Driving home for Christmas – 4 top tips for travelling with kids

Whether you’re spending Christmas with your parents, with your in-laws or spending the Christmas break somewhere completely different, travelling over the Christmas period can be a pretty stressful experience. With so much to remember, busy roads and heavy traffic to navigate and of course keeping the magic of Father Christmas alive by hiding all the children’s gifts whilst in transit – it’s no wonder most of us dread driving home for Christmas. Keeping the children quiet and content is arguably the most difficult aspect of any journey, which is why I’m sharing my top 4 tips for travelling with the kids this Christmas.

Good luck! 

Don’t forget your insurance

If you’re heading abroad this festive season, or any time of year for that matter, then having an insurance policy in place that covers you for travelling mishaps as well as medical emergencies and problems is essential. Don’t leave home without it. Check out safetrip international medical insurance for the low down on why travel protection for you and your family is so important.

Take your time

I know, I know – when you’ve got the kids in the car and a long way to go, all you want to do is put the postcode into the sat nav and put your foot down. Getting there as soon as possible is surely better than dragging the journey out, right? Well, the truth is that if you take your time, make regular stops and accept the fact that you’re probably not going to reach your destination as quickly as you would like, then the happier the journey will be. Plan the quickest route of course, but make sure you add plenty of stops into your journey, chose somewhere to eat or even visit for a couple of hours so you can break up the time in the car and even tire the kids out! Making the journey part of the adventure will make it much more enjoyable for everyone!

Bring entertainment

You can’t expect the kids to stare of out the window for three hours…no matter how old they are! Keeping them entertained will certainly make the journey seem quicker and if you’re sitting in a traffic jam, it will keep everyone calm. iPads and tablets are fine towards the end of a journey, however simpler items such as pads and paper, colouring books and crayons, small toys, puzzles and even a story book or two should be enough to keep everyone happy.

Bring snacks

Doesn’t matter how old you are, a long car journey is all about the snacks! When you have little ones to keep happy then packing them a lunch or a small meal is ideal. But having extra snacks that you can hand out throughout the journey is an absolute must. Fruit, veggie sticks, oat and rice cakes, cereal bars, crackers and of course a bottle of water are perfect ways to keep hunger pangs at bay.

What are your top travel tips for travelling with your little ones?