1. Drink plenty of fluids the day before you set out and not during the trip. If you’re thirsty during the trip, have a little sip from time to time instead of chugging down a lot all at once. Our bodies purge water when we drink a lot at once and that means frequent bathroom breaks so drinking a little water at a time puts more of it to good use.

2. Top up your car’s gas tank before you start the drive back. You don’t know if you’ll be entangled in traffic in the middle of the trip so knowing you have more than enough fuel in the tank to make the necessary detours or accommodate prolonged periods of idling while stuck in traffic is welcome.

3. It’s also important to bring food and drinks on the trip just in case you get stuck in traffic and either you or your passengers start feeling the hungers pangs. However, as the driver, it’s best that you avoid consuming anything that’s rich in sugar. Though a sugar high may be good to keep you awake and alert for some time, the inevitable sugar crash could soon leave you tired or lethargic. If you need to keep yourself awake, it’s best to either chew sugarfree gum or, better yet, park at a service station and sleep for even a few minutes to recharge yourself.

4. If the drive back was a particularly long one, that means your car’s engine was operating at its peak for a long time as well. To let it cool down faster after the trip, pop open the hood right after you park it at home to allow the hot air generated by the engine to escape faster. Twenty to 30 minutes should suffice.

5. Driving in long road trips mean your feet have been working non-stop as you work the pedals, particularly if your car isn’t equipped with a cruise control system. The easiest and fastest way to rest them would be for you to place them in such a way that they are higher than your head. You can do this by lying down on the bed and then putting your feet up on the headboard or a wall.