Whether you are venturing out for a daytrip or an overnight stay, you will likely be traveling to visit family and friends several times during the holiday months. When the stresses of holiday shopping (and baking and wrapping and decorating) are combined with travel planning, packing and preparation, many families find the holidays to be completely exhausting.

While these tips will not take all of the stress out of your holiday travel, they will help you be better organized and prepared for your adventures.

Some travelers are lucky enough to accomplish the holiday visits with single day road trips. These adventures, while simpler than overnight or weeklong visits, still require some planning and preparation to keep the holiday trip merry and bright.

Keep the Kids Comfortable. Yes, this is the first item on the list because if the little ones are miserably uncomfortable, it has a “trickle up” effect to the not so little ones! While the fancy clothes and holiday dresses are too cute to pass up, they may not be so practical for a multi-hour road trip. You may consider wearing something more casual and taking the holiday clothes to make a quick change in your host’s guest room upon arrival.

Snacks and Breaks Are Not Optional. If you are driving during the usual snack or meal time for the children, packing a light snack will help keep the hunger at bay and often the mood lighter as well. Hungry kids are grumpy kids. If your visit includes a meal, it may still be a good idea to have the kids snack a little prior to arrival to ensure that they aren’t overly hungry before the meal is served. Something as simple as a restroom break can provide a much needed time out for your family.

Plan Some Out of the Ordinary Activities for the Car. If your family is not big on road trip “car games”, then holiday travel time may be one of those rare occasions to bring out the electronic toys or videos that you may not often let them use in the car—or vice versa. Your goal is to keep peace and joy flowing for the trip—and sometimes a break from the usual routine will do just that.

Be Aware of the Road Conditions. There is nothing worse than bad weather, road construction or closures turning an already long road trip into a snail paced disaster. Many state transportation departments in the US have websites or phone numbers that can be utilized to check roadway conditions and construction delays. Plan ahead by keeping a roadmap or GPS device accessible in the event that you come upon something unexpected like an accident creating a delay.

Prepare for the Unexpected. Following along with number four, there are other issues and incidents that can pop up to derail the best laid plans. Plan to take extra clothing for inevitable food, dirt or potty mishap—or even unexpected temperatures. If you are dressed for a 70 degree house, but Christmas dinner cooking has heated Grandma’s house to 85 degrees, then your three sweater clad kids are in for a tough day!

Prepare the Care for an Emergency. Ensure that your car has had routine maintenance and that all of the tires, fluids and systems are in check before leaving home. Even with that precaution, it’s still a wise idea to check the spare tire, make sure that the jack is easily accessible, and that you have brought along emergency supplies like extra blankets, emergency flares, and fully charged cell phones.

Pack a Bag….Just in Case. Take a small overnight bag with basic toiletries, pajamas and a change of clothes on the off chance that your anticipated day trip turns into an overnight stay. There is nothing worse than being stranded by quickly changing weather or a stalled car without a toothbrush or night clothes.

Make a Santa Plan. If you are traveling overnight or stranded away from home during Christmas Eve that may require extra planning if you have little ones. Make your own “Santa Plan” to explain to the little ones that Santa will not skip them because they are not home to leave out milk and cookies—and coordinate a way to make sure that those presents are out and under the tree.

Make and Follow a Packing Master List. You do not want to drive four hours to realize that you have forgotten Aunt Susie’s present or the cheese ball that you had promised for the buffet. Making a list of all of everything that you need to pack into the car, including the extras listed above. Work on much of the list several days before the actual trip, such as the emergency kit for the car, the extra overnight bag, and car activities to help ensure that you remember things during the last minute rush.

Relax. Although last on the list, this one is probably the most important. Many quite memorable and joyful holiday travels fall short of the perfect expectation. The holidays are a time to realize the many blessings and joys of your life—and not the remaining few items that fell off the to-do list or the forgotten greeting cards or spills and mishaps. Pack the kids’ pajamas and dress them for bed before the car trip home and enjoy the minutes of joy that your weeks of planning and preparation have yielded for you!