Car Travel Myths > Articles

I think few will argue that a car for a traveler can be very useful, starting with the ability to change the route on the go and ending with the ability to take more things with you. The other day, for the sake of interest, I drove into Google a query "Tips for road travelers" and a little ofigel - most of the articles are collections in the spirit of "thank you, cap!" with tips a la "check the car before the trip", interspersed with absolutely dubious figures and taken from the ceiling. The article of the Russian newspaper of the year, probably 2005, turned out to be the most adequate.

In general, I decided that raising the theme of travel by car here would be a good idea. And as a "trial ball" we will analyze a set of the most popular myths about autotravel. We will speak here about Russia.

This requires a special car.

The most popular myth, as an "special" car, they cite as an example anything from a minibus like a "multi-van" to a pumped off-road vehicle.

Forget it - you can travel on everything. Yes, at Focus, you won’t take 8 people with you. Yes, at the Golf you will not overcome the blurred multi-day rains and the broken-down road through the field. Yes, in a compact city hatchback, you won’t take away as many things as in a big wagon. There are dozens of examples, the essence of this does not change - some machine fits more, some less. Sandero may not be suitable for the Murmansk-Vladivostok route (and that is a moot point), but at least it is quite possible to go along the Golden Ring. Yes and away too.

Try to tell people who go on "loaves" or "pennies" around the world that their cars, they say, are "not the same."
In general, the choice of route, duration, trip format, etc. depends on what kind of car you have. But not the fact of its possibility. You can travel by any car, if it is serviceable.

If this is the only thing that stops you, then forget about this stereotype, if not, move on.

It's complicated

This myth is a typical substitution of concepts. It can be difficult to travel 500/1000/1500 (depending on the driver) kilometers, it can be difficult to go on a week-long trip away from major cities, after all, it can be difficult to drive along the highway at night in the first place. But this does not mean at all that traveling by car is difficult in itself.

It’s hard for me to imagine a person for whom the insurmountable task would be to go, for example, to Tula or to Kolomna. If you basically have a “steering wheel” problem, then this is another question.

Start small and then get involved (or realize that this is not yours).

It is expensive

The most incomprehensible myth. Travel costs are always there, but if you want to live in five-star hotels, have breakfast / lunch / dinner in chic restaurants, then any rest format will cost a penny. Traveling by car can be quite budgetary, especially if you are traveling with three or four. Moreover, due to the mobility provided by the car, you can live in hotels that are not very conveniently located in terms of public transport and therefore cheaper. With catering, a similar situation, but it is better to talk about it separately.

It is not interesting

Since we are talking about Russia here, usually in this context we mean "there is nothing to watch in Russia", and it is a trip by car that makes it clear that this is not so - to many places as natural (mountains, rivers, forest lakes), so and more "technogenic", getting without a car is harder and longer. There are resources that will tell you where to turn and what to see. So there is something to look at, we just have to look sometimes.

This is dangerous

The last myth I want to dwell on. He has different variations from "they will kill us / maim" to "dishonest traffic cops"

Objectively, the danger does exist (but not only in travel, but in your hometown too), but the probability of running into something is greatly exaggerated. If you don’t drive through obscure deserted places at night, and don’t spend the night in a car near an unlit highway, the probability of running into any inadequate tends to zero. As regards the police, practice shows that if you move normally and do not indulge in overtaking where it is forbidden, then no one will “breed” you. Well, if you still violated - you have to answer for your actions, here a long trip by car does not relieve you of responsibility. Will write a fine - pay.

In general, most myths are nothing more than horror stories, supported by those who, for whatever reason, are afraid to travel further than the suburbs.

Do not think in stereotypes. Traveling by car is available to almost every car owner. You only need to want :)