Are you planning on taking a road trip where long distance driving to foreign places will be done? Do you have children? Are you wondering what gadgets are going to make your trip more enjoyable for all? The following will answer these questions for you and make sure that you are all stocked up with everything that you need to make your next family road trip as pleasurable an experience as possible. There are a wide range of options to choose from. These include GPS, in car DVD players, USB car chargers, Power Inverters and devices that can allow you to enjoy audio in your car from any device even if you have an older model car.
GPS
Paper road maps are definitely a thing of the past. They are bulky, hard to use and are really great at getting people lost. GPS is the way to go, especially if you are going to some place that you have never been to before. When choosing a GPS ensure that it is the latest model as this will have the newest maps installed. Some Car GPS Navigation units also come with free map updates allowing you to connect them to your computer and upload the newest maps to ensure that you so not get lost. Others will let you know if there is heavy traffic ahead and give you an alternate route so you can reach you destination quicker. All GPS units should come with a bracket that allows for easy attachment to your windscreen.You do not need to worry too much about battery life as they are able to be charged directly from the cigarette lighter in your car. There are many great models to choose from, just make sure you so some research first so you can get one that will really suit your needs.
Hands Free Kit for Your Phone
If driving long distances, you do not want the distraction or disruption of having to pull over to take a phone call. There are many types of Bluetooth Car Kits available to suit a range of phones and the good models are very easy to install and use.
In Car DVD Players
If you have children, this is a great way to keep the constant chorus of “are we there yet?” away. The style that you get depends on your needs. If you have two or three children, opt for a model that has dual screens. These strap around the headrest of the front seat and will give all of your kids the best possible viewing angle. Some even come with built in games and controllers so your children can not only enjoy watching movies from the backseat, they can be playing games as well. Other models of portable DVD player can just be sat on a child’s lap. This is great for if you have just one child or two or more children that will not all agree on the same movie to watch. Most of these are available with headphone inputs, which is a great idea if the grown-ups in the car do not want to be listening to hours of children’s movies or games.
USB Car Chargers
There more than likely people in your family that have phones, IPod, tablet or other types of technology that can charge via a USB cable. If you have the provision for a Cigarette Lighter in your car, you can utilize this as a charging source for your devices. They are inexpensive to purchase and vary in style. Some are just a simple plug that goes into the cigarette lighter and then allows you to charge one item. There are another that are similar, but go out to more than one connection. Other go into the lighter and then have a series of cords that come out that are compatible to charge most devices.
Power Inverters
A power inverter can plug into the socket of your cigarette lighter and convert the power into a normal power that you can use to plug any device into. These are really handy for long trips as you could take things such as a kettle or an electric skillet and be able to make hot beverages and even cook meals while on the road. These are also great for keeping laptops charged and are required for recharging some type of portable DVD players. Having a laptop charge and available whilst on a road trip is great as this can keep many people in the car entertained.
Music Devices
If you have an older car that does not have any inputs for Car Audio Devices such as MP3 player, smart phones of I Pods, you still have an option to be able to listen to all of your favourite music while you are on the move. This is done with a device called an FM Transmitters . These can plug into the headphone jack of your music device and then transmit the signal to your cars radio. All you have to do is then tune your radio in to the right frequency and you will have all of favourite tunes playing to make your long drive more enjoyable. If you have a newer car, it will probably have a 3.5mm audio input jack. All you need to do is get a male to male 3.5mm audio cable and you will be able to plug in your phone, tablet, I-pod or any other music device that has a headphone jack.
Check out the devices mentioned and see if they will help you on your next long distance car journey. Apart from making the monotony of long distance travel for children a little easier to cope with, it will also mean that you can pull over for rest stops, let everyone stretch their legs and prepare tea and coffee and a hot meal. These gadgets can also make things a little more pleasant for the driver too as having a GPS to navigate takes away the stress of getting lost. Having your favourite music playing is also a great way to make the trip more interesting for the adults in the car.
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