With the holidays coming and the weather turning cold and gray, planning the perfect winter getaway is something you need to plan and plan effectively.
Of course, you can escape the snow and cold for sunnier climates from Southern California to Florida, Hawaii, and more. Or you can choose an exotic locale such as South America or the gold coast of Australia, to name a couple.
Planning Your Perfect Getaway
Before you head out on your perfect little getaway, there are a few basic things you need to plan and act on to give you the best stress-free vacation possible.
- Itinerary to share for worst-case scenarios
- Budget for your time gone and when you return
- Be knowledgeable of the weather and terrain
- Pack accordingly
- Get car serviced
Itinerary
Planning your trip is part of the fun. Creating a shareable itinerary that you give to family and loved ones is a great idea. In the best case, your family and friends know what you’re up to, and in the worst-case scenario, they will know where and how to get a hold of you for any situation that requires it.
Budgeting
Making a budget for your trip is the obvious step, but all too often, people don’t include in their budgets those days after taking a vacation and before the next paycheck comes. Just because you took time away from work doesn’t mean your bills and other financial obligations have taken a break. All too often, people don’t plan for the financial eventualities that may occur once they return and before the next payday.
Know the Weather and Terrain
Before you go on any trip, regardless of the time of year, knowing about the terrain and weather is crucial to planning for safety and fun. And it is a good idea to know the terrain and weather along the way to avoid any potential issues along the way. Also, knowing the weather and terrain will assist you with your budgeting as well as packing.
Packing
People often over-pack for trips and, even then, are underprepared for what they may be doing and the type of clothing that is most appropriate. A good recommendation is to make a plan of activities you anticipate before you pack your bags once, unpack them, eliminate 10% of everything, and re-pack. The process of packing and repacking makes you prioritize what’s essential for your trip and helps save space in your bags for souvenirs and other important items to bring home with you.
Get Car Serviced
It’s a good idea to get your car serviced a couple of days before you head on any road trip, regardless of the weather or time of year. You want to do it a few days before you depart because, in the situation where your car has issues, you have a built-in safety to get it fixed before you leave.
Understand that if you plan to stay in colder climates, such as going on a snowboarding trip, your car needs to be serviced beforehand. This is because the extreme cold can cause issues with your vehicle, especially the battery.
At 32 degrees, your battery can lose up to 35% of its strength, and that number goes down drastically as it gets colder outside. At 0 degrees, a typical car battery can lose up to 60% of its strength, which can have severe issues for a car that has an older battery.
If you plan on staying somewhere that extreme cold may affect your car’s performance, it’s recommended that you try to protect your battery’s power by;
- Get a battery blanket and install it to protect your battery life and power. You can shop online or pick one up from most automotive retailers for around $20.
- Park indoors when possible to avoid extreme temperatures and wind.
- Charge your battery ahead of starting your car. You can pick up an automotive battery charger relatively cheaply, and the security that a fully charged battery provides is a no-brainer.
Whatever you choose to do this winter season, making a vacation plan is almost as fun as the vacation itself.
For many people, a winter holiday is a reason to get out of the snow. For others, the wintertime is their playland, and they look forward to skiing, snowboarding, and playing in the snow and cold. Whatever your choice, making a perfect winter holiday a reality takes planning to pull off correctly.
