Ten Tips for Preparing for Family Road Trips

With spring upon us and summer on the horizon, many families are planning road trips to their favorite vacation destinations. When preparing for a family road trip, family members have certain steps that they can take to help ensure that the traveling experience runs smoothly. Here are ten preparation tips that will assist a family in making their road trip a success:

Have the family vehicle serviced by a trusted mechanic.

Before departing on a road trip, it is a good idea to have a trusted mechanic look at the family vehicle to make sure it is in reliable working order. If it is close to the time to have the car's oil changed, go ahead and have that service performed. Have the mechanic check to make sure that the tires are in good shape and have the proper amount of air. By taking this step, you can cut down on the chances of having your family experience a car breakdown while on the road.

Take a cell phone.

A cell phone is a necessity to have with you when taking a road trip. In the event that your family's vehicle does break down, or you and your family experience any other problems while traveling, you will have a means to make the necessary phone calls. Too, once you reach your hotel or motel, you can make calls to loved ones back home without having to use the room phone.

Have an emergency roadside service account in the event of the family vehicle breaking down.

Having a current emergency roadside service account, such as AAA or Citi Autovantage, comes in handy in the event that your family vehicle does experience an unexpected need for service (i.e. a flat tire, inability to start, etc.). With one phone call, you can receive assistance from a towing company, and usually, the expenses for the service is covered under your account, so you do not have to spend any of your family's traveling money.

Buy or borrow a GPS (Global Positioning System).

A GPS can help to guide you through unknown territory or can assist you in finding a shorter or easier route to your desired location. A GPS can also provide you with information on local restaurants, hotels, and other such places in the vicinity where you are traveling, so you and your family can always find somewhere to eat, sleep, or simply pull over to take a break from the road.

Bring bottled water and snacks for drinking and eating while traveling.

Bringing along bottled water and travel snacks (i.e. dried fruit, granola, trail mix, nuts, seeds, etc.) on the road trip will help to keep all the members of your family hydrated and satisfied. It will also help to cut down on the number of times that you have to stop to eat, so you and your family can save time and money.

Bring toys, books, CD's, and games for the children.

If you are traveling with children, plan to bring a few of their favorite toys, books, CD's, and games. If your family road trip is an extended one where you will be on the road for several hours, you may want to bring along an in-car DVD player as well as a few of your favorite family DVD movies.

Bring a small portable potty for children who are potty training or have just recently potty trained.

When traveling with a child who is potty training or has just recently potty trained, you may want to bring along a small portable potty for those places in your travels where bathrooms are not readily accessible. Be sure and bring plastic bags for emptying the contents of the potty and dispose of them appropriately at the nearest rest area.

Bring cash, traveler's checks, and an emergency credit card.

When embarking on a family road trip, be sure and bring cash, traveler's checks, and an emergency credit card. The cash is good to have for those places that will not accept traveler's checks (while these places are few and far between, they do exist), and the traveler's checks are easy to replace in the case that they are stolen. The emergency credit card comes in handy in those unexpected situations that sometimes befall travelers.

Plan out the places where you and your family plan to stop and use the restroom, have a lunch or dinner break, or simply "stretch" your legs.

Search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, offer an assortment of online maps that you and your family can consult to decide at which points in your road trip that you will stop. You can also utilize these maps in order to figure out the approximate total time of your road trip as well as places of interest that you and your family might like to see along the way.

Pack only that items that you and your family need for your road trip (i.e. clothes, bath items, etc.).

Since most vehicles only have limited space for bringing luggage and other items for a road trip, you and your family should seek to pack only the items that you will absolutely need for your destination. By packing lightly, your family vehicle will not be as weighted down, and as a result, will receive better gas mileage. Too, if you and your family pack just a few items, you will have less to unload and unpack once you reach your desired location.

When you and your family prepare for your next family road trip, keep these ten tips in mind. Have a happy and safe trip, and enjoy the memories that your family will make as a result of this event!