Twelve hours, two adults, a four-year-old and a one-year-old. This was one road trip without the pain.
1. Prepare the kids.
No matter how young your kids are, spend the week or so before the long drive preparing them for the big day. Questions like "What are we going to do on our first day of the holiday?" The answer? "Go on a big long drive."
2. Leave at the crack of dawn.
We're talking 5am. Roads are clear and your precious cargo is still dreamy. A couple of hours napping and you're off to the perfect start.
3. Get tanked.
It sounds simple, but for those long trips make sure you fill up the day before. There's nothing worse than having to stop before the little tackers are really, really, really restless.
4. The cuppa.
Do yourself a favour and invest in a couple of thermos flasks and make a cuppa to go. It may sound daggy, but that hot drink is soothing in the wee hours, and you'll appreciate the caffeine hit without having to stop for the first couple of hours.
5. Food to go.
Stock up on supplies to stifle even the heartiest appetite, including plenty of fruit, homemade sandwiches and a handful of treats for those restless moments. You'll save lots of cash and have a bag of distractions to boot.
6. Music soothes the savage beast(s).
Time to forego your own interests and treat the kids to their own tunes. Let's face it, on monster road trips the car is the kids' domain. Keep a classical album or two up your sleeve when weariness settles in. For the older ones, you can't go past a Roald Dahl talking book classic like
The Witches read by Simon Callow, which is a masterpiece.
7. Activity bags.
Grab an old bag with a long strap, sling it over the front seat headrests and fill it to the brim with goodies. The kids in the back will be laughing. Books, stickers, stuffed toys and those little trinkets you've been stashing away for the last month provide hours of entertainment.
8. Don't drag it out; do the killer day.
When you're going a long way away, try to do the majority of the drive on the first day. Even if you don't make your destination, the next day won't seem so bad if you've only got a couple of hours to go.
9. Forget the DVD.
Don't give into the trap of a portable DVD player for the car. Use your imagination, play games, play music, chat to your kids — you might just learn something! Once you fall into the trap of DVDs it's all over for ever more. Break the kids into to the long drive and you'll have travellers for life.
10. Be prepared to change your plans and don't pre-book the first night.
You may have a goal for the first day, but don't be too locked in. That way you can stop when it all gets too much for the family, or keep going if everyone is coping with the journey. And even if you've got all your other accommodation sorted, try not to book that first night so you can be flexible for that first stop. Even a dodgy motel can be a fun experience.
Do you have any other tips for travelling long distances with kids? Have your say using the below comments form.
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