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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.