In America 39% of our vacations are road trips. These are opportunities to spend some valuable time with family, and see new sights. If you are going on a long car journey, try and think of this not just as a way of getting to your final destination, but as part of your vacation experience. Here are some great tips to help your family car trip go smoothly.
Choose your music carefully
The speed of the music you play in the car has a direct effect on your body. For instance, try and avoid dance music that has a more than 126 beats per minute – this sort of music is faster than your natural resting heart rate. The quick tempo will cause your heart to beat faster, increasing blood pressure too. This can make a car journey more stressful. Instead calm you and your children by playing some relaxing classical music.
Listen to audiobooks
If you want to put something different on the car stereo, how about playing some audiobooks? In America, 18% of people listen to books in the form of spoken word, it is something that children will adore – just like having a bedtime story read to them. The Roald Dahl books, and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are good family favorites, to make your journey interesting.
Take regular breaks
Little ones are not very good at sitting still for long periods of time. Make sure that you take regular journey breaks, so that everyone can stretch their legs. If you timetable these into your trip, you can use it as an excuse to visit some interesting landmarks or grab some lunch at a family-friendly diner. When planning our vacations, 68% of people choose attractions to visit along the way. From theme parks to museums, there is something to entertain every generation.
Avoid sugary snacks
Having some car snacks is essential on a long car journey with children – it stops them from getting agitated. Try and avoid candy and other sugary snacks however – they might give you an energy boost at first, but your blood sugar drops quickly after this, leading to a slump. This is when children get tired and grumpy. If you are looking for alternative sweet treats, try fruit leather, which the little ones will love, and lasts a long time.
With a little preparation, you can make your family car journey a real pleasure. It doesn’t just have to be a means of transportation, it can be part of the whole vacation experience.
These are all good tips for a family going on a trip. I have never used audiobooks on a trip.
Good advice. My Dad never wanted to stop until he got there and it drove all of us nuts, lol.
This article makes me smile. I think about my Dad, who I lost last, and how much he loved his road trips. Some of my favorite times growing up took place on those trips.
Some of the best trips we had when I was a child were car trips. Talk about being forced to get to know each other! My Mother would always pack delicious snacks and we would usually fall asleep for a couple of hours. Every summer we looked forward to the same road trips and those trips provided so many memories.