While a Google search for ‘Tips to travel with my family’ may feel warranted in order to adequately prepare for your next vacation, there’s no need to feel stressed: With a little planning, you can have a smooth trip that the whole family will remember forever. That being said, it’s always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve to make the whole experience go by without a hitch. Here’s what we recommend.
Monitor your kids’ packing
One of the best family travel tips and secrets starts at the very beginning before you’ve even gone anywhere: don’t overdo the packing. Kids have a tendency to want to bring every toy or game they have instead of packing important things like a swimsuit and an extra pair of socks. Therefore, don’t assume your child has everything in the bag, no matter how precocious or responsible they are.
If they need to pack something to play with while you’re on vacation, make it a rule that it must fit comfortably in their suitcase. Don’t let them bring a bag of toys and a bag of clothes. You’ll run out of room in your car and it’ll mean twice as many things you need to carry and keep track of. The fewer extraneous things they bring, the easier it will be on everyone.
The same holds true for you — bring only what you need and avoid excessive packing due to ‘what if’ scenarios. The more you pack, the more you have to carry and fit into your car.
Leave early and take your time
Traveling with a carload of kids or teens makes every trip take longer than you’d think it would. Whether it’s getting the car packed, dealing with motion sickness or pulling over frequently for bathroom breaks, traveling with kids takes extra time. Instead of fighting it and trying to make the trip in record time, accept the longer duration. Leave early knowing you’re still going to arrive later than you’d like. This takes the stress off of you and your children and makes the overall travel experience more enjoyable.
This phase of your life won’t last forever, after all, so accept it and enjoy all of its little eccentricities.
Charge devices and pack entertainment
While this may not seem the most wholesome of travel tips and ideas for family vacations, it’s definitely practical. Download some of your child’s favorite TV shows and movies and then surprise them with it once you see them getting antsy. If they know you have their favorite device in your back pocket, they’re going to ask for it the moment you get in the car.
Instead, let them entertain themselves first and encourage them to take part in your conversations. Once they’ve exhausted all of their means to keep themselves busy, hand your tablet or phone back to them with a pair of headphones. It will get you through the last push and make the whole travel experience go by much more smoothly.
Maximize your phone’s storage for pictures and movies
One of the best family travel photography tips is to start your vacation with the most storage possible and offload any apps you won’t actively be using while traveling. This way you can take more pictures and long videos.
Pro tip: If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get unlimited picture storage through Amazon Photos for free. Upload everything while you’re on free Wi-Fi to make sure you don’t run out of storage.
Pack snacks. Buy snacks. Eat snacks.
One of the best vacation tips is to be prepared to snack — both you and your little ones will get hungry during a long car ride. Plan a stash of both healthy and decadent snacks to have on hand when you need them.
Avail can get you there
With everything from sedans to spacious SUVs, Avail has great cars for any road trip. You’ll hit the road stress-free when you borrow with Avail because every trip is protected with insurance coverage and 24/7 roadside assistance.
