Driving offers many rewards for kids, including sights like these - Florida's old route A1A.

Like any other form of travel, road trips take time and planning, especially with the children in tow. I’ve always preferred road trips to almost any other form of vacation transportation, although time constraints versus long distances or overseas trips obviously preclude them. For us, the advantage is being able to tote a lot of your own food, which saves money and keeps the family healthy. It also means being able to stop en route from point A to point B and sightsee along the way. And it means being able to take that bottle of shampoo or baby formula along without worrying about TSA regulations this week.

Still, I know what you’re thinking: small children get restive enough on a three hour flight, how will they be after eight hours on the road, or eight days of road travel. So, with holiday season meaning travel time for many of us, let’s take a look at how you can make road trips easier on your kids and your pocketbook.

Our Road Travel Tips

First of all, car travel means you’re spending a longer time getting some place than if you just hopped on a plane. But if you factor in TSA screening, luggage check in, and tarmac delays, maybe flying isn’t quite as simple as you thought. On top of that, there’s luggage fees and the simple equation that if there’s more than two of you traveling, a tank of gas may still be the cheapest way to go versus four or five airline tickets. However, longer trips may mean you’re staying over night to get to your final destination. So, of course, factor in the cost of an extra overnight stay – and make that stay count. Don’t just pick any old highway stop – find something that will be interesting for the kids to do nearby, even if its a miniature golf course instead of a grand museum or landmark.

Older children will enjoy a road trip more if they feel they can help shape the itinerary. So let them help with the research – whether it’s through picture books or over the Internet, or an idea they’ve gotten from a movie or television. Depending on their ages, let your children come up with ideas of things they’d like to see or places they’d like to stay.

And, be sure to include their interests. If your kids love pizza, find an authentic Italian restaurant not just a take out place near a motel. If they love sports, think about a local minor league, college, or even a high school game along the way. If you’re searching for an historic spot, ask your children what they like best – an outdoor monument, an art museum, seeing dinosaur bones – and look for something that will fit their top choices when you pick a route, an overnight stop, or plan a total car trip vacation.

Crossing Texas border on the way to Amarillo!

Sometimes you’ll find things along the way that just call out for an unplanned stop, so if you can, be flexible. Build in a few extra hours of daylight fun time, even if you end up using them at the hotel pool when you arrive. Having these extra hours were particularly precious to us when we took a long drive from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Amarillo, Texas. We were able to stop at the wonderfully informative displays at the Route 66 Museum, and at a huge roadside installation of religious art both along the I-40, simply because we had the hours to “splurge” on these treats. Driving on backgrounds between Los Angeles and San Francisco we’ve found everything from a butterfly migration grove to a diner in an old train car and farm stands with delicious spiced peas as a snack. If you find a place you like, or that looks like you’d like it, just stop and check it out. You’re not wasting time, you’re enjoying it. After all, it’s not like you have a plane to catch, right?

A trip to Vegas detour: Death Valley - nice view!

Next, be sure to keep the car you’re traveling in comfortable and clean. Always clear out any food packaging or empty cups at every stop; keep tissues, wet wipes, pillows, and throw blankets handy. Older kids should be responsible for their own belongings in backpacks or satchels – and make sure they’ve brought along their “necessities” whether those are i-Pods or favorite stuffed animals.

You should also have some road games and informational material handy. When you get your own maps, get one for the kids to look at, too, so they can see where you are. Keep guide books handy, and read from them when you make a stop.

You’ll also keep the kids from getting bored if you involve them in your actual traveling. Let them help read maps, follow a GPS, or read driving instructions aloud. The youngest travelers can be kept busy with simple but still fun games from counting car colors to looking for flowers and fauna, fast food restaurants, or landmarks along the road.

Also, be sure to allot plenty of time for simple stops – bathroom breaks, gas station fill-ups, and even road-side picture taking. All these stops will keep the kids comfortable and allow them to stretch their legs.

On the other hand, be sure that you’re reaching the goals you need to make during a travel day. If you need to be, or want to be, off the road by dark, plan accordingly. If you know there’s a restaurant or grocery store stop you want to make and there are hours that you simply must hit to enjoy a meal, make sure you allow yourself the time to arrive at such a destination. The worst times we’ve had on long drives have come when we’ve ignored the knowledge that the “good” restaurant in the middle of a national park closes for lunch at 2 pm, and with the next eaterie miles away, we spent hours subsisting on trail mix.

Lastly, if your children are elementary age or older, and taking the road instead of to the skies means missing some school, contact their teachers. In many cases we were able to create a journal or a report on an historic sight along the way to make up for other missed work. Or you may be able to get a homework packet to take along. Happy driving!

Related Articles:

Get Your Kicks on Route 66
Discovering Roadside Attractions
Where Are We Going? GPS, Maps and Old-Fashioned Common Sense
San Mateo Coast Road Trip: Santa Cruz to San Francisco

Plan Ahead with a List

Planning ahead with a travel checklist

Make a list and check it twice (or thrice). Jot down everything you will need by category from clothes, favorite toys, medicines, toiletries, gear (pack-n-play, stroller, backpack carrier, etc.) to food and snacks. Typing up a list and saving it on your computer makes it very easy to edit and reprint every time you travel, without pulling your hair out and starting all over again. Items can be listed under each person (their own personal items and clothes) and under general categories such as toiletries, medicines and more.

Be Organized and Methodical

Start early and proceed with your packing list in hand. As you gather items and place them in the suitcases, cross them off the list. This will ensure that nothing important is forgotten. It will give you tremendous peace of mind. You may think of other items that are not on the list as you go: write them down. Later you can edit your saved list on your computer to make it easier for your next adventure.

Suitcase or Carry-on?

