How do I plan a road trip with kids?! Here’s your step-by-step guide to planning an unforgettable, stress-free (well, mostly) adventure with your family.
This guide will be especially helpful if you’re interested in exploring Europe together (not into Europe but want some help with road trip planning? Then just skip ahead to here).
A road trip through Europe with kids can be so much fun! But it can also be a complete disaster if you’re not properly prepared.
If this is your first road trip with kids, read on to see how you can plan a memorable road trip for you and your family that will be remembered by everyone for the right reasons.
WHY ROAD TRIP THROUGH EUROPE?
It’s a good question! While it’s an approach that might not suit everyone, it’s a fantastic way to experience the places you visit in a unique way.
Why see one country when you can see them all?
Europe offers the opportunity for a single road trip to cover several countries. Unlike traveling through the US, Canada or Australia by car, Europe will reward your hours of driving with an entirely new culture and language.
What better way to introduce your kids to the idea of difference and inclusion? Or to foster their interest in languages and history?
Safe and Secure
Much of Europe has terrific roads (and even the parts that apparently have “bad roads” are, for the most part, great) making a road trip with kids not only smooth, but also secure.
While some road signs will be foreign to you in their meaning, many are universal. This reduces your stress levels when driving with kids on board.
English is not (always) a foreign language
English is the lingua franca, so English is commonly used throughout Europe (particularly in the larger tourist centers and cities).
On your travels, you will find that quite often English translations appear on signs and menus. Most often at least someone in your vicinity will be able to offer assistance when required.
But remember, you are still a visitor in their country. Try your best to use a couple of words from their native language.
Accessible Internet
The internet is easily accessible across most of the continent, making navigation and communication that much easier.
Some parts of Europe have widely available free wifi networks, while others do not. Do you research before you leave to see what the situation will be in your destination countries.
Freedom of Movement
And best of all? A large amount of Europe can be traversed without the hassle of formal border crossings thanks to the Schengen Zone (link to the A-Z Guide of road trip planning).
Due to the free movement between these 27 countries, many vehicle hire companies will also allow their vehicles to be taken across borders, offering you limitless potential for your adventure.
Not just a road trip
But it could also be a train journey or include ferries. Mix it up! You can take advantage of the flexible schedules of all transport options without losing the opportunity to soak in all of the scenery and move through borders without even realising it.
Getting back to Nature
If wild camping is something you’re interested in doing, parts of Europe still allow this with very minimal restrictions.
Sweden, Norway and Finland for example, are still excellent options for this style of touring.
If this is something you’re interested in exploring further, check out Caravanya for an incredible resource with information about every European country in Europe and it’s rules around Wild Camping.
So, now that you’re convinced a road trip in Europe is exactly what you and your family need, let’s start planning.
How to plan a road trip with kids
STEP 1: DREAM BIG
The first step of planning any adventure is to dream the dream.
No idea is off-limits in this step!
Nothing is too big, too crazy, or too far away.
Why not do this step as a family? Getting everyone’s ideas can be a great way to ensure everyone’s catered for in the final plan.
Get your dreaming hat on and send your realistic expectations packing for this activity.
Use these prompts to get you started:
If I could do anything,
- what countries and regions do I want to explore?
- do I want to explore just one region or country deeply? Or do I want to have an extended adventure through lots of countries?
- how long do I want to be on the road for?
- what’s most important for me to experience during my trip? Different cultures/ learning a new language/ adventure sports/ historic sites? Include everything that interests you.
- how would I like to travel? By car/ van/ train/ boat? Include every option that interests you.
- I want my kids to experience . . .
STEP 2: GET THE BASICS SORTED
Now that the dreaming is done, it’s time to lock in the basics of your actual road trip.
If you’re like me, your plans are probably constrained by some things that just cannot be changed: time and money.
So now’s the time to confirm the basics of your trip. Everything else will be planned around these. Consider these the bones of your trip.
Use the following points to help you nail down the perfect outline for your road trip with your kids:
- How long can you travel for? Base this on your actual holiday time allowed from your job (unless you’re lucky enough to be able to work on the way or you’re planning to pack up everything and quit your job for this adventure!)
- With this timeframe in mind, where is it realistic to visit in a way that will allow you to experience some of your expectations?
- How will you travel? By car/ van?
- Are there ferry routes that can save you driving time?
- What is your budget for traveling?
STEP 3: Evaluate time and distance
It’s time to come back to reality.
You’ve got your dream list. You’ve confirmed your basics.
