I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy traveling with my family. Seeing the world through my two young kids’ eyes is exciting and intriguing, to say the least. That being said, it’s not always easy hitting the road with little ones. Because time off should be nothing but fun, there are a few tricks I like to use to ensure a stress-free trip, whether we’re driving to a nearby city or across the country. Summer is the perfect time to travel and I encourage you to make the most of the nice weather and your children’s time off from school. Before you go, though, make sure to download these five trusty apps to help make the experience all the smoother and more enjoyable.

5 Must-Have Apps For A Stress-Free Family Road Trip

Roadtrippers
Specializing in attractions that are “off the beaten path”, this app helps you find interesting hotspots that you’d likely miss otherwise. Restaurants, museums, amusement parks — they’re all there. Simply put in your starting location and destination and Roadtrippers will suggest unique stops along the way. Save the places that spark your family’s curiosity and they’ll “sync with your phone for seamless navigation with your favorite maps app”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What if maps and travel guides had a baby? Meet our Trip Guides. Our new take on travel guides that give you a real plan of action to find cool places for yourselves. They look like a travel guide but act like a mapping app — stories you can actually save to your phone and use as an itinerary on the road! We think it’s pretty cool, but we’re a small company trying to do big things so we’d love to hear your perspective (hello@roadtrippers.com) and as always, thanks sincerely for keeping (us) and the road trippin’ tradition alive.

A photo posted by Roadtrippers (@roadtrippers) on May 12, 2016 at 2:18pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animoto
Want to capture long-lasting memories without having to lug around a bunch of equipment? This app makes saving — and sharing — special moments super easy. Simply take photos like you normally would, then select up to 12 from your camera roll to turn into a short video, complete with special effects and a soundtrack. The editing process is a perfect way to let your kids’ creativity shine and make time in the car fly by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@adriancmurray on what his photographs mean to his family, “Photos tell particular stories of our family over time. They present us not only with an image to reflect upon, but we can see our own emotions shine through them. Seeing them even weeks later can bring back those emotions.” Plus we think our new style Memory Box fits his images nicely!

A video posted by Animoto (@animoto) on Mar 4, 2016 at 7:53am PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TV Food Maps
Apart from not having enough entertainment to pass the time, being hungry is definitely one of the most common sources of on-the-road tantrums. Address the issue before it even happens with this handy app, which helps you find expert-recommended restaurants along your route. Sort by state or your favorite food show, including Top Chef and Best Thing I Ever Ate, to find restaurants, diners, etc. that have appeared on TV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New show, Guilty Pleasures, featured on TVFOODMAPS http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/show/Guilty-Pleasures #tvfoodmaps #foodporn #guiltypleasure

A photo posted by TVFoodMaps (@tvfoodmaps) on Jun 10, 2015 at 10:06am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GasBuddy
Less fun than the other apps, but super practical, this one’s a must. The last thing you want while traveling with family is to be stranded with an empty tank. Or to spend more money than necessary on something as mundane as filling up the car. That’s where GasBuddy comes in, allowing you to sort nearby gas stations based on their current gas price. If a cheaper option is close by, the app will let you know, leaving more cash in your pocket for the fun stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#tbt to the original GasBuddy Android app, launched 5 years ago today! Anyone remember when the app looked like this? #happybirthday #GasBuddyLove #oldschool #throwback

A photo posted by GasBuddy (@gasbuddy) on Aug 27, 2015 at 6:32am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playster
Rather than spending time trying to frantically save all of your kids’ favorite books, songs, movies and games in one place before setting off on the road, download Playster instead. We’ve developed the app to be accesible from any device, allow three simultaneous logins per account and offer access to fun, kid-friendly content, whether you’re online or offline. No more stressing out about preparing enough pastimes for the little ones to last the entire trip — relax and let us do all the work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What will you do with unlimited potential?

A photo posted by Playster (@playstermedia) on May 25, 2016 at 8:56am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a favorite family travel app?