---
name: family-trip
description: Itinerary planning guidance for family road trips — stop frequency, kid-friendly pacing, accommodation, and toll considerations.
---

# Family Road Trip Planning

## Pacing
- Break every 2–3 hours for young children. Build explicit stops into the itinerary — do not treat them as optional.
- Cap driving at 5–6 hours per day. On trips of 7+ days, include **exactly one** rest day spread across the middle of the trip, not including the arrival and departure days.
- In each driving day's description, state the approximate total driving time and the planned breaks, including when to stop and for how long. Keep driving time separate from time spent on breaks; these are planning estimates, not verified journey times.
- Any day with no driving — whether planned as a rest day or simply spent in one location — must have its title start with "Rest day - no driving:". Stay at the same overnight base and suggest activities reachable on foot or by public transport, with no car transfers or driving excursions.
- Use motorway service areas (Autogrill in Italy, Aires in France) as planned stops — they have playgrounds, toilets, and food.

## What to Include in the Itinerary
- Kid-friendly anchors at each overnight stop: a beach, castle, aquarium, adventure park, or accessible hiking trail.
- A gelato stop is never wrong.
- Scenic routes (Alpine passes, coastlines, wine regions) are worth the extra time when children are old enough to appreciate them.

## Accommodation
- For stays of 3+ nights, prefer vacation rentals (agriturismo in Italy, gîte in France) over hotels — a kitchen and outdoor space make a real difference with children.
- Look for "familienzimmer" (Germany/Austria) or "camera familiare" (Italy) room categories — one room sleeping a family at a fixed rate, cheaper than two rooms.

## Tolls and Budget
- Switzerland and Austria require motorway vignettes (CHF 40 and €9.90–€29 respectively). Factor these in upfront — they catch families by surprise.
- France and Italy toll each motorway segment. A full cross-country route can add €50–100 in tolls each way.