Taking a road trip is one of the best ways to see America without worrying about getting on a plane.
Many people prefer long car rides and road trips for their flexibility, more eco-friendly output in compared to flying, and the cost effectiveness when taking a trip with a large family.
But of course, planning is essential in any travel endeavor, so these 27+ must-read tips for a road trip are here to help you before you go!
Maybe you’re taking the kids on a family vacation, or going to a festival with your friends, or just enjoying the open road on a solo trip.
Whatever the case, these road trip tips will make sure you plan the most perfect road trip and know exactly what to do along the way.
Okay, everyone grab your road trip activity pack and let’s get started!
1. Have a Plan of Where to Stop Along the Way
Whether you are planning to drive straight through or you want to make stops along the way, we really recommend planning out any overnight stops in advance.
Sure, if you really want to throw caution to the wind, you can do things the old fashioned way and pull over at random motels when you’re tired.
But if you’re going on a road trip with toddlers or babies, or are traveling on a budget, you are going to want to make sure that you’re stopping in a place that makes sense for your safety and for your wallet.
This can even be something as simple as a list of hotels every 30 miles or so that you’d be happy to stay in so you can pick and choose on the night.
Just do a little research beforehand; staying in a bug motel with blood marks on the wall doesn’t exactly set your road trip off on a good start.
You’re also going to want to be sure to plan for gas stations along the way, so you don’t end up on the side of the road.
Rest stops are a good thing to keep track of, too, in case you find yourself in desperate need of a bathroom when there’s none to be found for miles.
2. Shower Right Before You Go
It’s simple, but necessary.
Have everyone be completely showered and clean right before you go.
Staying in a car together for a long period of time can really bring the stinky if you’re not careful!
Your hair could get oily from being against the seat all day, and starting off clean is the right way to do things.
This also means that if the drive takes longer than you think, or if you decide to drive straight through instead of stop along the way, you’re not overdue for a shower when you get there.
Top Tip! Keep a package (or two) of baby wipes in the car, so you can have a quick wipe-down if you do end up a little sweaty and gross along the way.
Hey, you never know when your A/C might go kaput!
3. Don’t Try and Force Fill the Time
You might have visions of family sing-alongs in your head, or feel like you need to bring 100 “road trip questions” or 8 road trip activity packs with you so your travel party doesn’t get bored, but forced activities aren’t fun for anyone!
Now, with kids, we definitely do recommend coming prepared with activities for them to do.
But forcing the teenagers into a game of “I Spy” that they’re completely uninterested in isn’t a great setup for family road trip memories.
Instead, take the drive as it comes – be yourselves, make jokes, talk about what you see out the window, what you’re excited about where you’re going!
Or, better yet, come prepared with a good road trip soundtrack and rock out together!
4. Pack for All Eventualities
If you’re driving through climates, say, from Duluth to Orlando, don’t just pack warm weather gear.
What if your car breaks down an hour from home and you’re stuck on the side of the road in shorts in the middle of winter?
What if you go into a restaurant along the way that requires closed-toed shoes, but all you have are your flip flops since you’re heading to the beach?
Have contingency plans so that you have the right clothing and footwear for all occasions, in case you get stuck or find yourself somewhere you didn’t expect.
This includes bringing a bathing suit if you think you might be stopping at hotels with pools, even if you don’t plan on swimming at your destination.
5. Bring Food
You can definitely stop for food along the way, but if you want to bring down the cost of a road trip, you might want to pack food in advance for your road trip in these awesome bento snack boxes.
Inevitably, not everyone will be hungry at the same time, and you might find that someone wasn’t hungry during your fast food stop, or you just go for miles without finding anywhere to stop.
Pack up sandwiches, fruit, and chips for each person so you have some food backups, and pack more if you’re going to be on the road for a long time.
You can also make fun snacks like these animal cookies in advance and keep them as ready-made treats along the way!
And, of course, don’t forget to bring plenty of water, especially if you’re traveling in summer and passing through very hot parts of the country.
6. Make a Playlist
If you have access to cellular data during your trip, you can build a road trip playlist on Spotify and blast your favorite tunes during the trip!
Of course, you’ll want to consult everyone in the car when putting together your list of jams.
You don’t want one person to dominate the radio for the entire trip, so making one giant playlist with a mix of everyone’s tastes will keep your fellow road-trippers interested and waiting in anticipation for their songs.
Also, having a giant music playlist ready to go is going to help prevent you from conversation burnout.
Especially when traveling with argumentative kids, it’s a great way to give everyone some quiet time where they can just close their mouths and listen to the music. (Or sing along!)
This is one of our favorite tips for a road trip by yourself, because no passengers means you have plenty of time to sing at the top of your lungs without fear of judgement!
Of course, you can always chance it and tune into various radio stations along the way, but bringing your own playlist gives you more control over your road trip music.
And, hey, don’t forget CDs still exist!
7. Prepare a Sightseeing Questionnaire for Kids
If you’re on a road trip with kids, especially younger ones, you’ve got a whole different challenge on your hands than when road tripping with your best adult friends.
