Going on a road trip seems to be the vacation of choice for Luis and me. We’ve been on an 11 Day Italy road trip (2017), a 7 day Portugal Road Trip (2018), a 12 day USA road trip (2018), and tomorrow we leave for a 7 day Northern Spain road trip! Also earlier this summer, I went on a 7 day USA road trip with my family from Pennsylvania to Canada and back through New York. Road trips are an amazing way to see a lot of places in a relatively short amount of time, and also on a budget (but they can be pricey too!). With each road trip, we refine and tweak our methods to making the road trip run as smoothly as possible and part of making sure that happens is that you pack smart and bring a few items that will make your trip easy, breezy, and fun! These 20 things are my go-to items for any road trip or extended vacation and they all have a purpose- from capturing memories, to making sure everything stays charged, to keeping food fresh and cold, or being able to prepare a sandwich on the fly – not one of them should be left at home.
20 Things to Bring on a Road Trip
(Food items)
1 // A small cooler – a cooler goes a long way in terms of keeping your sandwiches, fruit, and beers cold. You’ll also be glad you have it when you’re making a long drive and want to keep the food fresh. If you don’t use it, leave it in the car, but it’s there when you need it.
2 // Ice packs – this goes without explaining, but you will need a way to keep the cooler cool. Take the ice packs into your hotel, Airbnb, or hostel and don’t forget them when you leave.
3 // Plastic plates, bowls, cups, fork, knives, spoons, napkins – just bring a few of each. You can wash and reuse, but this will help when you want to stop to have a picnic lunch.
4 // A couple tupperware containers – one larger and one small will be helpful when there is something you want to store but have no where to put it. For example, if you make sandwiches and pre-slice the tomato, you can store them in a tupperware in the cooler until lunch (no one likes soggy sandwiches). ALSO: a small bottle of dish detergent is great for quickly washing dishes.
5 // Food: A box of cereal, some fruit, almonds/ other nuts, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, bread – road munchies are a real thing. Being able to stop during a drive and make a few PB&J sandwiches is a luxury. Bring a knife for spreading the pb and jelly because those plastic ones are a pain in the a$$. Also, save money by having cereal, yogurt and fruit for breakfast.
6 // Water Bottle – for all your water drinking needs
(other items)
7 // License, registration, insurance, driver’s manual, roadside assitance number – these are all obvious, right?
8 // Laundry bag – lighten your load as you go and keep a laundry bag in the car that can be left there. Your suitcase will get lighter and lighter.
9 // Slippers or flip flops – it’s so nice to come home (or to the hotel), kick off your shoes, and kick back, but it’s nice to do so and not get a food infection. Bring a lightweight pair of slippers to wear at “home”.
10 // Sunscreen and bug spray – for those random beach days, hikes, or picnics in the park
11 // Medical supplies: anti-itch cream, headache medicine, band-aids, etc. – you’ll be happy you have it if you need it. Also, a small bottle of laundry detergent in case you need it.
12 // A small bag – you’re going to pack a suitcase, but you don’t necessarily need to lug your suitcase in and out of the car at every stop. Bring a small bag that can be used to pack for one night (right from the trunk of the car).
13 // Maps – Mom, this is for you. There isn’t wifi/data everywhere. Having a paper map is a good backup.
14 // Phone chargers and car chargers – You will be using your phone a lot. Bring car chargers to keep the battery going through the whole ride.
15 // A good playlist and downloaded podcasts – The long drives are the best and worst parts of the road trip. You will need ample entertainment. Also: 20 questions is a great game.
16 // Cash and credit cards and ID – I think these are obvious.
17 // Sunglasses – Ain’t nobody likes to squint into the sun for hours.
18 // A neck pillow or car pillow – car naps!
19 // Extra plastic bags and ziplocks – you can never have too many plastic bags on a road trip – wet clothes, dirty clothes, sandy clothes, dirty plates, etc. etc. etc.
20 // A jacket or sweatshirt – cool beach nights, over air conditioned cars. A sweatshirt is never a bad thing.
