A road trip can be the perfect summer vacation for a college student. You can experience a variety of destinations in a relatively short amount of time, travel without the stress of booking flights and dealing with baggage claims and invite along a big group of friends to enjoy the trip with.

However, like any travel experience, there’s a whole variety of things that are likely to go wrong. So, here’s a list of what you need to have the best summer road trip:

Transportation:

You can’t have a road trip without a means of travel, so step one is determining what will be your best method of travel, whether that’s an RV, compact car, van or bus.

Good friends:

Sometimes who you’re with is even more important than where you are. Having your best friends with you is a crucial part of the positive and fun road trip experience.

Travel plan:

Jumping into the car and going wherever the road takes you is certainly a romantic idea, but developing a detailed travel plan is the best way to avoid problems along your trip. Figure out the main destinations you’re looking to visit and the best route to help you get there. Apps such as Google Maps and Road Tripper are helpful tools.

Great playlist:

You’ve got to be prepared to entertain yourself when you’re the person spending long hours behind the wheel, so a good trip playlist is a must. If you don’t have time to make your own, Spotify and Pandora both have built-in road trip playlists.

Snacks and food:

To avoid eating out all the time, you’re going to want plenty of snacks and food with you in the car.

Entertainment for the car:

Whether it’s a book, a deck of cards or a board game, you’re going to need something to keep you entertained during those long stretches of road.

Budget:

To avoid going broke while you’re miles away from home, create a budget that accounts for gas, food and activities to help you spread your money out effectively.

Camera:

You’re definitely going to be making memories you’ll want to capture for life, so taking photos is essential. Of course, you’ll have your phone to take pictures with, but having an instant or a disposable camera is a fun way to get printed photos of your experience to decorate your room with reminders of your trip once you get home.

Positive attitude:

And finally, a positive attitude is necessary in order to have the perfect summer road trip. If you let flat tires, rainy days and cramped spaces get you down, you can’t make the most of your trip. You’ve got to celebrate the pros and laugh through the cons with your friends to have a great summer vacation and the perfect road trip.