Car holiday: Tips for your travel planning

Holiday time means travel time. Families in particular, and those who want to enjoy lots of flexibility on their holiday, start their travels by car. To make your arrival and departure as smooth as possible, we have put together some tips for your car holiday.

Car travel: Planning

Every trip begins with planning. This also applies to a car holiday, even more so when you have children. After all, a long car journey with children can be quite stressful. Therefore, distracting games are very important. Depending on the age of the children, you can encourage the whole family to play along. Decide in advance which toys to take with you during the drive with your toddler, and think about travel games. In particular, puzzle games, such as guessing number plates or finding cars in certain colours. Keep your children busy in the car with listening games, books or films, to give them as much variety and distraction as possible. In addition to distractions, there should also be sufficient snacks, drinks and sickness bags for sensitive stomachs on board.

Our tip for long drives: Set your itinerary in advance. This way, you can plan service stations and breaks. Aside from games, this then gives your children the opportunity to let off some steam during the drive. This is because some service stations also offer modern and safe playgrounds.

Plan a break roughly every two hours. On a long car trip with a baby, every hour and a half. In addition, avoid traffic jams by being aware of popular travel days or peak hour times in your travel planning. The streets are often quite crowded on weekends.

Checklist for your car before the road trip

You should also get your car checked before starting your journey. Only then can you truly relax and head towards your destination. With our checklist, you're guaranteed a safe journey.

What is the condition of your tyres? What about the spare tyre?
Before a long drive, you should check whether the tyres have enough tread-depth. For summer or all-season tyres, we recommend a tread-depth of at least 3 mm. The legal minimum tread-depth is 1.6 mm. If you are unsure about the condition of your tyres, please contact your nearest Uniroyal dealer.
How high is the tyre pressure?
The optimal tyre pressure is always dependent on the load. If the tyre pressure is right, you will be able to save fuel during your road trip. For this purpose, you should properly measure your car’s tyre pressure.
What is the oil level?
Take your time to fill the engine oil carefully and in small amounts. On the oil dipstick, you will find markings for the maximum and minimum quantity.
Fill your windscreen water up!
Even in summer, the windscreen water can be contaminated, for example by pollen or insects. Check the level of the windscreen water and fill it up if necessary.
Do you have your travel documents handy?
If your road trip is abroad, you should have the necessary documents for your car and your family in good time, or obtain them if necessary. Be aware of the waiting times for new documents.

Car holiday: Shortly before departure

In the days leading up to your departure, only a few details should have to be prepared. This includes, for example, running an update of your sat-nav, so you can arrive at your destination as quickly as possible. After packing your suitcases, store them safely in the car. Ensure that the weight is evenly distributed. If your car has an immobiliser, you should also take the second key with you – preferably on an additional bunch of keys and not together with your master key.

With the right planning, you will be able to go to bed early in the evening before departing, and start your holiday relaxed the next morning. Uniroyal wishes you a pleasant journey and a nice holiday!

Are you travelling during winter for your holiday? Or do you want to have a general check before winter? Then, make your car fit for winter.

Going on a winter holiday? Here are some special features to be aware of, so that you can drive into your winter holiday relaxed.

Uniroyal. A brand of Continental.*