Family Road Trip Tips and Tricks

This post was written by me through an activation with HireInfluence on behalf of Howard Johnson Hotels. Although I received compensation for participating in the campaign, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summer is the optimal time for heading out on the road with your family to check out your favorite destinations or explore new ones- the beach, the mountains, the woods, or backroads. Road Trips with your family can be an amazing experience that is filled with laughter, love, and loads of memories. But... traveling with kids can be a bit of a challenge, especially when there are siblings in a confined space. The best way to make sure that your family vacation is the stuff dreams are made of is to plan ahead.

Two big components of travel are the car ride and the hotel stay and you can make sure both go off without a hitch.  Based on our travel experiences I am sharing my suggestions to keep it all sunshine and rainbows for your entire family.

At the hotel

• Make sure everyone has a good night's sleep- With over 200 Howard Johnson Hotels nationwide it is never hard to book a few nights or find one for your last minute plans.  As a bonus, if you book 2 or more nights you can save 20% off when you book through hojo.com/deals .  A clean comfy bed to rest up and recharge is key to family vacation survival  -FYI- Kids stay free at Howard Johnson Hotels and most are pet-friendly so your furbaby doesn't have to be left at a kennel. The affordability of Howard Johnson allows you to save the money or put it into other parts of your trip. I  won't reveal my age but I remember HoJo's from family vacations when I was a kid, there is a reason they are still around today.

• Give them a good breakfast- To start the day off on the right foot you will want to make sure that your family has a good hot breakfast, HoJo's is FREE. Mom needs her coffee or the kids won't be the only one's bickering, right?

• Let them cut loose and have fun- Kid's, just like adults, need the chance to relax and unwind from responsibilities now and then. You don't have spend thousands at theme parks or somewhere else to enjoy your time together.  The available free wifi and the pools at HoJo means that you never have to leave the hotel to have fun.  How could you leave the view like this one?

In the car

This is where most fights break out on family trips, crowded space, lack of things to do and sometimes even too much togetherness can cause sibling squabbles. I like to plan (and pack) ahead to keep things rolling smoothly on the road by doing two things every time our road trip is longer than a couple of hours...

• Make snack packs- Each kid gets their own snack bag with things like water, fruit snacks, beef jerky, juice boxes, dried or fresh fruit, crackers, and hand sanitizer or wipes. This cuts out frequent stops for snacks and drinks ( I can't really be much help with the potty breaks, that's just a part of the travel experience).
• Provide entertainment- A DVD player in the car can keep kids busy for most of the trip, pack a few of their favorite movies, wireless headphones, tablets, and some good old fashioned paper and crayons. Encourage them to play simple games like the license plate game, I Spy and travel bingo. Engage with them and you will see they are more likely to play along.

Do you have a memorable summer memory traveling as a family?