Some tips for travelling with children this summer

When we start our holidays, it is normal to plan these days off to travel to other places. Very often, these trips are made with the family, accompanied by the children. There are no more demanding passengers than children, so we are going to offer some advice so that those hundreds of kilometres covered with children do not turn into an ordeal, and the well-known “Are we nearly there?” is the only problem we encounter when travelling with them.

The main thing is to have a child seat suited to the child’s weight. Needless to say, each child must have a seat suited to their physical characteristics. It is important to remember that child seats are not based on the child’s age, but on their weight. Each weight band requires a specific seat, and this must be taken into account when travelling. It is not only a matter of avoiding a fine: in the event of a collision, the child would be left unprotected.

ISOFIX anchorages are now the norm in rear seats, designed to hold the child’s seat securely in place. They are very safe anchorages that keep the seat in position and, consequently, the child well secured. If the child is placed in a seat in the front passenger seat because they are very small, the passenger airbag must be deactivated. In the event of an accident, it would deploy and could displace the seat and injure the baby.

As for the journey itself, although it may not be excessively long, it must be planned carefully. A trip lasting more than two hours requires at least one stop. This should be somewhere that allows the children to get out and move about to stretch their legs a little and burn off some of the seemingly endless energy they have.

During the journey it is better to keep them entertained, either with a film or similar, or by singing and playing games, if possible and if it does not interfere with driving. The temperature inside the car should be around 22 degrees, which helps avoid them getting too hot or too cold. Stops every two hours or every 200 km are essential so that they do not get tired and can get some fresh air, especially in summer.

Children tend to be restless and full of life, but by following this advice you can travel calmly with them and arrive more relaxed and safe than if the whole journey were made in one single stage.