This was published 8 years ago

How to keep your family entertained on a road trip

Updated June 22, 2015 — 5.29pm

Keep the kids entertained on a road trip with mobile broadband.Credit: iStock

This sponsored article brought to you by Telstra.

And that's an adult road trip – when you throw kids into the mix you end packing favourite blankets, treasured cuddly toys, games, kids books and enough snacks to fill the back seat of the car. There is nothing worse than bored kids on a road trip.

But now everything has gone hi-tech (except the chips). It is a slightly sleeker pack these days with a laptop, the number one thing you can't forget bring with you. Previously, data roaming fees and a lack of connectivity meant you had to prepack your computer or phone with what you needed but with Telstra's Pre-Paid mobile broadband you can take it a bit more easy – and isn't that what the laidback pace of a road trip is all about?

Here are our top tips for adults and kids so you can swap the "Are we there yets?" for "Are we here alreadys?"

I screen, you screen, we all screen

There will come a point on a road trip when the conversation dries up and the landscape gets a bit too samey for even the most intrepid passenger. At this point turning to your laptop for a downloaded movie, or some streaming TV with the right broadband connection, is no shame. And to stop fights between siblings you can connect Telstra mobile broadband. What is that you hear? Glorious silence.

Chronicle your trip

Hipstamatic, Instagram, Postagram (a handy app that turns your photos into old-school postcards) or just updating your Facebook feed. Road trips used to be a time to disconnect, when even finding a radio signal that didn't contain country music could be a challenge, but now with broadband on the road you can keep family and friends up to speed with your travels as you go.

Plan a progressive dinner

One thing you can banish on modern road trips is the desperate drop-in to the next fast food outlet that shows itself along the highway. When the munchies begin to kick in grab Google Maps and research the next place that does a good meal. In the past you might have driven right past a town with the best pies in NSW but now all this information can be at your command with mobile broadband. You will be a road trip gourmand with a mission.

Play catch-up with family and friends

Been meaning to call loved ones, or Skype friends overseas, but never got the time? You have it now that you are on a 10-hour drive from Sydney to Melbourne – and if you have mobile broadband you also have the means to get in touch. Be a hero and give your mum a call while your better half takes the wheel – you can even show mum some of the scenery via the video link.

Look to the stars

Driving by night? Download the free Star Chart app to your smartphone and when you pull over you can have a virtual start chart in your hands with which to navigate the night sky. Your app will locate all the stars and planets circling above you and all you have to do is point your phone to the heavens. You can even spot a few celestial bodies in daylight, and impress your kids by pointing out the constellations.

Tune in

Music and road trips are inseparable, and now you can stream music, or your favourite podcasts, and avoid the anxiety of which songs to download to your travelling device. Having a wide range of songs also make car karaoke more fun, for those in the back you can even YouTube the karaoke versions of your favourite tracks with words. And solve fights over misheard lyrics with Google.

Tell a story

Ever meant to read the kids The Velveteen Rabbit? Grab it on e-book as you fly along the highway and turn a boring road trip into a gripping storytelling session.

This series of articles brought to you by Telstra.