How to Plan a Family Road Trip Everyone Will Enjoy

Summers are the perfect time to pile in the car and hit the open road! But planning your perfect road trip can be overwhelming and exhausting if you wait until the last minute. Don’t worry though, I’ve compiled all my experience to create the perfect ‘How to Plan a Family Road Trip Everyone Will Enjoy’ guide!

**Full Disclosure: Toyota loaned me the 2019 Sienna for review purposes.  No compensation was received & all opinions are my own.

How to Plan a Family Road Trip Everyone Will Enjoy:

Start Early –

1. Decide on a destination that the whole family agrees on!
2. Map your route at least a couple of months before you hit the road. Planning early will leave you time to reconfigure the route if you decide there’s something that you are more interested in doing before you book your hotel(s).
   • I strongly recommend using Google Maps to determine your drive time between each stop.
3. Set a daily travel time limit. (Ours is no more than 8 hours drive time in one day.)
4. After you plan your route, request time off work.
5. Book your hotel(s) as early as possible for the best prices.

Make a Rough Itinerary –

• Create a rough itinerary for each day and include whatever information you need for each day in a separate bullet point.

Sample Itinerary:

Involve the Kids –

• Put the kids to work doing research on the destination, things to do along the route, etc.
• Including the kids in decisions (the destination, places they want to see/do along the way, restaurant stops, etc) should lessen the amount of complaining from minors.
• Allowing the kids to pack – maybe with the help of a list – will take some stress off parents and give them some freedom to pack the clothes they won’t gripe about wearing.
• Have the kids pack their own activities bag and ensure they have headphones. But print a few fun games (Pinterest has a ton!) and put them in a folder so you can pull them out if necessary.

Before you Leave –

• Take your vehicle in for a tune up. Get the tires, brakes and lights checked. Make sure the fluids are topped off, the oil is changed and your gas tank is full.
• Pack snacks! We prefer protein-packed and car-friendly options.
• Make a folder with all the information you’ll need on the road – hotel confirmations, passes you purchased ahead of time, etc.

Extra Tips –

1. Limit the amount of time on digital devices for all travelers.
2. Don’t over plan your days but set expectations.
3. Plan for downtime each day.
4. Be flexible – sometimes even the best made plans have hiccups.
5. Set a dollar limit for gas station treats.
   • EX: We give our kids $10 each for the first leg of the trip to spend as they’d like. We do the same for the second leg of the trip.
6. If traveling with young kids, build time into your route for play stops.
7. Pack all the snacks!
8. Download audio books to listen to while you drive.
9. Keep hand sanitizer, toilet paper and paper towels in the vehicle. You never know when a rest stop will be out of the essentials.
10. Most of all, make the trip your vacation and enjoy the quality time with your family! 

What are your best tips for planning a road trip?