Tip Sheet: Road Trips

On the Road (Flickr: Zach Deschner)

1. Before you set out on your trip, take a look at a map and guestimate where you’ll need to stop and refuel. Find an interesting place to have a meal in the vicinity (we like historic diners and lakeside picnics), so you don’t have to keep stopping and starting. Combining gas stops with breaks saves a lot of time in the long run. –Becky from Eden Prairie, MN

2. For long trips in the car we play “Family Trivia.” My husband and I ask the kids trivia questions about family members. This is a great way to share family history with each generation. When our kids were little, we started out with simple questions and as they got older we made the questions harder. It is now a game they love to play and share their knowledge of aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents. –Chris from Oregon, WI

(MORE: View a family trip itinerary: 7 days on the road with kids.)

3. When my 8-year-old asks “Are we there yet?,” I hand him the map and ask him to figure out how much longer we’ll be on the road. Knowing how to read a map is a valuable life skill, so it makes me happy that he’s learning, and he’s happier that he has a job to do. –Marcy from Rome, NY

4. My uncle, who drove a semi for 35 years, gave me this trucker’s tip: Always travel with a big thermos. Most gas station shops will let you fill it to the brim with coffee for just a dollar or so, which can save you big bucks on a long road trip. –Joanie from Tulsa, OK

5. Like almost everybody, we’ve been looking for ways to cut back a dollar here, and a dollar there. Before we take any family vacation, I usually rent a bunch of DVDs that my kids can watch in the car or plane on their DVD player. Before our last trip, however, I hit our local library for DVDs and found a huge selection of audio books for kids as well. It was such an easy way to save a few bucks, and every little bit helps. –Stephanie from Redding, CA

6. Here’s another idea for a creative car ride. Buy a package of pipe cleaners in assorted colors from any craft store. My kids love to create with pipe cleaners—making necklaces, swords, bracelets, towers—anything their little minds can think up. –Rich from LaHabra, CA

7. When We take road trips, I always do some online research to find interesting places to stop for breaks (historic sites, museums, charming towns) and also beautiful places for picnics (state parks, lakes, waterfalls). I hate the thought of eating at roadside rest areas, because they are generic and don’t give us any sense of our journey. –Kym from Cape May, NJ

8. Whenever I travel with my baby and toddler, I always bring along a box of denture cleanser tablets. They are amazing for cleaning pacifiers, baby spoons, sippy cup lids, and anything else that is hard to sterilize on the road. I just fill a glass with warm water, drop in the item, and pop in a tablet. We’re good to go in five minutes. –Amy from Burlington, VT

9. If we’re taking on a road trip and will be staying in a different place each night, it is often easier to pack one bag for a day instead of using a separate bag for each person. By packing everyone’s clothes for one day into a single suitcase, you only have to bring one bag into the hotel each night and the others can be left in the locked car. —Autumn from Big Timber, MT

10. On our vacation last year we planned a road trip up the coast of California to visit all the colleges in which my kids were interested. I booked my visits with the school in advance, used my hotel points to book my hotel rooms, and hit the road. We kept a cooler in the truck with fruit, juice, water, and sandwich fixings. We agreed that breakfast and lunch would be “picnic style” but dinner would be something to look forward to. The kids loved picking our restaurants for dinner and I liked saving the money. I also printed a list of all the Costco locations along our route with gas stations and planned my stops for gas accordingly. I watched my speed to ensure I was going no faster than the speed limit and I ended up getting close to 4 more miles to the gallon and saving over $100 on gas than I had budgeted. Planning our trip took me about a week, but both my kids said it was the best vacation yet. –Catherine from Carlsbad, CA

11. I spotted this on my local power company’s web site. If your kids have asthma or allergies, here’s a tip to rid your car of mold and dust mites before a road trip: Just turn on the AC and open the windows 10 minutes before departing. –Bianca from Garden City, NY

12. I recently learned the hard way to make sure all my identification and paperwork (driver’s license, registration, insurance) is up to date before we go on a road trip. At an out-of-state roadblock, I got a ticket because my registration had expired. The fine was twice as much as it would have been in my own state. –Mary from Rockport, ME

