With the summer holidays in full swing almost all of us are going to find ourselves taking on the sometimes daunting prospect of a family road trip to the other-side of the country; whether that be to visit family, to attend an event or festival, or as the first leg of a big summer holiday. Here at Your Local Link we firmly believe that the road trip, when done properly, can be as fun as the rest of your holiday, so here’s our list of top tips and hacks to set you at ease and make every journey joyous.
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE
There’s no substitute for good preperation, especially considering what a study from Perry’s revealed in 2021, that over a third of arguments during road trips begin over poor directions — it’s more important than ever to make sure not to leave planning your route until the last minute.
Directions and a reliable Sat Nav should be the first step, but this should be followed by a great collection of snacks, we recommend investing in a cool-box to keep drinks cool and keep you refreshed so that if you do hit traffic on a hot afternoon, you don’t overheat at all.
GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME FOR BREAKS
Regular breaks are essential in preventing your driving from feeling like a chore, these can be at service stations; allowing you to take onboard extra snacks, or to appreciate roadside views. However we recommend you schedule your stops to coincide with any roadside destinations or British landmarks you’ve been meaning to visit. There’s no better path to making your holiday feel like it’s started early than a spot of tourism. On the journey from London to York alone there’s countless accessible sights. Our highlights are Hardwick Hall, just a five minute detour from the M1 and kids favourite Windsor which of course features LegoLand.
KEEP THE KIDS ENTERTAINED
Kids entertainment is a non-negotiable on a long trip. Make sure their iPad’s or tablets are charged, bring colouring pens for drawing and magnetic board games often make for hours of fun. For those of us who struggle with car sickness a great alternative is a fun playlist, podcast or audiobook.
These tips should get you started turning your journey into an extra day of holiday, for more specifics on planning ahead with your route, make sure to visit www.theaa.com/route-planner/route.
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