Anyone who has ever traveled has encountered it once - the car breaks down, you run out of gas, suddenly you have no idea where you are, or the three kids in the backseat get terribly bored and decide to torment each other. Finding ways before you leave on your trip to prevent these things from happening can greatly increase your enjoyment and peace of mind during the trip.

While you can't rent a mechanic to tag-a-long on your trip with you, you can purchase a road-side assistance service such as AAA or Progressive. These services help you anywhere twenty-four hours a day in the case of a breakdown, an empty gas tank, a dead battery, a flat tire or a lockout.

Are you afraid of finding yourself in the middle of nowhere with no clue how to get back to civilization? The simplest solution is to carry a map in your car. Highly detailed road maps of the states you're traveling in can be purchased at a gas station; or, for a one size fits all, Wal-mart carries a convenient and easy to use road map of the 50 United States, Canada and Mexico. If you can't read a map, there are many global position systems available that you can buy and take with you. For more personalized help many vehicles come equipped or can be equipped with tracking systems such as OnStar in GM vehicles. This allows you to press a button and speak with a live person who can then direct you to where you want to go.

Now that you know where you are going, how do you get your kids to finally be quiet. Their yelling and bickering is driving you crazy. A stop at a game store can provide you with several travel-sized options of popular games. Many of these have magnetic pieces to prevent them from getting lost. Also, a small portable dvd player provides another option for keeping everyone entertained. For something interactive to make travel time go faster for you as well, books with travel games are available. They contain verbal games you can play in the car as you drive such as the alphabet game.

With your problems taken care of before you step foot outside your house and on your way, you can now relax and enjoy your trip more.