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7 Tips for Planning a Kid-Friendly Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

Keeping everyone happy on a road trip is no mean feat, but these tips will make it that bit easier.

The Pacific Coast Highway from above
Hi, I'm Matt!

Matt Villano is a writer and editor based in Northern California. He's penned pieces for publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TIME, and National Geographic Traveler. He's also written or updated more than a dozen guidebooks about Las Vegas. When he gets to travel for leisure, his favorite destinations are Hawaii and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Learn more about him at whalehead.com.

The Pacific Coast Highway—aka Highway 1—stretches more than 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) from the very bottom of the great state of California to the Oregon line. Along the way, the road winds up and over treacherous bluffs, meanders past quiet ocean coves, and sputters through quaint and quirky seaside towns. Because of these diversions, the PCH is a perfect road trip to do with kids. Here are seven tips to do it right.

Stop regularly

Make the most of the views.

Generally speaking, the Pacific Coast Highway has a stopping point every few miles or so, providing ample opportunities to pull over, get out of the car safely, and enjoy the views. The road also has a wide shoulder in many spots. With all these options, it’s important to stop frequently and give your kids a chance to eat it up.

A view of the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
Be sure to soak up the views in Big Sur and beyond.Bildquelle: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Eat out

Stretch your legs and fill your tummy.

Kids (and adults) can get a little squirrelly after a few hours inside the car. Sharlene Earnshaw, editor-in-chief of Trekaroo.com, says her family loves to pick up lunch from restaurants and take it to the beach or a nearby park so they can enjoy some fresh air while we eat. “We always feel so much more refreshed eating outside than we do sitting in a booth inside a restaurant," she says.

Let the kids lead

Keep them busy making small decisions.

Kids love nothing more than to feel like they’re in charge. With that in mind, spend time every day of your road trip letting them navigate. Give them carte blanche to dictate detours and lunch stops. Ask them to read information off the maps or navigation apps. The more responsibility you place on them, the more they’ll run with it and lead the way.

A family takes a roadtrip.
Kids love to lead, so let them!Bildquelle: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

Seek value

Pick up discount passes and get more bang for your buck.

Considering the sheer number of options along the PCH, your family is likely to make at least one or two unscheduled stops at museums and/or theme parks. In these cases, it pays to keep discount entry tickets such as CityPASS in mind, as well as other discounted admission tickets. There are even a handful of coastal day trips from LA and San Francisco, too.

Make time for museums

There’s more to the road than driving.

There are some great museums along California’s coastal route. Juliana Shallcross, founder of the Trips + Giggles blog, says she considers the Getty Villa, part of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, a must-stop. “The museum is full of ancient art,” she says. “They've even got a Family Forum room where kids can learn how important the storytelling on ancient vases is and even create their own.”

Interior of the Getty Villa.
The Getty Villa is well worth a visit when driving the PCH.Bildquelle: Santiparp Wattanaporn / Shutterstock

Embrace games

Lean into it.

No matter how cool your road trip (and kids) might be, they will get bored. That’s why the games you bring along are so important. Travel Scrabble and magnetic hangman are always good options. Another great one is Rory’s Story Cubes, a set of nine dice with pictures that dictate what sort of story you can make up and tell everyone else. Another foolproof option is to just bring a kite. You can fly those just about anywhere with a little practise.

Give up the DJ

Don’t hog the aux cord.

One of the most common family conflicts on road trips is over the music. To avoid these sorts of disagreements, set aside certain hours where each person in the family can play DJ. Yes, this might mean you have to suffer through multiple hours of pop tunes of the day. But it also means you get to expose the kids to some of your faves.

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