How to make semi-regular out of town trips more pleasant?

December 26, 2011 5:21 PM

Any good hacks for making semi-regular but short hotel stays (and the car trip to get there) more pleasant and comfortable?

I will be traveling on a monthly or bi-monthly basis for the foreseeable future to a city that's about 4 hours away, for the purposes of visiting a relative who lives there. We will be driving, and then staying in a hotel for 1-2 nights over the course of a weekend. As this trip will be occurring somewhat regularly, I want to make it as seamless and easy and comfortable as I can. So far, I have:

- Invested in a really good bag with a lot of pockets to make packing convenient and manageable

- Bought little tiny containers for toiletries and made a kit that includes everything down to the toothbrush so I can just grab and go

- Loaded up iPod with apps for Netflix, television, games and so on. Also will have an ebook reader with me.

What else can I do that I may not have thought of yet? For instance, if the hotel wifi situation proves acceptable, I may pack my Apple Tv box. How easy would it be to hook this up to a hotel television to use Netflix? Or is there an iPad dock I can buy that is easy to pack so that a companion and I might watch television on the iPad comfortably?

Also, regarding the car ride. I am not sure if companion and I will want to talk for four hours solid, and it seems rude to sleep if he'll be driving. Are we looking at podcasts here? Or is there something else we can do in the car that does not involve reading (I can't while in motion) or eating (I don't want to eat too much junk)?

Finally, I am very interested in not spending a fortune on these little excursions so I welcome tips for healthy and inexpensive food for the road. Appreciate any tips you guys can offer!

posted by JoannaC to Travel & Transportation (19 answers total)

Audiobooks might also work for the car ride, if you can find something you agree is interesting. Most public libraries lend audiobooks.
posted by slmorri at 5:26 PM on December 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Bring your own pillow.
posted by xingcat at 5:32 PM on December 26, 2011 [4 favorites]

I think you should find some podcasts that you'd both be interested in. That way you can listen to them together and chit chat about them.

Will it be the same hotel? Get to know the front desk staff. You'll get issues resolved faster if they know who you are I bet. Will the room have a little micro coffee maker? Chances are that coffee stinks...instead
use it like a hot water kettle and make nice tea you bring from home. If the hotel has a mini fridge in the room to use think ahead of some nice snacks that you like. (chips and salsa? yogurt? microwave burritos?)
posted by ian1977 at 5:32 PM on December 26, 2011

Find a hotel that has a kitchenette or a serviced apartment if possible. You won't necessarily get into full-on cooking, but it is nice to be able to make breakfast or snacks without having to deal with people or spend money. Take your own snacks - buy stuff that keeps so you can keep it (and other kitchen things) in a box that you just throw in the car. You might want tea bags, coffee, a small good knife, salt and pepper, small olive oil etc etc. I carry granola bars and some dried fruit and nuts (and small chocolates!). You could put together a breakfast kit of small containers of self-stable juice, milk, cereal etc, depending on what sort of food you usually eat. Then you have it all ready to go, and you don't have to go shopping as soon as you arrive.

Once you have found the hotel that is going to be your regular, do a full 'inventory' of the room so you know what you don't have to bring each time (does it have an iron, a hairdryer, an ipod dock, work out whether the tv is going to work with any of your devices). Ask if the hotel will do you any deals as a frequent visitor (I asked the hotel that I use often for work and got a significant discount).

Buy extra chargers for all your electronics.

I love audiobooks for travel.

