5 Great Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Teens

When traveling in a car with teens for long periods of time, entertainment can be difficult. I have three teenagers that do great while traveling for a couple of hours. Then it always starts with bickering. “He is touching me!” “Give me back my iPod!” Ed and I usually sit in the front and turn up the radio. 

We have learned a couple of ideas that seem to help.

1. Bring a laptop. My kids play games and movies using one piece of equipment. I like the laptop because when they are not using it, it slides right under the seat without taking up legroom for my tall kids!
2. Get an audio book. Our local library has hundreds of them. Including ones just for teens. The last trip we took we were gone for 3 weeks. I told them ahead of time how long I needed the books so I was not charged late fees.

1. iPods or MP3 players are a must! Don’t forget the headphones! If you only have one and more than one kid, they sell headphones with splitters.
2. Buy an outlet that plugs into the cigarette light. It is called a one-piece 4-port power inverter that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter socket and provides a 110-volt AC outlet and two USB ports. These are the best things since sliced bread! It charges everything from iPods to laptops.
3. Don’t forget to let the kids pack their own pillow and a blanket. Teenagers sleep so much more than adults.