Road trips

Discussion in Travel started by Peninha • Mar 24, 2014.

  1. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    When traveling by car do you pack a lunch bag or some sandwiches or do you eat at a restaurant or service station in the middle of the highway? I never eat at the service stations, the quality is poor and the price is insane!!
     
  2. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Actually it's always a good idea to take pack food and take it with you because it will save you not just the money but depending on the restaurant, the bad food maybe. The problem would be finding a good place for you to eat. If there are parks along the way, you could stop there and enjoy your meal.
     
  3. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    Here at my country there are always parks with tables for people to eat, that is a good thing we have. I don't know how service stations manage to charge such high prices for their low quality meals, but it's really in our hands to take the food with us and save the money, just a little extra work.
     
  4. Oakster

    OaksterActive Member

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    It's supply and demand really, if there is no other restaurant available, especially late at night, in the middle of the highway, then your only option to eat is the service station.
    You could always leave the highway and go to the nearest town, but that would end up costing you more in both gas and time.
     
  5. eagle22

    eagle22Active Member

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    When I am on a road trip I never pack my own food. In my opinion part of the fun about a road trip is trying new things, including food! Each time I go on a trip I try to find a new restaurant I haven't eaten at yet. It's a great way to discover new places!
     
  6. Oakster

    OaksterActive Member

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    That's a great habit to have, trying each region's food is a great way to get to know the place as well, not just sightseeing :)
    I still remember some places I've been purely based on what I ate there, not the place itself :)
     
  7. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    LOL eagle, I'd love to do that as well if I could afford it, nothing better than not having to cook or pack the food and eat will all the conveniences of a restaurant, as long as we can pay the bill... Sometimes I do eat out, I just can't do it all the time.
     
  8. prettycolors

    prettycolorsActive Member

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    They are bloody expensive so I always pack some sandwiches ;) Around here we also have roadside tables and chairs so we use those. Or sometimes we pack a blanket, find a green spot and then have a quick 'picnic' with the food we brought. I admit that from time to time I have a coffee but that's rare, the fuel is costly enough, no pointing in spending even more on the trip.
     
  9. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    That's about right prettycolors, those meals are expensive and the quality is terrible. I've just seen a documentary about Little Chef (UK restaurant chain I think) this weekend and I was shocked, it's all microwave food paid at almost luxury price, a nonsense!!
     
  10. nwitt

    nwittActive Member

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    We always try to pack snacks. We will still stop for a lunch or dinner depending on the timeframe of the trip and how far we are traveling. We have also purchased groupons for places ahead of time and planned out our trip carefully so that we were able to save as much as possible.
     
  11. Lostvalleyguy

    LostvalleyguyActive Member

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    I would always pack some food for a longer trip. One of the issues when taking a road trip is not knowing where you will be when you get hungry. There are still lots of empty roads out there with few facilities. While I like to stop in from time to time and eat, I like to have the option not to eat somewhere simply because it is the only place around. If I am on a route that is known to me, I can plan my timing better and can plan on eating out at some little roadside place. They can make some great food, but I would prefer to know about the quality of the food in advance.
     
  12. sarz

    sarzActive Member

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    Having gone home this weekend I have just been on a road trip and I didn't make anything before I got on the coach. I bought a sandwich and a coffee in the morning beforehand. The coffee was warm and the bacon roll was missing the bacon but it was cheap so I got what I paid for. On the way back my dad made me a packed lunch and bought me McDonalds, both of which I eat before I even got back on the train. When we stopped of at the service station I didn't even bother with it because I know they are extortionate.
     
  13. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    That's a great testimony sarz and in fact that's the reality. I once went on a plane and even so I packed food because the food plane is worse by the minute and guess what, what a comfort being on the plane and eating something home-made, it was awesome.
     
  14. Ashlee

    AshleeActive Member

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    Peninha! When I travel by car I always keep my lunch with me. I love to do so. It will always be very easy for you when you feel some desire you can easily eat your lunch. It is a good habit so doesn’t try to give up it.
     
  15. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    That is the most economic solution, but traveling with four people, all the bags and necessary arrangements sometimes it's just impossible to carry lunch for four. This doesn't mean I will eat at those stations, that is really my last resort. I prefer to enter some small city or village and have something there.