Before you even think about heading out on the road, get your vehicle checked over from bumper to bumper. Items such as tires, belts and hoses all need to be checked, along with everything else on the vehicle.

Of course it’s not fun spending your money on repairs right before vacation, but it would be very disappointing (and dangerous) to break down on the road with your whole family in the vehicle.

Let’s talk about making the vacation drive a little easier. Mapping out your route ahead of time is always a good thing, especially because it is so easy with computer programs such as MapQuest and Google Maps.

You can also check online sources like the Department of Roads to find out about road construction projects that you might want to avoid along the way. Finding an alternative route might save you some time.

If you have small kids, here are a few tips just for them:

First of all, if you need to drive for a long time, sometimes it’s good to leave in the middle of the night while the kids are still sleeping. That way you can get a few hours of driving in before the kids even wake up.

The down side to that is that you will need a break about the same time that they wake up, but if you time it right, you can stop for breakfast around that time and everyone is happy.

It sounds corny, but playing games in the vehicle as a family can be fun. There are a lot of activities and game ideas on the Internet and finding something that you can do as a family can really make the drive much more enjoyable.

It’s not a fun topic, but motion sickness happens all of the time. There’s always one child who doesn’t feel so good, but here are some things for them to try.

Look out the window, far off into the horizon. When they are doing something like reading a book or playing a video game, their inner ear senses that they are moving, but their eyes are telling them that they are sitting still. This brain confusion makes them feel sick, but sometimes looking out into the distance makes the brain settle down, which reduces the carsick feeling.