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Beginner Guide to UK Family Road Trips

When most people think of road trips, they may think about huge trips around America or Europe; many don’t usually consider the UK as an option. For families, long trips can be a challenge with countless ‘are we there yets’ and many sick bags filled, but what if you could avoid extremely long drives, whilst visiting a variety of landscapes?

The UK not only offers very short drives to each trip, around 2 to 3 hours per destination, but its flexibility and multiple unique and stunning destinations make it the perfect place for a family road trip. From Scotland to Wales, this beautiful country has many beaches, forests and lakes, ready to explore with you and the kids.

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When first planning a road trip, especially in more of an unconventional destination, it can be scary. Where do you go? How do you entertain the kids at each destination? How do you budget properly so that you can save monye on fuel and do all the activities that you want to?

However, there is no need to worry when you have a solid plan; road tripping can be fun and stress-free when you know the best routes and the best places to stay that save time and money.

So without further ado, this blog will cover what a road trip involves, how to plan the UK road trip that suits you, how to choose the best route and destinations and what to prepare for a smooth and fun-filled trip, with a few bonus points at the end. 

Is a family road trip right for you?

Family roadtrips are perfect for those families who love exploring the outdoors, enjoy flexibility, and spending time together without a strict schedule. It also works perfectly for those families with children who don’t enjoy spending a few hours in the car at a time, whether they are toddlers, school-age children, or teenagers. Although package holidays may seem easier for parents and more cost-friendly, road tripping allows parents to control costs more easily, especially if you have a campervan, allowing them to adjust plans according to costs or even spend days without spending any money at all.  

If this sounds like something that would work for you, and it’s your first time, the short trips in the UK can help to build confidence before you move on to longer journeys. 

Planning your UK family road trip

Before embarking on your road trip, you need to decide which destination you want to visit, whether that be coastal, national parks or theme parks and plan your trip accordingly to the destinations. Once you have picked 5 or 6 destinations that are suitable for your family and your likes and dislikes, it’s time to plan a realistic route to all of these destinations with stops on the way for snacks and a rest bite. The most popular way to explore the UK is to drive up the right-hand side of the country, towards Scotland, before travelling back down towards Wales and then to Cornwall.

It’s also important to consider the time of year that you want to travel around the UK wether that be summer, spring, autumn or winter. It’s worth remembering that many theme parks and major attractions may be closed during the winter and the colder months. If you want to visit these places, then it’s best to visit in the summer, especially as the UK can get very cold in the winter, averaging around 5 degrees. 

Finally, when planning your trip, its bets to decide which maps and navigation methods you and your family will use to make the experience as smooth as possible. While apps such as Google Maps and Waze are useful for real-time traffic, it is important not to rely on these blindly, as they can be inefficient and rely on a single source, which is difficult to get in some rural areas of the UK. Therefore, ensure to plan with real maps in the event of a loss of signal.

two girls with heads and elbows hanging out window of car on road trip

Preparing your car for a trip

When preparing for a road trip, it’s not only you and your family who need to prepare; your car, too. Ensuring that you carry out checks such as tire pressure, brake pads, car fluids and front and back lights, you can avoid further problems down the road, which can be costly for you and your trip. Another significant aspect of preparing your car for a road trip is to ensure that the car is packed correctly, with the correct necessities for the trip. This needs to be planned efficiently, as overpacking can cause many issues, such as a cutter and an increase in fuel costs. Therefore, if you are visiting the UK in summer, it might be best to leave the Wellingtons at home and bring a multi-purpose trainer. 

What to pack for a family road trip

The road trips take you all across the country, and you never know what you might need, so what you choose to take with you is very important. Here is a list of things that are necessities for road trips in the UK:

  • Clothing for all occasions
  • Snacks, drinks and picnic essentials
  • Entertainment (books, tablets, ball)
  • Travel-friendly toiletries
  • Day packs for short excursions
  • First aid kit

Need Help Planning a Family Road Trip? Start with these family vacation planning resources:

Safety tips and roadtrip etiquette

Ensuring that you and your family are safe on the road is of utmost importance. Although you can not control everything that happens when you are travelling, there are measures that you can put into place to make your trip safer. When driving long miles its easy to forget to take breaks, which can be dealy, ensuring that you are frequently swapping drivers and taking breaks is suggested. Also, teaching children, especially younger children, the road safety basics of the UK roads is advised, as they will be around vehicles and need to know how to be safe.

Final thoughts

So if you want to embark on your first road trip around the UK, then this guide has told you everything you need to know to plan, pack and safely travel around the UK, from Hadrian’s Wall to Stone Henge. 

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