Top Essential Tips for a Family Road Trip.

Prepare Your Vehicle

A road trip means you’ll be out there for some time. Your car will both be your transportation and home while you’re on the road. That’s why make sure that it’s not only you but also your automobile that’s ready for the road trip.

Equip your vehicle with essential car accessories for protection and convenience. If you’re driving a Mitsubishi Pajero, find some quality car accessories here. Next, get your car checked and maintained. From the battery to the tires, have everything looked over by a mechanic to avoid car troubles when you’re in the middle of nowhere.

1. Pack light, Pack Smart.

2. ‘Keep Kids Happy’ Box

We are the ultimate lovers of road tripping and have enjoyed some epic road trips in Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, Vietnam, Hawaii to name a few. Now that we have a two year old, road tripping is a completely different ball game. One where you need to think smart, prepare and pack everything you need to keep everyone sane and happy on the road. Here’s some essentials and tips to assist you on your next family road trip…

Bringing out new toys for Caleb pre-road trip.

a)Toddler’s entertainment: essential toys for playtime in the car and whilst you’ve arrived.

b)Toddler’s clothing, toiletries and meal prep equipment ( milk bottles etc)

c)Food and drinks for the journey.

e) Your own clothing, shoes squashed into the last remaining available space.

f) Pack one or two nice and comfortable graphic hoodies if you’re traveling somewhere cooler. Fold clothes properly to maximize luggage space.

Um, pack light with a toddler you say? That seems like mission impossible as toddlers come with packs of nappies, wipes, milk, bottles, toys and endless options for clothing changes, but choose your battles and your priorities. While a car is great for storing all your masses of stuff needed to occupy your kids, you will at some point need to lug it all to your campsite or hotel and you’ll wish you rethought the bike, the scooter and the massive toy car. Our packing priorities usually look like this:

This box requires expert thinking into what will keep your kids busiest for the longest amount of time, keep them happy and stop them getting hungry. We never leave the house for road trips, restaurants or holidays without Caleb’s tablet. I these situations saved videos are your ultimate friends and will keep the tantrums and whining to a minimum. Choose snacks, fruits and foods that will take a long time to peel, chew or consume ( minus choking hazards) as these guarantee more essential times of contentment for both parents and kids e.g apples, little raisins and dried cranberries in a bowl, orange segments ( although this can get really messy). A good trick is to ask your kids/toddlers which toys they want to take, hopefully they choose the ones they’ll use for the next little while.

Are you ready for your road trip?

Stickers and sticky notes are great for toddlers as they are not always into coloring yet but love the action and being able to create pictures easily. Buy a few small, new toys and little games and only reveal them once in the car. Kids get so tired of old toys but bring out fresh stock and they will stay excited for longer. One of the best gifts we have ever received is a ‘Tray and Play’,which is ultimately a tray you can strap onto the car seat with pockets for toys, crayons, snacks and juices with a wide tray space for kids to use. Aside for the tab, this tray has allowed caleb to use trucks, trains and more and really made for happy car journeys.

Clever entertainment for the kids is key! Photo Credit: Shutterstock Images.

3. Roadside Assistance and International Driver’s license.

Make sure you can get assistance when you need it most. Photo credit: Shutterstock images.

If you’re planning to road trip in Australia, visit mynrma.com.au for more information on their app and roadside assistance benefits.

4. Overnight Bags.

Johannesburg in 48 hours

5. Road tripping Music and Games for the Adults.

Whichever country you’re in, don’t forget to take an updated International Driver’s license with you and have a roadside assistance emergency number with you. ( as well as a local sim card). When stuck in the middle of nowhere in your own country or another one ( especially with kids), you want to know that help is only a call away. Most car rental companies will have a number available so make sure you keep this on hand and browse where their closest branches are along the route you will be taking. Before renting the car, make sure all the essential emergency equipment is in the car and that you know where they are located before setting off on your journey.

Pump those beats and keep the driver and co-pilot happy. Photo Credit: Shutterstock images.

Get Road trip ready and enjoy the journey. Photo Credit: Shutterstock images.

If you couldn’t pack as lightly as you hoped and like my husband, can never leave without a huge suitcase, then pack an overnight essential bag which includes soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, cloth, towel, underwear, one change of clothing and nightwear. If you do happen to find yourself stuck somewhere or needing to overnight unexpectedly after getting lost and arriving in the middle of the night, this bag could save you time. Instead of hauling everything out of the car for a quick stay, you could grab the overnight bag, refresh and jump back into the car a lot quicker.

MyNRMA is an Australian motoring organisation that provides a range of services to the members and community, including roadside assistance, International Drivers Licenses, car reviews, road safety guides, travel guides, car loans, and many more diverse motoring, travel and lifestyle benefits.

Thank you to MyNRMA for sponsoring this post. All views and opinions about road tripping remain our own.

1. Pack light, Pack Smart.

2. ‘Keep Kids Happy’ Box

3. Roadside Assistance and International Driver’s license.

4. Overnight Bags.

5. Road tripping Music and Games for the Adults.

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