Making long journeys more enjoyable

 Whether you’re taking your car along on a much-needed summer holiday with the children, or a weekend away to visit friends or families, driving long distances can be stressful and exhausting. Planning ahead is the key if you want to avoid some of the common pitfalls. For instance, if your destination is more than eight hours’ drive away consider stopping somewhere overnight. It may be that you have to arrive by a certain time, for a wedding or another important social engagement. To ease the pressure caused by delays and route closures build such eventualities into your driving schedule, and have a contingency plan in place in case you have to take an alternative route.

Tips for the driver
Start the journey fresh and sufficiently rested by avoiding late nights and alcohol in the days leading up to the long drive. Throughout the drive, take a break every two hours and if you can, share the driving with someone else. Eat little and often rather than having big, heavy meals, which tend to make you feel drowsy – and boost your concentration with caffeine or open a window to let in some fresh air. 
 Like office work, sitting in a car for long periods of time is going to be uncomfortable unless you are positioned correctly, which is why you need to consider car ergonomics. You should be able to reach all the vehicle’s controls without straining and the backrest should support the top of your shoulders. Sitting too far away from the steering wheel with your arms stretched out to reach it will cause your neck to become stiff on long drives.
 Try to set off at first light – roads are much emptier early in the morning, which means you will make faster progress. To stop the journey from becoming dull and tedious don’t limit stops to motorway service stations. For the sake of you and your passengers, plan a route that has interesting sights or towns, which you can visit, thereby turning the drive into more of an adventure. 

Tips for passengers
If you have children and are going on a particularly long journey to the south of France for instance, you could think about travelling at night when they are asleep. If driving during the day, plan your stops in places where children can play, or visit an attraction – merely stretching their legs will not ease their boredom or reduce their energy levels!
 Passengers, be they children or adults, will be much more good-humoured if they are in a relaxing, comfortable environment. Encourage everyone to put all luggages, including day rucksacks, in the boot; otherwise they may not have enough leg-room, which could be dangerous for their health, too. 
 It isn’t only airline passengers who are at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) car passengers are also in danger on car journeys that are more than four hours long. Regular breaks will reduce the risk of DVT as will encouraging your passengers to move their arms and legs, in the same they would on a long-haul flight. 
 Overheated, dehydrated passengers are also more likely to complain – fitting some sunshade filters on the rear window could help keep the temperature   and tempers   cool. Before you start your journey, ensure you have sufficient snacks and drink for everyone. Discourage any passengers that are prone to travel sickness from reading, they should look at the road ahead, and are better off sitting in the front, unless they’re under the age of 12. Music, games and quizzes help the time pass more quickly as does switching roles (as long as ‘co-drivers’ are insured to drive the vehicle): the map reader can take the wheel, the main driver taking a rest in the back seat, another passenger can assume the role of map reader and so on.
 If you’re regularly taking long journeys with passengers, it may be an idea to invest in a portable back seat DVD system, complete with headphones. This will allow you to drive without distractions and help keep their boredom at bay.

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