Ah, summer! That can only mean one thing. No, not rain – long car journeys. All those days out, holidays and trips to see friends. Assuming you already know where you’re going, here are my top tips for arriving cool as a cucumber and ready for the summer fun-times ahead.

1. The essentials

For me, the first two things in this category are water and sunglasses. Everything else I can live without, but driving with the sun in your eyes or being stuck in a hot car with no water are NOT fun.

Why not freeze a bottle of water the night before your trip, and you’ll have lovely ice cold water to last you through your journey.

2. The fun stuff

What’s a road trip without music? Sadly I can’t play Spotify or anything newfangled in my car, so I always make sure I’m stocked up on CDs.

If I’m off somewhere I’m usually leaving early, so rather than putting make-up on before I go I bring a few bits with me. That way I can give myself a mini makeover at a service station or when I arrive, so I can step out the car looking fresh.

Another thing which always makes a journey more bearable is sweets – usually Haribo for me! A long journey should always mean an amnesty on sugar.

3. The safety check

It isn’t glamorous, but it has to be done! Give your car a quick once over well in advance of a long journey, so you have time to sort out any issues.

It’s always a good idea to check your oil and make sure your tyres are in good shape – at the right pressure and with plenty of tread.

If your tyres look a bit worse for wear it doesn’t have to be a big drama. To buy cheap tyres visit the Point S website.

That’s my advice for smooth cruisin’. What do you always take on a long car journey?

Thanks to Point S for sponsoring this post. All content is my own.