Tips for travelling in the car with young children

A holiday trip in England often involves a car journey. If you need help avoiding travel sickness and keeping the peace between quarrelsome children follow these tips from Cartwheel holidays

Plan ahead

Before you start out, be honest with yourself about what you and your children can manage in the way of a long journey. While older children might be capable of coping with eight or more hours in the family car, chances are your four-year-old isn't.

Generally speaking, it is not advisable to subject young children to confinement in a car for more than six hours a day. This is just as much for your sanity as it is for theirs.

If your family car is better suited to in-town trips rather than long hauls, think about hiring a larger car for you holiday journey. This will give a novelty value and allow a bit more room to create personal space.

If your eight-year-old doesn't share his toys, chances are he isn't going to want to share elbow-room either. If you decide to hire, make your reservation well in advance, especially during peak travel times.

Start packing - at least mentally - a few days before you leave. Let your children help pack their own bags if they are old enough, and discuss the trip with them. They are much better behaved when they know what to expect. Packed bags mean less confusion, less standing around and less frustration on departure day. This translates into a pleasant start to your trip.

A great way to avoid the inevitable question ('Are we there yet?') is to give your children a map, or, even more fun, help them create their own. You can trace the route together and point out interesting landmarks so that they will have a sense of where they are going.