Take something comfy to wear while hanging around in your hotel room. It is easy to only pack your pjs and day clothes, and forget some comfy hang out clothes / snuggly socks.
posted by AnnaRat at 5:38 PM on December 26, 2011

I don't know about docks, but Apple makes TV adapters for Iphone/ipad that can let you play netflix on a tv with normal inputs.
posted by drethelin at 5:40 PM on December 26, 2011

Snacks advice: I like having a box of granola bars in the glove box always, and I pack little bags for the car ride - walnuts and fresh spinach (I know it doesn't sound that amazing, but it's surprisingly easy to eat one-handed and I think it's tasty...), satsuma segments, air-popped popcorn, hardboiled eggs, and goldfish crackers are my general go-to travel snacks. I also always have a pack of water bottles in the trunk.
posted by vegartanipla at 5:40 PM on December 26, 2011

It's perfectly UN-rude to take turns napping while the other person drives. You may even find it nice to have time inside your own mind. As for music, podcasts etc, I'd stay away from books on tape - if the passenger falls asleep, he or she misses part of the story. Stick to music.

Keep some water from home in a gallon jug. No matter where you're from, other cities' tap water tastes funny. Other food items to keep in the car with you: protein bars, propel or crystal lite flavored powders, instant oatmeal. My common road trip meal is a Clif bar, some other bar with protein, a banana, a thing of string cheese, a Red Bull - buy them in bulk at Costco, and a quart of water. Do that twice a day and you can go indefinitely. You might also consider finding a good local bakery and a source of jams/jellies - easy pick-me-up meal.

The main utensils you'll need: a one-quart Nalgene for flavored powders (two per full bottle). A spoon, which can be used as a spoon or to spread jelly. And a go-cup, so you can use hot water from the quick-stop coffee machine to make instant oatmeal.
posted by notsnot at 5:49 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you are still shopping for a hotel that will be your regular, check out if you can find one with a loyalty program - something where if you stay so many nights, you get so many nights for free. And if they serve a free continental breakfast, that will save you money too.

For the car, take it in to the garage and top off the fluids, check oil and filters if they need changing, check wear on tires or if they need rotation - you'll get better mileage when its running in good condition and that will save you money. Also make sure you have an emergency kit. If you have snowy winters where you are, make sure you have a blanket in the trunk, a bag of cat litter (for traction in the snow) and de-icer.
posted by NoraCharles at 5:49 PM on December 26, 2011

Seconding finding one hotel that will be your regular, and accumulating loyalty points. When I was doing the same sort of thing, my hotel was happy to let me store a box of supplies that stayed there between trips.
posted by cyndigo at 5:54 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Definitely have a second set of chargers that you can just have ready to go. If you like sitting in bed doing things, consider getting a lap tray and a supportive "sitting up" pillow to keep in the trunk. Have headphones that are really comfortable - for me they have to be over-the-ear and super padded.

I also find that having various "travel" things in my car - like a cute little trash bag, really good cupholder inserts, one of those trunk organizers, a box for sunglasses to sit in, etc., and cleaning/servicing the car are the keys to a happy longer road trip - it sounds like you're doing a day of heavy driving, one or two days off, then another day of heavy driving, which is basically like a constant road trip. Also make sure to have pain reliever and stomach help (I keep Advil and Pepto Bismol tablets in my bag) on hand always. Moisturizer and lip balm, too.

Food: I love sunflower seeds. I get the kind that are pre-shelled; less mess. String cheese is good, too. And granola - get the bulk stuff so you can add chocolate chips or raisins or almonds or whatever to it. Stick to water, but drink lots of it - especially if you have the heater going. It's better to have to stop to use the restroom than to get dehydrated. If you decide to have anything salty, greasy, or sticky, bring LOTS of Wet Ones. The lemon scent is less likely to put you off eating, in my experience.

Sleeping is the only way to be alone (for everyone) on a road trip, so it's definitely okay in the car, especially if you're sharing a room. And if you're sharing a room, I strongly suggest you take time out to not be with each other for multiple consecutive hours between the "to" and "from" legs of these trips.