Kids don’t have long attention spans, and when there’s nothing else to look at besides the road for hours on end, they might (read: will) get restless.
One of our best road trip tips for families is to create a sightseeing question list for the kids that they can use throughout the duration of the trip.
Have them look out for specific buildings you know are along the way, certain cars they need to find, count how many cars they can see that are the same type as yours.
Whatever is at their age appropriate level, prepare this ahead of time to give them something to keep them busy as you’re driving.
You can also just purchase them in advance inexpensively, such as these road trip activity packs.
8. Make Sure You’ve Checked Over Your Car’s Oil, Tires, Etc.
This is probably one of our most essential tips for a road trip, especially for a cross country road trip.
A road trip is much more intense on your car than a trip to the local store or the daily school run.
You’re going to be going over hundreds or even thousands of miles, and you may be driving on terrain that you don’t normally drive on, through various climates.
The car needs a full-over check before you go on a road trip.
If you’re not an expert in cars, bring it in to be serviced and checked out by an expert instead of just glancing under the hood yourself.
Let the expert know you’re gearing up for a road trip, and make sure the oil, windshield wiper fluid, and so on are all topped up, and that your tires are in alignment and have good tread.
9. Bring USB Power Packs for Phone Charging
In today’s day and age, we’re so reliant on our phones.
Especially on a road trip, our phones’ maps app can really be a lifesaver!
But what happens when we can’t charge them?
“Oh, well I have a USB port in my car,” you say.
Okay, but what if you get into an accident and can’t turn on the car and your phone only has 20 minutes of battery left!
Bring a USB portable phone charge like this one, fully charged, as a backup in case you need it along the journey.
Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you did!
10. Take a Chair and Portable Picnic Set
If you’re going on a more outdoorsy type of road trip and stopping at nature parks along the way, you might want to plan for a nice little picnic to shake up the monotony of the drive!
There are plenty of fold up chairs like this one and picnic sets like this one you can bring, so you can all get out of the car and eat outdoors rather than staying cramped in your seats during breaks.
This is only something to think about if you have room in your vehicle, not a necessity, but it sure does make those pit stops more enjoyable!
11. Get Sun Shades for the Windows
If you’ve got people in the backseat, especially kids, buying sun shades that attach to the windows like this one can be a lifesaver.
Particularly if you’re driving during times of the day where the sun seems to be streaming in at full force, you don’t want to risk your young ones getting heat exhaustion or sunstroke.
(On that note, be sure to read through this article about how to treat heat stroke during a road trip.)
Sun shades are also helpful if someone is trying to take a nap, as they can pull it down and create a darker, cooler environment in the car.
12. Get a Holder for Your Phone to Use GPS
Safety first!
If you’re using your phone as a GPS, as many of us do, it’s vital to get a holder that attaches your phone to the dashboard.
This is one of our most important safety tips for a road trip.
It is outright dangerous to hold your phone in your hands or on your lap and try at look at the directions while driving.
Have someone else in the car navigate, if possible, and if not, get that phone attached to your car so you don’t have to touch it or make contact with it to look at it for directions.
To minimize distractions even further, make sure the GPS voice navigation is turned on and loud enough for you to hear it over any music or chatter.
That way, you can keep your eyes on the road and still know when your next turn is coming up because the voice navigation will tell you.
13. Don’t Overpack
Okay, we’re also including a list of things to pack, so this is kind of an ironic road trip tip, but, really, don’t overpack!
You want the car to feel as roomy inside as possible, and you don’t want to literally weigh it down with stuff.
With all the other potential stresses of road tripping, you don’t want to add a lack of leg room to the list.
It can be tempting when on a road trip to celebrate not having all of the airport restrictions on what you can and can’t bring, but don’t let it go too far the other direction!
14. Double Check for Insurance Details and Driver’s License
Make sure the most up-to-date car insurance and registration papers are stored in the car before you take off, and ensure that everyone who could possibly end up driving during the trip has their license on them.
You don’t want to find, halfway through the trip when you’re supposed to switch drivers, that someone has forgotten their license!
Or that, heaven forbid, you get in a fender bender and your proof of auto insurance is nowhere to be found!
It’s best to store your car’s proof of insurance, registration, and even the car’s owner manual in the same space – the glove compartment is a popular (and wise!) option.
15. Bring Ice in a Cooler
If you’re packing things like water bottles, fruits, and sandwiches with meat and cheese, you’re going to want to bring a cooler with ice to put the food in!
Food safety is a priority, especially during a road trip when food poisoning and a lack of bathrooms are a terrible combination to find yourself having.
Worried about space?
You can get soft side coolers like this one that can tuck under people’s feet or go squarely in between people, so it doesn’t feel like such an imposition.
16. Pack Baby Wipes
Baby wipes aren’t just for babies!
They are great to wipe your hands with if you’re about to dig into your food trip snacks (hand sanitizer is also great for this), or if someone has a spill.
And, like we mentioned earlier, they make a great last-minute alternative to a shower!