Keep kids occupied with their own carry-on backpacks

Determine what can go in the suitcase and what you absolutely need with you. If your children are old enough (ages 3 and up) you may want to allow them their own little carry-on backpacks with items to keep them occupied: color pad and crayons, book, a favorite toy (doll or plush toy), snacks (crackers, baby carrots or cut fruit). Allowing your children to have their own carry-on does several things: it will instill a sense of responsibility in them and help them feel “grown up.” It will give them a sense of security by having something tangible to hold. It will keep them busy and productive (and quiet) which helps you to concentrate on the getting there.

Prep Pep-Talk

Prepare your children by telling them what to expect. This is a good time to explain your rules and expectations. Tell them what behavior is expected and what will not be tolerated. Be frank and sincere. A little foresight and preparation can go a long way. This pep talk will help them to feel part of the clan, giving them a sense of pride and personal responsibility. And always, always, always follow-through with consequences. Although it may feel hard to do, it will actually make everyone happier and your travels filled with less travails. Children with clearly delineated boundaries are happier, more secure and more obedient.

Engage and Enlist

Get your kids involved in the packing process

Having your children participate in the packing process (if they are old enough) can be very exciting for them and may even make things easier for you. Sort through their clothes with them and then have them place them in the suitcase. You may even allow them to pack their carry-on bag (and then check it later). Have them cross out items on the list that have been packed. This will teach them important organizational skills that will be useful for life.

Bon Voyage!

Once you start your own list, you will find it much easier to edit it as needed depending on your destination and the activities involved. Traveling is stressful enough without children, but doing so with the kids can add a whole new dimension to stress. With a little planning and organization, you can turn every vacation into an idyllic getaway, where family bonds are strengthened and wonderful memories are made. Bon Voyage!

Related Topics

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Flying High with Kids in the Sky
Potty Training and Road Trips
4 Reasons a Road Trip is Better than Flying!
First Aid Kit Essentials for the Traveling Family
Flying With a Disability: What Parents Should Know Before Arriving at the Airport
Road Trip Essentials for Children, Activities and Food to Entertain

We choose the place we stay based on our family needs.

In the past I’ve made some mistakes. I’ve chosen resorts that had family-friendly activities, only to find over crowded pools or kid’s club programs that didn’t fit our schedule. I’ve also picked bed and breakfasts that said they welcomed families, but didn’t welcome them quite as much as we’d imagined. And I’ve picked fascinating, off the beaten track guest houses that included geckos on the ceiling and gecko poop in the beds. You can’t make the perfect choice all the time, but it helps to decide what means the most to you – and find the accommodation that fits most of your travel parameters. 

Family friendly accommodations can be expensive, or a budget can be designed specifically for family travelers, such as Disney resorts or cruises, or can be a comfortable stop in a cultural enclave. 

The first consideration you should make is the location of your stay. If its important to you to be within walking distance of a main attraction, or a view of a specific landmark is what you want in your room choice, then make sure you figure in distances and views. If you don’t care if you stay outside of town or outside the borders of a national park, then you’ll select a different choice. When we were in San Antonio, after a week long road trip to get there we wanted to be able to leave the car in the garage and stroll the River Walk. We wanted a view of the Alamo. And this drove our hotel selection. When we visited Yellowstone National Park, I wanted inexpensive, modern accommodations. That ruled out the elegant in-park offerings and the camp sites and roughing-it style cabins inside park boundaries. When we visited Las Vegas, we wanted to stroll the Strip and bring the kids back to the hotel pool without missing a beat. That eliminated off- Strip hotels. You get the picture. You may want to spend a week at the beach but not mind driving a mile to park by the sand. Or you may want to just climb out of bed and hit the beach. 

Second, you want to consider how much space you’ll need. When it was just me and my toddlers, I needed considerably less space than when it became me, my kids, my kids friends. Even when my children were very small, putting them both in the same bed was often not a great option. Restless sleeper at home? Very restless sleeper in new circumstances. Today we also consider the ability to dine in, in order to save on restaurant bills and stay on a healthy diet, to be very important. So, I may pay more for a suite with a kitchenette, or at least make sure my motel room has a microwave and mini-fridge before I select my accommodation. 

We really enjoyed our stay at an alternative style dwelling in Joshua Tree, CA

Speaking of food, so many chain hotels and motels offer breakfast as a part of the stay. Don’t chose this “cost saving” option until you know what the breakfast actually includes. Is it a donut and a cup of coffee? Not great for the kids, and hardly worth selecting one property over another to obtain. If it’s a full breakfast, are there items your family will actually enjoy? It doesn’t do our primarily vegetarian family much good to have all you can eat bacon and sausage for example. 

And when you’re considering space, do you want a room with a roll away or portable crib, or do you need a sleep sofa or extra bed? And, if you’re looking for rooms with a sleeper sofa, make sure the sofa in that condo you’re renting really, truly folds out – and isn’t just a sofa with a quilt. Been there, done that. 

If you’re not bringing a portable crib from home and you need one, find out if the hotel you’ve chosen provides what your baby needs. We’ve been offered everything from beautiful antique cribs to playpens with a pillow. 

And what about a pool? Well, if it’s cold outside, make sure that pool is indoors. And if there’s a lake or an ocean or a river, do you need a pool at all? Still, pools are a wonderful antidote to a day on the road, or even a day exploring nature or museums or amusement parks. When given an affordable choice, we usually go for the one with a pool. Which brings me to child-friendly activities – do you need them? Will a splash in a pool do? Or do you need water slides and floaties, arts and crafts on the beach, kids exercise classes, snorkeling lessons or kid’s videos screened along with a mac and cheese dinner? Will you be planning a parents’ night out and seeking a babysitting service? 

