Planning a vacation with your family is always an exciting time, as it gives you something to look forward to outside of work and other responsibilities. A road trip, in particular, offers the opportunity to spend more time together, from initially sitting down as a family and working out everywhere you want to go, to spending time with one another on the road and enjoying the company of your family while exploring each of your destinations. The only downside? Having to pack up the car. So to help you out, here is an ultimate packing guide to assist you in planning all of the essentials you may need on your road trip!
Family entertainment
Depending on how far you’re are planning on traveling between your destinations, road trips can be long and difficult to endure, especially for young children. Therefore, the more in-car entertainment options you can offer your family, the better. Different children occupy themselves in a variety of ways: some children are happy enough with a big pile of books to read for the entire trip or with having an iPod to listen to, whereas others have much shorter attention spans.
Younger children, in particular, need a wider array of activity options to keep themselves occupied, so make sure to fill up a big bag with a variety of in-car entertainment options, such as portable DVD devices and other handheld electronics, coloring books, travel games, soft toys, and washable window markers. If you think that your family might struggle on longer road trips, then you might want to consider hiring an RV from Cruise America to add a little extra comfort to the journey, and to give your kids a little more freedom while on the road.
Snacks and drinks
As well as having a wide variety of entertainment to keep everyone happy, you’ll also want to make sure that everyone is well fed throughout your time on the road. Packing an assortment of snacks is key to keeping the little ones quiet while traveling, and will also be essential for keeping your own energy levels up while driving. Variation is essential, as you need to make sure that there will be something that everyone will enjoy, and you’ll need a good mix of sweet and savory foods.
Try to keep your mix of foods as healthy as possible, with a selection of high protein, vitamin, and mineral-filled foods, as well as healthy fats and complex carbohydrates for energy. For example, sandwiches, cereal bars, fruit, nuts, and seeds are all excellent road trip foods. Of course, there is nothing wrong with few sweet treats too, but you don’t want anyone to overdo it as you don’t want anyone to feel sick along the way! Additionally, remember to stock up on water and other beverages, and you might want to bring some other essentials to accompany your food, such as wet wipes, plastic cups and plates, and garbage bags for trash.
Ensuring comfort
Aside from the obvious clothing essentials, there are many other items that are useful for keeping your family warm and comfortable while on your trip away. For example, most children sleep better when they have their own pillows and blankets from home, so even if you’ll be staying in nice accommodation, you may want to consider bringing these with you. A lot of children like to take naps during the day as well, especially while on the road, so these will also keep them comfortable in the car. Sunglasses and sunscreen will be important for sunny days on the road, and you also might want to bring some travel fans with you in case the weather warms up. Flip flops are also a brilliant travel companion, as they are easy to slip on and off at pit stops so that the kids don’t need to keep their shoes on in the car.
Safety and essentials
Finally, there are a few other essential items that you should be sure not to leave off of your list. Most importantly, a well-stocked first aid kit is essential for keeping everyone safe and happy while you are away, and this should include items such as antiseptic wipes, bandages, pain relief, and anti-sickness medications. You should also keep some handy car-repair items with you on your travels, such as puncture repair kits and leads for a jump-start, just in case of emergencies. Don’t forget other essentials such as maps and anything else you can think of to make your time away with your family as comfortable as possible.