Now we always travel with our children, so many of our recommendations for a happy road trip involve keeping the kids happy. We have been driving on vacations since before our first son arrived, and I went on countless road trips as a child and a teen, so many of these ideas will apply to couples, families with older children and teens, even youth groups. Many of them apply to other forms of travel as well. If you’re taking children on a train or a plane you’ll definitely need something to keep them occupied.
You won’t see "pack the DVD player" on this list. We don’t have a portable DVD player and we’ve never yet wished we had one. Our kids watch enough movies and television at home, and they often watch quite a bit once we get to our hotel. So while we have nothing against using movies to entertain kids in the car, we prefer to encourage other activities while we’re on the road.
- Pack plenty of water. If you’re constantly running the air conditioning, you’ll get dried out. If you’re outdoors in the hot sun, you’ll get dried out. If you’re driving long distances in high temperatures, your car could overheat. Don’t get caught out in hot weather without extra water.
- Remember to pack the essentials: maps, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera and film. These things are available at most mini-marts, but if you travel to resort areas you could end up paying a premium. You’ll save money and time if you remember them in the first place.
- Stop frequently at fun locations. We like to find playgrounds and parks when the weather is nice. Play areas at fast food restaurants are best when it's too wet, cold or hot to be outside. The kids get lots of exercise and are more willing passengers afterward. It’s helpful for the driver to get some exercise too!
- Bring lots of "gifts" to open along the way. We buy one or two new toys for each of the boys. We wrap them up and put them in a bag with old toys that we have also wrapped. Every couple of hours the kids get to open a "present." They love unwrapping the toys, new and old!
- Get an early start. If you can have the car loaded and ready to go and then bring sleeping children out in their pj's, you can get several hours of quiet early morning driving time before you have to stop for breakfast, and you’ll be taking advantage of the cooler morning temperatures.
- Bring lots of healthy snacks. We always seem to eat more on trips because we're constantly snacking, so we pack raisins, nuts, jerky and fresh fruit and veggies to eat. Plus, you don't want your kids to hit a sugar high in the back seat when you have two more hours of driving to do before you stop for the night!
- Bring along some of everyone’s favorite tunes. You can listen to your favorite Mozart or Madonna while the kids are otherwise occupied. Later you can all have fun singing kids’ songs like Old Macdonald and London Bridge. I love to play loud music when I’m driving. It not only helps me stay alert, but it seems to make the miles pass more quickly.
- Set a souvenir budget. Plan in advance how much money you want to spend, especially if you're going someplace like Disneyland, or if you'll be stopping at several different places. It's easy to give in to kids when they want something to remember the trip by, but if they know they only have $10 to spend they'll be more selective in their shopping.
- If you're planning to eat anywhere nicer than McDonald's and you want the kids to sit quietly, plan to eat when they are hungry. I know this one seems obvious, but it took us years to figure out. If they're hungry they'll be impatient about waiting for their food, but when it comes they'll eat it quietly and you won't have to chase them around the restaurant.
- Another one for nicer restaurants - keep a small bag of toys that the kids are only allowed to play with at restaurants. Travel games are great for this as well as action figures or animals or small puzzles. The toys will hold their attention longer because they don't play with them all the time.
- Include your kids in trip planning. We get maps and tour books months in advance of a trip. Bo and Jonathan love to see where we're going and how we're going to get there. When we went to my college reunion I made them coloring books with flags, state flowers and fun facts about all of the states we would be driving through.
- Don't forget about entertaining your kids after you stop for the night. They won't be ready to go straight to bed after sitting in the car all day. If you're staying in hotels bring along some bath toys or quiet games to play before bed. If you're camping, take advantage of the other activities offered at the campground, like swimming or miniature golf.
