The Ultimate Family Road Trip Guide: (3 Keys to Success when Traveling with Kids!)

Let’s Make Your Next Family Road Trip with Kids a Success!

Are you thinking about taking a family road trip with your kids? Are you’re hesitating because you’re not sure if your family can handle being in one vehicle together for hours on end? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. And I’m here to give you the tools that can help turn your next road trip into a successful one.

I too, was once scared that my family would be miserable driving for hours on end. How would I handle the meltdowns? What if we kept getting on each other’s nerves? I worried that it just wouldn’t be fun. And so before our first major road trip, with three young children, I began to research what I should do. I researched to find the best travel games, activity booklets, parenting techniques and any other information that I could find. I was determined to try my best to make our first road trip successful, and it was!

Finding the Right Tools for a Successful Road Trip with Kids

Now that’s not to say it was perfect. There were definitely hiccups along the way, but that was to be expected. No road trip has everything go perfect all the time. And kids will be kids. Just know that they are going to act up at some point on your road trip. And when your family is in a small confined space (like a car), just know that there will probably be moments of stress and annoyance. This is o.k. What I want to do is help give you the tools so that you can better handle those moments. Utilizing these tools is what will make all the difference. And it is important to remember that sometimes it’s those not so perfect moments that make the best stories that you’ll all laugh about later.

For our first road trip, some of what I tried was great but some of what I tried did not work at all. But I was learning. And every road trip since then, I have been tweaking our techniques, limiting what’s “needed” for entertainment and learning how to be better organized. These are the tips I’d like to share with you.

A Successful Road Trip

After our first successful road trip, I was no longer scared of the long days in the car. And before I knew it I had planned another road trip for our family to drive from Florida to South Dakota and back in 17 days! I must have been crazy! But then in just one moment and in a single phrase from my son, on a 7 hour driving day, I knew that our road trip was a true success. This was when my son, after 5 hours into the drive, asked me “How much longer?” I simply told him “2 more hours.” He then shocked me by stating, “That’s it! Wow, this driving day has flown by fast!”

These are the words that I want you to hear from your kids.

This is the success I want you to feel.

In this Post

Tips for Planning a Long Drive With Kids

Help With Organizing Your Car for a Road Trip

Tips for Helping Your Family Enjoy a Road Trip

Tip #1 Planning Your Drive

Start driving early if possible

Kids are more tired in the early morning and less likely to act up on your road trip.
You can also cover more distance by starting early, or have more time to see something along the way.

Stop for a break at least every 1.5 – 2 hours

We try to time this with getting gas, bathroom breaks and meals.
Stopping often to stretch your legs really helps everyone feel better throughout the day.

Find 1 or more small activities to do along your route.

I use Trip Advisor’s map function and follow my route to see if there are any fun sites are along the way.
Try timing your drive so that you can drive for a couple of hours in the morning but arrive at a museum or site near to when it opens (~10am). By doing this you’ll almost forget that you’ve already driven a couple of hours that day when you get back in the car to drive more.

- These activities can be anything like small museums, short hikes, or even running around at a rest area to burn off some energy.

Late morning & late afternoon drives are the hardest with kids.

We’ve noticed that kids in general tend to be more fidgety and bother each other more during this time period. This causes more stress in the car. Seeing a quick site during this time helps your driving day go more smoothly.
We’ve also noticed that kids in general are more likely to sleep or rest in a car more right after lunch. This is a great time to drive a few hours.

The Silly Hour

I know this is going to sound strange but the Silly Hour really does happen. For our kids it usually starts around 4:30 pm and lasts until dinner (~6 pm).
I didn’t believe it at first when I heard about this but it is so true. Kids, for some reason, just start bothering each other for no reason during this time period.
I wanted to mention this here because by just being aware of this phenomenon it has allowed my husband and I to laugh off many occasions where are children would start acting up. So instead of getting mad at them, we just would both turn to each other and say, “It must be that “Magic Hour”. And then we would start looking for places to have dinner to hopefully cut the silly hour short.

Evening/ Night Driving

We’ve done this a couple of times, like when we just had to get north of Atlanta to steer clear of the next morning’s rush hour(s). Trust me, you don’t want to get caught in Atlanta’s traffic. Or when we were driving just to get to a specific destination.
But overall, I think driving at night is more dangerous and not worth the safety risk.
We have also found that getting to the hotel room not long after dinner tends to put everyone in a better mood overall on a long road trip.

Tip #2 Car Organization

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When traveling on a long road trip your car’s organization is a top priority. Without it your vehicle will quickly become a disaster. And your stress will increase when you can’t find something. Here’s how we decrease some of the clutter and some of the stress for a long road trip.

Pack a Quart Bag Full of Snacks to Keep in Your Car

Before we leave on any road trip I fix a quart bag filled with car snacks, labeled, and I keep this in my glove compartment.
I fill it with snack sized bags & individually wrapped items like :
- stick pretzels, nuts, your kid’s favorite cereal, and maybe some kind of small type of cookie (no chocolate because it will melt).
- Really it can be anything that your kids like to eat will fill them up.

