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GPS for Family Road Trips

GPS Units Make Family Travel Easier and More Fun

© Kelby Carr

Sep 5, 2006
Garmin eTrex Vista cx, Courtesy of Garmin
The next time your kids ask, "Are we there yet?" you can reply, "We will be in approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes." Find out how GPS units improve family road trips.

You might considering ditching that old-fashioned, clumsy folding map if you get exposed to a GPS unit. These gadgets, which can either be built in or purchases as portable handheld units, make family travel dramatically less stressful.

Here are the top reasons to take a GPS unit on your next family vacation:

  • You always know where you are. That is almost reason alone to get a GPS unit, especially if you've ever wandered lost in a bad neighborhood with kids in the back. That is not a pleasant feeling.
  • You always know when you will get there. Granted, it's an estimated time of arrival. But it's great to have a quick comeback to the age-old family road trip question.
  • You can find what you want. Need diapers from a Wal-Mart? Or coffee from Starbucks? Many GPS units now come with databases of top stops like these.
  • Entertain the kids. The units are just cool anyway, but some double as DVD players. That can certainly come in handy when whining children have been trapped in a car for too long.
  • Get point-to-point directions. This can be extremely helpful while on the road. What is nice about GPS units is they will alert you when you've strayed from your designated path, so you know well before you might have figured it out on your own. Better yet, they will then recalculate new directions based on your current location.
  • You can go on a geocaching scavenger hunt. If you get a handheld GPS unit, you and the family can go treasure hunting. Geocaching is a high-tech method of scavenger hunt in which GPS units are used to hunt down hidden items.

Related articles:

Family Road Trip Planner | GPS and Principles of Navigation | GPS and Geocaching | Familymoons | Train Travel with Kids


The copyright of the article GPS for Family Road Trips in Family Travel is owned by Kelby Carr. Permission to republish GPS for Family Road Trips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.




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Comments
Sep 6, 2006 3:47 PM
Alan Sorum :
I really wanted a GPS while driving in Europe this summer. It would have saved many headaches. The car rental company had them available, but the navigation software was limited to Germany. We drove through past Oslo, so that wasn't going to be any help. I like the potential answers for "Are we there yet?"
Sep 6, 2006 4:31 PM
Jennifer W. Miner :
We got lost in Europe last Spring too! Too bad we didn't bring our GPS, as <a href="http://luxuryresorttravel.suite101.com/blog.cfm/are_all_travel_m emories_equal">trying to find the Florence airport</a> wasn't a load of fun.
Fortunately, I didn't have my kids with me. Kelby, your article actually makes long trips with chilldren sound...well, tolerable, if not fun. :)
Sep 6, 2006 7:47 PM
Kelby Carr :
We used one with a memory card with France and Spain maps while traveling in Europe. It was wonderful (especially if you've ever tried to ask for directions in a foreign language in a small town). It was funny, too. I noticed that the lat or long suddenly hit close to all zeros. I thought that was peculiar. Then we saw the sign saying we were at precisely Greenwich Mean Time. Fun!
Sep 6, 2006 7:48 PM
Kelby Carr :
Hahah! Definitely more tolerable. And there really is the reduced stress factor. It's hard enough getting lost when no kids are around, but it can be downright scary with kids.
Sep 7, 2006 11:18 AM
Jill Florio :
Can I just have a car like Kitt instead? I don't need David Hasslehoff, just the car.
Sep 7, 2006 5:36 PM
Kelby Carr :
Definitely minus David Hasselhoff!! heheh... Have you seen the commercial for that Dodge car they allege is not cute (but totally is)? The Caliber, I think... Well, it has a cooler built into the dash. Now that's a cool extra. With that and a GPS unit, you may never have to leave the car! heheh...
Nov 19, 2006 7:18 PM
Kathryn Walsh :
We recently bought a GPS the Tomtom Go. I am not a computer tech type of person so I wasn't too sure about this purchase my husband made. Wow! The Tomtom was so easy even I was able to use it. I now cannot imagine life on the road without 'Tom' as I now refer to it. We got ours at http://www.familytravelgear.com. I think I am going to get one for my Mom and Dad so that they can stop arguing on the road and start enjoying the drive together!
Nov 21, 2006 7:30 PM
Kelby Carr :
Hahah! I just love even how different it makes a road trip... there's no such thing as lost, and I like that you always know exactly where you are and how far you have to go.
8 Comments
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