Collaborative Post
When travelling with the family, it can get extremely stressful so it is important to do the best you can to survive the long journey with as little stress as possible. Here are five top tips for surviving a long car journey.
Take Entertainment
If you have kids then entertainment is a must. Whether that is an in car game, books or tablets, take some items that will distract them and avoid the constant cries of ‘are we there yet?’. I know my two can be so annoying on a long drive so we pack a variety of things and usually have a book on Audible ready to go too to keep them quiet.
Share The Driving
If there are a few different drivers in the car, then consider sharing the driving. You can now get one hour car insurance for short term insurance needs which is perfect for additional drivers on long journeys. Sometimes people have got their licence but may not currently have a car – thus don’t have insurance. This insurance enables them to share the driving whilst being covered.
Have An Emergency Kit
It always baffles me how few people have emergency kits in their cars. You never know when you might need it. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to avoid it, we can easily get stuck in traffic for hours on end – and people get hungry and thirsty at that time. Always make sure you have some food and water readily available plus a first aid kit for any injuries and spare tyres or an air pressure kit for any problems you might have with your car. Why risk going without?
Take Frequent Breaks
It sounds so simple but so many people don’t want to stop when on the road. But frequent breaks are a great way to to break up the journey and reduce the stress. You can use these breaks to grab some food and drink, go to the toilet or simply stretch your legs. Just make sure you know where the nearest Services are so you can plan your stops along the way. We often drive to Lincolnshire to see Steve’s parents but there’s no services for about 45 minutes before we get there so we always have to definitely stop at the last one because it’s a long time to go without a drink or a toilet break!
Allow Sleep
Obviously the driver cannot sleep and it is best that the front passenger doesn’t either – there’s nothing worse than someone driving and everyone else sleeping! However, no matter their age, if some of the passengers are feeling sleepy, let them sleep. It is much better for them to feel rested than to have an irritable child on your hands. My two always fall asleep in the car, despite being 9 and 4, and we found it is much easier to just wake them at a rest stop or our destination – plus we quite like the peace and quiet we get too!
These are just a few top tips for surviving a long journey with family – do you have any?