Don’t overload: The ultimate guide to road trip preparation

People planning to enjoy a holiday on home soil or seeking to hire a car when abroad are being offered some top tips for packing the car efficiently.

Car rental experts StressFreeCarRental.com has outlined seven tips to travel safe and maximise the space in the vehicle.

In a bid to make long road trips more comfortable, the team at StressFreeCarRental.com have offered some advice on how best to pack your luggage in the car.

Using compression bags instead of boxes and making use of the space around the spare tyre, under the front seats and even inside shoes are some of the tactics advised.

Focus woman packing suitcase on bed

Credit: Pexels.

A spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “Whether planning a few days away or longer, it is critical to be prepared and plan ahead.

“Packing things in an orderly fashion and making optimal use of the space available can help you in the long run. It will enable you to pack everything you need and allow you to concentrate more clearly on the journey ahead.”

There are various things that you can do while packing your car, and StressFreeCarRental.com have come up with seven handy ideas:

Travel light

Plan ahead and make sure you bring only what you actually need. Lay everything out a day or two before and see what you can cull. If you’ll have access to a washing machine where you are, you can bring much fewer clothes. Don’t bother with hangers unless they’re absolutely necessary – they’re bulky and most clothes are fine to fold.

Stay balanced

You want to keep the centre of gravity in the car low and reduce weight over the wheels. Place large, heavier items at the bottom and towards the front and centre of the car. Don’t be afraid to take things out and repack them a few times to find the best arrangement.

If you have a roof rack, don’t overload it.

Keep electronics separate

Have a designated space for all the electronics and keep them easily to hand, perhaps in a small packing cube in the glove compartment. You know someone’s going to need to charge their phone while you’re on the go.

Bag it up

Where possible, use compression bags rather than cases or boxes to pack. These take up less room and are easier to fit into various spaces. Vacuum bags are great but use roll bags (or even just bin bags, pressed well) if you won’t have use of a hoover for the return journey. If you must use boxes, for example to protect fragile items, keep them as small as possible.

Fill your boots

Quite literally. If you’re bringing walking boots or large shoes, use the space inside them for small items like bottles, accessories, glasses cases, jewellery and so on.

Use the hidden spaces

Footwells should be clear, but remember that there is room under the front seats, in the glove compartments and inner door cubbies, and there may be space around the spare tyre in the boot as well.

Include an overnight bag

If you’re going to be arriving late, save yourself the stress of unloading everything in the dark after a tiring drive. Pack a small bag with everything you need for one night, go to bed and then do the full unload in the morning when you’ve recharged.