When will we finally be there?

Family vacations could be the best time of the year if it weren't for the inconvenience of getting there and back. Almost 17 million Germans go on vacation by car every year, often covering hundreds of kilometers to their vacation destination and back. For children, long journeys often cause unpleasant side effects such as whining, boredom, stomach ache or nausea. To prevent this from happening, we provide helpful tips from a specialist and the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club e. V. (ADAC) for an incident-free car journey before the start of the vacation.

Dr. Gunter Burmester, senior physician in gastroenterology at Altona Children's Hospital, gives families these tips before they travel:

"As far as possible, parents should avoid traveling more than 500 kilometers in one day. Before starting the journey, everyone involved should eat a light meal that is invigorating but not too heavy on the stomach. For the journey, it is advisable to have appropriate food on board, such as sliced apples or carrots. Furthermore, children should not be offered carbonated drinks, as these can easily upset the stomach. Still water, tea and juice are the right choice here", says Burmester.

Of course, in addition to provisions, the right entertainment should not be neglected. Games such as Mau-Mau and Quartett are ideal for long car journeys, as they don't require much equipment. In between, the little vacationers should look out of the window.

"If this is not done, children can easily develop symptoms such as nausea. For this reason, no reading or picture books should be used. Audio books or guessing games, such as guessing car license plates or 'I see something you don't see' are more suitable here," says the senior physician, who knows this from his own experience as a father.

"If you keep these three things in mind, nothing can go wrong on your vacation trip: sufficient breaks, entertainment and healthy snacks," says Burmeister.

If it does come to that and the stomach rebels, it is advisable for parents to always have a bag to hand. For children who are regularly prone to travel sickness with vomiting, medication is available if necessary. This should be discussed with the pediatrician in good time before the vacation.

The ADAC advises: Comprehensive preparation including a games case or audio player plus headphones to prevent boredom in older children and a well-stocked bag of provisions for snacks in between are just as advisable as planning travel times according to age and season. Families with small children are best advised to adjust their travel times to their natural sleeping patterns and go on vacation outside of school vacations. In summer, we recommend starting in the early hours of the morning when the roads are still clear and temperatures are lower.

Have a safe journey!