Whether planning a last-minute vacation or thinking ahead to holiday travel, driving 3-8 hours to get to your destination can be challenging, especially when traveling with young children.
Here are some valuable tips to ensure your and your passengers’ safety, keep stops to a minimum, and have an enjoyable trip.
Before You Go
- Involve everyone in the planning process.
Wherever you’re going, there is a visitor’s center that can direct you on things to do. Pull up the site together and let every person pick an activity for that day. Say you have five days on your road trip and four people. Each person has a day they can plan out, and everyone has to agree on the activity on the last day. - Make your reservations NOW.
Many individuals are now taking short trips that don’t involve flying. Therefore accommodations might be tight. Make your hotel, camping, or Airbnb reservations as soon as possible. The same thing with attractions – buy your tickets online to avoid disappointment at the ticket gate. - If you are going to a park, especially a national park, download the hiking map and plan your routes.
Don’t go off the beaten path. Stick to the trail and make sure you have your cell phone, whistle, and flashlight with you at all times. - Inspect your vehicle.
Check tire pressure, wiper blades, fluid levels, lights, and air conditioning. Have in the car the following items:- Cell phone chargers
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Jumper cables
- Tire pressure gauge
- Duct tape
- Blankets
The Night Before
- Get a good night’s sleep and plan to rotate drivers.
If your trip is 9 hours and you have three drivers, plan on stopping every 3 hours to rest and changing drivers. - Plan your stops.
If you are driving solo (or with a group), stop every 2-3 hours to stretch your legs, take bathroom breaks, and eat. - Pack the following things in your car:
- Diapers and baby wipes (if needed)
- Travel cups
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Ibuprofen
- Motion sickness medication
- Health and car insurance cards
- Map of the route
- Extra set of clothing
- Books for you and your kids
- Car games everyone can play
- Let your kids pack their activity bags, and be sure they are in the car before you pull out in the morning.
Trip Days
- If you are traveling with children under 13 years old (your kids and friends of your children), make sure everyone keeps their seatbelts on and remains in the back seat.
- Try and drive during nonpeak times in large cities and avoid nighttime driving. Peak driving times are 5–9 AM and 4–8 PM, Monday through Friday. While the entire block cannot always be avoided, perhaps you can plan your meals and stops during some of these times to avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic.
- Stock your cooler full of cold water and drinks if it is hot. Make sure it is easily accessible.
Brought to you by Advanced Insurance Designs Inc.
We want you to have the best road trip ever! Rest assured, we have you covered wherever you go. Please talk with us and ensure you have the proper car insurance coverage with the right insurance company. Otherwise, you’re putting yourself, your family, and others at risk if you get into an accident or your car breaks down.
