Who loves a road trip? For us, that is an easy answer. We are all for family road trips, especially in the summer! Can they be long and exhausting? Absolutely! But after clocking in several dozen under our belts, here are some tried and true tips to make your family road trip a success.
Top Tips to Make Your Family Road Trip a Success
These are all the things you’ll need in the car with you as you venture out on the road ::
- Pack your patience. This is going to carry you all 500 hundred miles and then some. I make sure to get an extra dose of patience with all the calming mom hacks I have in my pocket. Breathing techniques, prayers, etc.
- Bring all the snacks and water. There are some toddler necessities that we can’t live without, and snacks are on the top of that list. We usually pack a cooler and keep it in the middle of the back seat within my reach but out of my way.
- A plastic bag for trash and/or accidents. I don’t know about you, but our car always gets littered with trash after road trips. Bring a plastic bag to throw away all of the things and to keep your car as clean as it’s going to get.
- All the napkins. You also never know when you’re going to need a spare trash bag for any spills or accidents. Napkins are going to save you here!
- Wipes! Because of said snacks and trash and/or accidents, you and your family are probably going to need to wash your hands, but if you’re traveling and not near a stop, just grab your favorite wipes and clean up the messes easily.
- Keep your emergency bag in arm’s reach. I always make sure to have an “emergency” first-aid kit. You just never know. I keep bandaids, my oil remedies, a thermometer, q-tips, and rubbing alcohol squares in my diaper bag/mom bag. In my bag, I always have more than enough diapers and wipes and spare clothes for the kids.
- Activities for the kids. We have a DVD player in the car, and it’s such a convenience to have when we’re on long trips. Don’t forget the head phones either! We also pack the iPad (fully charged with mom-approved apps only), LeapPad, coloring books, and magnet drawing boards. We also have started playing “I Spy” when we travel, and that takes up a good amount of time, too.
- Pillows, blankets, lovies. Will you be traveling during nap time? Don’t pack these in the trunk! Keep these out and handy for your little ones when the tired eyes appear.
- Extra chargers. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need these at arm’s reach to help your electronics go the distance.
- A dependable car! The number one thing you need for a successful road trip is a dependable, spacious vehicle. All the room to spread out in with a safe, reliable vehicle is the number one way to make sure your trip is a good one.
For those of you on the hunt for a new-to-you family car, I highly suggest checking out CarMax! We had the pleasure of heading in to our local dealership, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I usually detest car dealerships because I typically feel like a small fish about to get eaten by a shark, but I didn’t get that feeling at all when we stepped foot into CarMax. I was blown away by their attention to detail (hello, coolest app to find my family’s next car!) and the ease of making a purchase.
We typically buy used vehicles, which can be a tricky process at most dealerships. But not at CarMax. They have revolutionized the auto industry by delivering an honest, transparent, and high-integrity car shopping and buying experience. And for nearly 25 years, CarMax has made car buying more ethical, fair and stress-free with no-haggle pricing and an incredible selection of vehicles.
When we first walked in, we were greeted by the friendliest sales consultant. He was super knowledgeable and focused on finding the right car just for us. CarMax is focused on delivering an experience that is
personalized to their customers whether it is in the store, online or a hybrid of the two. They leverage data and technology to ensure a seamless and personalized customer experience. CarMax also stands behind every car to help you feel confident about your decision (with things like a 5-day money back guarantee, 30-day warranty, and a free vehicle history reports on every car).
We were able to walk around the well thought out lot of cars to find our favorites after chatting about what would suit us best, and we all loved this process! With our waters in hand, we saw what each favorite had to offer.
I was surprised to find out that about 90% of CarMax purchasers start on CarMax.com or the CarMax mobile app. Customers can browse CarMax’s nationwide inventory of nearly 50,000 vehicles, hold a vehicle for a test drive, schedule an appraisal, and even get pre-qualified for financing before visiting the store. Isn’t that convenient! You no longer have to spend hours on end at a dealership. This is my kind of car shopping!
And if you’re trading in your vehicle, CarMax makes selling your car easy, by offering no-obligation fast, free appraisals good for seven days. The kicker is, they will buy your car, even if you don’t end up buying one from them. They buy all the cars, no matter the make, model or mileage, and will give you a real offer for your car, not just an estimate.
What about financing, you said? CarMax believes financing should be stress-free. Their mission has always been to make buying a used car easy, and they feel the same about financing. They truly do their best to make the process as easy and painless as possible. Most decisions come back in minutes, and if approved, you get to choose the available offer that suits you best. My favorite perk at buying from CarMax? If you can find better financing elsewhere, you have three days to change it, penalty free. Say what?!
CarMax is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars with more than 190 stores in 41 states, and growing. Be sure to visit your local CarMax to test drive and compare a range of new or used cars, all in one place.
A few last perks about CarMax:
- Is your car at a CarMax across the country? No problem! You can request a transfer from almost any CarMax location, with no obligation to buy.
- CarMax has nearly 25,000 associates nationwide and for 14 consecutive years has been named as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.
With a dependable family vehicle and all of the other fun tips I shared, your next road trip should be the best one yet! Let’s get back to memory making!
