Here's how to make that long car journey on the way to your holiday destination a touch more pleasant

Backseat cinema

If you are going on a car holiday with the kids, then the following tip is a serious lifesaver. Of course, you have already downloaded a golden calf-worthy selection of cartoons on the Ipad before departure. Now it's just a matter of putting the Ipad in a transparent zip-loc bag and attaching it to the headrest of the seat in front of it. This will leave their hands free in the back seat and hopefully allow them to lean back in the front of the car as well. Plug in headphones for the kids and you won't even notice they are in the back seat. And if your boyfriend or girlfriend starts to annoy you then just apply the same trick.

Don't lose heart

You start the journey full of good intentions to keep the car clean, but during the drive, more and more loose parts seem to think otherwise. Drink bottles, sunglasses, toys and magazines start to have their own plan. Fortunately, there are so-called 'shoe stashes'. You've probably seen them before. A bag with several compartments and a hook so you can hang it on a door. Or in this case, on the chair. Ideal for keeping all loose items to hand without making a mess in the car.

Clinking coins

If you go to Istria by car, you will encounter a number of toll roads. Keep some coins in an empty gum jar and parade past the barriers as if they couldn't bother you. Not only for toll roads, it is handy to have some change (Euro or Kuna) on hand. Maybe you want to buy a snack on the way, need to pee at the petrol station, need to make head-or-mouth decisions or just don't feel like sitting with a buttock on your fat wallet the whole trip.

Everything handy

Organising is something you can learn, goes an old Croatian saying. You might think it's way over the top, but trust us you'll be glad you followed this tip. Put all your papers you need on the road in an empty folder with several compartments. So car papers, booking papers, copies of passports and cards, insurance papers and any other papers you think you might need. That saves a lot of stress and grabbing at the bottom of the suitcase, you can rely on that.

Transparency versus perspiration

All the stuff you think you might need on the road you have put in a bag. Very good! But you can make it even easier on yourself by dividing the stuff into transparent pouches. For example, make a first-aid pouch containing paracetamol, some plasters, iodine and things like that. If you travel with a little one, make a baby pouch as well, or a game pouch for the older kids. And especially for yourself, don't forget to make a relaxation pouch with a magazine, Ipod, wet wipes, earplugs and an eye mask in it. Then the holiday can just start when you drive down the street.

Do you have any smart tips for a comfortable car journey to one of our top campsites in Croatia? Let us know!