National treasures! Plan a landmark road trip

Plan an action-packed family road trip with the help of your computer

By Michele Sponagle

For Cherilyn van Berkel, a working mother of three boys, planning a family road trip used to be a daunting task. Now computers and the web make the process smoother and faster every step of the way.

“It takes a fraction of the time to get ready now,” explains van Berkel. “Weekend getaways are less stressful when I can use our home computer to create our itinerary.”

Her reliance on computers is a trend that the tourism industry has noticed, too. “It’s amazing how prepared visitors are, thanks to the range of computer technology available to them,” says Arthur R. Ratsy, vice-president of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce in Massachusetts. “By the time they walk into our visitor centre, they already know what whale-watching tours are available and even what’s for dinner at the local restaurants.”

Savvy site-seeing

The wealth of information on the web that is instantly available is astounding. Some sites to bookmark include Travellerspoint for packing tips, FXCheatSheet for foreign currency rates, Tripadvisor for hotel reviews and The Weather Channel for the latest conditions worldwide.

Don’t forget to check the official tourism site of your destination. Many such sites offer suggested itineraries, history, restaurant highlights, money-saving ideas and event listings. An interactive encyclopedia, such as the Encarta Premium 2007 is also useful for pre-trip research. It provides access to interactive maps with information on 1.8 million locations.

Before you hit the road, print off puzzles, word games and colouring pages from web sites, such as abcteach, to keep the kids happy so you can focus on driving.

Don’t leave home without it

Your laptop is a useful tool that should go along for the ride. Use it to research destinations as you go and to book your hotel rooms. More hotels now offer in-room Internet hookups, and some local businesses may provide wireless access, too.

In the car, your laptop can keep the little ones amused. Load games for them to play and pack their favourite movies on DVD for viewing. Also worth considering is having CDs for learning a new language. It’s a nice way to feel at home in an unfamiliar place and a great learning opportunity for the kids.

Planning your road trip

This summer, many families will embark on weekend road trips. A favourite destination for renowned landmarks is Canada’s capital. Have the kids use the official tourism site or Encarta to help you research Ottawa’s must-see sights, such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Your kids will likely want to visit the Parliament Buildings. Refer to the Parliament Hill site for tour information and highlights, such as the Changing of the Guard Ceremony and the 92.2-metre Peace Tower.

Once you have a list of destinations in place, book a well-located hotel using Expedia. Then plot your driving route with help from Bing Maps. Streets & Trips will also help you find directions, fuel-cost estimations, drive times, gas stations and ATMs.