[Complete guide] Tips for traveling in a camper or motorhome with children

ROADTRIP IN A CAMPER VAN OR MOTORHOME: OUR CHILDREN'S DREAM!

The holidays are finally here and... it's the perfect opportunity to explore new horizons as a family! A trip can be complicated if it is not well organized or if the means of transport is not suitable for traveling with children... That is why in recent times many families choose a camper van or a motorhome to discover new places together with their children. Are you next? After reading our guide to traveling in a camper or motorhome with children, surely yes 😉

We hope that this article helps you take the step and convinces you that traveling in a camper or motorhome with children is great fun for everyone and that you will only need a little organization to make the experience exceptional and pleasant for everyone. 

We remind you that we offer services rental of camper vans and motorhomes in Lloret de Mar as well as deliveries in the city of Girona and Barcelona under petition.

WHY DO A ROADTRIP AS A FAMILY?

Traveling in a camper vehicle as a family is a great opportunity to be all together and where you feel like you are in your little house on wheels. Living 3, 4 or 5 people in such a small space will strengthen your relationship around a common objective: follow an itinerary, live a great trip together and go from place to place discovering wonderful corners. 

Types of camper and motorhomes for a family trip 

• Motorhome rentals: very suitable for families looking for maximum comfort, motorhomes not suitable for adventurers. They are more well thought out for those for whom space and comfort take priority over freedom ya que encontrar sitios donde dormir libremente sin pagar es "más complicado".  You have to be especially careful with this type of vehicle, especially if you have never driven one of this size, to avoid unpleasant moments during the holidays, since due to its size, there are some places where it will be difficult to access and circulate.. In short, they are much more comfortable vehicles when it comes to living inside, but they will require a little more planning when traveling (not so much improvisation).

• Large volume camper vans: son el perfect balance between comfort/space and ease of use. You will be able to have a vehicle that is easy to drive and suitable for going (almost) anywhere without giving up the comforts of a motorhome such as: shower, sink, indoor dining room and kitchen.

• Small camper vans: for those who want escape all limitations. With mini camper vans we stop almost wherever we want and whenever we want! It must be taken into account that we will live mainly outdoors.

Traveling in a camper with your children: comfort and freedom

Traveling in a camper van or motorhome with children offers many advantages! In fact, we think it is very suitable for families for several reasons:

• The first significant advantage is that it is possible stop where you want and whenever you want. Whenever we feel like it, we stop to admire the landscape, have dinner or sleep in the middle of nature. A freedom without a name. 
• The confort is always on board! Gas to cook, refrigerator to store food, shower when we need it... each vehicle is optimized to maintain the comfort necessary for children's travel and make the camper spacious and pleasant for everyone.
• Kids love the idea of ​​being able to sleep in a “mobile home” and be able to stop whenever they want!

TRAVELING IN A CAMPER VAN OR MOTORHOME WITH BABIES? SMALL CHILDREN? TEENAGERS?

Traveling in a camper or motorhome with a baby is not restrictive at all, on the contrary! This mode of travel allows you to respect their rhythm: you are free to stop whenever you want for their meal or nap . For the latter, it will be very easy to find a safe place in the vehicle where you can, in a few seconds, settle down to rest. And then, the journeys between one place and another will also be an opportunity to sleep well...

All campers or motorhomes offer ISOFIX systems or 3-point belts to hold the car seat in complete safety..

For those of you traveling with older children, you will be surprised to see that this type of vacation is more fun and will bring you closer together than going to a traditional hotel. The idea of ​​traveling in a van will fascinate them and they will not have time to get bored.

When we travel in a camper van we are always in constant discovery and action. We discover new landscapes, we visit places, we stop along the way, we find rivers and unique places in the middle of nature where we can stop to eat and sleep... all of this will happen and it will give you the impression that the days are too short . You won't hear any more "what can we do now?" » or « we are bored…. ".

Even with teenagers, the trip in a camper van or motorhome will go well! It is important and necessary to plan activities that interest them (sports, cultural, and why not festive! ). And if it is difficult to disconnect them from their favorite electronic devices, there is no reason to deprive them of them entirely: vehicles offer power outlets that will allow them to plug in their consoles and thus keep them busy during the longest journeys.

What activities to do with children or teenagers traveling in a motorhome?

It will be easy to keep the kids busy during your road trip. For them it will be a great adventure, they will be able to disconnect from everyday life and get closer to nature.

• Empower them and involve them in the trip: have them help with camper tasks such as filling and emptying water, preparing meals, maintaining order...
• Offer them the opportunity to do outdoor activities such as excursions, fishing, bathing in the river, a barbecue... It is also a great opportunity to do outdoor sports.
• We recommend downloading an application like Plantnet that will help you identify and discover numerous species of plants and flowers. A super interactive and fun way to learn things about nature!
• One of our favorite activities: Playing a treasure hunt! Thanks to certain applications such as Geocaching , you can play to find Geocaches, small boxes hidden in nature in which an object has been deposited by the last adventurer who discovered its hiding place.
• Let's not forget the bicycles! Take advantage of the bicycle rack in our vehicles so that you can enjoy them wherever you go.
• Take advantage of a little time every day to dedicate it to reading
• At night you can take night walks and explore the stars with applications like Googlesky.

TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A ROADTRIP WITH CHILDREN

Plan stops and activities

As a couple you can completely improvise and let yourself go along the way... With children it is more difficult to leave room for improvisation. Think about finding activities along your route that may interest them and consider whether any of them will need to be booked in advance. There are a multitude of options: theme parks, places to visit, nature excursions, beaches... it is best to do a little of everything to make the trip as exciting as possible.

Plan the points where you are going to stay overnight

Continuing with what we mentioned in the previous point, it is difficult to imagine driving for long periods of time to find the ideal place to spend the night with small children in the back waiting to arrive and tired of the road. Avoid this waste of time by having previously researched the places where you can sleep freely or the parking lots and campsites where you can spend the night.Use applications such as Park4Night, Furgoperfectos and Google Maps to find the best places.

Think about games and entertainment

We have already said it before: vacations in a camper van or motorhome are an opportunity to spend time together as a family and get closer. Think that you will have a lot of time during the trip to be together, talk, play and have fun. Bringing board games, cards and paintings are always a great idea on this type of trip!

As for security....

Remember! While driving it is important that children are seated correctly and not lying on the seats or in bed. The legislation remains the same as in the car: children must be secured and installed in booster seats or baby seats adapted to their size and weight.

Drive rested and take the time to admire the landscape: you're on vacation! If you cannot reach your destination on time, the camper offers the wonderful advantage of being able to sleep between two planned sites and stop wherever you want.

The essential children's essentials so you don't forget on your trip

We leave you a list of our recommendations for when you take a road trip with children to make it as fun and entertaining as possible: 

• For the little ones, their favorite stuffed animal!
• Movies, books, board games and cards to keep them busy
• A roadtrip map and roadbook. You can prepare it in advance all together to involve the children with the trip from the beginning and once finished you can print it and distribute it to everyone so they can follow it during the trip. 
• A ball, Frisbee, paddles, beach games or any other object that allows you to do outdoor sports wherever you want and is easy to transport.
• Visors, caps, hats and sunscreen to protect them
• A first aid kit (with dressings, medication, disinfectant, Ventolin, etc.)

Between freedom of movement and peace of mind, the van has everything to be the perfect companion for your family vacation! Choose your destination and let the trip begin, your best vacation is just one click away.

We hope that the publication "Guide to traveling in a camper or motorhome with children" encourages you all to travel as a family 🙂