It’s always a good idea to stay in touch with the family when you are on the road. Then if an accident or breakdown should occur and you are unable to get help, they will be able to alert the authorities. Even though you want to be free from schedules, you’ll need to plan an approximate itinerary partly for safety and partly so you don’t miss out on seeing all the good sights. Imagine how you’d feel if you missed seeing something spectacular simply because you didn’t realize it was there.

There is another reason for keeping in contact with the family, and that is in case something happens to them. If they were involved in an accident or had a major illness, they would need your support. Just think how bad you’d feel afterwards if you couldn’t be contacted.

So what is the best way to go about staying in contact? You can use a public telephone - if there is one. This means finding one and making sure you have enough change to use it, or that your phone card is current. Most people prefer using a cell phone and these are terrific most of the time, but there may not be coverage if you are way out in the wilds. Be sure to take the charger along with you and keep it fully charged.

You can drop a postcard or a letter into the nearest mail center whenever you get the chance. That’s really nice for the family to receive and see a snapshot of where you’ve been. It will reassure them that you are okay, but they can’t contact you in this way. If your trip is to be an extended one, leave the address and phone number of your RV Park with the family so they can write or phone you there.

The Internet is a great option, too. Take your laptop along on the trip and you can download all those digital photos onto it as well. Many RV Parks have broadband access that makes it easier to log in and contact the family. You can set a time for contact before you leave on your trip, so that you can talk on the instant messenger.

If you don’t have a laptop, perhaps you can find an Internet caf and use the technology that is available there. Leave an itinerary with your family or a friend so that they know your approximate movements, then if all other means of contact fail, the authorities have at least some idea of where to look for you.

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