Have you ever started packing for a road trip and knew you forgot something? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. The truth of the matter is, no matter how many times you go out on a road trip, there will always be something you may have overlooked, that’s just the nature of the road and its unpredictability. However, this is why road trips are so much fun and exciting. You never know what you’ll find up that far mountain or around the next bend in the road. While you can never cover every possibility, our travel packing list includes everything you could possibly need to travel safely and comfortably, with style. Our list includes trip essentials as well as a few items to make your drive a little easier. A cross-country road trip, or a jaunt of an hour or two? Is it a solo road trip or a family trip? Are you traveling as a couple or have 3 children in the back seat? Are you traveling in winter or summer? This complete list covers what you should pack for your time on the road, no matter the conditions. These are our picks for essential items on the road: Passport Driver’s license (if required) Credit card (preferred) or debit card Smart maps (one paper map, one with GPS or your smartphone) Car insurance and registrations Bags and drinks (see below for details) On the full list) Clothing for your trip and destination (full list below) Toll pass (if required) Our truck dwarfed by Australian termite hill Insurance Admittedly, insurance isn’t the sexiest or most fun item on this list, but it’s absolutely essential. Getting into an accident without car insurance can be a major disaster, and good insurance can help protect the contents of your car and may include coverage for vandalism. Good insurance, whether it’s car insurance or term life insurance, can make life easier by reducing stress and anxiety. We plan for hot weather and choose a packing list for summer trips, or driving in cooler weather. While driving, we always choose comfortable clothes for travel and appropriate for the weather. We also pack our destination, whether it is a summer beach trip, or a winter vacation to visit family, here is what it takes for our trip on The way to clothing: Jackets Swimwear Extra shoe towels Shorts Short-sleeved T-shirts T-shirts Accessories Exactly what you pack for toiletries is a personal choice, but here’s a list to get you started: prescriptions, shampoo, T-shirts. Conditioner products Sunscreen Bug spray Feminine hygiene products Hand lotion Tylenol or other pain reliever Baby wipes Umbrella or raincoat Road trip Snack It’s all about road trips, right? On some road trips, we take the time to prepare healthy foods for the cooler, and choose healthy options like fruit and pastries, if time is short or we just don’t feel like it. We’ll sometimes get a selection of snacks that look like an unsupervised six-year-old was allowed to grab everything in a convenience store. Whether you’re looking for the perfect road trip snacks, or you’re a whole meat eater, these are some of the Our favorite trip foods: Fruit (apples, oranges, berries, sliced watermelon, etc.) Strands of cheese Yogurt French fries Potato chips Granola and protein Seed water bottles Juice box T-shirt Washers Sandwiches Dessert We avoid smelly foods Or messy on the road as much as we can and if that’s possible the members in the car are lactose intolerant or have problems with certain foods those definitely don’t make it to a shared vehicle let’s just say we know from experience that driving cross country with smell o no Ripe bananas baked in the cabin of our car are a fun experience and stopping by for chili probably isn’t the best idea before a 6-hour drive to visit grandma. Endless road trips with my dad, where the only entertainment was looking out the window, talking to mom and dad, or playing I Spy. When we were lost, my father would pull over on the side of a dirt country road, reveal the tattered paper map and curse a little more than I was used to. I never miss those drives, the electronics have made road trips with my kids a lot more manageable and organized. It allows you to call roadside assistance if needed, stay in touch with friends and family, acts as a GPS and map device, provides entertainment and more. We have Google Maps and Google Translate on our phones at all times (especially on international trips). To keep in touch with family and friends we use WhatsApp, Signal and Facebook Messenger. Google Maps allows you to download offline maps, which is very useful when we don’t have Wi-Fi or cellular signal and Google Translate can literally translate signs and lists in real time via your smartphone camera or allow you to have a face-to-face conversation with someone in a different language. or data interruption. Here’s how: On Android, open Google Maps. Select your Google profile picture in the top right, and select Offline Maps. Click Select your own map, and zoom in or out to select the area on the map you wish to download. Click the Download button. To make sure apps keep downloading, select the gear icon in the top right, then enable Auto-update offline maps and automatically download recommended apps. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app. Tap your profile picture or initial, and select Offline Maps. Click Define your own map. Adjust the map according to the area you want to download. Tap Download After downloading an area, use the Google Maps app as you normally would. If your cell phone or Wi-Fi signal drops, downloaded offline maps will direct you to your destination, but only as long as the entire route is within the offline map. It has some drawbacks, specifically, we find that Google Maps directions aren’t very good with lane mode, which is awkward in cities or busy intersections. You may be better off using a dedicated GPS unit such as Garmin Navigator with updated maps. Audiobooks Audiobooks are our favorite way to keep the whole family entertained on road trips The four of us loved the Harry Potter series told by Jim Dale, but we’re sharing a few other choices in our best audiobooks for road trips, and our collection of the best family audiobooks. Portable Wi-Fi or Cellular Data Plan Our new favorite road trip tool is the Glocalme Portable Wi-Fi Device, which lets us stay connected to the Internet. -WiFi connected on the go, allows up to six devices to be connected. Check out our review of Glocalme here. Find out Glocalme prices. Phone Holders & Chargers The wireless car charger and phone holder holds the phone while we travel, keeps us safer on the road, and makes sure Google Maps is always accessible. Even better, it charges your phone wirelessly. 50 If we want action or aqua shots, a tablet or laptop for passengers, we always joke that it’s 1984 on our road trips, filled with audiobooks, games and lots of window staring at the scenery. Kind of fun, and a laptop or tablet can relieve the boredom of long flights by letting passengers watch a movie or show or play games. We love that you can download the best travel movies or TV shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when offline. You can also download and watch the best travel vloggers on YouTube. ESSENTIAL TOOL KITS An empty, illuminated mini gas can with tire chains, snow scraper, non-mud litter (optional for winter driving), trash bag organizer, air freshener, and a paper map Even with a GPS navigator or portable Wi-Fi hotspot, you’ll likely be without it at some point. Offline Google Maps would fill the void, but it’s a good idea to have a paper backup. Looking for more packing tips? Do you have anything else to add to our road trip packing list? Let us know!
