Van trips always necessitate proper planning. However, when coordinating a van trip with the whole family, it matters to plan strategically. Read on for some van travel hacks to get the most out of your trip.
1. Bulk Up on Entertainment
Long drives call for distractions. Keep the whole cabin entertained with story times, family games, movie or television streaming, or karaoke.
For younger children, consider bringing coloring pages and crayons, picture books, fidget toys, and electronic toys that give kiddos a sensory experience to keep them from being bored on the drive.
2. Create a Family Playlist
Whether your family is pumped about the trip or feeling exhausted from the long drive, listening to a family playlist always makes for a good time.
Before hitting the road, collaborate with your family to create a digital playlist with all of your individual favorite tunes. Consider coming up with different playlists, like classical music or early 2000 pop hits. Not only can music be enjoyable, but it can also have benefits.
3. Plan Your Stops in Advance
Sometimes you can predict when you’ll need to stop. The kids might need to go to the bathroom, the driver may need a stretch break, or you might wish to stop and grab some food.
Nonetheless, it helps to plan your stops. Consider your road, plan to stop every hour or two. Find gas stations, restrooms, and any store or eatery you might want to check out along the way.
4. Organize Packing with Lists
Packing for yourself, much less your entire family, can be a big task. Things can easily get missed or forgotten.
Before packing, make lists of everything your family members need individually and together. As you pack, check the items off to make sure you got everything you need. It also matters to keep the items consolidated to ensure nothing gets missed when packing the items into your van.
5. Pack Potty Essentials Just in Case
You never know when your kids are going to have to go. That said, bring all the potty essentials: empty bags and bottles, baby wipes, diapers or pull-ups, spare underwear and pants, hand sanitizer, and a car air freshener. This can keep your van smelling fresh and staying as clean as possible, especially when accidents occur.
6. Save Money by Bringing Your Own Food
Before you head out on your trip, consider prepping all or some of your family’s meals to save some money. It will also save you time from having to make stops for food on your journey.
Bring items like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef jerky, pasta salad, bananas, bags of chips, pretzels, protein bars, trail mix, and popcorn. If you have an ice chest or fridge on board, feel free to bring freshly-cut fruit, meats and cheeses, boiled eggs, and salads for a healthy and fresh meal or snack.
7. Create Your Own Clean-Up Kit
Kids are bound to make messes. Accidents happen, and some are even intentional. That said, creating a clean-up kit is a great idea when traveling in a van with kids.
Your clean-up kit might consist of disposable wipes, tissues, empty bags to toss trash, and even a portable vacuum cleaner to keep the inside of your van as tidy as possible.
Looking for a new van to make your family’s upcoming trip a success? Reach out to a Mercedes Benz Sprinter dealer today for more information.
Conclusion
Planning a family trip in a van is not for the faint of heart. It can get cramped, and a lot can go wrong very quickly. On the other hand, it might just be one of your best family trips you ever go on. With the latter planning advice executed, you’re more likely to have a trip that runs smoothly.
Speak Your Mind