When our family drives to Florida it is usually about 20 hours, give or take a few. It is a multi day event and not something that is last minute or spur of the moment. We drive a van and have 4 kids- a lot of planning goes into driving to Florida with kids.
I know what you might be thinking, why would you even do it? We love to travel. But with 4 kids it is not cheap. We look for savings where we can find them. Driving to Florida with kids is always cheaper than flights for 6 people.
Driving to Florida with Kids Planning
This trip takes a commitment. It takes planning! I am not an overly organized person most of the time, but for these trips I start planning months in advance when we are driving to Florida with kids. It is important to map out the route and an alternative in the event of bad weather. Our home can have significant snow so when traveling in the winter looking at the forecast is vital.
Knowing how long your kids will last in the vehicle is important for the plan. If you have a preschooler toilet training you know you are going to have to stop more often. When you go on little trips at home start thinking about how long your kids can ride in the car before being “bored”. This will help identify how many activities you might need along the trip.
When to Stop
As I mentioned earlier, the drive for us is about 20hours and we are crossing from Canada into the United States
. Here are the times of trips I suggest:
Option A:
- Day 1: 4-5 hours- this gets us well into the United States and we get a hotel.
- Day 2: 10 hours- this is usually the hardest and longest day
- Day 3: 5-6 hours- Everyone is always excited about the destination so it tends to be an easier drive
In option A we are spending two nights in a hotel. On the morning of day 2 we try to be on the road by 8am at the latest and fill up with gas before leaving. This length of time gets us to a hotel near dinner time and gives the kids a chance to go for a swim-which is so important at this stage of the trip.
On day 3 we leave again fairly early with the plan to get to our destination just after lunch. Sometimes we need to stop for gas.
Option B:
- Day 1: 10 hours- we try to leave very early in the morning around 4-5am.
- Day 2: 10 hours- We don’t leave quite as early in the morning but aim 8am at the latest to be on the road.
In option B we are spending one night in a hotel so this is a cost savings. Day 2 is a later day because we don’t leave as early in the morning. If it works for your family you could leave earlier. We try to take advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel and not rush the kids as much. On day 2 the anticipation of getting to the destination is helpful but it still makes for a long day. We generally arrive at our destination after dinner with this option.
We have successfully done both options. Typically we do Option A on the way down and Option B on the way home.
Activities
One of the most time consuming things I do before a long trip is plan activities. Driving to Florida with kids takes more than having books and movies. My kids are a wide range of ages so it is a lot to consider. We have a large variety of DVDs on hand for the entire trip. We create playlists of fun songs for the drive as well. These have come in handy if someone is having a melt down and are just ready to get out of the van.
Colouring is always a good option using closed pencil cases and clipboards for the paper. We like to buy little water handheld games for cheap to have as a new and exciting game. A real hit on our last trip was letting the kids draw on the windows with white board markers. The kids drew pictures, practiced writing and even played hangman.
The way we survive our trip is making sure that every few hours or every stop the kids get another activity. Sometimes it is as simple as a squishy toy or fidget or it is a special snack. This kept them thinking ahead and helped distract them if they were frustrated with the trip being so long.
Snacks for Driving to Florida with Kids
Having snacks is the biggest survival tip for all of our family travel. We pack the van with snacks for the adults in the front, snacks for the kids in the middle and snacks for the kids in the back. It has been successful using bento boxes filled with a mix of healthy snacks and favorite treats. We like to always keep apples and something as simple as a loaf of bread and peanut butter in the car. My kids eat a lot of goldfish crackers and dry cereal on trips as well. We keep a container of grapes handy too.
We try to limit the amount that we spend on food, so having as much snack food as we can means we only buy meals.
For the adults we try and keep some mixed nuts, grapes, veggies and hummus for something quick and healthy. There is nothing worse that ending up with a stomachache because I have eaten too much junk on a long ride.
Packing
When we travel on a multi day trip we do not unpack the car every night. That is too much work! The kids all pack their backpack or small suitcase with an extra pair of clothes, pajamas and a bathing suit for the hotel. This is an easy grab when you arrive at the hotel and everyone is racing to be the first one out.
When we have the chance we will pop out to a grocery store if the snacks need to be replenished for the next day. I also try and do a quick garbage pick up and organizing of cords and toys so that it doesn’t get out of hand at your destination.
If you remember these things when planning your next trip your long road trip can be more manageable. For more tips on family travel check out Home – Together We Can Travel.
