Tips for a Road Trip through the West Country

Tips for a Road Trip through the West Country

The West Country is beautiful and full of so much nature and wildlife. It’s no wonder it is so popular with tourists both across the UK and the world!  If you’re thinking about visiting, a road trip is one of the best ways to enjoy the West Country and be able to explore everything there is to offer over a time span that suits you. Here are some of the best tips you can take on board.

Pack Light When You Travel

What you bring on a road trip can be the make or break of a trip and it’s important to come prepared. Taking too much with you can be overwhelming and can make your trip feel tiresome.

We’d suggest only packing the essentials; you don’t need to worry about carrying lots of baggage or having to leave things behind in your vehicle.  Travelling around the West County tends to be safe, but there is always a risk that you could have items stolen.  It’s  worth keeping expensive items on you at all times and don’t leave any valuables on show in your vehicle to protect yourself from any opportunist thieves, especially at remote beauty spots.

When packing, all you’ll need are enough clothes to last, basic hygiene things like a toothbrush and wash kit, chargers for your devices and some snacks and water for the journey. There are plenty of shops along the way for anything else you may need.

Travel Smart

How you get to your destination is important – you have lots of options, from camper vans to your car. It depends on where you want to stay. However, it’s important to choose an option that is both ideal for you but sustainable.

Driving a car, for example, releases lots of carbon emissions that contribute towards global warming and are responsible for the destruction of habitats caused by climate change. It’s essential to therefore try and avoid travelling in a way that could be harmful.

If you’re looking for a way that’s eco-friendly, we’d suggest leasing an electric car. Getting an electric car is a great idea in order to avoid those harmful emissions and help reduce your carbon footprint. It also saves you a lot of money in the long run, especially when considering the price of petrol at the moment. If you are unsure about charging times and how that could impact your travel, have a read of this post.

Buy Locally

Another great advice for road trips in the West County is to buy locally and if you plan on staying at hotels or campsites, then to opt to stay with local businesses.

One of the best suggestions is to buy from a farmers’ market or farm shops when looking for food rather than opting for big chains or supermarkets. Buying locally not only acts as a great opportunity for a day out, but it is very convenient and makes a handy last-minute plan, as you don’t need to worry about setting off too early or planning the journey – you should be able to find a farm shops or markets wherever you go.

Not only is it convenient, but they are also great for the environment in that everything is locally produced – this means none of the carbon emissions associated with flying in food from abroad, which account for 11% of total carbon emissions in the UK.

Again, staying with local businesses is also a great way to give back to the community and help invest in the areas and places you want to visit. Contributing to the community means there’ll be more opportunity for businesses to attract new customers and help make the area even better for years to come.

Be Mindful of Waste

On your days out, you might take some things with you – a few bottles of water, some food for lunch or snacks. It’s important to be mindful of how you package these and what kind of materials you’re using. A lot of these foods, and especially water bottles, can be made with single use plastic, which is incredibly bad for the environment. Did you know that a plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose? Adding that to landfill only exacerbates a growing problem.

Though littering is illegal, it’s still a problem, and leaving waste packaging on beaches and nature reserves can have a detrimental impact for the environment, but also the wildlife living there. It also has a much more immediate effect on the beautiful places around us, so it’s important to make sure you’re disposing of waste properly.

Though it’s great to have a fun day out, we hope you’ll take this advice with you when you next visit somewhere so that these places can remain beautiful for years to come.

A Road Trip Through the West Country

I hope that you will consider a visit to the beautiful South West of England which I am lucky enough to call home. There really is so much to see and such a variety of scenery, historic sites as well as interesting towns and cities. There’s lots of ideas on this website for days out and wonderful walks so please keep reading.