12 hours in a car, 8 restroom breaks, 10 threats to turn around… and finally, you made it. Road trips can be AMAZING, or AWFUL. If you are not prepared, your fun vacation can start on a sour note. Here are a few tips that I have learned on how to avoid delays, keep everyone happy, and get to the fun faster!

1. Pack a “car” bag and small cooler. Fill these with everything that you could possibly need. Some salty foods like chips, healthy snacks like apples and Go-Gurt, water, beef jerky, and Uncrustables. Pro tip: freeze water bottles to help keep everything cold and then drink them once they defrost, this saves space with freezer packs. Anything you can easily grab or reach in the back to satisfy some hungry belly’s. In your bag you should include things like a throw blanket and neck pillows, Tylenol, motion sickness medicine, dental floss, nail clippers, band aids, wet wipes, and the dreaded vomit bag. These will quickly come in handy and can avoid a stop to pilfer through bags in the trunk to find what you need.Even if you are not traveling with kids, these are my go-to items. It can seriously slow you down with every stop that you make. I timed it once taking a quick rest stop off the interstate and even with me hurrying as fast as I could, it delayed us 15 minutes. When I have my nieces and nephew with me, it is easily a 30 minute delay.
2. Be prepared with activities. My car does not have a way to play videos for kids to be entertained, and lets face it, even if it did I would prefer my kids be engaged in educational and fun games. My friend Andrea at Sharing my Favorites has compiled an awesome list of games and activities that are sure to keep everyone entertained. You can read her suggestions here. Keeping everyone happy can be a challenge, but keeping everyone entertained and excited can help prevent sibling conflict and make for a much more enjoyable drive.
3. Maybe it is just my family, but part of preparing for a vacation was a major vehicle cleaning the day before. MythBusters proved that a clean car gets better gas mileage (2 MPG more according to their test). That does not sound like much, but lets break that down.

As you can see, the savings can easily add up to be much more than the price of the car wash, plus you have a clean car! I also recommend completely cleaning the inside and prepping for the trip with a small trash can, extra garbage bags, paper towels, and anything else you may need handy. Make sure you also check your oil, windshield washer fluid, coolant, and power steering fluid as you don’t want any breakdowns when you are hours from home.

4. If it is possible to spread out your trip, consider finding some cool spots that are near your path and take a break. Yes, this extends your trip, but two 6 hour days are much more enjoyable than one 12 hour in a car. Plus, the stop could turn out to be really cool and memorable. Search for state parks, historic sites, and natural wonders around the halfway point of your trip. Remember to use my tips on How to Travel on a Budget so that extra stops don’t break the bank.

Some of my fondest memories are from the road trip to the vacation spot. Crazy, I know. If you go prepared, everyone will have a great time and new memories will be sure to be made. Happy travels!