Ah, the summer holidays – it can be both a fun and stressful time for parents. While we get to spend quality time with our kids, family journeys are often hard work, especially when they’re long. But plan effectively for them, and they needn’t be.

For hassle-free travel this summer, why not follow our top tips?

Keep them entertained

“For stress-free family journeys, keep your kids entertained!” It sounds simple enough – in reality, though, it’s usually tricky. True, toys can occupy our children, but usually only for a brief amount of time. Give them a game, car or doll, and it likely won’t be long until they’re demanding something else to play with.

So, it’s crucial to pack items for your journey that can hold their attention for hours. Audiobooks of their favourite stories could be useful, for example. Alternatively, you may want to buy the soundtracks to the movies they love. Whichever option you choose, they’ll be bound to keep the kids amused throughout the journey.

Stock up on food supplies

Amidst the pressure of holiday packing and planning, it’s easy to forget about food supplies for the journey to our destination.

However, as you’ll likely know already, a trip without snacks can lead to unhappy, noisy children. And when we’re driving, we may have to deviate from our planned route to pick up food, potentially causing us to arrive at our final stop later than we planned to. So, to prevent this problem from occurring in the first place, it’s crucial to stock up on supplies before you embark on your trip.

For crumb-free food, look to apple pieces, raw fruit and nut bars and dry cereal. To keep mess to an absolute minimum, how about making oat, fruit and milk smoothies for the ride?

Who knew it could be so simple – and tidy – to prep food for a lengthy family journey?

Leave your car at home

Want to avoid the risk of stressful car journeys completely this summer? Then why don’t you leave your motor at home and use public transport to reach your destination instead?

Hop onto a train or coach, and you can cut out a number of holiday hassles, from motorway traffic to finding somewhere to park at the airport. And even better, you can easily book public transport for family-sized groups to most UK sea and airports. For example, trains from East Croydon to Gatwick airport run frequently and boast plenty of seats and space for passengers.

Travel car-free with the kids this summer, and you won’t just save money – you could reduce unnecessary stress, too.