The journey should be as good as the destination, so they say!  If only the kids could appreciate the road trip.  We've put together a few ideas to help on your next family holiday. If you are on the road with toddlers or babies try to work in with their routine if possible. Travel at times they would normally sleep, stop for a break when they wake up, feed and change them and let them have a play before moving on.

Pack lunchboxes for older kids, with food and drink for the whole journey.  They will be able to help themselves without needing to ask.
Make up observation sheets before you leave, kids can record what they see on their journey, offer prizes (eg first one to spot 10 red car gets a lolly/gift/point).  You can make them educational by asking them to add, subtract, work out the odds etc.
Most importantly, allow yourselves heaps of time for the trip, include time for toilet, rest and play stops. 
When it comes to eating, if you are sick of fast food outlets and truck stops offering unappetizing half-cold, greasy fare, The Food Coach Team headed by Judy Davie have developed "Healthy Eating on the Road".   A growing database of healthy eating food stops helps you plan each rest stop before you leave and enjoy good quality healthy food on the road.  Even if you have to drive 5 - 10 minutes off the road the promise of a good meal will make it all worthwhile, and the journey more interesting! You just enter in your planned route and the search facility will list suitable food stops.
Another great resource if you have kids on board is the National Public Toilet Map developed and funded by the Australian Government it shows the location of more than 14,000 public and private toilet facilities across Australia.
Details of toilet facilities can be found along major travel routes. Useful information is provided about each toilet, such as location, opening hours, availability of baby change rooms, family toilets, accessibility for people with disabilities and the details of other nearby toilets. You can plan a route from nearly any starting point to any destination in Australia. The system will identify the quickest route (by road or on foot) and create a list of nearby toilets. 
So if you are hitting the road this summer holidays, remember to drive carefully, be patient and don't lose your sense of humour. 

If all the above fails and you're sick of I SPY, refer to the product section.  Get yourself a portable DVD, a stack of travel games and hope for the best.