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Ultimate Road Trip Packing List: 5 Essentials and Complete Checklist

5 Essentials You Can't Afford to Forget on a Road Trip

1. A Reliable Vehicle: Start with a car that's had a recent tune-up. Verify brake fluid, oil, coolant, wiper fluid, and other vital fluids are topped off and in good condition.

2. Emergency Roadside Kit: Pack jumper cables, a spare tire, jack, and lug wrench—plus someone who knows how to use them. Your AAA membership card is a smart backup.

3. Entertainment for the Drive: Create an upbeat playlist to keep energy high and combat drowsiness. Podcasts like Serial or comedy stations on Spotify or Pandora are excellent alternatives.

4. Paper Map: Don't rely solely on GPS—cell service can be unreliable, and phones die. A physical map ensures you're never lost.

5. Compatible Travel Companions: Hours in a confined space demand good company. Choose wisely for a stress-free trip.

Complete Road Trip Packing List

Car & Technology

  • Driver’s license
  • Insurance card
  • Jumper cables
  • Spare tire
  • Jack
  • Lug wrench
  • Flashlight
  • Map
  • Car charger for phones

For Fun

  • Music
  • In-car entertainment: Mad Libs, pre-prepared playlists, downloaded podcasts
  • Camera
  • Stamps (for postcards along the way)

Miscellaneous Essentials

  • Cash for tolls
  • First aid kit
  • Crumb-free snacks
  • Protein bars
  • Pillow
  • Blanket
  • Flashlight
  • Bottled water
  • Wet wipes
  • Plastic bags for trash
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • Kleenex
  • Paper towels
  • Dramamine for carsickness
  • Eyeglasses and eye drops (for night driving)
Travel Notes
  • -

    Hit the open roadWhile the vaccinated among us can once again fly to certain exotic foreign destinations, the allure of the American road trip remains strong! In fact, there has never been a better time to plan road trips to see, do, and drive to all the best sights and cities scattered around the continental United States. Here are the 16 best road trip cars for 2021, from a living room on wheels that’ll fit your kids and their friends to a sporty two-seater for when you and your better h

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    1 / 10Don’t bundle upSure, it’s cold outside, but it shouldn’t be freezing in your car, according to Jason Harper on behalf Chevrolet. Take off those thick gloves, he advises, because they mute the feedback from the steering wheel and make controls more difficult to work, and ditch wearing your bulky coat on a long ride since it restricts arm movements and impedes response time.And those huge snow boots? “They’re a problem,” adds Harper. “It’s hard

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    Schedule a checkupYou drive a lot on road trips, which means your car needs servicing before you hit the road. A mechanic can service your car’s basic maintenance, including changing its oil and tuning-up its engine, while also checking the windshield wipers, brake pads, air filters, and headlights, and replace them, if necessary. “Investigate anything out of the ordinary in how your car normally runs before you leave on a long road trip,” says David Goldsmith, owner of Urban C