Road Trip by Car with Kids
How to Plan Your Route
If you need to prepare for a road trip by car with kids, you’re in the right place! We’re here to free you from any pre-departure anxiety, reminding you that kids are the best travel companions you can have!
Here, the key words are “minimal” and “slow,” focusing on the quality of the experience rather than the number of places visited. In our travels, we don’t try to see everything but instead enjoy the journey and time without stress. This is even more important during a road trip by car with kids. Our itineraries are very flexible, leaving room for unexpected events, play, study, and work. We never overload our weeks, living day by day and planning each stop to savor every moment in the most authentic and serene way.
Traveling this way isn’t a walk in the park; it requires abandoning all classic preconceptions, but I assure you that your road trip will benefit greatly.
Preparing the Car for a Road Trip with Kids
In our minimal and slow travel style, preparing the car is essential to ensure maximum comfort and safety for the little ones.
We always start with context: we are the ones who traveled for 2 years through Asia, backpacking with kids; so we are used to adapting and traveling with very few things.
Our advice is to pack your bags and then remove a few items because we always take too many things that we don’t need and that weigh us down.
In this article, we’re talking about a road trip by car with kids, so we have a lot more space available… but that doesn’t mean we have to fill every inch!
Comfort and Safety: Ensuring the Well-being of the Little Ones on Your Road Trip with Kids
Before talking about luggage, it is essential to make a clarification: during a road trip by car with kids, attention to the comfort and safety of the kids is a priority. We opt for comfortable car seats and reliable safety devices to ensure that every moment spent in the car is pleasant and safe for them. Remember, traveling light allows you to maintain vital space and make every car ride a positive experience.
Kids will have to spend quite a bit of time in the car, and it is necessary that they maintain a correct position but also that they can move to stretch out so as not to turn your road trip by car with kids into a continuous argument with them.
Everything in Its Place: Stress-Free Road Trip by Car with Kids
In our minimalist approach, the golden rule is to travel light. Our advice is to minimize the items on board, focusing on what is essential to make the trip enjoyable. This not only simplifies the preparation of the car but also offers more space and order, as well as greater agility in movements.
Remember that a road trip usually involves several stops: loading and unloading the car each time should not be a reason for fatigue and stress.
Our Must-Haves for a Road Trip by Car with Kids
Below, I leave you a list of all the products we use for our road trips and that, after testing them, we can no longer do without.
- Roof box. I know it’s a significant purchase, but we can’t imagine traveling without it. Having the trunk free to place the daypack, jackets (if going to a cold place), and a quick change for the kids is a great convenience.
- Seat organizers. : We have installed these organizers on the two front seats, on the side facing the kids. This way, they have access to games and colors they can use during the trip. These organizers have many pockets, and one is specially designed for a water bottle: this way, the kids are autonomous, and the trip doesn’t turn into a continuous “Mom, I’m hungry,” “Mom, I’m thirsty.”
- Packing cubes. To avoid going crazy looking for clothes, we chose to use different colored (but transparent) bags to organize everyone’s clothes. This way, the clothes remain well-organized and are easily accessible even if they’re on the car roof.
- Phone holder. For us, it’s indispensable to always have the navigator in sight.
Fun Along the Way: Entertaining the Little Ones During a Road Trip by Car with Kids
Putting fun first along the way is crucial to maintaining a peaceful atmosphere during the trip, even when the hours of driving start to weigh on everyone.
Games and Activities: Keeping the Kids Occupied and Happy
Traveling light doesn’t mean traveling without games, but choosing the right ones. We opt for games that can be enjoyed without taking up too much space and that keep the kids calm.
The kids’ happiness is the key to a positive travel experience.
