The Ultimate Holiday Road Trip Guide

The Ultimate Holiday Road Trip Guide

Queensland is awash with holiday destinations, literally, down the road.

We took the scenic route to discover the best way to roadtrip.

Planning ahead for the holidays is always stressful, but armed with a little creativity we jumped in the car and headed out on the open road to find the best roadtrip ideas.

THE SIGHTS

One thing about a roadtrip is that – unless you’re driving – there’s really not that much to do. Sitting down for hours on end isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time, so it is at least a good idea to include things to look out at – even give everyone a chance to jump out and stretch the legs, take a few photos and keep everyone refreshed.

The ‘Big’ things around Australia are always the perfect rest stop and Queensland holds an impressive amount of them: from the Big Pineapple and Big Mango to the Big Kronosaurus and the Big Gumboot – all are worth stopping by and taking a selfie with.

Tourism Queensland has suggestions on driving holidays that take in the best sights of the state – breaking it down by each leg of the journey.

MEAL PLANNING

If you’ve got hours of driving ahead of you, there’s no point stopping at every fast food joint on the way there and on the way back – you’ll blow out the budget feeding the family on burgers and chips.

While it’s tempting to try every spot with ‘the best pies in Australia’, it’s always good to pre-pack your food to save money and ensure that you’re not stopping for a Happy Meal that happens to be served somewhere conveniently connected to the service station.

Pack snacks in bulk: fruit, individual packet snacks like Tiny Teddies or chips with bottles of water or frozen poppers to hand out every couple of hours – saves you from stopping because everyone is starving. Nuts are also a good way to fill empty bellies.

ENTERTAINMENT

Most trips for passengers in the back seat aren’t that interesting – especially kids. If you can’t see out the front, long trips can make you restless, and there are only so many hours of battery life in an iPad.

While our guide to travelling with kids’ gives you some game ideas, you can get as creative as you like with ideas to entertain the car. From a drawing competition to a quick game of Go Fish, there are heaps of ways to get rid of the screen from the backseat.

PET FRIENDLY TRAVEL

One advantage of taking the car over flying for the holiday (outside of being able to pick up and leave wherever you are) is that you’re able to include all your family members – including the four-legged ones!

Our guide to travelling with your furry friends gives you the rundown on how to keep them safe and sound, but letting the pets in on the action gets them excited to be around the family in a new environment – plus gives you bulk photo opportunities to share on the socials. #dogsofinstagram, anyone?

STAYING SAFE ON THE ROAD

Everyone knows to take a break from driving (that’s at least 15 minutes for every two hours – no you shouldn’t drive through it and rest double because you’re not feeling tired!), but there are other ways to stay safe when you’re travelling.

If you can, swap drivers when you hop out to stretch your legs, it helps to get fresh eyes onto the road, especially if it’s raining or conditions are otherwise a bit choppy. Although it seems like the perfect time to take a nap, it’s always better to keep another set of eyes on the road to help out the driver – so don’t get too relaxed.

Never put your feet up on the dash or on the doors, either! Not only is it kind of gross, but if you are in a crash where the airbags deploy – you don’t want anything in the way when they go off. Sitting upright will give you the best chance of being protected by the safety systems in your car, including the airbags, even though it might be a bit more comfortable to stretch out and take a nap.

Check out our full guide to staying safe on road trips, and make sure to stay safe and bring your car in for a check up with our expert service technicians before you set off for the holidays.