experts have come out with concerns over infants spending extended periods of time strapped in infant car seats. There is an unofficial rule that infants should only be in their car seat 2 hours at a time.

Many experts (including the AAP) have stated infants should not be sleeping in their car seats outside of a moving vehicle.

For this reason, we don’t recommend the Doona for long walks or trips in the stroller.

4. No recline options

With most strollers, you can adjust the seat back and recline the seat. However, this is not the case with the Doona given it’s also an infant car seat.

5. Children may prefer traditional strollers or hate the car seat

Aside from the safety concerns with children spending too much time in their car seat, most children don’t like being strapped into their car seat.

Some babies don’t tolerate the car seat, making even short trips miserable. In this case, the Doona (or any travel system for that matter) is not the best purchase. For babies who are intolerant of their car seat, transferring them to a traditional stroller is likely a better option. For babies who can’t yet sit on their own, you will need a stroller that lies completely flat (or has a bassinet).

Even babies who tolerate the car seat well still may prefer to sit in traditional strollers. This is especially true as they begin sitting up un-assisted (usually around 6-9 months). Most babies would prefer being able to sit up and take in their surroundings as opposed to being strapped in an infant car seat. Around this age, many parents also choose to forward-face their stroller if it was once parent-facing based on the cues of their child. The Doona doesn’t have the option of forward-facing (only parent-facing). Allowing children to sit in a traditional stroller allows freedom of movement that being strapped in a car seat just doesn’t allow.

6. No storage

There is no storage under the Doona that is typically found in most strollers. This is due to the unique feature where the wheels fold under the seat to convert to a car seat. However, Doona does sell a storage basket accessory , but this adds an additional step every time you use the Doona.

7. Handlebar on the shorter side

The handlebar of the Doona has several heights that you can adjust to, but even at the tallest height, it’s on the shorter side. The maximum handlebar height of the Doona is 38 inches from the ground. Though it’s not impossible to push if you’re tall, it’s definitely not the most ideal handlebar height.

8. Smaller wheels

The Doona stroller has smaller wheels compared to standard sized strollers. Though comparable with the wheels of many travel strollers, this makes strolling over rougher terrain more bumpy. The Doona is better suited for smoother surfaces. We don’t recommend the Doona for off-roading or rough terrain.

9. Smaller sunshade

The sunshade of the Doona is on the smaller side compared to some other infant car seats and strollers. It’s not expandable but you can buy a canopy extension separately .

The Doona costs $549 . And it rarely goes on sale . Even though you are getting both a car seat and a stroller, this is still a lot of money. For the same price as the Doona (or less), you could get a separate car seat and stroller (that work together as a travel system). You might find that it’s better to invest your money in a good stroller which will last many more years than the Doona travel system.

11. Illegal in Canada

If you’re Canadian, sorry, but the Doona is illegal in Canada. Canada has different car seat testing requirements and the Doona does not bear the required Canadian “National Safety Mark”. You can’t import or use the Doona car seat if you’re Canadian. We talk more about this topic in our Doona FAQ article.

We think the Doona is a great product overall. It is very cleverly designed and engineered. Parents will definitely enjoy using it while in the relatively narrow period of time their child can fit in it. We kind of think of it like the exotic sports car of the stroller/car seat world. It’s nicely designed and great to use but impractical long term and expensive to purchase. In the end, each family should take into account the pros and cons of the Doona travel system to determine if it’s a good match for you and your family’s lifestyle. You can purchase the Doona here .

More information on the Doona:

Wiwiurka Pikler Triangle Review

The Best Non-Toxic Crib

The Doona | Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Doona Ever Go On Sale?

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What are the pros and cons of car travel?

PROS: It gets you there fast, and its comfortable. You can have your luggage with you (unlike a plane) and you can have as much luggage as you want. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. You don't have to be quiet if you dont want to. You can use toilets that are on land (Not in a plane or train which basically flies) and they will be more comfortable. It is more private and it is smaller. You can bring pets. But it all depends... CONS: Enviromentally- it's gas guzzling. You can get carsick (Nausea) which is really unpleasant. If your tired you don't really get a chance to sleep unless your a passenger. You can't meet more people like you would in an airport, plane, train, or train station. You cant look at your cellphone, call people or listen to your iPod . You can get places much faster with planes or trains than cars. Thanks and Your Welcome, KitKat98.

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7 Ways to Prevent Car Sickness If Long Rides Always Make You Queasy

When you’re in vacation mode , the last thing you want to think about is car sickness, that horrible, queasy feeling that strikes any time you hit the highway. About one in three people are super susceptible to motion sickness while traveling by car, airplane, or boat. (It can also happen on roller coasters, ski slopes, or when you strap on virtual reality goggles.)

Travel can make you feel sweaty and dizzy or cause a headache, nausea , and vomiting when there is a mismatch between what your eyes are seeing and the motion your brain is experiencing via the vestibular system, the set of fluid-filled canals and nerves in the inner ear that the body uses to sense where it is in space. “It can be worse in certain situations when the movements are more erratic or jerky, and worse when you have less control over your movement,” Sunana Sohi, MD , a board-certified gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Health Partners in Louisville, Kentucky, tells SELF.

If that happens to you, the very best way to stop it is to take steps before you climb into your vehicle. (It’s nearly impossible to make it go away once you’re in the thick of it, the experts we spoke to said.) Here’s what to do to prevent car sickness before, during, and after getting on the road and to feel your absolute best when you get to your destination.

