road trip – photo by TimOve on Flckr CC
Tips for Great Family Road Trips
Are you planning a road trip to visit extended family or selecting a beach house to rent for the annual family beach vacation? Whatever the reason for your family road trip, follow these recommendations from the travel professionals. Your trip will be filled with wonderful memories instead of anxiety and a family of blurry eye from too many videos.
Advance planning is the key to success. Take advantage of the awesome savings with Groupon coupons and invest in a Gamin GPS system to ensure the quickest route to your destination.
Where age appropriate, engage your children in selecting games and healthy snack for the trip. Relying too much on an endless stream of videos will result in seriously cranky children upon arrival.
Word games, magnetic board games and card games are all suitable for long road trips. Younger children can bring their favorite books and practice reading aloud. Select snacks low in sugar and high in fiber and protein for healthy stops along the way.
Ensure that your car has been serviced and the tires are adequately inflated. Plan your departure such that you arrive in larger cities outside of rush hour. Depending on the length of travel, one option is to leave later at night when the traffic is lighter and the children are apt to sleep for a good portion of the trip.
Enter your destination in the GPS system and select a route that has stops appropriate for young children. It’s recommended to stop at least every two hours with small children. This is also good advice for a driver. If two drivers are available, by all means share driving and supervising the children.
Finally, make it fun. Engage the children in stories, I Spy and word games. This can be a bonding time for the family with memories that can last a life time.
Leaving early enough for your destination will allow a relaxed, unhurried time on the road. It will also mean a much safer trip for the entire family. Best of luck to you on your road trip!
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
