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I love road trips. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. Probably something I inherited from my Dad. The driving part of the trip to me is just as much part of the vacation. I enjoy the journey, the scenery, the rest stops, and everything related to it. Over the years, I’ve accumulated tips to make the time spent in the car even more enjoyable, especially for my children. Here are my absolute top 16 road trip essentials tips.
1. Comfy clothes
You are going to sit for long periods. You want some flexible and soft clothing. Because the temperature in your car can vary or perhaps the driver wants the car cooler or warmer, you should consider wearing layers. It will allow you to easily adjust to the variation in temperature.
If you will spend time as a passenger, I also recommend shoes that you can easily slip on and off and cozy socks to keep your feet warm and comfortable. My recent favorite slip-on shoes are the toms, they are so comfy!
2. Snacks and drinks
Let’s be honest, one of the best things about road trips is the snacks. However, gas station snacks can be quite mediocre and expensive. Pack a good variety of healthy (and less healthy) snacks for everyone. If you have space, you can even take a small cooler and have refrigerated snacks as well such as cheese or yogurt. If you have little ones and you are concerned with the mess, these containers are s great option.
Additionally, when traveling with children, pack each of them their own “lunch box” so that there is no fighting over the last granola bar. Also, limit the number of drinks you give everyone to minimize bathroom breaks.
3. Trash bags
Make sure you have trash bags located throughout the vehicle to keep it as clean as possible and tell everyone to use them. When stopping at a rest stop or gas station, take a moment to empty them.
4. Paper products
Bring plenty of napkins, tissue, and sanitizing wipes. You will need them. Whether someone has a runny nose, spills some water, or has sticky fingers from snacking, you will need them. You will be surprised how some roadside restaurants are quite conservative in what they will give you.
5. Comfort for toddlers
If you are traveling with young children in a car seat, you need to make them as comfortable as possible. Their little legs dangling for hours can get quite uncomfortable and so is coloring in a book sitting on their lap. This is a table and footrest appliance that we used when our children were little and this was a total lifesaver on long road trips. This is one of the absolute road trip essentials.
6. More comfort
Bring small pillows and blankets on the trip. If someone is going to nap, whether it’s you or the children, it is much more restful when you are comfortable.
7. Entertainments
At one point or another, if you are not the driver you will want something to distract you. Some examples of good options are books, tablets, coloring books, mad libs, movies, or crossword puzzles. Additionally, you can play road trip games. For examples:
- The license plate game is where you try to find as many license plates as possible. We use the app State Hunt which works great to keep track of the states we’ve seen.
- The A to Z game where you try to find something that starts with the letter A, then B, C etc.
8. First aid kit
You never know what can happen while on the road. It could be a paper cut requiring bandaids or a headache calling for pain medicine. Create a small first aid kit with the road trip essentials and keep it handy during the trip. Here are my recommended must-have for your kit:
- bandaids
- Advil/Tylenol
- motion sickness medicine if that is an issue in your family
- Pepto Bismol
- tweezer
- Benadryl
- Antibiotic ointment
9. Cell phone/GPS/Chargers
Most of us these days use our phone as a GPS although many cars are also equipped with the technology. Regardless, make sure you also bring some chargers in the car so that your phone doesn’t run out of battery. You never know when you could need roadside assistance.
10. Emergency road side kit
Speaking of roadside assistance, take all the precautions you can before leaving and prepare as best as you can. First, make sure your car’s maintenance is up to date. Second, have the basics on hand such as jumper cables, spare tire, jack, wrench, and flashlight.
11. Spare cash/change
You may not have a toll road near your home but if you travel far enough, you will likely encounter some tolls. Many of them take credit cards these days but you just never know. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Bring some cash including change and make sure it is readily available.
12. Overnight luggage
If your road trip involves an overnight on the road, make sure you pack smart. With a dedicated overnight bag, you won’t have to unpack the entire car. Make sure everyone has a pajama, outfit for the next day, and the road trip essentials toiletry. When you arrive, only unload what is needed for the night (make sure it is easy to get out without unpacking everything). You will save time and the nightmare to repack the car the following day.
13. Music and podcast
A great way to entertain everyone is to listen to some fun music or even a podcast. This can help make the trip more enjoyable and go by faster. If a podcast is something of interest, spend time looking before your trip to find something that might suit the entire group.
14. Headphones
Okay, maybe you just cannot get everyone on the same page in terms of what to listen to. Therefore, make sure everyone packs a pair of headphones to allow for extra flexibility.
15. Sun glasses and lens cloth
Do not forget your sunglasses at home! A good pair of sunglasses is critical for a long road trip and you will not find quality ones at the gas station. Sunglasses will not only keep your eyes protected from the sun but I have found that it also helps my eyes from drying out as much. Since you will be snacking along the way, don’t forget to bring a good lens cloth to keep them clean.
16. Plan your adventure
Last but not least, plan the trip. Decide and make sure everyone agrees on a few key points:
- departure time
- who’s driving/are you alternating drivers
- when is the first stop (and how many stops will you make)
- when is the end of day 1 (I highly recommend having the hotel or camping already pre-booked)
And, bring all addresses and phone numbers of places you will stay at. You could have to call to modify a reservation if you are stuck in traffic for example.
In conclusion..
Now that you have all of these top road trip essentials, I hope you are pumped and excited to go on your next road trip.
Thanks for reading and remember to share other tips and essentials you have discovered.
Bon voyage!
Cat xx