Close
Blog About - 1300 547 214
All successful travel needs planning, no more so than travelling with kids. The advantage of a family travelling in a Motorhome or Campervan is obvious from a cost perspective but with a bit of planning, there is no need to compromise on anything that a luxury trip would offer.
For first-hand advice, we spoke to the Cooper Family who has done this type of holiday regularly. Grant and Kelly have 3 children, they started camping trips with them when they were 10, 8 and 6 years old respectively. They have great ideas, advice and thoughts on how to make your trip fun, easy and relaxing for everyone.
Any time of year. It will just affect where you choose to go, there are great things to do in summer and winter. Motorhomes and campers have reverse cycle air conditioning. The Coopers have taken their kids to the snowfields, they have even taken them on extended trips that involved missing some school.
Not everyone can do 6 months on the road but a 2 to 4-week trip will be an adventure that the kids will remember for a lifetime. Check out the itineraries on our website, when you're travelling with kids you can turn our 2-week itineraries into a month and give yourself and the kids more time to relax along the way.
Plan your menu. This takes the stress out of the everyday grind for the family cook. You can even take some frozen dishes with you to put straight in your van's fridge or freezer on pickup. It's a good idea to do your shop straight away after pickup, there will be a lot of excitement at the first campsite. Campers all have good facilities but keep it simple when you're planning the menu. Most campgrounds also have great BBQ facilities and camp kitchens which provide a nice way to meet other families, be flexible.
If you are keen to eat out, you will find that good holiday parks in larger centres have Pizzerias, Pubs, RSL's and small family restaurants within walking distance, plan to splurge where it's easy to do so. Lunch on your travelling days is also a good time to eat out.
Use the campground amenities block whenever possible, they are usually spacious and clean That doesn't mean you shouldn't opt for a bathroom in your vehicle, use your campervans bathroom for night time, rainy days or if you have a long walk from the facilities. It's a great luxury to have the option.
Depending on the age of your kids, set them all up with a hooked (for the back of the shower room door) grab and go toilet bag, each with a small soap, small shampoo and conditioner, a little toothpaste and brush. You will soon find out who's most responsible amongst your brood. The Cooper family let their 2 girls aged 10 and 8 go to the amenities block alone (together) but their little fella (6yrs) always went with Dad.
Or campgrounds, whatever you or they choose to call them, pre-book when you really want to ensure the location, you are sticking to an itinerary or you're travelling in peak times.
What to look for:
Some park groups have loyalty programs which can work to help you save some extra money.
The obvious - download some movies onto iPads (or alike).
Of course, you can’t control it but you can plan for it. If you’re on a month-long adventure, change your itinerary, pick up and move along to better conditions or to a destination that isn’t weather dependent for a good time.
You will have no regrets and your kids will still be talking about it when they are adults.
Shelley has been working in the travel industry for over 30 years, in aviation, for tour operators and since 2016 for DriveNow. Having travelled extensively worldwide, alone, as a couple and with her family, Shelley has experience to share about how to make the most of your holiday, especially road-trips to amazing destinations.