Top Essential Tips for a Family Road Trip.

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…

1. Pack light, Pack Smart.

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:

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. d) Camp equipment if you’re going to be pitching a tent- in which case I imagine this would require an additional trailer. e) Your own clothing, shoes squashed into the last remaining available space.

2. ‘Keep Kids Happy’ Box

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.

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.

3. Roadside Assistance and International Driver’s license.

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.

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.

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.

5. Road tripping Music and Games for the Adults.

Whilst my parents insist on playing ‘the wheels on the bus’ and other toddler hits while traveling with our son, we refuse to put ourselves through that torture. We have to stay sane and happy too so make sure you store great music on your phone ( and check if the car allows you to connect) or go ‘old school’ with mixed cds of your choice. If you’re going off the grid, local radio stations will probably disappear and you’ll want something to drown out the whining of the kids and/or their tablets and keep your spirits high.

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.