Now you’re going to do the hard work. It’s time to see which dreams can realistically be fulfilled on this adventure.
Here are some things to consider when making these decisions for your family road trip in Europe:
- What is the distance you want to cover on your road trip?
- How many hours can you realistically drive per day with your children? Consider the need for toilet breaks/ nappy changes/ snacks/ meals and of course, play time!
- Expect breaks to take longer than you think they will.
- Remember to schedule fun time into your travel days so that the kids have fun too.
- How will you keep them entertained while driving?
- Do you need to fly into your desired starting point? If so, will you begin your road trip the moment you land or will you stay in the city for a day or two to ground your family first?
- What makes more sense for your journey: a round trip or a one-way adventure?
- What kind of vehicle will you use? A car, a van or a motorhome?
- Where will you sleep? In hotels or Air B&Bs on the way? Will you camp? In your van?
- Do you want to drive exclusively, or would using a train or ferry at times be reasonable?
During this step, don’t forget to think about how often you actually want to be on the move. During our road trips with kids, we aim to have 2 – 3 nights at each location. For us, this allows everyone time to enjoy where they are without becoming restless or overwhelmed with the constant changes.
Not sure if you want to travel with a pram or a carrier? Read my honest opinions here.
Step 4: Research, research, research
Some of the prompts from the last step would have surely had you googling already.
But now it’s time. It’s time to get stuck into researching as much as possible.
Use Google maps to figure out the best way around each country and region to gain the experiences that you’re looking for.
Read travel blogs and search Pinterest for ideas of what to do, where to visit and how to entertain your kids.
Read reviews on TripAdvisor of different service providers, locations and experiences.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions in online forums and groups.
Use these prompts to get you started.
Costings:
- Hiring a car/ van/ motorhome?
- Fuel
- Food
- Accommodation and camping sites
- Other transport: public transportation within cities, long-distance train journey, ferries etc.
- Leisure activities and museums.
- Insurances: for the vehicle and for your health, should illness or injury occur while abroad.
- Additional equipment: bikes, toys, games, sheets and bedding, picnic blanket, cooking utensils etc.
- International exchange fees.
Routes:
- What’s the most time-efficient way to experience as much of that dream-list as possible, while also having fun?
- Is it possible to save time by taking a ferry or a train and still get the experiences you’re looking for?
- Would a round trip make more sense than a one-way journey?
Country-specifics
- What’s the currency of each country that you are moving through?
- Are you easily able to access various currencies with your bank card?
- Road signs: are there particular road-signs in the country or countries that you’re touring through?
- What are the requirements to drive in your destination countries?
- Are there aspects of your destination country that require special attention? For example, diet or clothing?
These are just a few examples of things to be considered while you’re researching.
For a comprehensive overview, why not check out my A-Z Guide to planning a road trip?
Step 5: Plan it, book it
You’ve done the dreaming, confirmed the reality and researched everything.
Now it’s time to officially plan and book this road trip!
You’ve probably realised by now that lists or spreadsheets (I love these the best!) are necessary to keep everything related to your European road trip on track.
Keep those documents up-to-date and be sure to have them available to you while you’re on the road.
These documents and plans are fluid, ever-changing and, like it or not, will still be evolving while you’re on the road.
LAST THINGS TO CONSIDER
You’re nearly done! But there’s the question of how your kids will go on this road trip.
Have you road tripped with your kids before?
If you haven’t yet done any significant trips with your kids in the car (and I mean more than a couple of hours), do some test runs.
You need to know how they handle long distances in the car together.
You need to know how you handle the distractions of kids in the car.
If possible, test out a few longer drives with them before your big adventure. This will help with your planning and allow you to overcome a lot of potential challenges once you’re abroad.
A few examples are:
- How do the kids behave when they’re bored in the car?
- What activities help your kids to stay entertained on the road?
- How long can you drive before requiring a break?
- At what point are you at wits end and need some alone time?
- Do your kids get car sick under any circumstances? (My eldest only feel nauseated when the car is warm and we’re on a windy road)
Figuring out the answer to these questions and so many more will help you plan a successful road trip. You’ll also be able to work shop some solutions to commonly occurring problems on road trips, like tantrums or constant interruption from the back seat.
ROAD TRIP TIME
Now that it’s all planned, it’s time to enjoy your road trip!
Don’t forget: plans change. Stay flexible. Stay relaxed. And don’t forget your sense of humour.
Kids change how we think about life and this is absolutely true of travel as well.
Have you road tripped with your kids? Tell m e about your experiences in the comments below!
