Every dad needs to experience the quintessential family road trip at least once. Road trips are a wonderful way to introduce the kids to travel and see the country for less. In fact, 79% of Americans favor family road trips as a way of reconnecting and bonding together in today’s busy world, AAA reports. Of course, there’ll be highs and lows along the way, but road trips are generally less stressful than other modes of travel. You get to set the pace and it doesn’t matter how slow you go, so you’re free to focus on spending time with your family.

Easy planning

Get your kids involved with planning your journey and they’ll be more engaged and excited throughout. Marking your route on a paper map is fun and also provides a backup if the GPS breaks. Plan your overnight stops, but know you can change your itinerary any time. If you want to spend longer at a certain attraction, you can. You also won’t have to worry about making departure times since you’ll be driving your own vehicle. Your vehicle should be reliable and in good condition. So, get it serviced by a qualified mechanic before your trip.

Save money

Flights are expensive — and if you like to travel with your family often, expenses add up fast. Flight costs are also often the barrier to traveling for many families. Taking your own vehicle on a road trip eliminates flight costs. You can therefore free up your budget allowing you to travel further or for longer. You also have the flexibility to stay in the cheaper hotels outside of the city center. Moreover, you can save money buying your own food and having picnics rather than eating at restaurants.

Quality family time

A road trip is a unique opportunity for some quality family time. We all get busy and preoccupied with work, school, or our individual daily routines. Riding in a car together for hours on end is a great chance to catch up, have fun, and connect on an entirely different level. You can listen to music, have sing-alongs, play car games like I spy, or simply just chat. There are even apps available designed to introduce kids to classic American car games to and banish backseat boredom.

Ultimately, the key to a successful family road trip is stopping often enough to let the kids release energy — once every two to three hours. Pack some outdoor games they can play in the park. With enough planning, your family road trip will be one to remember — for all the right reasons.