Tips for Packing the Car for a Family Vacation

Guest Blogger #649, Entry #1547, September 1, 2012

Keeping your home clean and organized is one thing; although there are plenty of new messes to contend with each day, it’s not as though you have to remove every stick of furniture and then put it back each time you walk in the door. Your car, however, is another story, especially when it comes to packing it up for a family vacation. Not only do you have a time crunch to contend with, but you also have to consider just how you’re going to arrange your automobile so that your family and all of their luggage fit in (not to mention extras like snacks and diversions for the road trip ahead). As poet Robert Burns said, “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often awry.” So here are just a few tips to help you ensure that your family is outfitted for vacation with time and space to spare.

You may need to save space for the family!

Image via

Plan for your packing

You can start by giving yourself plenty of time to plan. For most adults this isn’t too difficult since they have to schedule vacation time well in advance in order to get days off work. Odds are that you’ll have at least several days (if not weeks or even months) to get your affairs in order when it comes to your family vacation. Once you’ve got the dates penciled in on the calendar you may begin the planning process, and there could be more to it than you think. It’s not just about ensuring that the kids have the proper clothing for the climate you’ll find yourself it; you also need to consider several other factors that could put the kibosh on your trip.

Ensure your car is mechanically ready

For example, you should call your car dealership or preferred auto shop several weeks before your vacation to make an appointment for a checkup. If there are any problems with your vehicle you want to make sure you have plenty of time to address them before you hit the road. This is also a good opportunity to reconsider your auto insurance (check in with State Farm, Allstate, autoinsurancenc.org, or whatever provider you use to find out how your coverage works in other regions) and think about getting a roadside assistance plan.

Ensure your car has everything it needs for a road trip

Image via

Ensure your health is in order

You should also take this time pre-trip to check on necessary prescriptions so that you have enough refills on hand to see you through the duration of your vacation; don’t forget about seasonal allergy medications or even Epi-pens if any family members suffer from serious allergic reactions. In addition, it’s a good idea to go to the bank for traveler’s checks, as well as call your credit card companies to let them know you’ll be out of town; otherwise they might block purchases, thinking that you’ve been the victim of identity theft simply because of the unusual activity.

Packing your car

As for the actual packing of the car, you might want to go shopping ahead of time for luggage, and bring the dimensions of your storage space with you. This way you can limit each family member to one bag of belongings for the trip knowing how all of the bags will fit in the cargo area. And you might also take the kids to look for multipurpose clothing that will help them to cut back on the amount of items needed for the trip. From there it’s just a matter of bringing along receptacles for snacks, trash, and diversions like books, games, and electronics. Having bins on hand will cut down on clutter and help your car to stay organized throughout your vacation.

For more family vacation ideas on Stagetecture, click here.