The idea of going on a road trip with the family, and even more so with young children, can be exciting and scary at the same time. When you go on vacation with your family, you want to discover new regions, do activities together, build lots of memories, take time for yourself…
It does not matter the means of transport, whether it is a camper van, roof tent or motorhome; the idea that habits are not the same as at home can be a source of stress. And yet, as you will see, the advantages of a road trip with children are numerous!
- Children are super adaptable
- Keep a rhythm like at home
- Spend holidays in slow life mode
- Managing road trip logistics with young children
- Easily plan family activities
- What about road trip safety with children?
Children are super adaptable
Children adapt much more easily than adults to a new environment. Their brains are in full development and they are eager for new experiences. Take the opportunity to introduce them to new regions, another way of life and travel… Children always come back from a trip grown up: open to the world, to others, to nature.
Keep a rhythm like at home
One of the keys to a successful trip with children is to keep a similar rhythm at home. Especially during nap time. Does your little one usually take a nap in the early afternoon? On a road trip it is very easy to respect their rhythm. You have two options:
- Take the opportunity to relax too, read a book… The advantage of a road trip in a van or rooftop tent is that you always have a bed available, you just have to stop. No need to return to the hotel, lodge or campsite to put the children to sleep.
- If your child sleeps easily in the car, you can plan to drive during nap times and thus arrive with a rested child for the next activity or place to visit.
Also try to respect meal times and plan a small snack with you if you know that the meal is going to be a little off. We love dried fruits (almonds, cranberries, mangoes and dried bananas) which are an excellent source of nutrients, easy to store in a van or rooftop tent, and a good alternative to cakes.
Spend holidays in slow life mode
Going on a family road trip means taking the time to stop where you want and take the time to live. Far from the hectic pace of everyday life, holidays are made to recharge your batteries. The advantage of the road trip for that is that you travel with your little house on wheels. No need to go back to the hotel or the campsite, everything is at your fingertips.
All the stages of daily life: cooking, eating, washing, playing, sleeping are experienced differently in a van or a roof tent because they take us out of everyday life. It is also an opportunity to participate in these activities together. And why not make family pancakes for breakfast?
Managing road trip logistics with young children
We often take TOO MANY things on vacation. On a road trip you learn to take the bare necessities and travel minimalist. And then no need to bring tons of games, nature is full of them and promotes the imagination of toddlers.
But then what are we taking?
Apart from the children’s car seat, a small foldable bathtub or a basin for the baby’s toilet and a baby carrier if you want to go hiking, you don’t really need childcare equipment to go on a road trip. So we forget the whole panoply: cot, stroller, bottle warmer and company…
Easily plan family activities
On a road trip it is easy to plan family activities, since we are not limited to one place and we can go about as we see fit. All you have to do is plan your itinerary according to the activities you want to do. And if you have no ideas, take a look at our road trip ideas! A great app that we like to use to plan an itinerary around places to visit and activities to do is Tripori.
What about road trip safety with children?
The novelty brings fears, it is normal. Are you afraid to sleep on sites in the middle of nature with your children? There are other alternatives to spend the night in a van or a rooftop tent. You can start your stay with a night at the campsite or on the farm, for example.
In a roof tent you might be afraid that the children will fall from the top of the ladder, but the door of the tent closes and prevents any risk of falling. The little ones can thus sleep safely in the roof tent for their nap. Of course, you must remain vigilant when climbing and descending the ladder for children; although they particularly like to test their climbing skills from an early age! This allows them to exercise their autonomy and self-confidence.
In summary, you will have understood that we only see advantages in going on a family road trip. Yapluka choose between the rooftop tent adventure with your car or exploring new areas in a van. Discover all our vehicles suitable for families.
