Road Trips Made Easy With Temporary Car Insurance
3 April 2024 | 
Whether it’s a bank holiday or the school holidays, many drivers heading on a big family road trip might be wondering how to keep the young ones entertained throughout!
And, with 4 in 5 Brits planning to celebrate Easter in 2024, and the nation predicted to to spend over £2 million over the long weekend, being prepared is key. 2023 also witnessed around 6 million Brits taking a domestic holiday over the Easter break – so we expect there to be millions more families taking a trip this year!
Luckily, our experts know how to hold the perfect road trip. Whether you need advice regarding temporary car insurance for your road trip, or you need some tips to entertain, our team at GoShorty can do it all.
Our Founder and Managing Director, Andy Moody commented: “The holidays can be an expensive time to get away, with flight prices skyrocketing and train travel costing more as of March. This has led to one in ten parents taking their kids away during term time, with holidays 28% cheaper in these periods. Luckily, road trips present an easy, affordable go-to when it comes to a fun day out – and with GoShorty’s fast and flexible temporary insurance, you can easily share the load of driving!
“With short-term policy cover available from as little as one hour, car-sharing is made easy, meaning everyone can enjoy the road trip – and no one is stuck as the designated driver. We’ve highlighted some of the UK’s best landmarks you can enjoy from the road – along with some places to stop by for food, to break up the ‘are we there yet’ questions and help you enjoy the school holidays to the fullest!”
Whether you’re in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, there’s plenty to see and do on the UK’s roads this Easter – and it’s not just fun for the whole family, you can also take a road trip amongst friends! Don’t have a UK licence? Don’t worry, we’re also able to offer temporary insurance to drivers from overseas, subject to conditions.
Securing Temporary Car Insurance For Your Road Trip
Exhausted from the long drive and need a relative to stand in? Temporary car insurance is the perfect way to make your road trip as easy as possible! While some insurance policies cover you to drive another individual’s vehicle, Driving Other Car (DOC) cover is becoming less common in the UK – especially as it was originally only intended for use in emergency situations. In addition, sometimes DOC only includes third-party cover, meaning the vehicle in question won’t be covered for damage or your own injuries if the accident is your family.
Plus, it can be time consuming reading the fine print of your policy – and remember, driving without insurance is illegal, with the minimum penalty a fixed fine of £300 and six to eight points on your licence. And, if the case goes as far as a court case, you could be hit with an unlimited fine and even disqualified from driving, meaning taking the risk is never worth it.
By investing in short-term or temporary car insurance, you can secure coverage in minutes, and drive safely in the knowledge that you and the family are protected – and save money.
If you have any other questions, please visit our FAQs.
Family Road Trip Essentials
If you take an annual family road trip, it can be hard coming up with new ideas of things to do and see! This is all in addition to thinking of innovative ways to keep younger children entertained – and fed.
Road Trip Car Games
We’ve put together a short guide to some of our favourite car games to play, to keep spirits high on long road trips:
- I Spy: This age-old classic involves one player saying “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” meaning there is endless fun to be had.
- Licence Plate Game: Asking the kids to keep an eye out for different licence plates can be a fun way to teach them about regions in the UK, or to learn about international countries.
- Alphabet Game: Run through the alphabet and try to find something that corresponds with each letter, whether it’s a licence plate, signage, or more.
- Story Time: Take turns adding a sentence to a story – extra fun if you get someone to record this and can listen back later, even building it into a full tale!
- Road Trip Bingo: Depending on where you’re going in the UK, you can customise this to include landmarks, notable attractions or sites that you’re likely to see, convincing the young ones to keep a keen eye out!
We’ve put together a short guide to some of our favourite car games to play, to keep spirits high on long road trips:
Accessories
For those with older children, you might be aware of some of the ‘standard’ accessories that are worth bringing along for a family road trip. However, for newer parents, you might want to consider bringing along some of the following:
- Portable chargers, especially if you’re using electronic devices to keep the kids entertained
- First-Aid kits (silly accidents can happen anywhere!)
- Snacks
- Wet wipes and other cleaning tools (especially important for younger children!)
- Water
- Blankets
- Bin bags for any rubbish
- Travel potty
Family Meals
In addition to bringing snacks – an essential – you should always make sure to plan out service stations along your route. This is a great way to be prepared for any last-minute bathroom breaks, or a last-minute craving for a coffee or other food.
