bestillandwrite At the end of June my sister and I took my three-year-old daughter on a road trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba to visit family. My family lives in Kansas, so this drive was approximately 12 hours. We’ve been visiting Winnipeg since I was a little girl, so I thought I would share How to Prepare for a Road Trip to Canada.
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1. Prepare Documentation
Our trip across the boarder and back was very simple this year. However, in the past we have had a little more difficulty. I recommend bringing the following:
Drivers License
Passports
Kids Birth Certificates
Rental Car Agreement (if renting a car)
The boarder services agent will likely ask you where you are going, why and for how long. They may also ask if you’ve brought any gifts or food with you. Just be ready for those types of questions, answer honestly and you’ll be good to go!
2. Keep Paperwork Handy, but Safe
Make sure when you pack the paperwork listed above, you keep it somewhere handy while crossing the boarder and in Canada. However, if you stay at a hotel or leave your car for an extended period of time, take proper measures to keep those things safe. Our grandparents had their passports stollen out of their car on a trip to Canada when I was little.
3. Pack Lots of Snacks
If you’re going on a road trip, it’s important to bing lots of snacks. We love to pack “snackle” boxes for each member of the family, which is essentially a snack tackle box. You might also pack lunch items like sandwiches are fruit, so you don’t have to stop and get fast food on the road.
4. Bring Entertainment
My sister and I drove a total of 12 hours with my three-year-old daughter. She did amazing, but I think what helped most was how prepared we were for a long drive. Below is a list of things we found helpful for our latest road trip:
Activity Tray
Snackle Box Large
Snackle Boxes Small
Busy Book
Magnetic Scenes
Books, Books, Books
Aqua Art Books
Magnet Writing Board
Magnet Sorting Game
Stuffed Animals
Tablet
5. Plan Stops
We split our drive to Canada into two days, so the first day we stopped in Omaha for a break after about three hours. Then we drove the rest of the way (3-4 hours) to Watertown, SD. The second day of our drive we stopped in Grand Forks. Knowing when we had a stop coming was very important. I recommend stretching your legs at least every 2-3 hours.
6. Electronics
Please remember to charge all electronics, update tablets and download movies if needed BEFORE you get in the car. Have extra chargers on hand as well. You just never know if you might have to stop for weather or get stuck in construction. Having everything ready to go might save your sanity on the long drive.
Thank you for reading How to Prepare for a Road Trip to Canada. I hope it helped prepare you for your next family vacation. For more helpful tips, be sure to read the additional content below:
Helpful Things to Pack for a Trip to the Beach
Top 10 Tips to Make the Airport a Breeze
How to Save Money Going to Disney World
If you have any questions feel free to send me an email or message on Instagram. Follow @gentryjourneys on Pinterest for more travel tips and tricks and don’t forget to subscribe below for new content every week!
Safe Travels,
