Whether you’re a fan of The Hangover franchise or are in absolute adoration for the Dunphys, in Modern Family, everyone has, at one point thought of going on the last cross-country road trip. Especially when you’re about to upgrade your car after being loyal to your previous vehicle for a long, we have all felt the urge to spend a few last minutes to reminisce in the memories ‘before I sell my car.
Road trips are a fantastic idea for the holiday season. You get to enjoy calm serenity of the drive, spend some quality time with your passengers and you also get some time to clear your mind. If you are one those, who have plans to go on a road trip with their family? Here’s an article to guide you through all the essential aspects of a family road trip. Stay tuned and keep reading, because if you have no plans of going on a family road trip, you will want to go on one by the end of this article.
Be practical in your car
The first thought before going on a road trip is the practicality of your choice of vehicle. Taking two toddlers, a pet feline and an irritated spouse on a small, faulty car would eventually frustrate you and make you wish you had never thought of going for the trip. So before planning your trip, you need an assessment of your car. Ensure that your vehicle is well-maintained before heading out, speak to your insurance providers about the health and car expense covered in your plan. Preparing for the worst may not seem optimistic, but it is one of the most practical approaches you can take. Remember to stock up your car with a proper first aid kit, some flashlights, and a headlamp, the essential tools to change a tire and a jump starter would all come in handy in there’s an unfortunate incident.
The comfort and flexibility of the route
After checking your car’s vital fluids and condition, the most prominent element of the entire trip is the planning. Depending on your destination and your family, you need to plan everything. The route and the duration of your journey need to be in accordance to the age group of your family members. You need to have a rough idea of how many rests stops you plan on taking, whether you’ll drive throughout the night or you’d instead check in a motel for the night are prime concerns that you need to be careful of while making the initial plan. Once speaking to all the passengers of the car, decide a final plan and stick to it.
Once you have the itinerary prepared, remember to get the window shades, travel pillows and ear plugs for your passengers. Keeping a bag of personal hygiene products such as wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, and body wipes could all come handy if someone forgets to carry their things.
Snacks and savings
The best part of road trips is the junk food you get to snack on. Binge eating Doritos, scarfing down M&Ms and Reese’s candy all sound like the perfect plan. Or the Red Bull-induced, frat-days reminding trips with your partner, every trip asks for a proper stock of snacks to please every person in the car.
Keeping a decent cooler in the car for all the beverages would be a smart choice. A stash of energy bars and a few homemade snacks would help you save time and a few dollars too. Once you have a complete plan for the trip, getting gas a day before for better prices is a saving you cannot go wrong with. The lesser cargo weight you carry, the farther your car shall glide. Also, if you stop for gas at a stop with multiple gas stations and lots of food chains, you’re more likely to get the best gas prices due to the local competition. Getting a chance to save a few extra bucks even on a family vacation sounds like an exciting thing. It gives you the opportunity to spend somewhere else and spread smiles in your family.
Pack like a pro
Once you’ve got your route and budget planned out, your snacks prepared and your car ready to glide on the roads the next important step is to pack like a pro. Packing light is essential in every scenario whether you’re traveling through planes or in cars. But road trips benefit a lot from carrying little luggage due to the better gas economy you get on the car.
The simplest tip for better packing is carrying the items you are entirely sure you need on the trip. Moving a parka on a trip to Florida is a ridiculous idea, beware of what clothes you’re packing. Use a clever folding technique so your clothes take the tiniest space and don’t forget to place the clothes you’ll on the first stop on the top, for easy access. Pack your bags to maximum capacity and be sure of precisely where you keep each thing. You can pack a bag for each member of the family, containing all of their stuff, so there are no confusion and last minute hassles. Also, packing light gives you the chance to bring things on your journey back home.
Fight boredom
What will you do when your next pit-stop is five hours is away? You need some family entertainment to kill time and have some fun. The few easy things you can do is to get a USB charger for all the phones and devices onboard. There’s a lot of things you can carry for entertainment purposes, from your favorite book to read or a notebook and colors to soothe your artistic urges. Listening to an inspirational podcast or your favorite playlist are all the simplest and easiest ways to keep your selves entertained. Or you can play family car games like Chat Pack or adult Mad Libs too.
Family road trips are always memorable. So don’t forget to carry your instant camera and get ready to pack as soon as possible!
