5 tips for successful road trips with kids

A few years back I decided that even though summer is the busy season at my husband’s job and vacations with all of us are not feasible, I was going to make sure my kids enjoyed some of the experiences only available during the summer months . “Mommy Road Trips” were born and now with quite a few successful road trips under my belt I thought I’d share my top 5 tips for planning a road trip of your own. Traveling with kids can be intimidating and I hope these little bits of advice can help make the process less scary all around…

1) Know how long your kids can handle being in the car :: I learned early on to not stress out with frequent stops for bathroom breaks, leg stretching, and saving my sanity. Enjoying the time with my kids is more important to me than arriving in the least time possible.

2) Entertained kids make better travelers :: no parent wants to hear the dreaded, “Are we there yet?” but you don’t have to rely solely on electronics to prevent that from popping up too early in your trip. While I do pack fully charged handheld electronics and headphones, I also stretch it as long as possible before I hand those out. Reading a book, playing games (such as the license plate game, road trip bingo, or I Spy), and small toys can help keep your travelers enjoy the trip.

3) Have a plan :: if you are traveling to an area where there may not be cell service, print out directions. Will you be bringing a cooler with food for meals or finding restaurants? When are the attractions you want to visit open? Are there fees or restrictions? Any special items your kids use on a daily or weekly basis you need to remember? You can never be too prepared when traveling with kids.

4) Don’t be afraid to change the plan :: for all my planning I have to admit that one of the all time favorite things my kids and I did on a road trip was visit an attraction that was not on my original plan. A last minute change to our plans ended up making a wonderful memory for us all.

5) Make reservations :: during busy summer travel months it is especially important to have a reservation for your hotel, motel, or campsite of choice. Even little out of the way destinations can unexpectedly run out of room.

Any road trip travel tips that your family swears by?