These are all areas to consider when you select where you’ll stay on your family vacation. But here’s one more consideration: a sense of adventure and memory making. Sometimes taking a choice that might not comfortably include all your needs is the best one after all. A favorite memory of ours is a night in a rustic cabin outside Death Valley National Park. Billed as a ‘resort’ – and that’s another story – this cabin was anything but. I could’ve chosen a park-run motel I knew quite well, but I wanted a more economical, and a less pedestrian experience, and I got it. Still, watching the sunset over the desert from our rough hewn porch and playing charades to flash light when the power went out – that was one of the best memories ever, one we could not have had if I’d gone with the “safe” choice.

Travel is filled with opportunities to blow your diet

Travel is fraught with opportunities to completely blow your family’s diet. Fast food restaurants and greasy spoons beckon hungry road trippers, while many airlines have cut back the in-flight options to stale potato chips or high-sugar candy. The good news is that it is entirely possible to make healthy dining options during your trip. The bad news is that it requires advance planning and organization.

Road Trips

The best way to avoid pigging out on unhealthy food is to eat small, frequent meals. On a road trip, consider packing your own food. Dad and I travel full-time in our RV, and we try to always keep a “car bag” packed. We generally carry individual tuna salad kits, canned meats such as Vienna sausages or sardines, crackers, fresh fruit and a small assortment of cookies and candy. When we remember to pack the cooler, we add yogurt, fruit cups, cheese sticks, hummus and other healthier options.

Packing a picnic puts you in control of your family's dining

One of my favorite childhood road trip traditions was picnicking at roadside rest areas. Before each trip, we splurged on fun foods that we didn’t get every day. At the rest area, my parents would let me buy a soda and some cookies or chips to add to my meal. Instead of sitting still in a restaurant or inhaling burgers in the car, we had some time to run around in the grass and enjoy the sunshine. My favorite stops were always state Welcome Centers, where we picked up maps and tourist brochures or visited the attached museum displays. Now that Dad and I travel full time, we don’t always go the picnic route, but we still try to stop at the Welcome Center every time we cross a state line.

Flights

Airport food has greatly improved in recent years

Last year, Dad and I discovered one of the dirty little secrets of the airline industry–first class still gets amazing food service. We were booked in coach on Alaska Airlines from Anchorage to Denver, but the upgrade fairy decided to smile on us and we were sent to first class. It was an overnight flight, so I didn’t expect much, but we had a never ending supply of hummus, gourmet crackers, trail mix and other treats.

If you, like us, generally fly coach, don’t expect the airline to feed you too well. When we got to Denver, we ran into someone we had met in Alaska. He told us that on his coach class flight on Frontier, he was offered stale potato chips–for a fee. This has been our experience as well across several airlines.

Instead, take nutrition into your own hands by packing some snacks in your carryon bag. Current TSA regulations allow you to carry on food items that are not liquids or gels, and rules surrounding pies and cakes can get tricky. Minimize your hassles by choosing pre-packaged items that are entirely sealed and are of a fully solid consistency.

Alternately, most major airports have dramatically raised the quality of food that is sold airside. Although airport food is pricey, much of it is reasonably healthy. Look for cafés that sell wraps, salads and sandwiches, all of which are easy to carry onto the airplane. You can purchase bottled water airside as well, rather than waiting for flight attendants to come around with drink service.

Cruises

Cruise ships offer a wide range of healthy dining options

Cruise ships are well known for the seemingly limitless array of food choices, almost all of which are included in your fare. Although deep fried, high-fat options are everywhere, cruise lines now offer a plethora of healthier selections. Look for items that are labeled “spa fare” or similar. These healthier choices follow strict guidelines regarding the amount of fat, cholesterol and sodium they can contain. Some cruise lines publish nutritional content labels for their healthier options in the menus, while others do not. Regardless, sticking to spa fare and simpler dishes can drastically reduce your family’s chances of gaining weight on your cruise.

In Town

Scope out the local restaurants when you arrive at your destination

Although you may be able to curb bad habits until you get to your destination, the majority of your vacation meals are eaten once you arrive. Thankfully, both traditional restaurants and museum cafes have gotten on board with healthier solutions.

Shortly after checking into your hotel, take the time to scope out the neighborhood. Familiarize yourself with not only the chain restaurants, but also the mom-and-pops. Knowing where to go for a good home-cooked meal can help you avoid making bad choices out of sheer hunger or exhaustion.

Likewise, if you know you’ll be spending the day at a tourist attraction, check out the café early in the day. This gives you time to study the menu and make arrangements to eat elsewhere if nothing on the menu appeals to you.

Finding Balance

There's nothing wrong with the occasional splurge on a decadent dessert

Ultimately, you are on vacation and you deserve to splurge a bit. If your lodging provides a kitchen, you can prepare some meals yourself. You can also keep healthy snack items close at hand. But don’t go overboard.  Allowing your kids to eat some chicken nuggets, sharing a pizza or even indulging in a decadent dessert won’t totally ruin your family’s diet. Like anything else in life, moderation is the key.

Getting oriented in a new area can be a challenge

Those who are adults today remember the ongoing road trip debate: do we ask for directions or not? It was often portrayed as a competition between men and women, with men refusing to stop and ask. Today that debate, once ongoing fodder for sitcom storylines, seems almost quaint. Now the more relevant question is: should we believe the GPS?

Pros and Cons of GPS 

Only a few years ago, GPS was heralded as the technology that would end the age-old tradition of getting lost. Just type your destination into the unit, and you will receive turn by turn directions both onscreen and helpfully narrated by a friendly computer voice. While GPS certainly has its place, it didn’t take long for hapless users to realize that the GPS doesn’t always have our best interests at heart. 

Your GPS can, at times, be your best friend and your worst enemy

Have you ever put your faith in your GPS only to stop short when you realize it’s guiding you onto a one-way street…in the wrong direction? Or had the unit repeatedly order you to make a U-turn in the middle of a busy highway? The problems are magnified when driving an oversized vehicle such as an RV. The GPS has no way of knowing that your vehicle is too heavy for that tiny bridge or too tall to fit underneath the upcoming overpass. 

