The art of being a good passenger

On long car journeys, the driver has enough to do at the wheel without the added responsibility of reading maps and keeping the children amused. Here is where you as a passenger can really help.

When the whole family travels together by car, an adult passenger can be as useful as the driver. It's up to you to see to the driver's requirements, and to look after the children and keep them entertained. All young children should travel in the back of the car for greater safety (in some European countries, this is now law). Toddlers should be strapped into a child's car seat which is then secured to the rear seat. They generally like this, since they are perched high enough to be able to see out. Older children will enjoy having the freedom of the back to move about in and play, so don't put a lot of luggage in with them. And, on very long journeys give them rugs and cushions to make them more comfortable and encourage them to sleep for a while.

Most children fidget if they get hot, so take off their shoes and coats before the journey begins. The best place for a baby is in a carrycot, securely wedged on the back seat, and as the most reassuring sight for a baby is its mother, ideally she should sit next to the cot or at least near enough to be able to lean over.

Driving for too long a stretch is mentally and physically tiring for everyone in the car. Two hours is about long enough for most families before stopping, either for food or just to get out and stretch the legs. On the subject of food — the worst things to eat in the car are chocolate and lemonade, which will lead to sticky finger marks or even upset tummies! On the other hand, peppermints and apples can help the digestion, and the best drink is plain chilled water in disposable cups from a cool thermos.

Take a couple of large plastic bags for rubbish, some paper tissues and a damp flannel stored in a plastic bag for cleaning hands and faces, or alternatively a packet of moist face cleaners which you can buy from most chemists. If your children tend to be car sick, stock up with travel pills from your chemist or doctor in advance. The same pill will not necessarily suit everyone, but you can best find the right brand by trial and error. Children are more likely to feel sick if they are bored, so perhaps you can persuade them to play a game. There are some ideas for games later in this book and, of course, you will find the children are much keener to join in if you are prepared to play too!

Mapping out your holiday

One of the things you must take with you when you go away by car is a set of good maps. Any time you can spend on studying these before you go away will be time well spent. First, how are you going to get to your destination? Do you want to travel on motorways and get there quickly? Or do you prefer to use quieter secondary roads and enjoy the scenery? Most people like to mix the two.

Plan your route in advance with the help of a small-scale map which shows both your departure point and destination on one sheet. Then use a series of larger-scale maps which show you your proposed route in more detail and help you to decide where you want to stop. Write out in sequence on postcards the town names, road numbers, mileage between points and some indication of where you might stop on the road. If more than one person is to navigate, use block capitals to make the writing easier to read. These postcards can be kept with your maps in the dashboard of the car so that they are easily accessible.

Once you have reached your destination, you will probably want to explore the surrounding area, and go for walks, have picnics and go sightseeing. A good tourist map will tell you what you want to know, and for maximum geographical detail in Britain, use Ordnance Survey maps. These are large-scale and include such details as footpaths, bridges over streams, churches with or without spires, contour lines, etc. Then there are a number of specialist publications on sale in good bookshops covering a wide range of hobbies from studying wall paintings in churches to where to find flora and fauna. Tourist Information Centres here and abroad have experienced staff to fill you in on the kind of local knowledge you can't find in maps or books. Mapping out your holiday before you go, with the family, is a sensible way of making sure that you don't miss anything!