13. In my experience, gas stations immediately off the highway always seem to charge considerably more per gallon than gas stations away from the interstate. With my GPS, I can easily find the next-nearest gas station, and prices are always lower. I am willing to drive a mile or two to save a few dollars on a tank of gas. –Tim from Jacksonville, FL

Road Trip with Kids (Flickr: AnneCN)

14. I have four kids under 11. When we go on a road trip, I pack a toy bag with essentials that encourage my kids to burn off some of their excess energy at highway stops: a few jump ropes, bucket stilts, a couple of inflatable beach balls, and sidewalk chalk (for playing hopscotch and four-square). Oh, and I also like to pack an inexpensive stopwatch, since my kids are more motivated to run to, say, a big tree and back, if I time them. –Beth from Cedar Mill, OR

15. When you are on a road trip and need a bathroom break, keep a lookout for a budget chain hotel. They are easy to find, often conveniently located just off highway exits. They tend to have rest rooms in the lobby area and, in my experience, these bathrooms are usually much cleaner than those in gas stations and fast food restaurants. –Amy from Kingston, NY

16. My kids are always squabbling in the back of the car. The last time we took a long car trip, I came up with a little project they could do together. I gave them each a roll of low-tack masking tape and told them they could build a divider between themselves, right down the middle of the back set. Soon, they were busy and giggling and they ended up with a tremendous wall of tape. When we got to our destination, the wall came down in one fell swoop. No muss, no fuss. –Julia from Gunnison, CO

17. Every parent who drives with kids in the car needs to know about FreeHeadset.org, a worldwide automobile safety program that distributes free cell phone headsets to anyone who wants one. To get a free headset for your cell phone, you just need to sign up and select the make and model of the cell phone you use. They will send you a free headset, but you pay the shipping charges (about $5). –Rose from Del Mar, CA

18. My family likes playing license plate bingo. These printable bingo cards from Scholastic.com make the game easy to set up in advance. I fill in the names of different states before we leave home. –Marnie from New Canaan, CT

19. Having worked for years at the front desk of a hotel, I know that every hotel has a few rooms that are better than others—perhaps slightly more spacious, or with a nicer view, or in a quieter location. Making an effort to be nice to the front desk staff when you arrive can go a long way in getting a better room. I always say, “This is a very special trip for us.” We usually end up with a wonderful room, and sometimes even an upgrade! –Cecilia from Santa Barbara, CA

20. I’ve read again and again that even just-cleaned hotel rooms are full of germs. That’s why I never travel without sanitizing wipes. When we first get into our hotel room, the first thing I do is wipe down all the surfaces that the housekeeping crew would probably miss: Light switches, TV remote control, telephone, doorknobs, bedside alarm clock, and especially the toilet flush handle. Oh, and I always remove the bedspread. –Pam from Mason, OH

21. If your car has a panic button, you can use it as a security alarm system when staying at campsites or in motel rooms where your door opens directly to the outside. Presumably, your car is parked nearby. Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you were ever in danger from an animal or intruder, you could press your car’s panic button to set off the alarm. The car horn would sound repeatedly until you turned it off or the battery died. You can reset it with the button on the key fob chain. –Laurie from Ashburn, VA

22. My son just loves doing word search puzzles. Before we go on a family vacation, I make up customized word search puzzles for him to do in the car or on the plane, using words about our trip and destination. DiscoverySchool.com’s Puzzlemaker makes this simple and fast. You just type in words that you want included, and the program generates a word search puzzle that can be printed out. Easy and fun! –Kirsten from Eau Claire, WI