17. Have a Non-Electronic Map
We rely so much on electronics and always having a signal nowadays, which can be downright dangerous if you’re going on a cross-America road trip!
There are going to be places where you don’t have signal, no matter how you hold your phone up to the sky.
Or, your phone might die or go kaput for an unknown reason, or the maps app might malfunction!
You don’t want to be stuck without a way to figure out where you’re going, especially in the middle of the night.
Bring a physically printed out map or atlas that isn’t going to have any problem being read if you find yourself off track without your electronics working.
18. Avoid Busy Traffic Times
It makes sense to avoid busy traffic times when you leave the house, but think through your journey.
Sure, you could avoid morning rush hour and leave later, which is great, but then at some point you’re going to run into evening rush hour if you drive for long enough.
Plan your stops and your journey so that you are not in built up areas during rush hours, or plan to use those times for stop for meals.
19. Don’t Sleep in a Parking Lot
Finding random gas stations to park and sleep in your car in can feel like it’s part of the “road trip on a budget” dream, but it’s really… not.
Sleeping in your car in a parking lot is not secure and you could be opening yourself up to situations you don’t want to be in.
It’s best not to risk it, especially when traveling with kids.
Plus, a lot of businesses these days have rules against parking in their lots overnight, and you could end up having the cops called on you!
If you really need to keep your lodging on a budget, try planning a route with stops at actual campsites.
20. Take Two Cars if it’s Too Cramped
Taking two cars doubles the cost of gas on a road trip, and it means more drivers are needed, but if you have a really big family or are taking a super long road trip, sometimes it might be the best option.
You don’t want the car to feel so cramped that everyone is suffocating from being two inches away from each other and all of the luggage you’ve had to put on people’s laps.
22. Don’t Go With People You Don’t Know Well
Road trips are one of the most intimate ways of travel.
You’re literally sitting in a box together for hours on end, with only each other’s company and no real breathing space.
If you’re going on a road trip with your family, well, then, hopefully you like them!
But if you’re considering a road trip with friends, make sure you know them well enough to want to be road trip buddies before setting off.
On the other hand, there’s no way to get to know someone better like sitting in a car together for hours on end!
But what we really mean here is that you want to make sure you trust the people you’re carpooling with.
23. Let the Kids Help Plan the Route
“Are we theeeere yet?”
One great way to get kids enthusiastic about your road trip instead of just asking when you’ll get there is to let them help plan the route!
If there are different paths you can take, see which ones they’re interested in and let them pick out stops along the way so they don’t feel like they’re just being carted along.
24. Check Out Sightseeing Options Along the Way
Sometimes, people think of a road trip as a necessity that takes you from point A to point B.
But think about spicing it up with sightseeing options you have along the way!
Even if you don’t have time to stay over in other places, you could always plan your rest breaks to be at sightseeing options like national parks, charming town centers, or roadside attractions.
This is one of our favorite road trip tips for couples, because stopping somewhere with your sweetheart during a long car ride together can really create some romantic memories – not to mention unique photo ops!
25. Give Your Route to Friends or Family Beforehand
It’s always a good idea to tell friends and family who aren’t going with you what your route is ahead of time.
Not only is this a safe thing to do in case you break down or don’t show up at your destination due to unfortunate circumstances, but it can also be useful if you find yourself lost and your GPS isn’t working.
Then, you can call someone, tell them the last place you remember being, and see if they can look it up and help you get back on track.
You can even have a trusted person whom you share your real-time location with on your Android phone or your iPhone, so they can track you in case of emergency.
26. Hang Personal Organizers on the Back of the Seats
Looking for road trip organization ideas?
When we used to go on road trips as kids, we each had our individual organizer like this that would hang on the back of the seats in front of us.
This is a great idea for kids to be able to put their personal snacks and activities in!
It also means you can load them up ahead of time with provisions instead of arguing about who gets which container of Goldfish® crackers.
27. Plan to Arrive in Daylight if Possible
Whether you’re arriving at your actual destination or a midway point along the route, it’s always safest to plan to arrive at your last stop for the day while the sun’s still out.
It prevents you from wandering around not knowing where you’re going, or having to deal with low visibility on poorly lit streets.
On that note, here’s one last safety tip for your road trip:
Stay Together at Gas Stations and Rest Stops
One of the most important road trip safety tips, especially if you have kids with you, is to stay together at gas stations and rest stops.
Sometimes, it can be tempting to tell them to go ahead and run inside while you fill the tank, but for safety reasons, the buddy system is the best bet.
Rest stops are especially dangerous places to leave children unattended, since they’re often miles away from any actual towns or other populated areas, so it’s a lot easier for criminals to get away with any shady business they might get up to.
This is also an important thing to keep in mind for women traveling together.
Of course, this is not to scare you before embarking on your road trip!
It’s probably going to be fine, and the worst you’ll have to deal with is not being able to find a Taco Bell when you want one.
But it’s always a good idea to prioritize safety during travel of any kind.
Whether it be with family, friends, your partner, or on your own, we wish you the best on your next road trip!
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