How to survive a road trip with mates without hating each other by the end of it

So we’ve done the hard yards for you, compiling a list of ways to maximise your chances of not getting “ejecto-seato-ed” out of the car within the first five minutes of the trip.

If you’re on a road trip together, let’s just make it clear: there’s pretty much nothing you can’t say. Hang on – let me just disclaimer that by saying you really need to gauge your audience first. Probably best to not go in swinging with q’s on sex, money, religion and politics if it’s your girlfriend’s dad or 90 year-old Catholic nanna – use your own judgment there.

Anyone else? We recommend getting straight into the hard stuff. After all, you’re about to spend hours on end together, so you need to know if and how easily offended they are, which topics you should/shouldn’t bring up again etc. Rip that band-aid right off.

Depending on where you’re going and what for, you mightn’t have a choice as to which vehicle you take.

But – if you do – there’s a few things to think about. Obviously you’ll need something suitable for your trip, but choosing a car with good safety and tech should also be a priority.

Simple things to look for that’ll make your trip more comfy include dual-zone climate control, driver’s seat memory function and plenty of USB ports.

Again, it depends on where and why you’re going, but things like sunscreen, water, tissues, charging cable for devices, plenty of sleep the night before and a good attitude are essentials. Here are some other items we reckon you should think about as well.

And, if you’re using your own transport, make sure it’s up to the task and well-maintained.

Read this.

If you’re into similar music, that’s great! You can move onto the next topic. But for those with varying tastes, it’s a good idea to switch between music you both like. Try making a Spotify playlist for the trip with a combination of your favourite songs. Fair’s fair.

If you’ve had enough of talking, how about letting someone else do it? Check out the range of carsales podcasts here. It’s also a good idea to download the episodes you want to listen to before setting off – it’ll save your data and won’t cut out when you reach the Simpson desert and realise you have no phone service.

This goes without saying… you’re gonna need plenty of snacks. And coffee. And more snacks. We taste-tested servo coffees to find out which one's the best, ready for your next road trip.

Ask them whether they believe in horoscopes, or whether they reckon throwing banana peels out the window is littering (because they’re technically biodegradable), or what make/model they’d be if they were a car. You could also try the trusty old: are you a scruncher or folder; do you believe in sex before marriage; does chocolate belong in the fridge or cupboard?

That should keep the conversation going for longer than it probably needs to.

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