How do you prepare for your summer trips?
Photo by baslow 
It’s about that time again-time to put together a strategy (based on the experience of summers past ) for successful road trips, camping, vacationing, and for some-staycations. Planning for the time off may be the least glamorous part of the whole process, but as I always remind my family, good planning leads to good times. I’ll admit it, my name is Jasmin, and I’m a plan-a-holic. I love lists, and for vacation planning, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have an Excel spreadsheet with the things that we always need, and extra spaces for trip-specific items. (A trip-specific item includes the plane charger for the iPod if we’re on a super-long flight, car chargers for our phones if we’re doing a road trip, or extra memory for our cameras if we’re going somewhere particularly scenic.)
We always make sure to plan adequate entertainment, whether it’s a car trip or a plane ride. We’re admitted geeks, so if we’re not listening to an audiobook or a podcast, we’re asking hypothetical questions or discussing philosophy. Not your cup of tea? A laptop with a plug adapter and DVDs tend to make the backseat audience happy, while those of us up front navigate and drive. When flying, I tend to take the time to do some light reading, knitting, or some staring out the window. (I never cease to be entertained by the view.)
Our family does a sizable share of traveling with our dogs, road-trip style. When we’re going on a road trip with the dogs, we know to plan for a few extra pit stops for our furry family members. Making sure that dogs stay hydrated means that we’re also stretching our legs at regular intervals, and as an added bonus, we get to see a little bit more of the area that we’re driving through. For their safety, we’ll use a seat belt harness for longer drives, and during the warmer months, we’ll use a roller shade to aid in keeping them cool. (A lot of baby stuff seems to do double-duty as clever pet solutions, I’ve noticed.) Before we travel, we make sure that the dogs have the correct shots and flea and tick treatment for where we’re headed.
For the times when we aren’t traveling with our critter companions, we usually have a house sitter to keep an eye on the dogs, water the roses, and empty out our fridge. While we have been lucky to have my college-student baby brother as an always enthusiastic house sitter, we have also explored boarding our dogs. Fortunately, Answers has some great tips on how to select where to board your animals.
For those of you traveling with kids, what are your “must-haves” for keeping everyone cool and happy?
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If I am flying, I like to get the Ticket Cancellation and Medical Insurance (avg cost $5 for each day of travel). If a last-minute unexpected event occurs requiring me to cancel my trip, I can be sure to not be out the flight, hotel, and rental car fees.
A year in advance of any trip-planning, I sit down in peace and quiet with a calendar.
I think very carefully about what I’d like to do/see while I’m on vacation and I look for a block-of-time in my schedule that will allow me to get the most out of my effort.
Once I settle on the date(s), I look at flights, hotel, and attractions.
Taking a whole year to plan allows me a lot of time to save money towards the entire cost of the trip.
I only take what is absolutley necessary. I try to mix and match clothes. My spouse and I use the same toiletries.Make sure I have 2 copies of e-tickets and itineraries. We have been on a 9 day trip with only carry-ons. We also take a small first aid kit.
We’ve been doing road trips with grandkids and our dog for 11 summers. The best one we had was to Texas from New York. We didn’t really plan except for the route we’d take – we just decided along the way where and when to stop. Everyone had a great time and while I typically like to have things set, I’ve learned that every once in a while you have to just let life take you along. I never thought the kids would enjoy it (they were about 6/7 years old for the first trip to Florida, but somehow they’re still up for it. So we must have done something right along our roadways, and in the beginning we didn’t have much technology for entertainment, just old fashioned games and conversation.
That picture above looks more like someone coming home from college than going on a summer vacation.
we used to make two trips between tn and la yearly, with four kids.
my best advice?
LISTS! of EVERY TINY LITTLE THING! check as you pack going, check as you pack coming back!
encourage children to pack backpacks of things to do.
stuffed animals make great pillows.
(one of my most cherished pictures is of my fourteen year old daughter asleep with a bear she’s had since birth, in our old van.)
then add things you think they might find interesting. twice that.
pack lots of cd’s if you don’t have sat radio.
pack snacks and drinks, NO CAFFIENE, (but do be sympathetic. if they are used to it, they’ll get a headache without it.)
and for heaven’s sake, enjoy every moment.
My must-haves include:
sunblock!
water!
iPhone (*must*)
I also agree on bringing a laptop!
and I cannot live without:
chapstick or lip glosss
I also must have spare phones. Each kid has a phone, so, in case he or she gets lost, we can contact him/her in emergencies.