About one in four mid-market chain hotels seems to have a good system for hooking stuff up to the TV. Half are basically impossible, and the rest are an assortment of "workable, but only because SMPA brings a lot of equipment for the purpose." I think the last time I counted there were six or seven different things to bring with me (mostly because my model Roku can only send signals out with one type of cord; my DVD player had three options, so I only need converters for the Roku.) It's best to keep going to the same hotel and figure out what they have - if you're very fortunate, it'll be a coax connection and it won't be locked in somehow (yes, I have seen that.) Then you just need a converter to take whatever you've got coming out of your device to coax. You can get those at the geekier electronics stores - meaning Fry's and MicroCenter and Radio Shack - Best Buy might have an employee at the location you happen to be at who knows what you're asking for, but I'd consider you lucky if you found them on the first try, and very lucky if they actually had it in stock.

A little over two-thirds of the time I have successfully hooked my stuff up to the TV and gotten everything, including sound, to work. It's usually easier just to pack a laptop and be cozy watching stuff together.
posted by SMPA at 6:15 PM on December 26, 2011

N-thing audiobooks for long drives. The time positively flies.

Also, it is good to find a favorite place to eat or menu item at your destination. This will help you look forward to your trips, instead of dreading them in the preceding weeks. For me, this is the scotch eggs at one of my favorite restaurants and I can practically taste them as I get in the car to start the trip.
posted by pmed at 6:34 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The first bunch of times, stay at different hotels until you find The One. On your next trip out there, the morning after you check in ask to see the manager. Introduce yourself, and say "Hi, I'm JoannaC. I'm going to be here in your lovely hotel every other week or so for the next n months. I just wanted to tell you how nice a place you have, we tried out all the other hotels in the area and picked this one to be our regular spot." And do sign up with that hotel's frequent guest program.
The front desk clerks will start to recognize you. However, they rarely have much power to upgrade your room. The manager, however, does. Once they start noticing you're a regular you'll find yourself bumped up with greater frequency than your frequent guest credits will do you.
posted by Runes at 6:45 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

See if you can get a water bottle with a built in water filter. Saves you from having to suffer through bad water on your trip. And saves the environment from a ton of empty water bottles.

If you're a tea or coffee drinker, definitely bring your own tea or coffee. Sometimes the hotel stuff is OK, but other times it's horrible.
posted by spinifex23 at 7:38 PM on December 26, 2011

Fabreeze/air freshener. A stain stick, plus zip lock bags for separating out dirty or wet clothes til you can get home to do laundry. Mesh bags are nice for keeping things organized. Your own throw or afghan can add a lot of comfort.
posted by lemniskate at 7:44 PM on December 26, 2011

Let me suggest an Extended Stay America-type chain. The specifics depend on the hotel, of course, but most of the ones I've stayed in have decent rooms with fridges and microwaves and most of them have even had a couple burners with pots and pans and basic utensils. I actually prefer to stay in them because it saves me money on breakfast, soda machines, etc., and I can go to the grocery store for food rather than eating out all the time. (And since you're not going all that far, you could actually pack an ice chest with food from home or leftovers from the hotel, since you'd have a fridge at your destination both ways, which would make you feel more at home since all your stuff would be there).
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 8:45 PM on December 26, 2011

In winter, the hotel air may be very dry. You may sleep more comfortably if you bring along a small, simple humidifier or vaporizer (I'm not clear on the difference between the two). Something with no filters to change and a minimum of working parts. You can probably get something basic at a drugstore for about $20. Put it in its own dedicated tote bag with long handles so it's easy to sling over your shoulder as you unload the car. One of those ubiquitous re-usable grocery totes should be the perfect size for a one-gallon vaporizer.
posted by Orinda at 8:48 PM on December 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I always bring a small travel pack of Lysol wipes and wipe the remote (which never gets cleaned) and all the switches and door knobs.

I always like to do a beauty night when staying in a hotel. Pack a mud mask or something like that. I also take great care to pack a great pair of pajamas.

I always want a night cap, inevitably after I'm already in my favorite PJs. BevMo sells a wide assortment of tiny bottles of alcohol even fancy stuff. In the morning, I use those Starbucks coffee powders so I can have coffee without getting dressed either. It can be useful to have something like instant oatmeal or powdered miso soup for snacks when you don't feel like leaving your room either.