On the other hand, GPS can be wonderful at helping us get out of confusing situations. Whether you made a wrong turn or just can’t remember how to get back to the interstate from that lovely café, GPS can be invaluable at walking you through the situation step by step. While solely relying on GPS can be a mistake, so can turning your back on the technology altogether. 

Pros and Cons of Maps 

The RVer's Friend details big-rig friendly services across the US and Canada

Many frequent road trippers still consider maps to be the gold standard. A map allows you to look at all available options and plan out the route that makes sense to you. It also allows you to locate major points of interest and weave them into your overall route without having to plot out each portion of the route separately with the GPS. Even if you rely primarily on your GPS, a map can be extremely useful for those situations in which your GPS insists that you go in a direction that simply doesn’t work. 

However, map reading is an art that not everyone is skilled in. From the time I was very young, I was in charge of the map for our family vacations. Dad was busy driving and, while Mom was quite intelligent and competent in almost every way, she simply didn’t have the knack for finding our current location and direction of travel on the map and narrating where we should turn. If you plan to use maps, have everyone in the family practice reading them well in advance of your trip, and give the job of navigator to the person with the best innate sense of how to handle the map. 

If you travel by RV, consider investing in a trucker atlas and the RVers Friend. Dad and I use both in our full-time RVing lifestyle, and have found them both incredibly helpful. The trucker atlas gives detailed information about weight and height restrictions, bridges and tunnels, and other important data for large vehicles. The RVers Friend, updated each year, provides information on big rig-friendly gas stations and restaurants, campgrounds and other important amenities along highways throughout the United States and Canada. 

Old-Fashioned Common Sense 

Getting there is half the fun, if you know where you're going

Perhaps the best way to navigate a road trip is to use good old-fashioned common sense. Sit down well in advance of your trip and put together a route. You can do this with a paper map or online using MapQuest, Google Maps or a similar program. Consider the time of day you plan to travel, where you plan to stop along the way and your personal driving preferences. Sometimes interstate highways are best, and sometimes the scenic route is a lot more fun. 

On the day of your trip, go ahead and punch your destination into your GPS. If there is a major discrepancy between the route you planned and the one that the GPS suggests, try to figure out why. If you are driving an RV, check your truck atlas to make sure that the roads can handle your vehicle. Working back and forth between the GPS and traditional maps is a bit more time consuming, but can ultimately produce a safer and more efficient route that is best for your family. 

Related Articles:

Discovering Roadside Attractions
Planning Ahead for a Family Trip – Tips and Advice
Staying Connected on the Road: Internet Options for Travelers
Family Travel Planning: Dining and packing for small travelers
Are We There Yet? Keeping Kids Entertained on the Road

Road trips can challenge even the closest family

Since the early days of road trips, kids have asked the same question. “Are we there yet?” Although road trips can be a lot of fun, being stuck in the seat of a car for hours on end can be boring and frustrating for adults and kids alike. Thankfully there are more options today than ever before for entertaining kids on the road.

Car Games

Car games can help pass the time on seemingly endless interstates

Appealing to all ages, from young children to grandparents, old-fashioned car games can keep everyone in a good mood. The Alphabet Game, “I Am Going on a Picnic,” and License Plates are popular choices, although there are literally hundreds of possibilities. Search the internet for some new ideas before your trip.

The Alphabet Game is simple enough for any child that knows his letters, but requires enough attention to keep adults from getting bored. Just search for the letters of the alphabet in order on billboards, road signs and license plates. Those with younger kids may want to play as a group, while older kids often enjoy the thrill of competition. Be sure to set some ground rules to avoid arguments–do signs off in the distance count, or only those directly on the side of the road you are traveling? Is it okay to turn around and find letters on signs facing the opposite direction, or must the sign be facing the car in its current direction of travel? Get everyone on the same page before you begin.

Car games are sometimes too easy in busy downtowns

“I Am Going on a Picnic” encourages creative thinking as well as practicing letters. The first person says “I am going on a picnic and I will take (any item beginning with the letter ‘A’).” The next person repeats the phrase, including the item selected by the first person, and adds something that begins with “B.” Keep this up through the entire alphabet. Again, to prevent arguments, set ground rules. Is a phrase okay, or must the item be described in one word? If someone forgets the chain, can others prompt him?

“License Plates” is a great game to get kids thinking about geography. Designate one person to keep a written list of all the different state license plates that you pass. Everyone is responsible for pointing out new state license plates as they see them. The family goal is to get as many different states as possible.

Reading

Some people are prone to motion sickness and should not read in the car. If this does not apply to your family, however, sharing books is an excellent way to bond while passing the time. My family always shared the reading responsibility, taking turns reading a chapter or two out loud. Choose books that are at a slightly higher reading level than your kids’ current comfort zone, since you are on hand to assist with difficult passages. This is also a great time to share books that are thought-provoking or bring up challenging issues, since those books can spark a family discussion.

DVDs

A DVD player can come in handy

If you have a permanently installed or portable DVD player, movies can be a great way to pass some time. Unless each child has his own player, though, be prepared for conflicts over what to watch. Let the kids take turns watching a movie or bring along only those films that everyone genuinely enjoys. Movies tend to distract kids from seeing what is around them, though, so try to limit the amount of time they spend with DVDs.

Electronic Games

Handheld electronic games are extraordinarily popular, and are an excellent way for kids to stay occupied while in the car. To save your own sanity, consider investing in a good set of headphones or ear buds for each game system. Keep an eye on the amount of time your kids spend with the games, however, as they tend to cut off conversation with the family as well as sightseeing.