Looking for Snack Ideas? Check out our 15 Favorite Snack Items!

- Foods that I would recommend staying away from are foods that crumble easily, melt easily (like chocolate), or foods that take up a lot of room and don’t really fill your kid up.
- Hard candies or some kind of gummy candy (like starbursts or gummy bears) are great to have on hands to help with potential nausea on windy roads or for when you’re just wanting something sweet.
- Gum is also great to keep on hands for long road trips.
- Breakfast Bars are also great to have on hands. I like to use these right before we go into a museum, if lunch may be late, or before we go on a long hike. This way you’re not hearing “I’m hungry” right when you start.

Each Person Has Their Own Water Bottle in the Car

This has saved us so much time, money and eliminated the “I’m thirsty” comment when on a long road trip.
In our family each person has their own colored water bottle which simplifies things. Each morning we fill them all up at the hotel with ice and water. This way throughout the day anyone can easily take a drink if they are thirsty and we don’t need to stop just for that.
This is also great to use when hiking. Almost every National Park and a lot of museums have water fill stations too. If you don’t already have water bottles at home, here’s a link to the ones that we love. A Nalgene 16 oz bottle. We love how the lid is attached on these bottles and that they are easy to clean on a road trip since there aren’t little parts that need to be taken apart and washed. I also love how they are clear so I can easily see how much my kids are drinking so I know if I need to encourage them to drink more (especially in a hot climate.)

Have Just One Backpack for All Your Kid’s Stuff.

(Yes, just one)

Bare with me on this one. In reality kids actually do better with less. It’s weird but true. And the less they bring, the easier it is for them to find what they want. There’s also less that they can lose or that you have to help them keep track of. Therefore, there is less stress.
We have all 3 of our kids put their stuff in one backpack and we’ve found that this works really well.
First, make sure you bring their “lovie” or that special toy that they can’t live without. When our kids had several we had them chose one or maybe two if they were small, with the promise that the other special toy could go on the next trip. We always encourage choosing smaller items when possible.
This bag is kept at our children’s feet in the car for their convenience. We also designate one child to be responsible for it. This means that they are in charge of carrying it in and out of hotel rooms.
Originally we used one of their school backpacks for their toys on road trips but we found these to be really big and bulky at their feet.
- For our last couple of trips we switched to using this really awesome backpack that sits easier at our kids feet in the car. It’s made by Outlander.
- We love that it is light weight, collapses easier when stuff is taken out, has several pockets, water bottle holders and easily wipes clean if it gets dirty. It works perfectly for us! It also comes in several colors and sizes. Click here to view this backpack.

Journal/ Pencil Case

I like keeping all of our kid’s writing and drawing utensils in one convenient place. Their notebook journals go in their bag or in the seat pocket of the car and all writing utensils go in a their pencil case.
A pencil case can be found at any office supply store or just use your child’s case from school. If you’re looking to buy one, we found that a flat pencil case with two pockets like the one found HERE works the best.

Packing Cubes

I love packing cubes! And I love using them to help keep our kid’s toys organized.
We like to use a packing cube for all of our children’s small toys/ manipulatives (which by the way are my favorite travel toys!)

Need Small Toy Ideas? The Best Road Trip Toys For Kids (non-electronic)

I always label each cube using masking tape so we quickly know what is inside. We like these packing cubes from Eagle Creek and found that they work the best. They are not preformed and stiff like some. This allows a child to conveniently place the bag hanging out of a seat pocket in front of them, squish it into the car door compartment or more easily get it back into their toy bag.
Eagle creek also has Compression Cubes which are great if you’re needing one that can expand as you kids collect more toys/ souvenirs on your vacation. Click here for the link to Eagle Creek’s Compression Cube Set. These packing cubes are lifesavers at keeping kids small toys organized.
Another place I use a packing cube in the car is for all of our electronic chargers, cords and spare batteries so that they are all in one spot.

Quart/ Gallon Bags for Your Children’s Treasures

Before any road trip I label one quart sized bag and one gallon sized bag for each child with “Child’s name Treasures”. I roll these bags up with a rubber band and place it in their toy bag.
This way if they find coins on the street, a pretty shell, or some other keepsake they have a place to put it and keep it separate from their sibling’s keepsakes. This alone has saved us a lot of stress.

Roaring Fork Road Georgia - Smoky Mountains Guide

Miscellaneous Items We Love to Have on A Road Trip

A bunch of bags that can be used as trash bags in the car or as a throw up bag if someone gets sick. We keep one in the glove compartment, one in my day bag, one in the kid’s bag, and one in the back seat pocket for quick access. I tend to reuse plastic bags like ones from shopping or from the grocery.
One roll of paper towel. We keep this under a seat. This comes in really handy to quickly clean up spills.
One towel. We also keep this under a seat. I have been surprised at how many times we’ve needed to use our towel for spills, wiping sand off feet, or even using as a temporary sunshade for the kids back window on a long, sunny driving day.
One car sunshade. This is especially important if you are traveling in the summer to a hot environment like Arizona or New Mexico. There’s nothing worse than getting into a scorching hot car. If you don’t already have one, here’s a quick link to a great sunshade.
Kid travel pillow. We have tried several types out there and our kids really like a standard small toddler pillow like the one HERE the best. This packs easy and isn’t too bulky but is comfortable to sleep on in the car.
In Our Glove Compartment we also stick in a travel pack of tissues, a small brush and a travel pack of wet wipes.

