Road Trip Tips for Women Traveling Solo

I’ve always been comfortable driving long distances, but I just became comfortable traveling solo in the last few years. At first, it was just air travel, but I’ve made the conscious choice in the last few months to jump in the car and get out and drive.

Here’s what I discovered along with the way with some road trip tips for women traveling solo.kia sorento

Get Comfortable and Gain Confidence
A reliable car and well-designed interior with smart, convenient tech features will act as a co-pilot when traveling solo on a road trip. Encouraging me to feel secure and safe, I had the opportunity to drive the 2019 Kia Sorento SXL AWD recently in Florida, which helped give me the confidence I needed to explore new places on my own. The 8″ touchscreen navigation system integrated nicely with Apple CarPlay to my iPhone, allowing me to easily stay in contact with my kids, family, and friends.

I used seemingly little creature comforts to get myself relaxed and comfortable on the road. Let me tell you when I was burning up in the Florida sun, the ventilated front seats provide some much-needed circulation, and in the evening, I hit a magical little button on the dash to heat my seat. For someone like me who is temperature sensitive (heat intolerant or freezing cold), the dual-zone automatic climate control really makes a difference and improved my road trip experience.

Stay Safe and Feel Reassured
Safety first, ladies! Especially when traveling solo on a road trip. I was able to reassure myself by planning ahead with some basic road trip tips:

road trip

Choose where/when to stop. I chose busy rest stops to fill up on gas and use the restroom and walked in with other people to blend in so I didn’t appear as if I was alone. No, I’m not paranoid, but I’m from NYC. #streetsmart

Park in well-lit spots near other cars.

Keep your keys close so you don’t have to fumble. With the Kia Sorento’s sweet push button smart key, the only issue I encountered was forgetting that a key wasn’t in the ignition! I got into a good habit of keeping the keys in the same spot in the car or on me so I’d easily grab them at pit stops and didn’t look like I was fumbling around.

Review your route, estimate your time, and use your tech to help you. I loved the Sorento’s Touchscreen, Rear Camera, and BlueTooth Wireless Tech to make navigation easier on my own.

Act like you know where you are. This is a general rule I have and everyone who knows me is laughing right now. At the #TheNewKia event in San Diego a few months back at the Hard Rock Hotel, a few friends may recall that I couldn’t remember my room number. This is a common situation when I’m unfamiliar with my surroundings, but I rarely worry – I just figure it out. I take the same approach when I’m on the road…or anywhere.

Another big plus for safety and reassurance is driving a car with dual front advanced airbags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags. The 2019 Kia Sorento along with lane keeping assist and blind spot collision warning which I LOVE, earned a 2018 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating (when equipped with optional front crash prevention and LED headlights). Feeling secure as I drove solo, I was able to sit back and explore more of Florida’s Destin area, as well as the Forgotten Coast. Here are some pictures along my drive…

Enjoy Your Ride and Your Time
It took time to relax and settle in while I was traveling alone. Once I embraced my solo time though, I opened up the panoramic roof with power sunshade, cranked up the Harman Kardon Audio and played my music. I feel empowered as a woman on my solo road trips and it has given me time to sort my thoughts both personally and professionally.

For whole body wellness, getting outdoors, watching the sunset, and walking in the sand all serve as a power source and provide necessary biofeedback. The surf, sand, sun, sweat, and scenery, contribute to ‘Vitamin Sea’, a natural way to benefit physical, mental, and emotional health.

Traveling solo or taking a road trip isn’t just about exploring new places for me, it’s also what I discover about myself along the way.

Check out all of my Kia IG Stories to see more of my travel experiences. This summer, I’m on a mission to find my next family car. The lease on my Honda CR-V is up and I’m researching family car options. I loved the Kia Sorento, an excellent choice for a family car, but it’s a bit beyond my budget and more than we actually need, so I’m still searching.

I was provided with a Kia Sorento to test drive as a Kia Partner. As a Kia Partner, I share my travel and life stories with 100% honesty and all opinions are my own.

By | 2018-07-01T04:51:44+00:00 July 1st, 2018|Travel|2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Angie Agerter July 1, 2018 at 6:41 pm - Reply

    What great tips Linda!! I will be putting these into my brain for my “maybe” future solo trip. 😉
    I love that you have been exploring more solo adventures and trying to find the right next car for you guys.
    I know what we want it’s the matter of being able to do so. Until then, hopping cars for us!

  2. Tiarra Patten January 30, 2020 at 1:16 am - Reply

    Awesome read and your trip with amazing! I’m glad the Kia gave you the confidence you needed for your solo trip. I love the tips too!

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