I learned a long time ago, not to be too rigid…I no longer fly…And I prefer car trips…this year I’m going half way across the country, I have 9 days to get there and back ..We will take what we can carry in a backpack, a cooler full of food, and probably two cameras apiece….
welll you just need fire
I’ve been traveling since I was a young kid! I used to have an entire summer’s (12 weeks) worth of clothes packed in an old Army Footlocker. All outfits were “matched” by color and style and there were several pairs of shoes. Toiletry items and enter-tainment objects went in the tray on the top of the footlocker, over the clothes. I only sent out laundry once a week..
Many years have gone by, and the routine has stayed the same, only now my vacations are 4-l0 days long, not 12 weeks! I have a great little rollaway, and I fit in 7-l0 outfits, with one to two shirts for each pair of slacks, maybe one or two skirts, p.j.’s, and underwear. In the outside pocket, I put my toiletry items. It never changes! If there is any extra space, I pack a sewing project or a book. Sometimes I take a “carry-on,” but that is getting harder with age, because I have arthritis! So, sometimes I take a rollaway with space for my hobbies, books, etc.
If I am traveling alone, I keep it down to one suitcase.
When our kids were small, we filled one bag with entertainment products, or added hobbycrafts or books to our daughters’ suitcases. Now, we travel without them. A weekend at the beach requires 3 changes of clothes for breakfast and shopping, the sand and surf, and dinner. So only four days means l2 different outfits.
Otherwise, the rest of the stuff stays home. We are “on vacation,” and we don’t need all that stuff!
Plus, my summer wardrobe is TINY! I don’t pack a lot, because I don’t own a lot!
Don’t forget your immunizations and medications if traveling to a developing country.
my family goes to new hampshire every christmas. i try to plan how many hours each state will take to get through. (we drive)
For international travel, I get all my shots 6 months ahead. Even if I travel for 6 weeks, I only bring 1 week worth of clothes and use the laundry service at the hotel. If I need something, I just go to my destination’s local mall or drugstore – globalization is awesome in that way.
I don’t want to be burdened by STUFF. I also don’t want to look like an “ugly American” by carrying $$$ worth of stuff and haggling from a street vender making $2/day because I spent too much on pre-trip stuff. So wrong.
For domestic travel, I still follow the same rules of simplicity. I only carry what I need and everything else can be bought at a destination drugstore. There is pracically a CVS in every town in USA.
Basic packing for 1+ week trip
- 7 days worth of clothes
- 1 light semiformal clothing and shoes (for summer parties)
- 1 towel
- toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor)
- sunblock, bugspray
- 2 books
- very small emergency kit ($1.50) and wipes
- Ipod shuffle and charger (very recent addition)
All of this can fit in my 10 year old HS backpack.
I don’t have kids, but a lot of people use electronics for travel entertainment aids. For kids under 7, as many books, coloring books or card games can fit in grocery tote bag. For kids 8-14, Nintendo DS. For kids 15+, ipod touch or iphone.
When I was a kid, I was embarassed that my parents would make us carry umbrellas, sun tents, chairs bags of food and coolers to the beach.
I was perfectly happy with just a towel, a book, sunblock, water, extra change of clothing and a couple of bananas for snacks.
I got some of those space bags that you can take the air out of. They have travel bags that you can roll up that don’t need the vacuum to expel the air. I will be taking those for dirty clothes this time. We always have a problem as to where to keep dirty clothes up and out of the way.
i dont think u need all that jasmin u can just take some. u jasmin there some people who cannot afford some of that out there maybe they can afford some.
first i make a check list and i love space bags and they are so good for more space and if you have a small cars
The summer is long waited and specially people with kids its a different planning. I have written this article suggesting some very useful tips to help ease the pressure off the mind when going out with the kids.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1718102/10_items_to_carry_for_outdoor_activities.html?cat=25
i so understand – i am a mad list person myself but i am not organized – when i leave for holidays – i will have everything i need – but will leave the house clean but with stuff bundled in to drawers etc. my sister despairs of me. If i could have one choice of a little change in my make up it would be to be less chaotic. thanks jas
Before you hit the road this summer, remember that taking proper care of your vehicle can help ensure a stress-free road trip. Vehicle maintenance and the kind of gasoline you choose can make a difference. Before your summer road trip, there are simple ways to get your vehicle ready for the road to help you get the most out of every tank of gasoline………
You can read the full article ‘Ready For The Road: Summer Travel Tips’ at http://find-a-driving-school.ca/ready-for-the-road-summer-travel-tips/
I prepare like it’s an expedition to the South Pole.
