If you’ve got young children, Christmas can be a magical time. But if you’re spending the festive season away from home and are facing a long car journey with the kids, the Christmas magic can quickly turn into a festive fracas.

The longer the journey, the harder it is, of course, to keep the kids happy while confined in the back of the car.  But to keep travelling as pleasant as possible for the whole family, all it takes is a bit of planning, says AA president Edmund King.

The motoring organisation is expecting many Christmas journeys to be made on December 22 and 23 this year, and King points out: “For those making journeys with children it can be especially tricky to keep everyone happy in the car and stop the Christmas excitement bubbling over into squabbles and whinging.

“Luckily, Christmas gives an extra bit of inspiration for games and tricks to make your journey as much as part of the fun as the big day itself. With a little bit of planning you can help ensure your journey runs smoothly and doesn’t turn into a nightmare before Christmas.”

King’s top tips for surviving long Christmas car journeys with children are…

1.  Make sure the kids are relaxed and comfyMake the back seat as comfortable as possible for young children, as the journey will be a lot easier if they can sleep for at least some of it. “If you’re travelling over naptime or bedtime, let your children choose teddies, pillows and blankets to have in the back with them to help make them comfortable and sleepy,” suggests King.

2.   Be savvy with the kids’ drinksThere are bound to be several toilet stops on your journey, but it’s a good idea to keep the stops to a reasonable number by keeping an eye on what the children drink as they travel. King says: “Limit the number of ‘I need a wee’ moments by only giving children water in the car instead of flavoured drinks. They are less likely to ‘over-drink’ water.”

3.  Get your game face on!Be armed with lots of games you and the kids can play during the journey. “If you have an adult passenger or older child, make them the games master of the car,” King suggests. “Spotting yellow cars or AA vans is a classic car game and a few sweets as prizes will help keep them interested.”

4.  Be prepared for heavy traffic/breakdowns

The roads are going to be busy in the days leading up to Christmas – and that means traffic jams and possible breakdowns, too. King advises: “Plan ahead so you’re prepared if the worst does happen and you’re stuck in traffic or break down. Plan your route, pack extra snacks and drinks, and make sure your phone is fully charged.”

5.  Make NOT saying ‘are we nearly there yet?’ into a gameKing says parents can encourage children to not say the dreaded ‘are we nearly there yet?’ with the sweetie cup game. “Let them choose some pick and mix sweets before your journey on the understanding they can have them when they arrive, but every time they ask ‘are we nearly there yet?’ they will lose a sweet from their stash,” he explains.

6.  Make use of audiobooksKeep everyone in the car entertained with an audiobook. “Stephen Fry narrating Harry Potter is a classic and at eight hours and 25 minutes it should see most people through their Christmas journey,” says King.

7.   Prepare a Christmas playlist for the carStart the party early with a Christmas playlist on Spotify, King suggests. “Get it all set up in advance and leave any changes to your passengers.”

8.  Avoid ‘hangry’ kidsMake sure you have plenty of snacks in the car to keep everyone going. “Don’t let hangry [hungry + angry] children – or adults – put a downer on your journey,” advises King.

9.  Plan breaks in your journey

King stresses that drivers should take a break every two hours, and suggests: “Plan these ahead and make the break more fun for the kids by stopping off the motorway at a garden centre or park where the children can burn off some energy.”

10.   Enlist the help of an elf!If you’ve got an Elf on the Shelf in the family, use the elf to help keep the kids entertained during the journey. “Start the journey with your elf having made some mischief in the car,” King suggests. “It will get the children in a good mood to start with and the elf can travel with you to encourage good behaviour.”