Can you even believe that summer is almost here? As soon as Easter passes, then the weeks will fly by until school is out and your children will be free at last. How are you feeling about that? On one hand, you are probably also looking forward to a few months where there is less structure in your family's life. On the other hand, you are more than likely looking for ways to fill the days.

If your summer plans include taking a road trip with your children, from making sure that your car is ready for the trip to finding out ahead of time where there are auto repair services along the way, here are some ideas that might help you.

​Make Sure Your Car Is Ready - You have probably already thought about having your car totally serviced before your family sets out for a fun adventure. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person and you are comfortable with doing car maintenance, you're all set. However, if you don't have the skills or the time to work on your car yourself, think about scheduling a time to take your car in so that professionals can go over it totally, just to make sure it is trip-ready.

Besides making sure that your car is up to a long trip, think of other things you can do to make the road trip a more pleasant one. For example, you've already probably thought of taking movies the kids can watch in the car, right? In addition, think of going to your public library so that each of you can check out books to read. Also, think of games you and your family members can play. Look to your past to remember car games you played as a child and teach them to your own children.

Plan Ahead For Car Problems - Even though you make sure ahead of time that your car is ready for your road trip, you are probably experienced enough to know that something can still go wrong. For instance, picture your family driving in intense heat and then the air conditioner in your car goes out. Or, think of having a blow out and having to replace a tire, even though you have a spare time to use in the interim.

Even if it's not a happy thought, you could even have a car accident. Be it a minor one or a major accident, you'll want to have contact information. You might even need to have your car towed. Before you leave for your summer vacation, find out where there are auto repair service shops and find out where there are towing services. Keep the contact information for both services both in your glove box. In addition, think about keeping the contact information on your person, and asking your spouse to also keep a copy where it is easy to get to.