Every stop is predetermined, motel reservations along the road are made months in advance and exactly what restaurant we’ll eat at along the road, and approximately what time we’ll be there, is settled in advance.
I leave nothing to chance.
This is in stark contrast to my parents who would just play everything by ear, too often with embarrassing results…. like driving for hours past motels with “no vacancy” signs up.
I’ve been to all 50 States and 44 foreign countries.
And don’t forget to bring enough cash
We are taking are trip to MD this year we moved to NC last year so its time to go see family I have 3 kids and a hubby so there is LOTS to pack I have already made a list and we dont leave for 2 more weeks
I am packing an outfit for each day for everyone
shoes
Toiletries for everyone
toys
diapers and wipes
booster seat
play pen
stroller
sleeping bags for kids
air matteress
pillows
blankets
camera
cooler filled with water and juice
snacks
lunch stuff
purse
medcinie
pool stuff
hand me down clothes for my niece
pics
cell phones
chargers
I feel it is so much stuff but you can never take to much lol
Maybe…i am gonna be a happy summer with a super computer! Oh..mine! Something….like that! Good! It seem i don’t want a trip. I want stay at home with my parents! I love them! will have a trip in the future! Hope! Have a great time everybody!
as i see the picture you dont need all that stuff. like the hand me down clothes, you can always send it by mail. also pictures what do you need that for if you are going on a summer vacation. you should bring enough toys so that the kids wont be lonely and if you have a spare playpen you can leave one on where you plan to stay so that on the next trip you will have less things to bring with you. also one thing you should have is the first aid stuff just in case your children will get hurt, you should always have those handy
so good
so try it
I check boards like Trip Advisor and fodors.com to get recommendations on hotels and activities. I also check my library’s catalog online to see what kind of guide books are available. Sometimes I’ll even go so far as getting information from the visitors/tourist bureau for the city or region we are visiting or check things like calendars of events.
Based on the recommendations, I check travelocity.com as well as the hotels’ own websites to get the best deal on my room, same with the airlines.
This year we are making a “big” trip (for us) to DC. So, I’m mapping out a rough itinerary before we go. That way, we don’t spend valuable time deciding what to see/do. For example, I found out the week we are there is “Kids’ Restaurant Week”, with special dining deals available 5pm-7pm. So, I even made a reservation online through opentable.com.
ya ok if you wanna go just before everything put yourself a schedual youll neeeeeeeed it believe me
i wanna like to go to a place like Malaysi & have a lot of fun with my girlfriend.i wish to a have lot of money so that we can by lot of things for us..
Lists, Lots of Lists started at least a week in advance and cross things off as I get it done or packed. My sister taught me this!!
Great game.try it
http://game1.themafiaunderground.com?r=7046
I let each kid pack a small bag of games and toys that they want to bring with. They can add in a favortie DVD and a couple snacks. Then it’s their choice and they can control what’s in that bag. If they want a snack, they can have it whenever they want but they know when it’s gone, it’s gone. They inevitably end up sharing the toys they brought with each other when they get bored with what’s in their bag.
Here’s a great site to research before planning any road trip with your family – http://www.roadtripjournal.com/travel/family-travel.
Looking at that minivan in the pic..Way too much stuff. We travel as a family of 5 and our van isn’t nearly as crammed. One duffle bag for board games, beach toys, or other sports gear depending on the type of vacation. We all pack small duffle bags with clothes for 4 days. I would rather do a quick laundry trip after the 4th day than lug around all that dirty wash and extra suitcases. One extra duffle bag contains all the toiletries and 1 extra outfit and PJ’s for each person. This way en-route to our destination, we don’t have to unpack the entire car for an emergency change of clothes or for an overnite planned or unplanned motel stop. One cooler for drinks and veggies, one duffle bag full of snacks.
You can prepair for summer trips by knowing how to annoy the people who are coming or by finding ways to ignore them on the way their and once you are at your designation do what ever it takes to have a great time
i know what i make sure I DON’T bring to summer trips: and that’s my laptop. Dont want to remember work in any form while im on vacay
I’ll never forget my sunglasses!!!…..well,,I mean who doesn;t want to look cool in any vacation plus you’ll look better in photographs…hahax….Besides sunglasses,MP3 is a must bring accessories to keep me entertained during long hours of driving ….and a complete drawn up itinerary to ensure that my summer vacation would be coordinated and well-organised…!:)..