Whether you are going on a long vacation or a weekend getaway, preparing your vehicle and packing for the journey are two priorities. Making the trip pleasant and rewarding counts as part of the process. We have four key ways to help your family feel fantastic along the way.

Choose Music, Snacks, and Souvenirs for All Family Members

Be sure to include something for every individual on your journey. Snacks are a necessity unless you plan to spend extra at convenience stores, gas stations, and fast food joints. A cooler with yogurt, cheese sticks, juice, bottles of water, and fruit make it easy for anyone to grab a snack along the way. Dry items like granola bars, dried fruit, chips, veggie straws, nuts, pretzels, and cereal bars are easy to stash in backpacks with a change of clothes, pajamas, and toiletries. When making playlists, you can use a variety of songs like four or five favorites for each person. Putting the list on shuffle will make it fun to guess whose song is coming on next.

Schedule Regular Breaks into the Trip

You can make a family game out of guessing or use it as a fun way to learn about the things your children like. Another tip is to pick up trinkets and take photos of everyone throughout the excursion to share later. Everyone loves unique venues. Instead of stopping at a gas station for every break, why not plan a trip to a museum along the route? You can also stop at a hotel and spend one day of the journey visiting fun entertainment stops like amusement parks. Flea markets, caves, boat trips, and zoos give you tons of excitement. What makes an even more memorable trip is visiting a landmark like the Statue of Liberty. No one will ever forget the time the family visited the iconic spot.

Get a New Car to Avoid Breakdowns

Everyone knows to check the oil, transmission, tire pressure, and brake fluid before a road excursion. How about wowing the family this vacation? By looking at new Ford cars for sale, you can choose a vehicle with a sunroof for camping, or the towing capacity to bring along a boat. The best part is you can let go of worry about getting stuck along the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. You know your family will get to and from your destination in comfort, style, and safety.

Pen in a Little Time Away from Technology

Helping the family cope with boredom is easier with cell phones, tablets, and laptops. The problem is no one gets to make the precious family memories with their faces in all this technology. To ensure your family can connect on a more personal level, consider adding time in the trip for road games. For younger children, spying and recognition games are excellent options. Older children can talk about favorite family moments or tell a story.

Making sure everyone is happy and feels like they are a part of the journey is huge for your family road trip. With these four tips, we hope you find the event more than memorable. Remember to get lots of fresh air to avoid cabin syndrome.