23. We often take two days to get to grandma’s since our kids are still small. I always pick a hotel that offers free breakfast. Hampton Inn is one of the best for this, in my opinion. (They also give you cookies at night!) The breakfast menu always has something the kids will eat and it allows us to get away without spending that $15-$30 in the morning. Then, we carry bread and some cold cuts and/or peanut butter in the car for lunch. It works out well because we stop at a nice rest area, eat, and let the kids burn off some energy. There’s another $15-$30 saved. Frankly, I find the kids’ energy expenditure worth more than the savings. We play more during a picnic lunch than when we stop at a restaurant. Lastly, we bring our own drinks. We carry water, juice, and Gatorade in a cooler. Buying it at the grocery store is much cheaper than the gas station mini-mart. To help with this, we bought one of the Coleman “powered” coolers that plugs into our cigarette lighter. Works like a charm. –David from Gainesville, FL

24. Before our last family trip, I loaded my iPod with free audio stories for children from Storynory. My kids were thrilled to be able listen to something “just for them” and I was happy that these stories were age-appropriate. –Kim from Rochester, NY

25. We teach our kids how to dial “911”. And we teach them how to use a cell phone, in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to take a few minutes after settling into a new hotel room to show them how to operate the hotel phone. Kids should know how to contact the front desk, how to get an outside line, and how to call for an ambulance. –Melinda from Ogden, UT

26. Use your time in the car to remember the past. If you have a portable VCR or DVD player, watch home movies on long car rides. It is a great way to remember fun trips or special events. –Chris from Elk River, MN

27. I worried that my 14-month-old son wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly in our hotel room, so I brought two key elements from his nursery: a portable CD player and his night light. At bedtime, we put on his “night-night” music and plugged in his night light, which filled our hotel room with a familiar amber glow. He was asleep within minutes. –Tara from Hoboken, NJ

28. My kindergartner and preschooler love eating at chain restaurants that give out kids’ activity placemats and coloring materials while you wait. When my husband and I want to bring the family somewhere that isn’t as obviously kid-oriented, we bring our “Restaurant Kid Kit.” It’s simply a large plastic SpaceMaker container filled with crayons, activity books with word searches and mazes, HotWheels, and other small toys. We keep it in the car so it’s handy during car trips and outings. We get to visit a wider range of restaurants, and our kids do less whining. –Kristin from Nevada City, CA

29. An inexpensive metal cookie sheet makes the best lap table for a child during car trips. It can be a food tray or a writing desk (the raised edges keep crayons from rolling off). It can be a clipboard with the addition of a clip-style fridge magnet. It’s an instant play table for all sorts of magnetic toys. On various trips, we’ve brought simple letters and numbers, LeapFrog farm animal magnets, magnet books, Magnet Wheelies kits, magnet dress up toys, and Magnetix. My daughter likes to play with a magnet puzzle shaped like the United States. When we see a license plate from one state, she adds it to her magnetic map. –Brooke from Carlisle, PA

30. Fuel taxes vary from state to state, which is reflected in gas prices. When you take a road trip that crosses state lines, plan to gas up in the least expensive states. Consult the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report to see where gas prices are lowest. If you’ll be spending time in one locality, sites like GasPriceWatch and GasBuddy can help you find the cheapest gas while you’re there. –Jason from Sherwood, OR

(MORE: Read additional road trip tips here.)

31. Before we set out on a family car trip—even if it’s just a daytrip—I give each of my kids a job for the day. My 9-year-old becomes the Navigator, responsible for making sure we get to our destination. I hand her a road map, a pen, and printed directions from an online mapping web site. My 11-year-old gets to be the Banker, responsible for keeping track of our money. After I’ve estimated our costs, I give him a realistic budget and a list of our required expenses, such as gas, food, and a hotel room (the only pre-arranged fixed cost). He also gets a notepad, a pen, and some cash. (Cash is best because it gives the child a more real sense of a dwindling supply of money.) When we stop for gas, he pays and gives the family an update on how much we have left. When we stop for a meal, he looks at the menu and decides if we can afford to eat there. When his sister asks if she can buy a souvenir at a rest stop, he decides if it’s okay and sets a limit on the cost. On the return trip, my kids swap roles. Of course, my husband and I guide their decision-making along the way. But my kids are getting a controlled taste of responsibility and learning valuable life skills. –Janice from Charlotte, NC

