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Whenever I hear the words ‘Road Trip’, I automatically flash in my mind to the cross-country trip that the Griswold’s made to visit Wally World on their summer vacation. With the sky-high cost of flying the friendly skies, traveling by car for long distance trips seems to be making a comeback. The holidays are approaching as is Christmas break, so prepare yourselves for traffic jams.

For me with my fear of flying, it wouldn’t take a lot of convincing to travel by road this holiday season, but there are a few requirements that would have to be met. Our vehicle would have to have some of these key features.

Space – We’d need room for four, plus baby supplies, gear and luggage.

All-Season or Snow Tires – Even if we’re going somewhere warm, we still need to get back home in one piece.

DVD Player – To keep kids entertained, so we don’t have to hear “Are we there yet?” every 5 seconds.

MP3 Connection – Good music can lighten moods. Anyone can get on your nerves when you’re stuck with them long enough!

GPS – Do I really need to provide an explanation here? That’s what I thought.

Aside from those key auto features, we’d also need to have a hefty snack stash. We’d have to agree on frequent stops for bathroom breaks/stretching, and possibly an overnight hotel stay depending on the length of time on the road.

I like being more in control of our situation. By flying, you may face delays and cancellations, and you are at the airlines mercy. But if situations are weather-related, you may not be able to fly either.

There are definite pluses and minuses when it comes to road travel during the holidays.

What are your must haves when road tripping?