Tip #3 Help Your Family Enjoy Your Road Trip

A road trip can be so much fun! Here are some amazing tips that we have learned along the way that have helped make our road trips a blast!

Get Kids Involved With Where They Are Going

Get out a Map

One simple technique that really helps engage kids on road trips is to show them on a map (or Google Maps) where you are in the world and where you will be going that day.
Children like to know what is going on. Show them their exact location on a map and let them know your approximate arrival time. Help them visualize the distance.
Let your child zoom in or zoom out on the map so they can really get a good idea of your route.
- This empowers a child and they are less likely to ask, “Are we there yet?” And if they do, just tell them to look at the map.

Talk about What You See

Another technique we use to engage our kids on road trips is to discuss how the land is changing as we drive.

- Is the land full of mountains? Farms? A Desert?
- What animals live there?
- Point out any plant life that is changing?
- Get kids thinking about where they are and how it is different or similar to where they live.

Fun Facts

- Before each road trip I like to look up fun facts about the area that we will be in or the destinations that we will be going to.
- Kids love Fun Facts and it will help them remember more about where they are and what they are visiting.
- About twenty minutes before we arrive at any destination, I pull out my fun facts list and start telling our kids about what we will be seeing and what’s great about it. I use this time to build their excitement so that when we arrive they are excited to see that site too.

Bristlecone Pine Forest in California Family Vacation

The first thing that everyone needs to realize on a long road trip is that something is going to go wrong, someone is going to get cranky, and there will be that moment when someone melts. (yes, this includes parents.)
Now that you know it’s going to happen, let’s talk about how to not let it ruin your road trip.
- This is where the art of redirection comes into play.
- Before your road trip, make a list of ideas that could potentially redirect a melt down.
  - For me this is – turning on music to a song that they like or asking for a song request, offering a small snack or asking them to tell you about something that they love to talk about.
- The moment you notice someone starting to act up, you can immediately pull out one of your methods of redirection and hopefully stop the melt down before it starts.
- This also works on other adults traveling with you. Snacks or suggesting to stop at a gas station/rest stop work great to help everybody’s mood.
This is a skill, that once mastered, can turn any road trip into a success.

Driving the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia

Empower Your Kids

This is one of my favorite methods that has lead to many a successful road trip for our family.
What I mean by this is that before any vacation or any road trip, we always take our kids aside and let them in on this secret:

Kids Have the Power to Make This a Good Trip or a Miserable Trip.

Have each child go through situations that would make your road trip a good one.
Then have them go through situations that would make your road trip miserable.
Ask them what they can do specifically to make this road trip good or bad.
Finally tell them that the power to have a great road trip is in their hands.
My kids respond extremely well to this method because they now know what they should expect of themselves. And when they slip, because they will, all you have to do is ask them if their behavior is making this a good road trip or not.
Our kids will almost always quickly changed their behavior, and I hope can happen for you as well.

For the Adults On Your Family Road Trip

Tricks to Easily Enjoy Local Craft Beer or Wine
- Here’s some tricks that we’ve learned on how to enjoy a good local craft beer or local vineyard even if you don’t want to visit with your kids (or think it wouldn’t be enjoyable with kids).
- Stop by the Brew Pub/ vineyard for lunch when the atmosphere is more family friendly.
- If they don’t have food, stop in and buy some to take with you to enjoy at the hotel that night.
- We use this AMAZING cooler bag by IceMule to keep our craft brewed beer cold. It’s super easy to bring into a hotel (to have an evening beverage when the kids go to sleep). It’s also easy to fill with ice and to drain it. When you’re not using it you can just roll it up so it’s quickly out of the way.
- We use the 20L size. This size is perfect for our family of five and is large enough to hold five drinks and five sandwiches for a picnic lunch. If you are looking for something smaller, IceMule also makes 10 and a 15L sized cooler bag.
- We also use this cooler bag to throw in a block of cheese after visiting a cheese factory, for keeping fruit like grapes to snack on cold and to keep extra water bottles cold. Having fruit on hands on a long road trip is really nice and having cold water available is so wonderful when visiting hot environments like Death Valley.

Taking a road trip is such a wonderful experience and with the right tools and attitude can be a success for any family. Treasure these moments before your children grow up. Try and put aside any momentary frustration on a road trip and remember to look at the big picture. Road trips give a rare opportunity to you where you have an incredible amount of time to bond, create memories and really get to know each other.

This guide lists just some of the things that you can do to help your family have a successful family road trip. I chose these tips to share with you because I really feel that they have helped our family the most. Using these tips we have had successful road trips all over North America and I really hope that they can help your family too!

I hope you enjoyed this guide for creating a successful family road trip!

Here’s to Your Next Family Road Trip Being a Complete Success!!

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Let’s Make Your Next Family Road Trip with Kids a Success!