One of the most classic and beloved vacations for a family is a road trip. Vacations are wonderful, but traveling to the destination can be fun, enjoyable, and memorable as well – especially if your car is the main mode of transportation. Before heading out on vacation, remember these tips to make your car the ultimate travel tool for the next family road trip: 
Pack necessary and essential items
Your car should be equipped with: an emergency kit, copies of your insurance and identification, items to combat particular weather conditions (i.e. snow chains, ponchos,), additional chargers for electronics, jumper cables, another battery, and a spare tire; these items are necessary and essential. Unexpected situations happen all the time: someone falls and scrapes their knee, a nail gets run over on the road, the battery suddenly dies, etc. You want to be prepared for anything and everything!
Schedule basic maintenance to ensure everything in your vehicle will perform efficiently
If your car operates efficiently, the road trip will be much smoother and safer. Take it into the auto-shop to receive a maintenance check-up. Ensure headlights are blinking, double check the tires, see if brakes are working correctly, charge the car battery, change oil if necessary, and look to see that no transmission fluids are leaking.
Pack minimally to maximize space
Regardless of how large a vehicle may be, an entire family packed into one can feel overly cramped. Encourage your family to compromise on bringing certain personal belongings on the trip and instead share luggage with others; this lessens the load on the car, keeps it organized, and simultaneously maximizes space. As a result, everyone can sit back, relax, and take advantage of the extra wiggle-room as they please.
Prioritize the comfort of every passenger
Road trips can make anyone feel antsy or anxious after a certain amount of time. Therefore, the car should be equipped to combat those circumstances! Each person will have different needs that enable them to be comfortable, so take into consideration the passengers of your vehicle. For example, you may be traveling with your spouse, young children, and a pet. Since your spouse will most likely sit in the front seat, they would benefit from having a soft pillow and blanket to keep them cozy. On the other hand, young children can be given toys, games, or snacks to reduce the likelihood of them throwing a tantrum during the road trip. Lastly, a pet should have access to portable food and water bowls and be securely kept them in their carrier; you should also pack any additional pet accessories and medications for them as well.
Have the whole family participate in the road trip
Every person can provide their own unique contribution to the road trip. For example, ask your spouse their opinions on what restaurants at the destination they think the family will enjoy together. On the other hand, let your teen choose music, podcasts, or audiobooks to listen to during the drive. Alternatively, encourage children to keep a lookout for local spots and attractions on the road that weren’t a part of the original itinerary. Everyone should feel they are a significant part of this trip – even though they inherently are!
Before you drive off into the sunset on that beautiful open road with your loved ones, prepare the car for the long journey ahead, keep your organization skills consistent, and make sure that every passenger is having just as much fun as you. Remember, a road trip is about both the journey and destination!
Bio: Trevor is a freelance writer and a self-proclaimed “Travelholic” currently writing for Hyundai Atlanta. He enjoys traveling to parts unknown, sampling local cuisines, and sharing his experiences with the world. In his free time, you can find him planning his next trip or outside enjoying about any type of fitness activity imaginable.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Thanks for sharing this. Your tips are very helpful. I am a travel freak and travel a lot. Next year Alaska is on my card.Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness., and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Next year I definitely want to explore Albany.
People often have a theme that they base their worldly travels on, but how about a mental mantra for your travel? Out of a cheerleading event that consisted of our family shouting supportive words at our daughter who was attempting to kill a rather monstrous spider that the rest of us were too chicken to get close to, came this great quote, �If you don�t think, and you just do�.then it�s done!�
This quote came back to haunt me when on vacation in Seattle. I thought it would be a great idea to take the kids on the Seattle Great Wheel, the ferris wheel overlooking the ocean, but as we approached it, I realized how high it went and immediately panicked! Just as I had decided to put the kids on it on their own, my daughter says, �Come on dad�If you don�t think, and you just do�.then it�s done!� What could I do at that point?! She was telling me to stop thinking and creating more fear about the situation and just get on the thing!
�If you don�t think, and you just do, then it�s done!� We all now keep this quote in our back pocket, ready to whip out at any time to push one of us forward into an adventure we know they won�t regret. No hesitations, don�t allow any time for fear to set in, and be prepared for your kids to turn your life advice back on you
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You are just amazing, The way you explained the tips and tricks is just amazing cheers.