This year, more than 90 million people will be traveling over the holidays—and at least 90% of those travelers will be driving. That’s a lot of alphabet games and family time in the car!

Make sure the car’s good to go

You can use this checklist of some important things to remember before hitting the road:
 

  • Windshield fluid & wipers
  • Brakes (antilock for snowy regions)
  • Tire tread (snow tires for snowy regions)
  • Check/change oil
  • Coolant system

Prep for some fun

They say time flies when you’re having fun, right? So bring car-friendly games or make some up. A few of our favorites are 20 Questions, I Spy, Hangman, Connect the Dots, and The License Plate Game—the one where you have to spot all fifty states. Snacks help too. Make a shopping list of everyone’s favorite road trip treats.

Let the adventure begin

Most of us rely on GPS systems like Google Maps or Waze. A great thing you can do is look at the whole route before leaving—and have a backup route too. Before you leave, throw that old-school map in the glove compartment in case you lose service. And don’t forget to keep an eye on the weather and traffic patterns.