Toys

Sometimes the best way to distract a fussy child is to introduce something new. Before the trip, stock up on inexpensive toys at your local dollar store. You can either give each child a small bag of toys at the beginning of the trip or introduce new toys periodically throughout the day. Make sure that whatever you select is easy to use while strapped into a seat and is not messy or fragile.

Snacks

Snacks are always a welcome diversion

In some parts of the country, there may be long distances between highway exits. Food costs tend to skyrocket when you are unprepared, as arriving at a fast food restaurant starving generally leads to irresponsible dining. Stave off both boredom and hunger by packing some fun but reasonably healthy snacks in the car. If you have a cooler, yogurt, string cheese, pudding and fruit cups are great choices. Crackers, dry cereal and fresh fruit work well in a shopping bag. Don’t forget about drinks, and consider throwing in some fun foods as well. Cookies, chips and candy are all available in individually packed containers, which can help prevent overeating.

Rest Stops

Sometimes a quick rest stop can put everyone in a better mood

With smaller bladders, lower frustration tolerance and more energy than most adults, kids need more frequent breaks. If you are having trouble distracting the kids and everyone is feeling cranky, pull off at the next rest area. Sometimes just getting out of the car and running around for 10 or 15 minutes can put everyone in a better frame of mind. Although you may need to adjust your schedule a bit, maintaining peace is ultimately the most important.

Traveling with kids requires patience and flexibility. Packing your family into a car for several hours or days will spark arguments and frustration. With advance planning and a willingness to go with the flow, however, you may find that getting there is truly half the fun.

No internet option is perfect for all travelers

Anyone who is an adult today can remember when staying connected during a trip meant an occasional phone call to the office and postcards to friends and relatives. Today, however, we live in an always-on internet world. Disconnecting for a week or more can be impractical or simply impossible. While there is no magical solution that works well in every situation, a variety of internet solutions are available at a reasonable cost.

Wi-Fi

Most hotels and many RV parks offer Wi-Fi connectivity

Wi-Fi, or wireless internet, has been available since the mid to late 1990s. At that time, hardware was expensive, service was slow, and hotspots were tough to find. In the early 2000s, technology improved to the point that Wi-Fi became a sort of de facto standard for internet on the road. Today virtually all new laptop computers are sold with a Wi-Fi card. Most hotels and many campgrounds offer some form of free or paid Wi-Fi access. A few major cities offer Wi-Fi blanketing, in which the downtown district or even the entire city provides Wi-Fi connectivity.

There are several standards representing the evolution of Wi-Fi technology. Newer standards, such as 802.11n, are backwards-compatible with older standards. This allows you to purchase a new computer with an up-to-date Wi-Fi card and still connect to older networks. However, your speed and the range at which you can get a signal may be lower on an older network.

Some places heavily advertise their Wi-Fi networks

Wi-Fi is a terrific option for travelers who only stay in locations that provide it and do not need connectivity while going down the road. Increasingly, fast-food and casual restaurants provide free Wi-Fi for their customers, allowing you to pull off the road for a few minutes to use the internet. Wi-Fi signal ranges are quite limited, so you may need to take your computer inside the restaurant rather than tapping into the signal from the parking lot.

Wi-Fi also works well when traveling internationally. Two years ago, we were on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Shipboard internet is available on most cruise lines, but is frightfully expensive. Instead, I opted to work while in port. In St. Maarten, we did a shortened version of the America’s Cup regatta. After the race, we took a water taxi to downtown, where I slipped into the local library. After figuring out how to use the French keyboard, I was able to work for about an hour at no charge, meeting my deadline. We then re-boarded the water taxi with enough time left to do some shopping before the ship departed.

The biggest limitation on Wi-Fi is availability. We live full-time in an RV and often camp in state or federal parks, which do not offer Wi-Fi connectivity. We also drive for long periods, providing me an excellent opportunity to work in the car. So we decided that we need a more permanent solution for our internet needs.

Smart Phones

New cell phones provide internet access, but the usefulness may be limited

Remember when cell phones only made telephone calls? I recently purchased my first Android phone, which provides full internet access and hundreds of productivity applications. My cell plan offers unlimited data usage, but only when connecting directly from the phone.

I have found that my phone is sufficient for responding to email, taking notes and performing limited research, but between the screen size and the touch screen keyboard, I cannot write a full article on it. However, if your work needs primarily involve staying in touch and receiving emails, a smart phone might work for you.

My phone also offers the option to create a wireless hotspot at an additional monthly fee. As a hotspot, my phone will allow five different devices to connect to the internet. The major drawback is that the speed of connectivity is based on the speed of the phone. If we happen to be in an area with a strong signal, that’s great. If not, then we could experience speeds similar to dialup or worse. When using the hotspot function, I am limited to 5 gigabytes of data per month, like most AirCard solutions.

AirCards

The Sprint Overdrive is a hybrid 3G/4G device

AirCards have gone in and out of favor since their debut in the early 2000s. An AirCard, also known as a mobile broadband card, allows you to connect your computer to a cellular network. The current iteration is known as 3G, or third generation. Fourth generation, or 4G, service promises speeds resembling traditional broadband, but is only available in specific major cities.

You must purchase both the AirCard and a monthly data plan. Some carriers, including Sprint and Clear, offer unlimited data for a single monthly fee on the 4G network. Others, such as Verizon, have monthly data caps on 4G. All carriers currently limit 3G access to 5 gigabytes per month.

The Virgin Mifi will have a 5 gigabyte data cap beginning Feb 2011

Virgin Broadband2Go made a huge splash in late 2010 when the company announced that it was offering truly unlimited (no cap) 3G on a no-contract pre-paid basis for $40 per month. Unfortunately that offer was short-lived. Virgin announced last week that in February, it will begin capping data usage at 5 gigabytes per month. Some carriers, such as Virgin, slow down users’ speed when they exceed the limit. Others, such as Sprint, charge users a per-megabyte fee for excess usage.

