10 Things About Travel Today That Kids Will Never Understand
Travel has changed a lot over the years. For today’s kids, vacations mean GPS, tablets in the back seat, and Wi-Fi at every hotel. But if you grew up before smartphones and streaming, you know family trips looked very different — and sometimes a lot more fun.
Here are 10 things kids today will never truly understand about the way we used to travel.
1. Unfolding a Giant Paper Map
Forget Google Maps. Families relied on paper road atlases the size of a table. Folding them back up? Almost impossible.
2. Asking for Directions
When maps failed, there was only one option: stop at a gas station and ask a stranger. Of course, Dad usually refused until it was too late.
3. Fighting for the “Way Back” Seat
Station wagons had the ultimate prize — a rear-facing seat where kids waved at strangers and annoyed truckers. No minivan screen could top that.
4. Car Games Instead of iPads
“I Spy,” license plate bingo, and “20 Questions” kept kids entertained for hours. It wasn’t about screens; it was about creativity (and sibling rivalry).
5. Mixtapes and Car Radios
No Spotify playlists here. Families depended on scratchy FM stations or cassette tapes. When your favorite song came on, the whole car sang along.
6. Stopping at Roadside Attractions
Giant balls of twine, dinosaur parks, neon motels — the weirder, the better. Road trips weren’t just about the destination; they were about the detours.
7. Packing a Cooler and Picnic Basket
Instead of fast food, families packed sandwiches wrapped in foil, a thermos of coffee, and maybe some potato chips. A picnic table at a rest stop was all you needed.
8. Collecting Souvenirs
Postcards, matchbooks, snow globes, pennants — every stop had a keepsake. Souvenir shops were half the fun of traveling.
9. Waiting Weeks to See Vacation Photos
Film cameras meant you had to wait until you got home to develop photos. Sometimes half of them were blurry — but that was part of the charm.
10. Truly Disconnecting
Vacations used to mean no phones, no emails, no Wi-Fi. Just time together, exploring and creating memories — not content.
Why These Memories Matter
Kids today may never understand the quirks of travel before smartphones, but that doesn’t make those traditions any less valuable. They made vacations slower, sillier, and somehow more memorable.
So the next time your GPS gets you to the hotel in record time, remember the thrill of getting lost, discovering something unexpected, and making the kind of memories no app can replace.
Which of these do you remember most? Share this on Facebook and tag a friend who lived it too!