1. Do the driving yourself, or at least sit in the front seat

You may have noticed that you’re less likely to get carsick when you’re the one driving and controlling the car’s speed and movement. This holds true because when you’re in the front seat you’re closest to the road in front of you, the car’s motion is in your direct line of sight, and you can anticipate when movement is going to occur, explains Morgan A. Sendzischew Shane, MD , a clinical assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and the medical director of the UHealth Comprehensive Women’s Health Alliance .

If you don’t love sitting behind the wheel (or you don’t have a driver’s license), position yourself where you have a clear eye-level view of the road and can keep your focus on the horizon, Dr. Shane tells SELF. This could be the front passenger’s seat or the back middle seat, she says. If you are on a plane or train, try to book a window seat for the same reason. Holding your head firmly against the seat back might help too.

2. Don’t look at your phone or read a book

If you tended to get carsick as a child, your parents probably told you not to read a book while traveling. That’s because a lack of visual information—the view outside your window—can make your symptoms worse. The same goes for scrolling through your phone or any other activity that disrupts your ability to look straight ahead and help your body figure out where it’s moving. If that sounds like a super boring trip, particularly if you are going to be in the car for hours, it doesn’t have to be—and finding a distraction can help your symptoms. This is a good time to catch up on an audiobook , your favorite podcast , or some Taylor Swift playlists .

3. Try some OTC or home remedies

As we mentioned, a LOT of people get carsick, so there are plenty of DIY things to try. There’s scientific research to support some of these more than others, but anecdotally, people often say they work. For example, sucking on ginger hard candy may help, as can over-the-counter nausea remedies. For example, Dramamine makes ginger lozenges that you can buy on Amazon for about $10 and anti-nausea pills that contain dimenhydrinate (about $8 for an eight-tablet pack) or meclizine (a non-drowsy formulation that’s about $4 for an eight-tablet pack). Both are FDA-approved antihistamines for motion sickness. (You can also buy meclizine in a product called Bonine ; about $14 for 32 tables.) For some people, being prepared for the worst by stocking up on disposable vomit bags ($7, Amazon) can ease a bit of the stress of traveling.

There are also acupressure wristbands that hug pressure points that may soothe nausea, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Try Blisslets anti-motion sickness bracelets ($25, Amazon) or Frida Mom Anti-Nausea Bands ($12, Amazon), which are aimed at helping pregnant people avoid morning sickness but might be good in the car too.

4. Ask your doc for prescription anti-nausea treatments

In addition to DIY efforts, check in with your primary care professional prior to your next car trip. Your doctor can prescribe you a patch that contains the drug scopolamine, Dr. Sohi explains—just be sure you don’t plan to hop in the driver’s seat at any point during the road trip because it can cause drowsiness. You basically apply the patch behind your ear and it’s good for about three days. It takes about four hours to kick in, so plan ahead to have it in place well before you hop in the car.

5. Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe

As we said, reaching for a book or your phone isn’t good, but it’s not a bad idea to reduce the amount of stimulation your body and eyes are getting, Dr. Sohi says. It might not be that easy to lie down in a car (keeping your seatbelt on, of course!) but if you can find a comfortable position it could settle your stomach. Try to close your eyes and relax. You can also practice some deep-breathing exercises , Dr. Shane says. Slow, controlled breathing through your diaphragm—basically inhaling deeply, which is also known as belly breathing—can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for “rest and digest” as opposed to “fight or flight.” One study found that people who slowed their breathing rate to about eight times a minute had fewer motion sickness symptoms than those who inhaled and exhaled at their normal rate.

6. Stay hydrated

Motion sickness medications can be dehydrating, as can vomiting. Make sure you consume enough liquids and open a window to let cool air flow on you if you can, Dr. Shane suggests—especially because one of the symptoms of motion sickness can be breaking out into a sweat. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, and make sure you get enough sleep too, since being short on shut-eye can make motion sickness worse. It’s also smart to avoid eating a big meal before climbing in your vehicle, Dr. Sohi says. Nausea may slow down stomach motility and make it more difficult for the body to digest, she says.

7. Focus on soothing anxiety

Going on a car trip might ramp up your stress level ahead of time, especially if traveling makes you miserable. “Sometimes a symptom of anxiety can actually be nausea,” Dr. Shane says. “So feeling anxious about being nauseated can be a bit cyclical.” Studies have found that even anticipating movement can exacerbate motion sickness. If this happens to you, Dr. Shane recommends talking with a mental health professional about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) , which can help you learn how to cope with travel-related anxiety; or gut-directed hypnotherapy, which aims to calm the digestive system. While it can be challenging, you can also try to desensitize yourself by gradually getting into more situations that trigger your motion sickness; over time this may reduce your symptoms, according to the CDC .

How to recover after you arrive

If you’re still feeling nauseous after you get out of the car, then it’s time to revisit some of these tips, like deep-breathing exercises, Dr. Shane says. Dr. Sohi recommends going back to sucking on hard ginger candy, drinking liquids, lying down to rest, or walking around to get some fresh air. The good news is that you don’t need to be resigned to a life of keeping puke bags in your car at all times. These tips can help you manage motion sickness before you start your engine so that you don’t get to the “pull over ASAP” level. “Ideally, if you are prone to motion sickness, you can prevent it from happening so you can enjoy your destination when you get there,” Dr. Sohi says.

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