There’s nothing quite like a road trip with your friends or family. The excitement of heading to a new destination, the long hours in the car with your loved ones, the games you play, the music you listen to, the snacks enjoyed and the sights to see. Above all, it’s a much more eco-friendly way to travel to Sydney than flying, and you’ll see all the rural sights between the two cities. And you better believe that there is so much to be seen on the 12 hour or so drive between Melbourne and Sydney.

A road trip is also an excellent bonding experience for the whole family to enjoy – just so long as it’s planned well to avoid any stresses or frustrations en route. If things go wrong, you don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere without a plan, nor do you want to be stranded without any food or water.

So, if you’re planning the big roadie from Melbourne to Sydney in the near future, this helpful article will share a guide to road trip planning to help you make the most of it. Continue reading to learn more.

Make sure you have insurance

One of the foremost measures you can take to prepare for any lengthy road trip is to simply make sure you have comprehensive vehicle insurance before you head off on your big adventure. A good insurance policy will help ensure that you’re covered in the event that you do experience an accident during your journey. Even if you’re the safest driver around, you can’t guarantee that everyone else you’ll meet on the road will be. So in the unlikely event of an accident, a comprehensive insurance policy will ensure your car is covered, and you can repair it or get a payout if it’s written off, in the worst case scenario. 

Of course, car owners do have the option of securing either third party or comprehensive insurance policies, but we’re inclined to recommend comprehensive car insurance for any Aussie families that are looking to set out on the open road often. This is because comprehensive car insurance will also cover your vehicle if you damage another vehicle or someone else’s property while you’re behind the wheel.

Pre-road trip servicing & checks

If your vehicle is due for a servicing appointment with your trusted mechanic, then you should book this appointment before you embark on your big road trip. A qualified and licensed mechanic can check over your vehicle, ensuring that everything is working correctly. They’ll inspect your brakes, tyres, and fluid levels, perform an oil change and identify any mechanical faults that need repairing before you leave for Sydney. 

The last thing you want is a major breakdown or engine failure while you’re on the road or out in the sticks, so don’t neglect this important step. And if your car has recently had a service, at least check your tyres (both tyre pressure and tyre tread) before you leave. 

Fuel up before you leave

This tip isn’t shared a lot in road trip articles, but it’s as unglamorous as it is useful. Fuel is often more expensive the further from a major city you get. This is because it costs more money to transport fuel over longer distances. Service stations in regional and rural areas will often charge a premium to make up for this cost – and pass the cost onto you in the price per litre. 

With this in mind, you can save yourself some serious cash on your road trip by filling up in Melbourne the day before you head off for Sydney, and vice versa. You can use an app like PetrolSpy to find the cheapest petrol near you or lock in a low fuel price a few days before you depart. 

Pack snacks for the trip

What’s a road trip without a stash of tasty snacks to fend off the hunger pangs and keep the kids (and adults) from squabbling on the particularly long drive to Sydney? Junk food like chips, lollies and salty snacks may be tempting, and a little to keep the drive exciting is definitely okay. 

But children can get pent up and a bit frazzled during a long car trip, and heaps of sugar and salt will only compound this. Balance out your sweet and salty treats with water or sugarless drinks, some nuts, cheese, grains, dried fruit and other healthier options.

You can never go wrong with some pre-packed and pre-portioned bags of trail mix, or even some cut fruit and veggies. These pre-cut fruit and veg servings can be kept cool in an esky or cooler bag.

Get Roadside Assistance Coverage

If you don’t already have this, it may be worth purchasing an emergency roadside assistance policy through your insurer before leaving on the big day for your trip to Sydney. This is essentially an insurance policy that means in the case of a flat tyre, dead battery or other mechanical issue causing a breakdown on the road, the company will send out a contractor to get you moving again. If they can’t, it usually covers a tow truck to a mechanic. 

Pay attention to the roadside assistance policy details; it may have restrictions on the areas covered or no towing after a certain amount of distance from your home city. The last thing you want is to pay for the cover and then find out it’s useless to you in a rural location between Melbourne and Sydney.

Start your engines

This helpful article has shared how you can make the most of your Melbourne to Sydney road trip, with a focus on being prepared and proactive, and enjoying slow, more localised travel. 

By following the advice in this article, you’re guaranteed a safe and cautious journey to Sydney, where you’ll enjoy all the magnificence the city has to offer, as well as discovering the hidden gems of central New South Wales, before you drive all the way back home again!