Travelling long distances in a car with young children isnt as awful as you might imagine.

They'll be excited about the prospect of going on away, so make the journey seem like a great adventure and an exciting part of the holiday.

Be prepared!
Preparation is the key so start planning in advance to keep your children fed, watered and amused en route. For small children in car seats, tie a few favourite toys onto the seat to stop you constantly retrieving them from the floor.

Put an old bedspread on the backseat to protect the upholstery - it's a lot easier to wash - and pack a 'clean-up kit' with baby-wipes and tissues. Dress your children in layers so that they can adapt to changes in temperature, and consider a change of clothes in case of accidents. Be prepared to stop every couple of hours for toilet breaks, and remember a travel potty can come in very handy in an emergency!

Food on the move
Take a packed lunch box with lots of small food items, and plenty of drinks. Consider the mess factor too - melted chocolate gets everywhere, and carbonated drinks are bound to spray when opened. Dried fruits, rice cakes, pots of pomegranate seeds, raw carrot sticks, apples, and jelly sweets are easier on the upholstery.

If your child is prone to car-sickness, avoid eating or drinking heavily before or during a journey - in particular, fatty foods and fizzy drinks seem to upset the stomach. If your efforts fail and your child is sick, be sure to replace lost fluids with frequent small sips of cold, still water. Reading or colouring can bring on nausea, so stick to verbal games or games like I-Spy which involve looking at distant objects.

Car wars
If squabbling breaks out, distraction is the best tactic. You could suggest a new game or take a pit-stop if a service station is nearby. With older children, try separating the warring factions by allowing one of them to sit in front for a while.

Bear in mind local car safety laws - in the UK, there are no age restrictions as long as appropriate restraints are used (more info at www.theaa.com) but in France, under-10s are not allowed to travel in the front seat.

• Click here to return to the Summer section
• Stress-free car trips with your family