Melatonin helps me get to sleep naturally. Ear plugs can be great to have on hand also.

Swim trunks for the hot tub! Just do it, even if it is supposedly after hours because you were too busy having a night cap in your pajamas to go earlier.

For the car ride, I love to listen to This American Life. I bought the App which gives me access to every episode ever made.

An app like Yelp is great for looking for the nearest coffee/food/other needed provider.

Also, visiting farmer's markets in a different city is always fun and a great way to pick up some fruit, veggie and other healthy snacks.
posted by dottiechang at 12:20 AM on December 27, 2011

I used to travel frequently for work. Firstly, I bought a small toaster oven that I kept in the boot of my car and took everywhere with me. Fresh toasted hot cross buns at Easter, grilled cheese on toast other times, it made snacking so much easier and more homely. Also, even a place with a "full kitchen" never has an actual oven in my experience, and I always missed it more than I expected.

I would have taken a jug for boiling water except they were always provided, so instead I had a packet of really good tea bags plus a container of my favourite cereal that went everywhere with me. Add the small container of milk I was always given (common in NZ motels, YMMV) and instant breakfast. Being able to top up my caffeine on demand was crucial to making the trips more bearable.

Definitely take your own pillow. Again I had one I just kept in the car so it was always with me. Hotel beds tend to be quite hard so I needed a different type of pillow than I used at home.

I'm really fussy about water so I used to take my 8 litre water filter everywhere with me. I found I'd get weirdly dehydrated otherwise because the water tasted weird so I avoided drinking it. Definitely do something so you have whatever you like to drink easily available without having to think about it.

For long car rides with my husband we always have audio books ready. We can't do it for the whole trip but listening to stuff for maybe half is a good way to pass the time. With the repeated trips you're describing it can give you something nice to look forward to, like next time you go driving you get to find out a bit more of what happens in your story. Podcasts would probably be good too, and more digestible in small chunks.

I used to joke about how I took nearly everything except my kitchen sink but I still remember how surprised my friends where when I pulled out the toaster oven (it was tiny, really!). The benefit of travelling regularly by car is you can stash stuff in there and just take it with you every time. Don't bother travelling light, take whatever makes things easy for you!
posted by shelleycat at 2:32 AM on December 27, 2011

I do this every week, & have done since 2006. Things I've learned:

- if you book a block of stays in advance, you can get a substantial discount, perhaps 40% off. The key is to talk to the people on the site, rather than the national hotline, since they are the ones who can make you a deal.
- sign up for hotel points. I get free breakfasts, a room upgrade, and a pretty nice vacation every year.
- keep a whole set of essentials in your car. Extra power chargers, a bowl & spork, a complete toilet kit, a change of clothing in case you have an accident (I'm thinking of the Great Mustard On Pants Incident of 2009). Tupperware containers are also surprisingly useful for all sorts of emergencies.
- I make a tray of lasagne, freeze single portions, and bring them in an insulated bag, then put them in the hotel fridge. This is not just a money thing: health-wise, road food is terrible for you. Avoid vending machines. A small rice cooker is another option.
- podcasts are your friend. This American Life, Planet Money and Radiolab are winners.
- stop every hour on your drive, to stretch legs etc. The Interstate rest stops are great for this, since they don't make you feel like you have to buy something to use the facilities.
- keep your car gas tank above 1/4. I have a 4 hour drive but it once took me over 8 because of a severe blizzard. You don't want to be stuck with no gas. Also, join AAA.
- Sometimes hotels will forget to stock your little coffee machine with decaf. I bring senseo pods, since they fit the machine.
- hotel wireless can be super-slow. If the hotel also has an ethernet connection in your room, you can bring a little portable router (like an Airport Express) to create your own network.
- GPS. Even though I know the road like the back of my hand by now, I like looking at the mile numbers ticking down :-) The drive will get super-boring after you've done it a lot.
posted by media_itoku at 11:34 AM on December 27, 2011 [1 favorite]