To put the data cap in perspective, we had a Sprint Overdrive for several months. The Overdrive is a 3G/4G hybrid device that automatically connects to 4G when it is available, and 3G the rest of the time. In the year that we had the Overdrive, we were only in a 4G area once, for a few minutes. So we were subject to the 3G data cap every month. We had two computers connected to the device and were careful to avoid watching streaming video or listening to music. We turned off our automatic updates, and used settings in our browsers to prevent videos from automatically loading. Despite these precautions, we exceeded our usage twice, both at a significant cost.

The major advantage to mobile broadband is the ability to use the service while traveling down the road. Dad usually drives, and I am able to settle back in my seat and write articles as we go. The air card works about as well as a cell phone–sometimes the signal drops when we enter a remote area, and the speed varies according to our distance from a cell tower. However, I have successfully connected from deep within a state park.

Satellite Internet

Satellite internet is currently the most expensive but most reliable long-term mobile solution

Satellite internet is the most expensive but most reliable option for long-term travelers. If you have an RV or house boat, you can have a dish permanently mounted, preventing the need to set it up and tear it down each time. Some systems also offer automatic pointing, saving you time in determining the proper coordinates.

The initial cost outlay is significant for a permanently mounted system, ranging from $3,000 to more than $20,000. Monthly fees range from $40 per month for a consumer-grade plan with a daily download cap of 200 megabytes to nearly $1000 per month for a commercial-grade plan with no download caps.

Due to price, we have decided not to invest in portable satellite internet at this time. We currently use the Virgin Broadband2Go mobile broadband service. Once the 5 gigabyte data limit kicks in next month, we may weigh our options yet again. The price of satellite equipment has fallen dramatically in the past five years, and we hope that it will continue to fall. Until and unless that happens, however, we will continue to use a mix of mobile broadband and Wi-Fi.

The more you travel, the greater your odds of experiencing an emergency on the road

If you travel extensively, the odds are good that you will eventually encounter an emergency situation while on the road. Exposure to unfamiliar germs, changes in sleeping and eating schedules, strange foods and activities that increase your risk of injury are all common parts of any vacation. Dealing with an emergency at home is never pleasant, but when you are in an unfamiliar place, emergencies can be downright scary. Developing a plan of action before you leave home can go a long way toward helping you remain calm and making good decisions when a situation arises.

Trip Insurance

Hospitals are easy to find even in small towns

Trip insurance is the single best investment you can make in any vacation, even if you have good health coverage. On a cruise or in a foreign country, the doctor may not be willing to bill your insurance directly. You may be responsible for paying out of pocket and then filing a claim for reimbursement. If anyone in your traveling party is on Medicare, that organization will not pay when you are overseas.

Trip insurance fills in the gap. Although the specifics vary by policy, the trip insurance may make payment directly to the doctor, or may wire you cash within a tight time frame (as little as 24 hours). Trip insurance also covers delays, cancellation or trip interruption for covered reasons such as injury or illness. Since the insurance is time-limited to the duration of your trip, prices are generally surprisingly reasonable.

Call your insurance company to find out exactly what is covered while you are away, and compare several trip insurance policies to find the one that best meets your needs. If you are putting together a multi-leg trip, such as a one-way cruise to Alaska followed by a month-long tour of the state, it may be less expensive to buy a single policy that covers your whole trip rather than one policy for the cruise and another for everything else. Read all the fine print before signing a contract, especially if anyone in your group has a pre-existing condition or if you plan to engage in extreme sports. You may need a specific policy or an additional rider to meet your needs.

Walk-In Clinics

First Aid centers can handle minor emergencies, while walk-in clinics manage more severe difficulties.

Walk-in or urgent care clinics are readily available throughout the United States, both as stand-alone facilities and attached to major drugstores. Significantly less expensive than a visit to the emergency room, walk-in clinics treat both travelers and locals. They can handle most minor injuries and illnesses and can refer you to a local hospital or specialist if needed. Most walk-in clinics accept most major insurance policies including trip insurance, but if you have the time, it never hurts to call and ask before you arrive. Note that walk-in clinics are open from early morning until late evening, but are not open all night. Major attractions also have First Aid centers, which can handle some minor illnesses and injuries.

Ask the Front Desk

Check with your hotel for recommendations

If the situation is not life-threatening, call or visit the front desk of your hotel for advice. Front desk staff is used to handling guest emergencies, and can provide valuable advice on which clinic to visit or avoid, when to go and how to get there. Some hotels even offer free transportation to a local clinic or emergency room. Although it should never be expected, hotels often offer small perks to those who are recuperating, from flowers delivered to your room to free or heavily discounted extra nights if you are too ill to travel. The hotel may also stock limited first aid supplies such as bandages or pain relievers.

**Note** If the hotel offers to call a doctor directly to your room, make sure that the visit will be covered by your insurance. Both major medical policies and trip insurance vary widely in their willingness to cover in-room treatment, and the charges are often high. If it is covered, though, by all means take advantage of the service. You or your child will be much more comfortable waiting in your room rather than in a crowded clinic. In some cases, the doctor will even bring the appropriate medications along, saving you a trip to the pharmacy.

First Aid Kit

Take a few minutes before each trip to replenish your first aid kit

Never depart on any vacation without packing a well-stocked first aid kit. Pain relievers, fever reducers, bandages and antibiotic ointment are often pricey in gift shops and it may be difficult to access a pharmacy. Pack additional items according to your family’s needs. For example, a snakebite kit is probably not necessary when staying in a city hotel, but is critical when camping in the back woods.