32. Before our last road trip, I collected a small jar full of quarters with US states on the back. During our journey, when one of my kids spotted a state’s license plate, I’d give her a quarter with that state on it. If I didn’t have a quarter for a particular state, I gave a dime or nickel, taped to an index card with the state’s name written on the back side. When we got to our destination, the kids got to keep the coins to buy souvenirs. This incentivized version of the license plate game kept them much more eager to play! –Holly from Janesville, WI

33. On our cross-country road trip, I bought an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler and packed it with Gatorade, water, and mini cans of sodas. I also bought a large array of snacks, from trail mix to popcorn cakes, and made up individual portions in sandwich bags. I didn’t have to worry when we hit a long stretch of road with nowhere to stop for snacks. It saved me money and also a lot of hassle about sharing snacks between kids. Everyone had his own! – Mindy from Carson City, NV

34. When your kids are young, it’s a good idea to do a little prep work and choose fun places to stop every two hours along your route. I like to find interesting picnic spots, historical monuments, public parks and, whenever possible, a playground. To motivate my kids to burn off some energy, I always have a frisbee, a ball, and a jump rope in the car. It’s amazing how much better they behave after just 15 or 20 minutes of playtime. –Lenora from Burlington, VT

35. We like to drive in little or no traffic, so for at least part of our journey we are usually driving in the dark. I give my school-aged kids glowsticks (my kids like the ones that can be looped and connected to make a necklace or bracelet), little booklights, or tiny flashlights—or sometimes all three. It makes the trip more fun for the kids, and the soft light doesn’t distract the driver up front. –Kendra from Bridgeport, CT

36. On long car trips, I give each of my kids a crayon and a photocopied map of the USA. When we play the license plate game, my kids color in the states as we see them. This version of the game gives them a really good sense of our country’s geography. –Carol Ann from Sparks, NV

Minivan Adventures (Flickr: Ben Francis)

37.Let your little one chronicle your journey from her point of view! Have her take pictures of stops you make along the way. The pictures will make great keepsakes and create another busy-bee project for later: A scrapbook. –Amy from Aurora, CO

(Editor’s Note: If you don’t trust your kids with your expensive digital camera, consider buying a disposable camera for each child at the start of your trip.)

38. If your kids are studying a second language in school—or if you’re teaching them at home—a road trip is a great time for practice. Pop in those practice tapes or CDs, and make a contest out of remembering words for things seen on the road (tree, car, etc.). Mom and Dad can pick up the language, too! –Stacy from Allendale, NJ

39. Make up your own road scavenger hunt game. Write out a numbered list of 20 things that you’ll likely see on your route. Include vehicles (truck, minivan, motorcycle, police car), animals (cow, dog, horse, bird), and buildings and other roadside items (barn, stop sign, church, fence, bridge). Photocopy the page for every child, and hand each a crayon. The first kid to spot all the items on the list wins. For kids too young to read, use pictures instead of words. –Karen from Brunswick, ME

40. A few months ago, a friend told me about an awesome web site called Hazel Mail, which will convert your vacation photo into a postcard and send it anywhere in the world for $1.50. We went to Jamaica last month, and I asked Hazel to send postcards to all my friends and family. I’ve had an avalanche of great feedback about our very personalized postcards. –Susan from Westport, CT

41. Encourage your kids to organize their backpacks with Ziploc storage bags. The one-gallon Ziplocs make great art bags—just toss in a small pad of paper, crayons, pens, and markers. Use a separate bag for each toy with lots of small parts: HotWheels, Legos, Magnetix, and the dreaded Barbies and Polly Pockets (all those teensy shoes and handbags!). Tuck in a few empty bags for cool rocks, pretty feathers, and other treasures picked up on expeditions. –Sarah from Ithaca, NY

42. Rather than shell out for a mobile internet card, I prefer to do a bit of research in advance of my trips and find wi-fi hotspots where I’m going. Practically every public library has free wi-fi, as well as many branches of popular chains like Starbucks, Borders, Panera, and even certain locations of McDonald’s. Even some highway rest areas now have free wi-fi. You can also find wi-fi hot spots around the country with Wi-FiHotSpotList.com. –Tom from Bellevue, WA