Road trip season is upon us and if you like to get things organised early on, so you can look forward to your trip without stressing about pit stops, things to take or servicing your car, I’ve compiled a little road trip checklist that will make it easier for you to keep track of all the things you should remember before you leave for your travels.
1. Get your car checked over
Your car will be your trusty companion wherever you go, so make sure you look after it, no matter if it’s a brandnew BMW or a car as old as yourself. There are plenty of offers for cheap spares on the internet, like this one here, and local trade shows or colleges are a fab place to go when you want to get your car fixed on a budget. If you go on long-distance trips, definitely get your car checked over to make sure tyres, brakes & co are safe for the distance you’re looking to drive.
2. Take a first aid kit
You’ll obviously need one for your car when you’re traveling through Europe, but what I mean is a small folder with all important details that you might need during your travels or a case of emergency. You can store your passports in it as well as important telephone numbers, addresses or booking details for hotels - just make sure to keep them in a safe place as you don’t want them to be gone, if you handbag gets nicked.
3. Do your research
If you decide to go aboard, definitely do your research and find out about speed limits, the local highway code as well as any other road safety regulations. The last thing you need on holiday is a speeding ticket or trouble with the authorities.
4. Bring snacks
I don’t know what it is, but when you embark on a road trip or long car journey, everyone seems to get hungry or thirsty as soon as they’ve put their seat belt on. Be prepared and bring plenty of snacks and drinks. Try to keep it keep it exciting by packing lots of different types of finger food. Fruit, vegetable or bread sticks are a great idea as they’re mess-free and you can give the kids a little dip to enjoy with them. Frozen yoghurts of fruit juice tubes are a great refreshment in the summer months and feel like a real treat to kids.
5. It’s all about the entertainment
Let’s face it, road trips can be super boring for kids, especially if you get stuck in traffic, so make sure you keep the kids happy with on-board entertainment. Sticker books, books, mini games, quizzes or tablet computers can be a great distraction, if the journey starts to get boring and, of course, there are always traditional car games like “I spy” or guessing the colour of the next car. My sister and I loved making our own mix tapes and torturing our parents with them whenever we went on holiday.
6. Consider your night time travel
If possible, travel when your kids are sleeping. I know night time travel doesn’t sound particularly fun, but you will be able to travel without bickering kids in the background and it’s more likely that you’ll get through your road trip without travel sickness and meltdowns due to heat or discomfort.
7. Schedule breaks
I understand that you’ll reach your destination as soon as possible, but especially when traveling with kids and during day time hours, regular breaks are crucial - not only for the driver, but also the kids who’ll be able to go to the toilet and let off energy by running around for a couple of minutes.
What are your top tips for surviving a road trip? Let me know in the comments below!
This is a promotional post with images from Trey Ratcliff and Ben Francis.
Having lived here for quite some time, and given Germany’s fantastic central location in Europe, I can now understand why German’s spend so much money on their cars! They must be the roadtrip masters of the universe! 🙂
We play ALOT of games- my kids travel so badly so we play Eye Spy and Travel Bingo and Yellow Car (you, er, yell YELLOW CAR when you see a, um, yellow car herhehehehehe)
Great tips!
Ooh this is great timing - my hubby and I were just talking last night about how much we’d like to do a US road trip, and there are loads of good tips here. The snacking one is the most essential I think! x
Great advice and so practical too
Mark says
Hi Carolin, thanks for a really helpful blog. I want to specifically comment on your section about doing research before you go as I am a firm believer in this. I plan to travel to France this year (I am UK based) and from what I hear they have quite strict motorway rules. For example, you can incur a fine if you don’t arrange for your car to be moved off the motorway following a breakdown. As a result, I am organising to get my breakdown cover extended for the duration I am away to cover me internationally. Lots to think about!