Here’s a list of our must-have games:
- Crayons and notebooks
- Travel diary where each kid can write their impressions
- Toy cars (for Aldo)
- Sewing kit (for Giulia)
- One stuffed animal each
- Some books (which we are happy to exchange with other kids we meet on the road)
- Memory game
- Monopoly (obviously without the box)
- Printable games
For these, a clarification is needed: I recently discovered many printable board games on the Freed website that turned out to be perfect for our trip. I printed and laminated everything, then put each game in a transparent envelope and keep everything in a folder. The games we printed are:
- Scrabble
- Battleship
- Checkers and Chess (though we brought real pieces)
- Goose Game
Playlist and Multimedia Entertainment: Making the Road Trip by Car with Kids More Enjoyable
In our adventure, music and multimedia entertainment play a crucial role. Creating engaging playlists and selecting interesting multimedia content make the trip more enjoyable. With our relaxed approach, we enjoy moments of relaxation listening to our favorite music or watching movies during breaks, ensuring a harmonious and satisfying travel experience for the whole family.
Nutrition and Well-Being During the Road Trip by Car with Kids
When traveling on the road with young kids, it’s essential to pay particular attention to everyone’s nutrition and well-being to ensure each stop is filled with positive energy.
Snacks and Energy for the Whole Family
Choosing nutritious foods and drinks that keep energy levels high is crucial for a smooth trip. It’s known that on the road, you tend not to pay too much attention to what you eat, but when traveling with kids, especially for medium/long periods, it’s important to maintain a proper diet.
To avoid endless stops, all snacks are based on fresh and dried fruit. Since we are vegetarians, this allows us to gather a good daily dose of nutrients without worrying too much about balance.
For hydration, we have our trusty travel companion Brita, a pitcher with an integrated filter that we fill at every faucet and then filter into our thermal bottles. Although a bit bulky, Brita comes with us even for backpacking road trips.
Right Timing for Stops
We travel without rushing, which allows us to make numerous healthy stops along the way. These breaks let the kids move around, play, and exercise. The freedom to explore the surroundings during breaks not only refreshes the body but also invigorates the spirit. We are aware of the importance of maintaining a balance between car travel and physical activity, ensuring that every stop is an opportunity for fun and staying active.
Lately, we’ve also brought their skates with us, happily stored in the trunk from where the kids quickly take them out for a spin between drives.
This way of approaching the trip allows us to stop for a few hours to let the kids play outdoors; doing so, once we get back in the car, with full bellies, Aldo and Giulia often give us a few hours of sleep and silence, which during a road trip with young kids is never a bad thing.
Pros and Cons of a Road Trip by Car with Kids
In our road trip with kids, careful preparation is the key to a stress-free and joyful experience.
We definitely travel very minimally, but as in any adventure, we realize there are pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- Freedom and Flexibility: Our unhurried approach allows the freedom to explore at our own pace, adapting the itinerary to the needs of the moment.
- Authentic Moments: Traveling light allows for more authentic experiences, focusing on the quality of the trip rather than the quantity of places visited.
- Kids’ Well-being: This type of travel creates an environment conducive to discovery for kids, making them enthusiastic and serene.
Cons:
- Prolonged Travel Time: Even though it’s always a pro for us, I realize that those with traditional jobs may find it difficult to manage a prolonged absence.
- Additional Planning: Traveling light requires careful planning to ensure you have everything you need without excesses; it involves organizing laundry moments and being careful not to irreparably dirty what you have.
- Necessary Improvisations: Some might consider stops and improvisations along the way as an inconvenience rather than an advantage.
In the end, our way of traveling emphasizes the authentic experience and the well-being of the family. By finding the balance between freedom and organization, every journey becomes an unforgettable adventure.
In this article, we’ve explored everything you might need for a road trip by car with kids. We focused more on what’s essential to improve the vacation and the kids’ moments in the car.
As digital nomads, we also have other essential items for our work like devices and photography equipment, but this is a very subjective aspect. If you’re interested in knowing which equipment we can’t do without on a trip, here’s the link to the article “Content that Rocks with Star Equipment.”
Digitally Yours
☀️ Sara ☀️
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