Are you planning on going out on a summer road trip with your family? Are you nervous it’s not going to go well?
Road trips are getting more and more popular in the United States. In fact, road trips have gone up 64 percent since 2015!
Well, don’t worry! As long as you prepare correctly, every road trip should be a breeze. Let’s go through how to prepare for a road trip.
Plan Plenty of Stops
No matter how old your kids are and how many family members you have, someone will always want a bathroom break. That’s why it’s important to have plenty of available stops planned along your trip.
If possible, you should be planning for a break every two hours. You should probably make the breaks more frequent if you have younger children, and you can make them less frequent if you have older children.
And, while you’re at it, it’s important to hydrate and keep your energy up, so make sure that you drink plenty of water and have plenty of snacks to ward off dehydration or “hanger” (the portmanteau of hungry and anger).
Make Sure There’s Plenty of Entertainment
Available entertainment is key for making sure a road trip goes smoothly. It doesn’t really matter what form it takes, but it needs to be available. Here are some forms of entertainment that may work for your kids on road trips:
- Books
- Card games
- Video game consoles
- Movies and television shows (if you have an iPad or tablet, portable DVD player, or a related device that can stream content)
The above are just some of the options you have to entertain your children on road trips. Make sure you take what your kids enjoy into consideration.
Be Realistic
It’s important to make sure that you’re not biting off more than you can chew with your road trip. Especially if you have very young children, you may need to plan for a possible pitstop at a motel if you’re planning a longer trip. Kids just can’t sit that long, no matter how much entertainment they have.
This is an important rule for the adults in your family as well. A road trip just isn’t fun if you’re pushing yourself too hard and exhausting yourself. Make sure you schedule plenty of breaks for yourself and your other adult counterparts, to make sure that you have the time and energy to enjoy yourself during your fun summer road trip.
Prepare In Advance
When taking a road ship, you’ll need to make sure your car or vehicle is in tip-top shape for maximum safety. If you have time, clean your car’s interior and exterior in advance (that way, you’ll have less to do during your trip).
If possible, take your care in for an inspection before your trip. Make sure that your tires and lights are working correctly, and your air conditioner and/or heater (Depending on the season) are functioning properly). Try and get these checks done at least a week or so in advance, just in case there is a problem that needs to be rectified. That way, if there’s a major issue, you’ll have plenty of time to make a backup plan.
And while you’re at it, if you plan on crossing any border or require any other identification documents make sure that they are in order and up to date! Just to be safe, make sure that you have cash and cards on hand, just in case.
You will also need to be prepared for an emergency. Make sure that you have an emergency roadside assistance kit on hand and fully stocked, along with a good first aid kit and at least one spare tire.
You never know when your cell phone service will conk out, so it’s always good to make sure you’re stocked up just in case the worst does happen. If you’re not already a member of a roadside assistance service, you should definitely consider joining one. These are all great ways to make sure your upcoming road trip goes safely and smoothly.
Manage Expectations
Before you get started, you should make sure that everyone involved knows what they’re getting into. Make sure that your kids know how long the trip will take, how many stops there will be, how long it will be between stops, and what snacks and entertainment will be available.
And while you’re at it, make sure your kids know what the goal of the trip is! They’ll be less cranky is there’s something great to look forward to at the end of the rainbow. The best road trips are the ones where everyone understands the goals and the rules, so make sure that everything is communicated with all parties in advance!
Take Turns
If you’re doing your road trip with your partner (or a child with a driver’s license) you should make sure to take turns driving. Getting overtired can be a major hazard when driving. Plus it will just plain make you crankier!
Taking turns is a great way to make sure that everyone who can shares in the division of labor, so that everyone as more time to enjoy themselves.
How to Prepare for a Road Trip? Carefully!
As long as you leave yourself enough time, and are careful with your plans, you should have no problem with how to prepare for a road trip. Just get on the road and get ready to have a blast with your loved ones!
Are you interested in reading more about travel or other related topics? Check out some of our other articles today!