Travel Tips & Tricks
Whether it is your 1st or 100th family adventure, here are some tips and tricks to help make travel easier. Picking a destination, packing or navigating the airport, we hope these tips and tricks get you going!
Five Tips for Making a Road Trip Enjoyable for the Entire Family Summer is a time for road trips. Families often travel to vacation destinations such a the beach or to visit out of town relatives by car. The thought of traveling in a car for a long period of time with children causes anxiety in many adults. Families with a special needs child require additional pre-planning to ensure a successful family vacation. With good planning it is not only possible to survive a lengthy car trip but even enjoy it. Here are five tips for making family travel enjoyable. 1. Prepare Your Children
If possible, explain to your children the length of the upcoming car ride in terms they can understand. For example say "We will leave at breakfast time and arrive at dinner." Consider finding books or videos that show characters going on a road trip to demonstrate what it will be like. In addition use photo albums, vacation brochures, and maps to help your children understand where you are going and who or what will be seen when you arrive. This will reduce anxiety and help get the kids excited about the trip. 2. Plan for Food If you child has special dietary restrictions consider bringing the food they will need for the entire trip with you. This will prevent a struggle to find special foods during the trip. Another option is to locate specialized grocery stores along the route or at the final destination so you know before you leave that you will find appropriate food during the trip. 3. Take your Time Don't count on making it to your destination in record time. Keep in mind that you will need to make regular stops for bathroom breaks and exercise. Consider setting a pre-determined amount of time that you will drive before stopping. Ninety minutes or 2 hours is usually manageable. It will slow down your trip but will help keep your kids calm for the duration of the trip. Another suggestion is to split a long trip over 2 days. Instead of driving 10 hours in one day, consider looking for a fun place to stop about half way through the trip. Seek out a museum or other entertainment at the halfway point that can aid in breaking up the trip. 4. Consider a Practice Run Before taking a 10 hour trip, consider visiting a location 3 hours away as a practice run. This will allow your children to learn what to expect while traveling. It will also give you an opportunity to see which things worked well and which didn't so you can adjust for the longer trip. 5. Pack Items Appropriate For Your Child If your child tends to easily become overstimulated pack items that will provide as little sensory input a possible on the road. Consider limiting the music playing, conversation, or noisemaking toys to prevent overstimulation. Bring one special toy that provides comfort. For a child that becomes under-stimulated plan on bringing music, books, toys and movies. Look for games that involve reading road signs Many families find it helpful to bring a few new toys or toys the kids haven't seen in awhile to provide entertainment on a long car trip. If this is something that would be beneficial for your kids keep in mind that you will have to make a trip home as well. Save a few new items for the return trip. For further information about family travel for all types of families, including those with special needs, contact us. We believe all families should be able to successfully experience the fun of travel!
3 Comments
11/1/2018 05:52:14 am
Couldn't agree more. Apart from above-mentioned tips, a quick inspection of different components of the vehicle prior to leaving for a destination is really essential to identify and fix mechanical issues associated with the vehicle. Driving a vehicle which has certain kind of issues could influence the performance of the vehicle in a very negative way. So, the vehicle should be inspected by an experienced technician prior to leaving for a destination.
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11/3/2018 09:31:21 am
Summer time is the perfect time for travel. People generally organize road trips during summer. Road trips are meant for refreshment of one's mind and enjoyment. To ensure a successful and enjoyable trip, families visiting with their children should pre plan their trip. To make the kids excited for the trip, parents should show them photo albums and maps of the place they are visiting. They should split the long trip over two days. Instead of driving for a long time in a single day, they should look about a fun place like museum about half way through the trip.
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11/14/2018 07:58:41 am
Information given in this article is really helpful. The road trip should be properly planned to make it enjoyable. Driving a vehicle with damaged or abnormal components could bring the vehicle to a halt in the middle of nowhere and no one wants to face such a situation during a road trip. So, the condition of different components of the vehicle should be inspected prior to leave for a long road trip. Such kinds of inspection are very helpful to identify and repair abnormal components of the vehicle to keep it in working order.
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