Little Ben O’Neill (4) gets ready for his summer adventure by ‘educating’ his parents on what makes a journey by car fun for kids. Leading ferry company Stena Line has children’s entertainers during the summer, dedicated games rooms and play areas as well as free Wi-Fi, free movies and great eateries to make a ferry trip a dream

FAMILIES up and down the country are excitedly anticipating their summer break but it’s not just the destination that makes a holiday with the family so special, getting there can be real fun too. 

If your time away involves a journey by car then here are some ideas that will turn a trip on four wheels into a dream journey.

And if you’ve not booked yet then taking your car across the Irish Sea makes financial sense too, as right now, for a limited time, Kids Go Free on all of Stena Line’s sailings to Britain.

Firstly, there are certain things the kids, or ‘the experts’, don’t want during their car journey.

They don’t want Mum and Dad’s music on replay or a snack of Ryvita with cucumber and humus to stave off the hunger.

They want to become intrepid explorers like Dora and Indiana Jones by turning the car journey into an action packed adventure.

They want to impress with their selfie skills, all round knowledge, win some prizes and maybe even go Pokemon hunting.

Not to be mixed up with Roald Dahl’s creation, the BFG in this instance is the Big Ferry Giant, Stena Line, who understands the importance of enjoying the journey as a key part of the holiday and although they already have children’s entertainers during the summer, dedicated games rooms and play areas as well as free Wi-Fi, free movies and great eateries to make your ferry trip a dream, they are also keen to make travel to their ports as pleasurable as possible.

So after getting the low-down from the kids, Stena Line has come up with these top tips to turn up the holiday fun factor:

• Hooray for Hollywood … bring a portable DVD player for the kids and let Hollywood work its magic while you peacefully chew up the miles.  And the movie marathon doesn’t stop there as there are free movies onboard all of Stena Line’s vessels
• Name that tune … play the kids a few seconds of a song and see if they can guess it!  They get a little bit more of the song each time until they get it right.
• Hey Mr DJ … bring headphones for any devices the children may have so they can enjoy their movie or music without any annoyance – then everyone is happy.
• YumYum … pre-pack a few pots of different, non-messy foods to keep the kids happy in the back seats but not too many liquids!  Small packets of fruit or even healthy snack bars are perfect for this and screw top sippy cups are great for young ones and juice boxes for older children.  Promise them a treat when you stop for a comfort break to stretch your legs but only if they behave!
• Eye, eye captain … kids and big kids love to play eye spy but mix it up a bit by asking them to spot animals or different coloured cars.  And don’t forget to let the kids win!
• Chit chat … get everyone to turn off their games, put down their books and have a discussion that could last for hours about a variety of subjects including your last holiday, history and favourite movies.  Not only will it while away the time butyou will learn a lot about how your child feels and thinks.

Orla Noonan, Head of Travel, Irish Sea, Stena Line, said: “Adults, we know you’ve done your bit to prepare for your holiday with the kids so, if you are travelling by ferry, it’s time to let us do ours!  Not only do Kids Go Free all year with Stena Line but there is so much going on onboard that you get a break from being the entertainer.”

Orla added: “Our teams of dedicated children’s entertainers will make sure that there is enough singing, dancing and games to play to satisfy even the most energetic of children, giving you a bit of relaxation time before resuming your journey.

In fact, there is so much for the kids to do that they won’t want to leave!”

Get online and get booking now as this incredible Kids Go Free offer won’t last forever.  Book by clicking onwww.stenaline.co.uk/kids

* Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.  See online for further details.