Planning a Road Trip or longing and desperate for one? Don’t be discouraged by the endless hours ahead of you. Car trips can be fun if you get creative and plan them well. These tricks will help transform your next car ride into an exciting adventure.
Devise a Flexible Plan
Map out your route, including places to stop for food and breaks. Allow yourself to be spontaneous. If you see a quaint town, or a farmer’s market, pull over. Talk to the locals, buy a nifty souvenir, load up on homegrown veggies, and eat some local grub.
Part of flexibility is limit driving time to eight hours or less a day. Not only is it safer to drive less, but it also allows you some free time to stop and enjoy a diversion here or there. On top of driving less, alternate drivers if possible, having everyone do 2-3 hour shifts to minimize fatigue.
Avoid driving late into the night. Pulling an all-nighter means the other passengers doze off, leaving a lonely driver yawning and blinking into the night. Scheduling a healthy dose of sleep on any road trip is crucial for everyone’s safety—and sanity. Trust us; it’ll be more fun if everyone is rested.
The 9 Hack Mantras
With that statistic in mind, you should take steps to prepare for long drives before you get behind the wheel—and to stay alert and energised throughout your trip. These tips for long drives will help you down the road.
- Get plenty of sleep before you drive or ask your driver or partner the same.
- Bring healthy road trip snacks. You buy something in the middle or not, but this is necessary.
- Stay Hydrated and plan your rest stops and caution your public toilet usage. UTI safety is surely a big deal.
- Chew gum and try to sit up straight. Trust us, your alertness shall never go in vain while you enjoy.
- Use energising scent like peppermint or lemon to keep you boosted.
- Have car-friendly games like fill in the blanks stories, jingle to single songs, find the license plate games or magnetic chess. You won’t feel the travel fatigue to full.
- Carry books and load your cell or Car Media player with long trip songs to keep yourself and others entertained.
- Get your pictures of places you see and thus the full tech set of cameras, chargers, power banks, or ones you feel important.
- Get a hand fan and mosquito repellant cream. It may be useful in surprise hiccups in your travel.
Old-Fashioned Car Games Are Still Pretty Fun
Want to unglue everyone from their devices? There are plenty of classic car games from the days before portable gadgets.
The license plate game: see how many states you can find.
Alphabet signs: point out signs and billboards that start with the next letter of the alphabet.
Scavenger hunt: Make a list ahead of time of things to point out or collect during pit stops. Get creative, such as a plastic fork from every gas station, or a list of fast-food restaurants you see.
Solo Activities Can Keep You Sane
If you need a break from engaging with others, consider some of these low-key activities (obviously just for the passengers—it’ll be a few years yet before the driver can read a book safely).
- Read a book
- Do some journaling
- Complete a crossword puzzle
- Knit or crochet (watch those needles on bumpy roads)
- Write postcards to family and friends back home
- Coloring (it’s not just for kids)
Whatever you do, it’s nice to have a mental break and focus on a task that doesn’t need a second player or conversational partner.
Activities for Kids
Many of the mentioned tricks will work for both kids and adults. Here are a few extra tips to keep those kids from whining, “Are we there yet?”
- Use muffin tins as an activity tray for stringing beads, organizing play-doh, small trinkets, stickers, etc.
- Keep plenty of snacks easily accessible, in a portable snack cup or a lunch box.
- Invest in a bottle warmer to keep milk ready for babies and toddlers.
- Wrap up new toys in bubble wrap. Offer one every few hours. Your kids will be excited to open a “present,” and then have hours of fun popping the bubble wrap (now would be an excellent time to turn up that playlist).
- Consider games like hangman, magnetic checkers, and tic-tac-toe. It’s never too early to start them on the Rubik’s cube.
- Find places for the kids to expel excess energy, such as a playground or a rest stop with plenty of trees for climbing.
At last, Adventure Along the Way
Compile a list of hiking trails, museums, national parks, iconic attractions, and popular restaurants along your route (or within a short detour). Try to include exercise during your breaks; this will help stretch those achy muscles, get some oxygen to your brain, and break up the monotony of the endless highway. Why not engage in a quick game of mini golf after lunch? The loser gets to empty all the trash from the car.