What things can I bring on a family road trip to make it more enjoyable?

What things can I bring on a family road trip to make it more enjoyable?

Dorothy Jordon (Family Travel Expert) gives expert video advice on: What are some tips for a successful family road trip?; How can I reduce stress during air travel with my family?; Are trains a viable option for family travel? and more...

Road trips can sometimes be really horrible. I am not a good car driver, so I didn't think my kids would be very good car drivers, either. And they weren't. During our first car trip, my son, at twenty-third street, said, "Are we there, yet?" I knew that we were going to be in big trouble. But what we started to do is, we got big maps, and we drew the route on a map, and then we would point them out, and show them where we were. As they got older, they each had a navigator hat, and one person would wear the navigator hat, and would actually navigate and tell us where we were, because they could read the signs and share information. You need to make sure that your kids are comfortable - that is number one. My kids learnt to sleep in cars, and in planes. They slept between here and there. I had a writer for me who said we were going to go on a fabulous trip to do leaf-peeping. I said, "That sounds wonderful, but how do you think John will take it?" He said, "Oh, he's okay in the car." I said, "Yeah, but kids don't get turned on by scenery." It doesn't really affect them the way it affects adults. We played lots of music, we played lots of word games. We were not people who let our kids turn off. A lot of people give their kids iPods and earphones, and the kids turn off. But for us, it was a time when we could actually listen to our kids, and we could answer their questions, and we could talk together as a family. It wasn't always so easy, but we would bring toys and games along. We told them not to pack the family hamster, but otherwise, we let them pick the toys and games that they brought along, regardless of the mode of travel.