Sponsored by SEAT Leon FR
Is there anything nicer than hitting the open road?
Just you, your friends and the great unknown in front of you (unless you have a map or Sat Nav, in which case it's a journey into the great known).
Nothing can go wrong, aside from the odd difference of opinion every now and then.
To celebrate the new
SEAT Leon FR, we put together a checklist of some essential items to make sure you'll be perfectly prepared for your next road trip.
1. The perfect playlist
Having the right soundtrack for your road trip is every bit as important as remembering to fill the car up with petrol.
Songs about travel aren't mandatory, but they can help get you in the right spirit.
'Hit The Road Jack' by Ray Charles, 'Born To Run' by Bruce Springsteen or 'Born To Be Wild' by Steppenwolf are three classics that will get you and your passengers into the right road trip mindset.
2. Good company
No road trip is complete without some good company, otherwise it's just a lonely drive on your own.
They can buoy your spirit, keep you engaged and provide you with some laughs along the way.
Chances are your friends aren't as photogenic as these stock photo models we've used, but you can take solace in the fact that these people probably aren't friends in real life.
Sure, they seem happy but do you know who's really happy? You and your friends, that's who.
3. Make sure you're ready to ride in style
Gone are the days of heading away on a family road trip where your mammy made you, your brothers and sisters and your 37 cousins all wear the exact same outfit.
Times have changed and you're a big boy/girl/someone else's cousin now, so you can prepare for your own adventure by riding in style and that means one thing. That's right. Driving gloves.
4. Travel games
Learn from the mistakes of greater minds with these sage words on the topic of travel games.
DOUGAL: I brought the normal Scrabble and the Travel Scrabble, Ted. The Travel Scrabble for when we were travelling, and the normal Scrabble for when we arrived!
TED: Good man!
DOUGAL: Ah, no, wait a minute… now that I think of it I didn’t bring either of them! God, I’m an awful idiot!
Be smart and be prepared.
5. Waterproof camera case
Ireland is full of amazing coastal drives so you'll no doubt stop for a skinny-dip along the way. Make sure you keep those maritime memories safe with a waterproof camera case.
6. Great food
Sure, you can chance your arm stopping for a breakfast roll while you're out and about.
But planning ahead can make all the difference between a successful road trip and that time you all got food poisoning from those bad egg salad sandwiches from that weird petrol station in the middle of nowhere.
Treat yourself to something nice for you and your friends.
Bring in the below spread to your nearest, fanciest shop and ask them to recreate the basket. It'll impress the heck out of your friends and provide you with aesthetically-pleasing sustenance.
7. Sunglasses to ensure the driver looks cool
After your seat belt and making sure your mirror's at the right angle, making sure the driver looks cool should be a top priority. The best way of achieving this is by making sure they've got a pair of sunglasses... even if it's not sunny outside.
