Most people assume that everything will be better when the sun is shining. In reality, this isn’t always the case. Take visiting the country’s best National Parks. In the summer, you’ll have blue skies, but you’ll also have thousands of people. You’ll be wrestling for a spot just to take a photo. During fall and winter, you’ll have the place all to yourself, the landscape will look very different. The same can be applied to a road trip. Why automatically think it’ll be better in spring and summer? The winter offers a different, yet equally fascinating chance to see the country. Below, we take a look at five tips for making yours a success.

Get the Car Checked

It’s a good idea to get your car serviced before the cold weather sets in. It’s also a good idea to get your vehicle serviced before taking a long trip. Put those two elements together? Yup, that’s right, it’s mightily important that you get your vehicle checked. You never know what can happen out there, and if your car happens to break down on a particularly cold day due to a preventable issue, you’re only going to be kicking yourself because of your mistake.

Beware Changing Weather Conditions

The weather can be a little unpredictable during fall and winter, especially during the bridge weeks. As such, the weather can go from “oh, this is nice” to “is this the end of the world?” pretty quickly, and especially so when you’re driving in mountain territory. Needless to say, this is when a lot of accidents happen. Go slow, give other car’s space, and have a plan in case something goes wrong. If you’re involved in an incident that was caused by another driver, then you can ensure your accident doesn’t cost more than necessary by working with an auto accident attorney. You can’t always prevent bad things from happening on the road, but you limit the chances and significance of those incidents.

Additional Supplies

Your winter road trip packing list is going to look pretty different from your summer road trip packing list. The main thing you’ll need to pack will, of course, be warmer clothes and layers. There’s nothing worse than underestimating how chilly it’s going to be – especially if you’re camping along the way – so make sure you’re packing many a sweater and blanket.

Informing Others

If you’re going “into the wild,” even a little, then make sure you’re telling others where you’re going and when you should return. In all likelihood, there’ll be no issues whatsoever, but if something does happen (say, your car won’t start), then you’ll know that help will be on its way once people know that you’ve been longer than you said you’d be.

Stay Topped Up With Gas

Finally, remember to stay topped up with gas. You never know when you might need to blast the heating! Make it standard practice to never drop below half a tank; it might just be your trip savior.