Being Prepared for a Long Family Road Trip

A long family roadtrip is a great opportunity for the whole family to come together, but it can also be a major headache for parents if they fail to plan ahead. Ensure that your road trip is a success by working out everything your family will need on their journey.

The essentials

Perhaps the most important part of your plan involves being prepared for emergencies. The vehicle you are travelling in will be of primary importance, so ensure that you have a spare tire and the tools needed to change a flat tire, such as a car jack and a flashlight. It is also a good idea to carry an emergency sign that can be attached to a car to warn people that you are in difficulty and to mark you out as a stationary object. Keep an emergency pack of food and water in the glove box, as well as a basic First Aid kit.

Children

Long road trips can be boring for children, so to stop them from driving you mad during the journey, ensure you have provided plenty for them to occupy themselves with. If they are too young to have their own handheld entertainment such as a tablet or MP3 player, hang DVD players over the back of the driver and passenger chairs to play whatever types of movies they enjoy. You can also use the back of the chairs for other hangingorganizers. These can hold children’s books and coloring books, crayons and toys, and your children can help themselves.

Regular stops

This is one area where you can involve the whole family – working out where you will be stopping for rest breaks and entertainment. Gather all the members who will be going on the road trip, open the road atlas and find out what tourist attractions line your intended route. Once you have worked these out, let each member name one they want to visit so that they each have something to look forward to. Also plan to make stops at regular intervals so that you can stretch your legs and take a rest from driving. Make a note of where all the service stations are on your route so that you can plan ahead.

Comfort

Whatever the age of your family members, comfort during the journey will be paramount. To make the best use of space, rather than taking full-size pillows or cushions, pack inflatable ones that can be blown up when required and deflated when not in use. If deemed necessary, include blankets in your packing. These may be of great comfort to the more mature members of your party.

Boredom on a long journey has a habit of stirring the appetite, so make sure you pack snacks to suit everyone’s palette. However, try to keep these as healthy as possible by including fruit and nuts instead of potato chips and chocolate.

Make your road trip truly a family affair by involving all the members of your trip in the planning stage, satisfying everyone’s expectations and catering to their physical and mental needs.