Helpful Road Trip Tips for Families

Shila said:  With your car packed full of snacks, wrappers, and fast food, it's a great idea to collect the garbage as they're opened in a portable trash bag. Prepare for other unexpected messes, too! Pack a paper towel roll for liquid spills and hand wipes for sticky fingers! Trust us, with kids in the back seat, your car could get very messy and you can lose important things. Avoid the clutter, and spend more time enjoying your travel space!

Shila said:  Plan for the perfect road trip by making everlasting memories at unique and interesting pit stops along the way! Rest areas can be MORE than gas stations. Instead, pull over at jaw-dropping scenic overlooks, quirky statues, national monuments, historic points, and more attractions that kids will love! Be spontaneous or map them out in advance as planned breaks.

Shila said:  Arrange a good method in properly loading the trunk with suitcases and bags before you get on the road! For example, overnight luggage should be packed first because you won't likely access it throughout the day's drive. On the other hand, snack containers and food coolers should be placed on top where they can be easily accessed throughout the day.

Shila said:  Does your family agree on the same taste of music? Create a playlist in advance by selecting some adult albums that kids can appreciate too! From The Beatles to ABBA to The Jackson 5, exposing kids to widely-acclaimed and timeless hits can be a great form of car ride entertainment and an excellent tip for long road trips.

Shila said:  One of the best road trip tips is to pack an extra set of car keys! It acts as a safety just in case one key accidentally gets lost. Avoid getting stopped in your own tracks!

Shila said:  When you pass through a new state, celebrate! It's an educational moment for kids to achieve this geographical accomplishment. Pull over at the first rest area, and take a family photo by the "Welcome" sign!

Shila said:  Snacking is such a fun part of family road trips! Quintessential treats like chips (Funyuns, anyone?), beef jerky and candy bars are great, but be sure to offer healthy snacks for kids on road trips, too. Healthy food choices (i.e., nuts, fruit, granola bars) supply us with good energy, while too much junk food may make kids tired and irritable after the kick wears off. Balance is key!

Shila said:  One of the best road trip tips for toddlers and kids is to carve out breaks to stretch, especially before or after nap time. This helps young ones burn off built-up energy and play! Consult your guide for the best rest areas en route. Some rest stops will have picnic tables, playgrounds, and large lawn areas to run around and shake the wiggles out.

Shila said:  Invest in a quality pair of headphones for kids on a family road trip. Your children will each have the opportunity for some "undisturbed alone time" to enjoy their own music channel, chat with friends, watch movies on their devices, listen to a kid-friendly podcast, concentrate on schoolwork, or more.

Shila said:  Purchase a few road trip travel toys that will occupy your kid's attention even for a bit of entertainment. The best road trips toys for kids can include activity books (i.e., cross word puzzles, word searches, Mad Libs), pocket board games, mess-free coloring pages, books with funny knock knock jokes to share out loud, etc.

Shila said:  Most major cities charge tolls for cruising their highways! Tollway charges can run anywhere from fifty cents to ten or more dollars, and every vehicle is required to stop and pay to pass. Bring cash!

You can also invest in an electronic pass/transponder that sits on your dashboard (i.e., I-PASS, E-Z Pass). As your vehicle enters the tollway, your account is automatically charged. Transponders share compatibility in most states. In many cases too, this option allows you to significantly avoid the slow-moving "cash only" toll lanes. Spend less time in traffic, and more time ahead on the road with your family!

Shila said:  Collect some tips to avoid car sickness on road trips! Depending on your symptoms, adults and children can take over-the-counter medicine too. Additional recommendations include: spending more time looking out the front window (to gain a sense of balance), taking breaks and time for fresh air, chewing gum, eating salty snacks/carbohydrates, having a comfortable seat with room to breathe, etc.

Michael Farina said:  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy strongly recommends bringing a towel with you on all trips, and I heartily agree. My car normally has a beach towel (for cleaning up big messes and doubling as a blanket), a handful of kitchen towels (napkins, bibs, lap-based crumb catchers, and small-spill soakers), and a packet of baby wipes (my kids are well out of diapers, but bigger kids make bigger messes).

Alexandra F. said:  You never know when they will come in handy! To collect toys or trash, for the surprise car sickness, for holding any wet or dirty clothes...we always find ourselves in need of a bag or few on every long car ride we've ever taken!

Sunshine Girl said:  Leave extra early in the morning or late in the evening so the kids sleep for most or at least half of the car ride. If you leave extra early, pack the car the night before assuming it’s parked in a safe place over night, so all you need to do is load sleeping kids, click seat belts and go. Travel in pjs too.