My top tips on how to survive and have fun on a family road trip!
As a family we’ve road-tripped a lot. We currently live in Ireland and regularly drive for hours to visit an exciting new place (like Killarney National Park, which we love) and my husband is from Brighton. So, we often rent a car when we visit his family in England and drive the many scenic drives there stopping off along the way. One of our kids’ favorite places to stop in England is Peppa Pig World, for obvious reasons (we have two toddlers).
As a couple (pre-kids) we’ve road-tripped so many times, and actually one of our favorite countries to drive through is Australia! We particularly loved driving from Brisbane to Cairns, along the Great Ocean Road and, across the fabled Nullarbor Plain!
As well as being an adventure in itself, a family road trip to any of these destinations or beyond provides a wonderful opportunity to make it an educational experience for your children as well. As I said, we have two young daughters and we’ve learned from each road trip on how to make the next one a better and more educational experience for everyone.
Not sure how you can do that, too?
Well, below, I’ve listed some great ways you can share knowledge and put your kid’s inquisitive minds into overdrive when road-tripping long distances. P.S. I’ve focused on Australia as that’s where we’ve undertaken the most road trips.
Pro tip: The cost of renting a car in Australia can be expensive. However, there are some ways you can save money. We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars. This is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after.
How to make the most of a family road trip
To make the most of your family road trip, I say, a good mix of planning and spontaneity is key. Start by mapping out your route and pinpointing some must-see attractions along the way. But don’t forget to leave space for spontaneous detours. From our experience, those unplanned stops often lead to the best memories!
Stock up on a variety of snacks and drinks to keep everyone happy and energized. And how about creating a family music playlist? Include everyone’s favorite tunes to keep the mood lively and fun as you hit the road. To make the journey even more interactive, bring along some classic road trip games like I Spy or 20 Questions.
Make sure everyone gets a turn to choose rest stops or activities, which will help everyone feel included in the journey. And don’t forget to capture those special moments! Take plenty of photos and maybe even encourage the family to keep a travel journal. It’ll be a wonderful way to relive your adventure long after the trip has finished.
1. Get your kids to help with the planning
One of the best ways we found to pique our daughters’ interest in the family road trip is to get them to help us plan some aspects of it.
This may involve them researching places they would like to visit or family-friendly activities they would like to do in a certain destination. Which they could do either via books, websites or YouTube.
Not only will this improve their analytical and research skills, but it will also get them excited about your upcoming road trip.
2. Teach them the road signs
If your children are at an age where they are learning to drive (ours aren’t), it is an excellent idea to let them do a bit of practice during your trip. Additionally, you can help them brush up on their highway code and general understanding of the rules of the road.
If you’re in Australia, you can check out EZLicences NSW road regulations guide as a good starting point.
Overall, by taking this opportunity to pass on your knowledge to your kids, you can provide them with valuable experience, which could contribute to them passing their test sooner rather than later.
3. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks
While it is fun to blare out Taylor Swift as you navigate the highways and byways of Oz, it is also a good idea to dedicate some time to increasing your children’s knowledge.
We found that listening to podcasts or audiobooks was an excellent way for us and our girls to take in information in a relaxed and informal fashion. Moreover, the scope of learning for them was massive.
For instance, you can incorporate information about where you currently are driving through or heading to, recounts of historical events, subjects your children are presently learning at school or real-time world events.
Children are sponges. So, if you expose them to this type of information source, you’ll be amazed at what will stick.
4. Stop locations of cultural or historical significance
Your children may have already identified some destinations if you encouraged them to do research. However, if they haven’t, you should consider stopping at some sites of cultural and historical significance.
There are plenty of UNESCO-listed sites in Australia such as Kakadu National Park and the Willandra Lakes Region. And the number you go to will depend on the time you have available. But, my top advice is you shouldn’t visit too many as your children may lose interest.
To keep them engaged, try to find places that have interactive elements to them, as the more hands-on children can get, the more they are likely to explore and appreciate where you have taken them too.
5. Show your children how to read maps
This might be a dying art, what with the emergence of GPS systems in your car and satellite navigation technology on your smartphone. But, I reckon it’s a good idea to teach your children some map reading skills. Teaching our girls how to look at and follow the road on a map was a fun experience, for sure!
Doing this is another way to keep them engaged with the road trip, especially if you put it into a context they can relate to, such as ‘show me the way to get to the ice cream shop!’.
Teaching them how to read maps should boost their willingness to explore and their overall confidence. It is also a life skill that could come in very handy one day.
6. Teach them about car maintenance
Of course, embarking on a family road trip means driving in a vehicle. So, you should take the opportunity to teach your children about car maintenance. We think this is so important (although our girls are a little too young to teach them this at present!)
If you are unfortunate enough to get a flat tyre, turn it into a positive by showing your children how to safely and successfully change it.
Additionally, you can also relate to them the importance of checking the oil, water and battery levels, replacing ineffective windscreen wipers and pumping up the tyre.
This kind of knowledge that you impart to them could prove very valuable later in their lives.
Thanks for Reading!
Before you go! You may also enjoy reading some of my other most popular blog posts, including –
My Tips on How to Have the Best Road Trip Across Canada
Can you visit Queenstown New Zealand on a budget
How to have the BEST 24 hours in Queenstown
Last Updated on February 23, 2025 by snaphappytravel