Normally because of the nonsense people plan to get up to, road trips are often associated with hitting the road with a couple of friends and revelling in the prospect of getting up to no good at all. For all that these road trips with a bunch of friends offer, when it really comes down to it, nothing really beats hitting the road with your nearest and dearest. Family road trips are indeed the best way to enjoy the open road and contrary to popular belief, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had with a lot to do along the way.
There’s a very good reason why those who regularly enjoy a good road trip refer to it as the great British family road trip, when the open roads of the United Kingdom beckon, but you really have to be prepared. You can’t really just up and leave unless you’ve already been on a trans-UK road trip before and you subsequently already know where it is to go and where to stop for a breather or for some of those characteristic British road trip activities.
Plan Extensively
The ultimate secret to enjoying a family road trip is extensive prior planning. That includes everything from what you’re bringing with you, to which truck bed cover from https://www.peragon.com/truck-tonneau-covers/ is best to keep all of those belongings safe. You simply cannot plan enough and you in fact need to plan because a lot of things can (and will) go wrong along the way. Unlike going on a road trip with your friends, the things that go wrong in this instance don’t add to all the fun. It’s NOT fun breaking down while on the road and having to wait for roadside assistance with a couple of little ones to entertain — something which would perhaps otherwise make for a great travel story if it’s just you and a couple of mates going on a spontaneous road trip. So plan everything to the finest detail — from exactly where you’ll be stopping over to any special arrangements with regards to the car insurance you’ll need.
Possible Stopovers
With all of that said, it can be quite challenging to try and even think of some possible stopovers for a family road trip, but Britain really has a lot to offer. Yes, you have a lot of different interests to take into account and it is indeed quite a challenge keeping everybody happy all of the time, from the little ones who perhaps have a lot of energy to burn to the adults who might want to periodically enjoy just a moment’s peace and quiet.
Hint: The places you explore really don’t have to be expensive. In fact, the cheapest ones are the best, from those which you’ll find travelling through the mountains of North Wales (like Castel Dinas Bran, Ty Hull the Ugly House, etc.) to Snake Pass or even Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge. Some of the attractions and activities are free to visit and enjoy, while others charge as little as is necessary to essentially just pay for their maintenance and upkeep. You can also look at sites like Rent.is or similar to rent a campervan for the trip. This means you can set up base in more places and you don’t have to worry about unpacking and packing up every time you arrive at a new place. It also takes the hassle out of having to find accommodation.
Everybody needs to come on board though so explain to each member of the family coming on the road trip that they need to do their bit to put up with one another and at the very least try to enjoy some of those activities they otherwise wouldn’t even consider taking part in individually. The essence of a family road trip is after all enjoying some quality family time together.