If anyone in your family is prone to ear infections or other minor illnesses, talk to your doctor before the trip. He or she may want to prescribe antibiotics for you to use if needed. Also make sure that everyone’s immunizations are up to date. If traveling outside of the country, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website for the latest travel immunization recommendations.

Calling 911

If you have access to a landline, use it instead of a cell phone for 911

Unless you have no other option, try not to call 911 on your cell phone. Although newer GPS technology makes it easier for 911 operators to locate cell phone users, you run the risk of the call being routed strangely due to the location of cell towers and the location assigned to your cell phone number. Use a landline if possible, even if it means asking someone nearby to make the call for you. Especially when you don’t know exactly where you are, dealing with the closest 911 center at the outset can make it easier for emergency personnel to find you. Of course, if the cell phone is your only option, don’t waste time searching for a landline.

Keeping Children Calm

A stuffed animal can make things better when someone isn't feeling well

Unfamiliar places and situations can make kids antsy, and adding in an emergency situation can push them over the edge. The best way to keep your kids calm is to remain calm yourself. Remember that while the place you are visiting is unfamiliar to you, it is home to quite a few people. Unless you are doing an extremely remote jungle trek or safari, in which case your guide will have up to the minute emergency training, you are never far from medical services.

Depending on your child’s age and level of development, you may want to talk through these things with him as well. Kids are generally receptive to facts that are presented gently but in a matter of fact tone. If your child is smaller, use a soothing tone to remind her that everything is all right and you will handle the situation. Consider picking up small gifts, such as a teddy bear or some candy, to amuse the child while waiting for medical attention. Even adults who aren’t feeling well sometimes appreciate these small tokens!

Loading up the family and heading for the woods requires advance planning

Tent camping and kids are a natural fit. What child doesn’t enjoy the chance to run around in the woods, tell spooky stories by the campfire, and sleep in a tent? For the parents, however, the sheer list of tasks involved in tent camping can seem like a nightmare. Depending on the park’s housekeeping staff, so can the bath house facilities! Like anything else, though, tent camping is a skill that gets better with practice.

Choosing a Tent

If you haven’t been camping since your elementary school days, you may be surprised by the range of tent styles and sizes on today’s market. Some tents, known as pop-ups, require almost no work at all. Others, designed for long-term camping in extreme conditions, come with assembly manuals that read like stereo instructions. First-time weekend campers generally need something in between.

The size and relative closeness of your family will help narrow down your tent choices. If you are a single parent or VERY happily married with one small child, you may be able to get away with one four-person tent for a short trip. For most families, though, two or three tents are a better solution.

Choose a main tent with two rooms–if the tent has a wall divider, make sure it is removable. The adults can sleep in the smaller room, while the larger room creates living space for the whole family during the inevitable rain storm or cold snap. The kids’ tent can be a bit smaller, providing just enough room for the children to sleep and store a few clothes, since they can join the adults in the communal living area. If the trip is short and you plan to eat some restaurant meals, two tents are sufficient. If you want the full camping experience, however, complete with campfire cooking, consider taking a supply tent as well. This can be a very small pop-up tent, as it only needs to house your cooler or micro-refrigerator and any related supplies.

Don’t be afraid to open up the tent packaging in the store. Choose a tent with a rain cover, strong poles and reasonably easy assembly instructions. Although you do not need the most expensive, steer clear of the cheapest off brands.

What to Pack

Dress in layers, as the temperature can change rapidly

Packing lists for camping trips are easy to find all over the internet. Think through your family’s needs and desires to make an educated guess at which items will be relevant for you. The basics can be broken down into a few main categories:

Bedding — Some people sleep on an air mattress, others on a foam pad. Whatever your desired level of comfort, staying warm is the most critical. Each person needs something between his body and the ground. Sleeping bags are rated by temperature, so read the tags and purchase something appropriate to your trip. A bag rated for sub-zero temperatures can become dangerously hot during the summer, while a bag rated for 50 F will do little good in the snow. Although decorative patterns on kids’ sleeping bags are cute, choose one that has a temperature rating. Some kids’ sleeping bags are designed for “campouts” in a climate-controlled living room, not for actual camping in the woods.

Lighting — If you’ve never been in the woods after dark, you may be surprised just how dark it actually gets. You will need lighting inside each tent, light to cook and eat by, flashlights for midnight bathroom runs, and ambient lighting that helps you avoid driving over the tent if you return after dark. Propane lanterns are an excellent choice for outside the tent, while battery-operated versions are safest inside.

Cooking — Modern camp cooking runs the gamut from campfire meals to gourmet dishes prepared in a solar oven or even TV dinners in a microwave. Camp cooking is a complicated topic, so do some reading and research well in advance of your trip. If you plan to camp frequently, cast iron cookware is well worth the expense. Propane or Sterno stovetops are highly popular. Keep in mind that most campsites do not allow you to dump wash water on the ground, so you will need to set up a dishwashing station as well.

Tools — If you plan to have a campfire, you will need a way of breaking down your firewood and tending the fire. You will also need a way to drive tent stakes into the ground. A small camping axe or hatchet, a rubber mallet, a fireplace poker, tongs and heavy work gloves are basic essentials. Rope, a small shovel and dozens of other camping tools may also be helpful, depending on what you plan to do.

Clothes — A camping trip is not the place to show off your best outfits. Choose rugged, durable clothing that can stand up to dirt and water. Temperatures can change frequently in the woods, so choose items that are easily layered. A waterproof jacket and a rain poncho are essential items. Pack extra socks and make sure everyone changes them frequently.

Entertainment – Some campers take advantage of the trip to disconnect from modern technology, while others pack their tents full of electronics. There is no right answer to the question of technology on a camping trip. My family has spent many wonderful hours watching Survivor outdoors by the campfire or playing the Blair Witch Project video game in a tent deep in the back woods. Remember, however, that a site with electricity typically has two outlets. Carry extension cords and power strips if you plan to use several electronics, and plug everything into a surge protector. The electricity at campgrounds can be somewhat erratic.

