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Media Only, November 16, 2005: Family Travel Forum and Chrysler Pacifica Offer Road Trip and Fuel Efficiency Tips for Winter Holiday Family Travel.

Planning to Travel this Holiday Season? More than Half of Americans will take to the Road, according to a Survey Conducted by Chrysler Group:

• Forty-four percent of people surveyed say they are willing to drive up to 750 miles
• Slightly more than one in four adults (27 percent) prefer flying over driving regardless of travel distance
• Make your road trip more fun for everyone by using the back seat DVD player to keep passengers oriented in the same direction as the vehicle and help prevent carsickness
• Drivers can further enhance their fuel economy by following simple tips from Chrysler Group

Auburn Hills, Michigan and New York, NY – Research released today found that more than half of Americans are planning to drive more than 100 miles this holiday season despite slightly higher gas prices, according to a national survey conducted by Goodmind, LLC on behalf of Chrysler Group. With so many Americans taking to their vehicles this year, Chrysler partnered with family travel expert and editor of FamilyTravelForum.com, Kyle McCarthy, to offer parents tips on how to survive the 2005 holiday travel season.

New vehicle safety standards, entertainment features and enhancements in comfort have revolutionized the family road trip experience of today and make longer road trips more desirable to the traveler. Additional results of the survey of Americans’ travel experiences found that 55 percent of adults find road trips more enjoyable now than when they were kids and 60 percent wish their earlier vehicle had either a DVD system (35 percent) or navigation system (25 percent).

Chrysler Pacifica Road Trip Savvy Tips

“Thanksgiving is one of the biggest travel weekends of the year,” said Jeff Bell, Vice President – Chrysler Marketing, Chrysler Group. “Modern vehicles, like the Chrysler Pacifica which offers flexibility and utility without sacrificing comfort or style, give drivers and passengers the opportunity to enjoy time spent traveling on the road and allow them to do so at their own pace.” Here are some key travel tips:

· Enlist kids to help with the packing and it won’t take so long. Give each child his own bag for essential toys, books and entertainment, and tuck it safely between the Chrysler Pacifica’s individual seats.

· If you pack the cargo hold the night before departure, stash a family overnight bag with toiletries and PJs on top, so you won’t have to spend time unloading en route.

· While inventions like side-curtain air bags and the Chrysler Pacifica’s 5-Star safety rating make the road trip a much safer experience, it’s the innovative backseat entertainment system that keeps kids happily strapped in – and that contributes to safety.

· Ceiling mounted DVD players are more than entertaining; they help prevent carsickness by keeping passengers oriented in the same direction as the vehicle. Chrysler Pacifica offers a rear DVD video and entertainment system, so parents and kids can choose their own form of entertainment.

· Eyes-straight-ahead games like “I Spy” and books-on-tape are better than reading for kids who are prone to motion sickness. Older kids have fun polishing their grades with Language CDs. Bring along a kitchen timer, and all ages can play “20 Questions” or “Geography.”

· Many families find new Sports Tourers like the Chrysler Pacifica so comfortable that they have to remember to stop and stretch regularly, especially important for toddlers and grandparents. Every few hours, try this version of Musical Chairs: pull over in a safe place, use the satellite radio to find a new song, and get everyone out running around the car. When the music stops, each passenger grabs the nearest seat! Kids love getting to be driver.

· Kids can be a great help with remembering items for a trip. Determining a road trip allowance for each child, then letting them know they’ll have to chip in to buy any forgotten essentials will ensure that everything makes it into the suitcase.

“Even with higher gas prices, families will be traveling this holiday season,” said Kyle McCarthy, editor – FamilyTravelForum.com. “An old fashioned road trip in today’s vehicles allows families to spend quality time together, surrounded by the latest features in safety, comfort and fuel economy as compared to when mom and dad were kids.”