A good trip means comfortable conditions for each member of the trip. And everyone who from time to time goes to distant or not too distant lands, knows: the most suitable way to see more is to travel by your own car or rent a car for traveling on the spot.
Therefore, if you are going on a family trip, we will share with you the flyhacks and tips for renting a car just for traveling with children.
Traveling with children in a rental car
The size of the trunk is important
Make sure the rental car has a roomy trunk. Many people prefer compact cars. Let’s say the family consists of 4 people, the car is a 5-seater, so everyone will fit. But such cars, as a rule, do not have spacious trunks, which are enough for a couple of bags with groceries. But we are not talking about a trip to the supermarket, but about traveling. And it almost always implies the presence of a couple or three suitcases.
That’s why we recommend you choose a car that can fit suitcases, scooters, and strollers in the trunk – such as the 2017 Hyundai Tucson.
Minibus – when is it better to prefer it?
If you are traveling with two families and the total number of members of the trip is from 5 to 9, then the rental of a minibus – for example, Mercedes Benz V class – will suit you. Such cars are quite well adapted to urban conditions: traffic intensity and traffic interchanges.
Child seat
Traveling with a baby? Worry about the presence of a child seat in the car. If you don’t have your own, you can easily rent one.
Remember that the seat should correspond to the child’s age. It can be a cradle, a booster or a standard seat.
Protective screen
For summer travel, a sun screen is an indispensable item. It is very easy to use – it is attached with Velcro, so you will not have any problems with it.
Stops on the itinerary
If you are planning a trip with children, take into account the fact that the baby can not stay in the car for a long time. Therefore, make sure that your itinerary includes stops. So you will help the child to withstand long distances and save yourself from unnecessary nerves.
Audio stories
Download audio stories to a flash drive. It will be useful for children to look around and in parallel – listen to a fairy tale.
Motion sickness remedies
No matter whether your child is used to traveling by car or not – be sure to stock up on travel remedies for motion sickness. We can not recommend any specific types, so just advise to clarify all these points with experts. Remember that children under 2 years old are not given such medications – stock up on bags.
No to wet swimming trunks
Explain to your children that it is not allowed to get into the car in wet swimming trunks – it will save you money, first of all. Why? Because you will definitely be fined for cleaning the car, as the seat remains stains and traces of wet swimming trunks. Be sure to change your baby’s clothes after swimming in the sea.
Transfer or rent?
If you look at it from the point of view of profit, then the rent will still cost you less, as the transfer includes additional costs. And it will cost more.
Guide
If you have a tour with a guide, offer him to drive a rented car, not his personal one. We’re talking about personalized tours, and they are expensive on their own. And if it’s a guided tour by car, they’ll include gasoline costs. But if you take a guide in your car, the excursion will cost you a little cheaper.
Here’s another important thing: don’t chase the maximum number of sights you want to see. Children – at any age – quickly enough overexcited, and therefore new impressions should still dose. Do not turn the trip into something like a race.
And if you still have doubts about whether your child can withstand a trip to a long distance, test a trip to a shorter kilometer. Such mini-trips will help you more or less understand the big picture.
Hopefully, these tips will make family travel really interesting and help to avoid unnecessary nervousness.