Keeping Kids Safe

Teach campfire safety before your trip

Children’s natural instinct is to run and play, and many kids exhibit an utter fearlessness of their surroundings. Set ground rules at the beginning of the trip and be willing to revisit them throughout your adventure. The specifics will vary according to your kids’ ages and abilities, and the terrain in which your campground is set. In general, rules will likely revolve around bodies of water, roads, visiting other kids’ campsites, bringing kids to your campsite, attending activities alone and handling tools. But kids will be kids, so be prepared to handle situations as they arise. Try to find a balance that keeps them safe while encouraging them to explore and try new things.

Baby travelling gear

Possibly the two most important elements of any trip – with or without children – are what you’ll eat and what essential but sometimes forgotten items you’ll bring on your journey. 

Let’s start with a look at mealtime. Not exactly a news flash, is it? When you get hungry, you get cranky. Small children are often small eaters, and often hungry. And that means – often cranky. Small children who are traveling and cranky…well, let’s just not go there. 

Instead, make sure your little ones are well fed and ready to sight-see. Sounds easy, but on an extended road trip or when you’re trying to avoid both fast food and high end establishments, as our family most often does, it can be a juggling act. 

Travel Snacks for Kids 

Here are some tips to make feeding your brood a less challenging endeavor. First of all, whether you’re going by car, plane, train, or boat, be sure to have plenty of that all important beverage at hand: water. Now obviously these days you’ll have to buy your water at the airport after passing security, but this is not a time to save a few dollars and wait for the beverages on board. Any number of delays can happen, and water not only hydrates and refreshes healthy bodies of all ages, it can be a real life saver to the smaller set. A thirsty child trumps a hungry child any day in terms of unhappiness. When we drive by car, we do keep our nalgene bottles handy for ecologically sound refills, but because you never know what water supplies are out there on the road, we also keep two flats of bottled water in our car at all times. And we use them. 

Portable healthy snacks are the next step. Children of all ages will enjoy a crunchy cracker – but make sure it’s low sodium. Excess salt will make kids thirsty and tired. And much of the salt in processed crackers isn’t a sprinkle or two of sea salt. It’s a preservative. A great alternative: unsalted matzoh, available at any grocery store. For toddlers, Zwiebach crispy crunchy bread is relatively low in sodium, and like many foods for small children, just as tasty for older kids too. Pureed apple sauce, mangos, sweet potatoes aren’t just baby food anymore. They can be a dipping sauce or topping for older kids too. Our favorite toppings though are peanut butter and almond butter, both low or no-sodium, available in convenient individual foil packets at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, and some Safeway chain stores. If you don’t have a local seller, look on line. Incredibly portable, high in protein, and healthy, too. Bananas are also a great snack, easy to eat, come in their own disposable wrappers. And of course, most kids love candy. And some candy is healthier than others. Read the sodium content and list of preservatives on the labels of the major brands and you’ll be surprised at the difference. We’re big on peanut m&m’s, because – assuming there are no peanut allergies in your family, of course – the peanuts are a small source of protein, and the candy is relatively healthy. I’m a Hershey bar with almonds fanatic for much the same reason.  A bag of chocolate chips mixed with unsalted almonds or pumpkin seeds is also both a great treat and food source. Whatever you choose, try to avoid heavy corn syrup and preservatives in the mix. 

Mmmm…pizza. Sometimes a great food-notion.

And now, inevitably, it’s meal time. Just as you’ve chosen healthy snacks, select healthy dining. No matter how quick and easy, or how familiar, avoid fast food. It’s inexpensive and filling, but not fulfilling – in terms of essential nutrients or dining pleasure. By the same token, you’ll want to avoid the convenience of a possibly overpriced hotel restaurant where the kids are going to have few menu choices amid a hushed atmosphere. Our top pick in any town is ethnic restaurants. Regardless of the diet of our family members – and we have one special diet, one vegan, one meat eater, and one pescatarian – it’s the rare Italian restaurant that doesn’t offer a salad, a meat-free pasta, a meat dish, a fish dish. We also like Thai and Chinese, but not the take-out variety which often presents pre-prepared food difficult to custom order. Surprisingly, given the range of our diets, a family style steak house or diner will often have great side dishes or be able to custom prepare a basic meal without the diet elements we wish to exclude. 

Packing Tips 

So, with meal time and snack-sustenance discussed, let’s take a look at the other top travel concern in our book – packing. 

Packing…don’t forget the kid-essentials.

No matter where you go, no matter what the season, we’ve always been glad when we brought these items along and frustrated when we have not. First, a swim suit, even in winter – we’ve discovered heated pools and jacuzzi’s and not had our gear; and a rash guard for the kids to protect them from sunburn. Second, a night light. A small night light is often handy even for adults stumbling to the bathroom in an unfamiliar and dark hotel room, and it can prevent many bumps and bruises for little ones, as well as offering a reassuring glow. Third, if your tots are very small, bring a cloth high chair along. If you’re dining in your room, voila, your little one can join you at the table. Fourth, paper and pencil – or crayons, or pen – great for drawing, journal making, doodling, note taking. Our kids brought unlined notebooks with them from the time they could scrawl a line on a page. Great entertainment, and handy when you have to jot information down quickly, too. Lastly, don’t forget the guide book. There may be something you missed when you read it the first time, a number or name you wish you had along; or you may simply enjoy reading a succinct summary of the places you are visiting or are about to go to the children if they’re of reading age. 

So there you have it – some tips for things to eat and things to bring that should keep your family happy on the road and off, whether you’re visiting family and friends or exploring an exotic locale. Remember, happy travelers of all ages are well fed and ready for the pool!