Before the journey: the checklist

Eleven things that make a long car journey with children go better, learnt the hard way by parents who have done a lot of them. Tick them off as you go.

An overhead information sign and a bridge over the M5 motorway
The M5 near Strensham services. Somebody will need the loo in ten minutes, so plan for it. Photo: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0

  1. The loo run

    Make sure everyone has been to the loo. Insist! Treat the entire family as if they are incontinent: there is nothing more annoying than someone wanting the loo ten minutes after leaving the house. At each stop, frog-march everyone to the loo again. They’ll thank you for it in the end.

  2. Pack the car around the children

    Keep as much luggage as possible out of the children’s way so they have a comfortable ride, and give them as much space as you physically can. If they are likely to sleep, a travel pillow helps.

    “Mum, Charlie’s taking up all the space and I’m all squashed…”

    If your children are still in car seats, lucky you: that joy is still to come! If they have lots of small toys that might disappear forever, a travel tray with pockets kills two birds with one stone. It keeps all the little bits in one place and gives them a flat surface to play on.

  3. A bag each

    Give each child a small bag of their own toys. It’s fun if there is something new in there, but not essential. By the end of the journey the car will be littered with things, but on the way it’s good to keep at least some of them in the bag. Children who don’t have enough to do get bored quickly, and that is when the bickering starts.

  4. Food for the journey

    Have some food ready to eat on the way, and be careful what it is. Chocolate melts in hot weather, crisps make you thirsty and small sweets get spilt all around the car.

    Good choices: breadsticks, sandwiches with favourite fillings, seedless grapes, bananas (eat them quickly, they always seem to end up black), apples and plums (bring a bag for the cores), and for older children boiled sweets, toffees, jelly sweets and mints.

    Go easy on the drinks, or you’ll be stopping for the loo every half hour. Sports bottles are good because they don’t spill easily.

  5. Wipes and bags within reach

    Make sure you have plenty of wipes, bags for rubbish and any other bits you might need close to hand. You don’t want to unpack the whole car halfway there to find them. A small first aid kit in the glove box is a good idea too.

  6. Break the journey up

    If you know of a beauty spot on the way, spend an hour there to stretch your legs and give everyone something to look forward to. A playground or a picnic area makes a fun diversion. Don’t be in a hurry: that is when you are more likely to get stressed and less tolerant.

    The Highway Code recommends a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving. Our break planner works out where the stops fall on your journey.

  7. Something to listen to

    Audiobooks and children’s stories are brilliant (libraries lend them free), and so are songs with actions for the under 6s. A tablet or games console with headphones can give the adults a break too, as long as someone remembers to say it:

    “Turn the sound down on that thing!”

  8. Play games!

    There are 34 of them on this site, from I Spy to Car Snooker, and a bingo card maker to print a different card for everyone.

  9. Sing!

    Ten Green Bottles, My Eyes Are Dim, Ten Men Went to Mow, a round or two… Most children love to sing, especially if everyone joins in. Have a list ready of the songs your children like.

  10. Don’t set off tired

    Babies and very small children seem to fall asleep as soon as the engine starts, but older ones insist on staying awake however tired they are. Try not to travel when they’re tired, or they will stay awake all the way and be horrible. Older children are more likely to drop off if they are warm and cosy, so pack a blanket and a pillow. Even if they don’t sleep, they’ll relax with some music or a story you can’t hear.

  11. Try to enjoy it!

    The more stressed and grumpy you are, the worse the children will be (believe me, this is a case of do as I say, not as I do!). Children pick up on your mood and are capable of behaving twice as badly as you feel.

    Chat to them, talk about the journey and the landmarks coming up, look at the map together, see how far it is until you cross into the next county and, most of all, have fun. Ask an older child to map read.

Be prepared, be organised, be calm. Have a good journey and enjoy it!