We love to travel.  Our family motto is, “Have car, will travel!”  We’ve traveled thousands of kilometers in our VW Jetta or Honda Odyssey Mini-Van, all over the USA and Canada.  We’ve learned a few helpful tips along the way.  So whether you’re traveling to a condo in Florida (I WISH!) or camping your way up to the Yukon, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Communication

Keeping everyone on the trip informed is helpful for lowering stress levels and making family travel more enjoyable. Communication between spouses is very likely the most important part of a good trip.  Be clear with your partner what your plans and expectations of the trip are, and keep discussing those things along the way.  As our kiddos have gotten bigger, we have found it more and more helpful to talk with them before, during and after the trip, clearly explaining the general plan and expectations for the trip, and options we have if things don’t go according to our first plan.  In addition, the kiddos can also be encouraged to communicate appropriately with each other (i.e., no yelling in the car, avoiding arguments in the back seat, etc.).

Pressing the limits

Many families plan for and enjoy the possibility of grand adventures together.  It can be an immensely bonding time, in addition to being fun, when you decide to reach beyond your comfort zone and try some new things. Those things might include doing something you haven’t ever done before, or traveling to new places, to press beyond your limits and explore together as a family.  However, be sensitive to the limits of each family member. Don’t push anyone too far outside of their comfort zone, too fast – otherwise you run the possibility of ruining the trip for them, and possibly for the whole family.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

One important thing to remember is that while you’re traveling, and being together in each others’ space for long periods of time, the best and the worst of your family members can both come out.  You will almost definitely make some fantastic memories, but it is also possible that you will experience some of your worse moments together.  Even the sweetest children who are tired, experiencing motion-sickness, or are bored are rarely on their best behaviour, and stressed out, hungry and silence-deprived parents aren’t any better.  Allow for time-outs outside the vehicle, and give each other extra space. Remembering to be gracious with one another can also save a lot of ugliness from happening on your family road trip!

An ounce of prevention…

They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the same is true with trip preparation.  Advanced planning can save a whole lot of headaches.  Carefully plan where you’re going, what routes you will be driving, what you’re doing along the way, where you’ll be staying and stopping, etc. before you hit the road.  Realize that plans can and WILL change along the way, so flexibility will be important.  But having a general plan of how you hope things to go will help save much energy and hassle while on the trip itself.

Family trips can be made easier and more enjoyable.  They can be truly great when you keep an open mind, and considere these tips.  No matter where you’re headed, a little advance prep and some good communication along the way will keep everyone on the same page.  Pushing a bit beyond your limits, and enduring both the good and the bad together, will undoubtedly make some great family road trip memories!