With the kids in the car to Austria
Taking the kids on holiday to Austria is fun, but the car journey is a long one for those little ones (and, to be honest, sometimes for the parents too). How to prepare and what are the things to consider. We answer those questions in this blog!
Good preparation
First of all, good preparation is half the battle. Make sure all travel documents are in order, do some shopping and pack your and the kids' suitcases one or two days before departure. Next, load the car on time. This will prevent unnecessary stress.Planning
Another part of preparation is planning when you will drive. It is sometimes difficult for children to sit still all day, so it is an idea to travel when the kids are sleeping. Of course, the driver of the car should then be well rested himself. Also, leaving later in the day (or even at night) also increases the chances of avoiding traffic jams. Simply because the roads are less busy late in the day or at night.
Extra travel time
Even if you leave at your preferred time, there is always a chance of a delay. Take this into account and deal with it in a relaxed manner. Allow at least 3 hours of extra travel time in advance. This may be because you have a nice lunch, need to go to the toilet or simply want to rest. While eating or resting, the children can also stretch their legs and hop around.Entertainment
If the kids have become somewhat tired while stretching their legs and hopping around, you might take your chance to listen to your favourite music or catch up with your partner for a short while. Of course, there is a chance that the kids will demand your attention again after a short while. So make sure they can always enjoy themselves. Play a game, sing their favourite songs together or give them a colouring page. A book or a film is always good too!Reward
Besides the aforementioned things to keep the kids busy, a fun idea is to keep the kids busy with the environment. Hand out a small 'reward' to the person who, for example, is the first to see a car with an Austrian number plate, a waterfall or the border sign saying 'Österreich'.
No heavy meals
By the way, do not reward your child with too many treats, this is to prevent them from getting sick. In addition, make sure the kids are well rested. Make sure there is fresh air in the car and enough distractions. Also consider giving your child a Prematour pill before getting into the car; many children who suffer from car sickness benefit from this.
Austrian rules
The moment you see border sign that says 'Österreich' by the way, it is important to know that children smaller than 1.50 metres or younger than 14 years must be in a car seat. If you don't have space for that, you may fasten a child older than 3 with the normal seatbelt. This is different than in the Netherlands. In fact, the Netherlands has used an exception, so here a child restraint is compulsory for children up to 1.35 metres.