In the below guide, we’ve highlighted some of the most affordable McDonalds in the country, using factors such as the cheapest Happy Meals to determine the prime pitstops. The company offers a whole range of food – whether you’re a meat eater, vegetarian, or vegan – meaning everyone should be happy.
Other popular chains that offer a complete range include KFC, Burger King and Costa, which can all be found at service stations across the UK. If in doubt, or with any particularly fussy children, always make sure to bring some homemade food!
The UK’s Best Spots For Family Road Trips
In the UK, we’re lucky to have a number of great roads (whether motorways or A-roads) that interlink the country, making access to beautiful and engaging landmarks easier than ever. These are moreover situated by a range of service stations that mean you never have to worry about the young ones not making the toilet, or anyone going hungry!
We’ve put together a guide to some of our favourite road trip destinations, as below. Road tripping around the UK for the perfect city (or country) break has never been easier! We’ve even pulled together some of the most famous UK landmarks, so selecting your destination is easier than ever.
England’s Best Road Trip Landmarks
Stonehenge is one of the best roadside landmarks in England, situated on the A303, attracting massive crowds during the Winter and Summer solstice seasons. The nearby Newbury Services (is home to one of the cheapest roadside McDonalds in the UK – making this an excellent spot for a cheap bite on the journey.
Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge is the largest in Britain, recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, making for a scenic spot to check out on the road.
Lake Windermere, in the Lake District, is the largest lake in England! Providing spectacular views, it is also located nearby several key hiking destinations, including Wray Castle and Claife Heights. The nearby Blackburn with Darwen Services on the M65 is home to the 8th cheapest roadside McDonalds, making it an ideal stop for a happy meal on your road trip.
Wales’ Best Road Trip Landmarks
The highest mountain in Wales, Snowdon, towers above the breathtaking Snowdonia National Park. A lovely spot to drive through, or if you’re brave, to climb up! If you’re coming from the North of England, Hazel Grove’s services are home to the UK’s 6th cheapest roadside McDonalds, so could make for a nice pit stop to fuel up before a hike!
For history lovers, Cardiff Castle on the A4161 and Conwy Castle on the A457 attract plenty of visitors, with each of them receiving 33,100 monthly Google searches! These historical structures are not only beautiful, but you could also trick the kids into learning a thing or two!
Scotland’s Best Road Trip Landmarks
Edinburgh Castle is another historical structure you need to visit if in Scotland, and with 135,000 monthly searches, the UK is similarly thrilled with that sentiment. Sitting atop Castle Rock, the Castle allows for a great view of the surrounding city. Situated close by Edinburgh is Bankhead Services, home to another one of the UK’s cheapest roadside McDonalds.
The largest equine sculptures in the world, the Kelpies in Falkirk stand over 100ft tall, making them a Scottish landmark that should not be missed! Falkirk is near both Bankhead (off the A92) and Belshill (off the A725) services. Both sites offer affordable McDonald’s options, so appetites can be tempered with some nuggets.
Keep the kids entertained at Loch Ness! There’s no guarantee you’ll spot a monster in the water, but it’s a beautiful destination that’ll no doubt keep their attention as they try to spot Nessie as you drive along the A82 trunk road that’ll provide some great views of the loch!
Northern Ireland’s Best Road Trip Landmarks
The Giant’s Causeway is an unmissable natural landmark in Northern Ireland that you can see along the B147 Causeway Road. Stretching 33 miles along the coastline, this Unesco World Heritage Site is one of the world’s natural wonders worth witnessing.
The Mourne Mountains are a unique sight to behold, driving through this area will allow you to admire three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Getting on the Mourne Coastal Route, you’ll be treated to some of the best views in all of Ireland, the granite mountain range will leave you wanting to come back for more!
The Dark Hedges, known from Game of Thrones, are in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. An easy-to-reach destination, a nearby car park lets you explore this spooky formation of trees on foot.
GoShorty’s temporary insurance policies can be purchased in just minutes – which is perfect for impatient children and overtired parents wishing to swap out who’s behind the wheel.
Our policies moreover make it easier than ever to have flexibility – one of the key components of a family road trip, which might never go 100% to plan! You can get a quote online today.
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