The Smart Girl’s Guide To The Open Road
Zipping around town in the new Volkswagen Golf R-Line has been lots of fun but I couldn’t return this fab new loan car without grabbing my BFF and heading off on a good old-fashioned, Thelma & Louise-inspired road trip. Now when it comes to road tripping it really doesn’t matter if you’re only heading off for a few hours or going further afield – roadies with your friends are a Summer must. But there is an art to getting the most out of your trip and that’s why we’ve pulled together a few of our favourite tips for hitting the road in style.
MAKE SURE YOUR RIDE IS READY
Before you take off make sure your vehicle is in primo condition. First up you need to check its vital fluids and always make sure you have the tools you need to change a flat tyre. Oh and check that your spare is ready to rumble too.
VW Golf Perk: Three year Volkswagen Roadside Assistance and a space saver spare wheel.
PACK LIKE A PRO
VW Golf Perk: An adjustable tray in the boot to give you more space for your luggage. There’s also a really useful bag hook in the luggage compartment and you can access the boot from the back seat if you need to grab something en route.
ONLY TRAVEL WITH PEOPLE YOU LIKE
For the most fun possible it’s important that you and your fellow roadies are tight. So choose your friends wisely and you’ll be in for a real blast. After all, it’s only your BFFs that will put up with being in a confined space with you for so long.
VW Golf Perk: The VW Golf R-Line may be small but it’s perfectly formed. There’s plenty of room for everyone and the driver and passenger seats have easy height adjustment and super comfy lumbar support.
SNACKS ON DECK
The best thing about road trips, besides actually going somewhere, is that they’re basically a great excuse to indulge in a guilt-free snack attack. The key is to pace yourself and don’t go snack crazy within the first 100 kilometres. Be sure to pack some healthy options too so you’re not tempted to pull into the first gas station you see. Also when you THINK one bottle water is going to be enough, it won’t be so be sure to stock up.
VW Golf Perk: Cup holders in the front and back and console storage compartments for easy access to your snacks. The chilled glove compartment is super convenient too.
BEST ROAD TRIPPING MUSIC
The best part about a road trip is cruising around while BLASTING your fave road anthems. Whichever way you do it, make sure you don’t leave home without updating your playlist. The unspoken road trip rule is that the driver gets to choose the tunes but we won’t tell anyone about this one if you don’t.
VW Golf Perk: The sound system includes eight loudspeakers (they’re really LOUD) and automatic bluetooth connection to your phone and media. Plus when you place the car into reverse the music automatically gets turned down to help you concentrate. Nice!
YOUR INTERNAL GPS IS NON INEXISTENT
Even when you totally think you know exactly where you’re going, you probably don’t. Never trust your “instincts” when it comes to directions and definitely never trust your best friend’s either. The key here is to be prepared.
VW Golf Perk: Easy to use touch screen navagation system makes getting lost virtually impossible.
ROAD RAGE ISN’T CUTE
Road rage is never cute and it’s often a sign that you’re tired and need a break. If you feel like flipping the bird at the driver doing 90 in the “fast” lane remember you’re on a road trip that’s supposed to be fun. Maybe it’s time to swap drivers so you can chillax and take in the sights?
VW Golf Perk: Switch the car to cruise control so you can relax and enjoy the ride.
PLAY ROAD TRIP GAMES
Once you get all the snack breaks and screaming along to music out of your system, driving for hours can become a bit of a bore—especially when the scenery stops changing, OR WORSE, you are stuck in traffic for ages and there’s no longer anything funny or cool to point at outside the window. That’s when you amuse yourselves with road trip games or you could turn this time into a deep, friendship-defining bonding experience by actually talking to each other.
VW Golf Perk: If you’re in the car for a long time at least you’ll be comfortable. The front seats are sports seats and the back seat has a centre armrest and a folding back rest.
ALWAYS STOP TO SEE THE SIGHTS
It’s important to remember it’s actually about the journey and not the destination so make sure you take the time to stop and see the sights. When you’re on a roadie, if you see a sign for something weird you MUST stop. If you don’t stop to see these weird and wonderful things (like a giant bottle of L&P or an oversized carrot), then why are you even on a road trip?
VW Golf Perk: The automatic hand break means you never have to remember to manually apply the break when you get out of the car. Perfect for when you’re distracted by the sights and jump out of the car in a hurry.
IF YOU DON’T DRIVE…
If you’re not the driver of the group you should definitely make up for it in other ways. Here’s how you can play fair; become the designated snack buyer or claim GPS duties for whoever’s on deck behind the wheel. And when people are trading turns sleeping for an overnight drive, make sure you’re up there with the driver, keeping company and entertaining them (i.e. dropping Sour Worms into their mouth) so they don’t fall asleep.
VW Golf Perk: The dual zone climatic controlled air con means everyone can enjoy traveling at their preferred temperature. Plus the dust and pollen filter comes into its own on those country roads.
BE SAFE AND CHERISH THE MEMORIES
Remember, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER drink and drive. No exceptions to this rule. Also avoid what your gut might tell you is a dangerous situation. One more thing: take pics so you cherish those memories forever!
VW Golf Perk: The car has a 5 star safety rating and insanely clever safety features like multi-collision braking which shuts the windows and tensions the seat belts should an imminent crash be detected. Being safe is the smartest way to enjoy a road trip.
Do you enjoy a good roadie? I’d love to hear your top tips in the comments below?
WIN WIN WIN
To celebrate the release of this fab new car we’re giving you a chance to win your very own Volkswagen Golf for a whole week and $500 cash to spend on cool new threads to look your stylie best behind the wheel. To enter to win simply leave a comment below. A winner will be announced here on Monday 6 April.
Good luck!
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