Heading out on an RV trip with kids may feel overwhelming, but it really doesn’t have to be. I’ve been all over the country with my two kids, and we have an absolute blast. Of course, we have had to learn some tricks along the way in order to reach the point where traveling with kids is actually fun. Here are my top road trip tips for families.
Choose Short Drives
The first thing we had to learn was to keep travel days short. When we started RVing, we would sometimes drive for 8 or 10 hours a day. As you might imagine, nobody was very happy after so much driving. It didn’t take long before we shortened our average travel day to 200 miles or less.
Yes, this does sometimes mean stopping for a couple of nights in different places before reaching our final destination, but it’s so worth it to have peaceful travel days.
Leave Early
The earlier you leave, the earlier you’ll arrive. If you pair this tip with the one above, you could easily be set up in your destination campsite by mid-afternoon, giving you hours before the sun sets to play outside and cook a good dinner. Considering how important regular schedules and consistent bedtimes are for some kids, this might just be a lifesaver for those who travel often.
Pack Snacks
I don’t know about your kids, but my kids are not fun to be around when they’re hungry. (To be fair, I’m not very fun to be around if I haven’t eaten either.) For this reason, one of my top road trip tips for families is to pack snacks:
- Grab some reusable, resealable containers and create individual servings to make passing-out snacks easy.
- Pick up some spill-proof straw cups so there are no big spills in the back seat.
- Consider placing a small cooler between the two front seats for cold snacks and drinks.
- Avoid chocolates, yogurts, and other snacks that might melt or make a mess. Instead, pack carrots, berries, cheese sticks, and/or cheese crackers.
Carry Entertainment
Obviously, you’ll want to have some ways to keep the kids entertained as you drive down the road. Tablets can fill some of the time, but it’s probably best to offer other options first.
Some of our favorite ideas for road trip entertainment include:
- Color Wonder mess-free coloring accessories
- Window clings
- Wikki Stix (or pipe cleaners)
- Beads
- Audiobooks (Rohld Dahl books are great!)
- Podcasts (check out Story Pirates)
- Music (We love the Pop-Ups band)
Keep the Backseat Clean
Even under regular circumstances, we have a terrible time keeping our backseat clean. When travel day rolls around, all bets are off. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this, but we haven’t had time to implement many of these strategies.
Here are some ideas I’ve had:
Trash Can
Okay, so this one we do use. If you don’t already have one, put a trash can in your vehicle. While trash doesn’t always make it into the trash can, it sometimes does, and as long as we have a trash can in the truck, it really cuts back on the backseat mess.
Pocket Organizer
This is one I’ve been meaning to try. The pocket organizers that go on the backs of the front seats look so handy for holding toys, books, and other stuff that would otherwise be scattered across the backseat.
Middle Seat Basket
In our truck, the middle seat is where the emergency jackets live. Unfortunately, these often end up pushed off the seat and into the floor. To fix this problem, I plan to buy a basket to put in the middle seat. I will buckle the basket using the middle seatbelt and put the jackets inside. If I’m really lucky, this will keep them contained.
Plan for Potty Breaks
Bathroom breaks are an annoying reality. In order to ensure you spend more time driving than stopping to potty, I recommend planning bathroom stops along the route ahead of time, and choosing places that are easy to get in and out of. It also helps tremendously to insist that all passengers try to use the restroom at every single stop, whether or not they think they have to go.
Include Fun Pit Stops
If you can, include at least one pit stop in each travel day plan. Smaller NPS sites, state parks, and playgrounds all work well for this. We’ve also used McDonald’s restaurants with PlayPlaces and rest stops with playgrounds. Anywhere that the kids can get out and stretch will help make the drive more enjoyable for all.
Be Prepared for the Worst
Last but not least, I cannot stress enough how important it is to be prepared for issues to arise. Leaving early is one way you can do this. It is also crucial that you carry good insurance and RV-specific roadside assistance, as well as tools to fix things on your own. Traveling with friends can also be super helpful when it’s possible!
These are my top road trip tips for families. Hopefully, these tricks help you enjoy smooth travel days so you can get the most out of your RV trips with your kids!
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About the author: Chelsea Gonzales
Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.
You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.
