10 Family Road Trip Hacks to Make Travel a Breeze

Road trips are much more enjoyable when you're prepped and equipped with the best tips, must-pack essentials, and activities. 

Whether you’re a fan of spring break family road trips or cross-country summer camping, our 10 road trip hacks will help keep everyone comfortable, happy, and organized—even in close quarters.

1. Have a practical organization system

When your car is your home for a few days, you'll want it to stay clean. It’s easier to find things and put them away in a tidy vehicle, and you’ll be far more comfortable without bags on your lap.

There are many road trip hacks for keeping your car nice and neat, such as:

• Using a trunk organizer or storage caddy
• Placing an organizer in the center of the backseat
• Adding hooks or a hanging organizer that attaches to the car seat's headrest
• Adding a gap filler organizer to hold more beverages and other loose items

Source: TheKrazyCouponLady.com

2. Keep a first aid kit in the car

This isn’t just a hack for long car trips—you should always have a first aid kit in your car! Luckily, yours can be as simple as a Ziploc or pouch with essentials like:

• Aspirin
• Bandaids
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antacids
• Allergy and itch relief
• Tweezers
• Hand sanitizer
• Wet wipes

3. Stock up on snacks

Any road-tripper knows that snacking fends off boredom and keeps your energy up.

Before your adventure, visit your local grocery store for the best deals. Once you hit the road, plan pit stops at places like Walmart or Target to stretch your dollars a bit further.

4. Bring a cooler

While most road trip snacks don’t require a refrigerator, a cooler gives you more options—think cold cuts and cheese for sandwiches, yogurt, or fruit. 

You can also use a cooler to keep drinks cold. There's nothing better than sipping on a soda, iced coffee, or sparkling water after a few hours of driving! 

Consider opting for a soft-sided, collapsible, or backpack cooler for optimum portability and storage.

5. Pack a tiny trash can

You're bound to collect garbage on your road trip as you finish your snacks or fast food meals, so having a dedicated space for your trash will be handy. 

Pro-tip: A cereal box or storage container is the ideal size for a car trash can. Simply line it with a garbage bag and place it between the car seats. Ensure you have a lid if you want to prevent spills and smells.

Don't have a storage container handy? A plastic bag will do—the goal is to ensure your trash is contained.

6. Make frequent stops

This road trip hack may seem counterintuitive. After all, the more you stop, the longer it’ll take to get where you’re going.

But a road trip is all about the journey, not the destination, so slow down and stop at those "World's Biggest" attractions. The memories you make (not to mention the bathroom breaks you take) will be worth it.

7. Bring outdoor activities

Whenever you pull over at an attraction, rest stop, or gas station, it’s worth taking a moment to stretch your legs. What better way to move those muscles than with family-friendly activities?

Consider packing these crowd-pleasers for your next road trip: 

• Hula hoops
• Baseball gloves
• Badminton rackets
• Jump ropes
• A soccer ball

8. Give kids a space to play

Keep your kids entertained with a backseat setup that works for them and you.

Try a folding lap tray, a car seat attachment, or a cup holder tray to give them a sturdy surface for coloring, crafting, or snacking.

Compact, kid-friendly trays are easy to find on Amazon or at craft stores like Michaels, and provide a clean, convenient space for meals and play on the go.

9. Join in on the fun with car games

Playing games on a road trip isn’t just for the kids. Everyone can participate in these fun, easy-to-learn car games:

• The license plate game – Look for license plates from all 50 states and Washington, DC.
  
  
• Twenty questions – Have one player think of an object and let the rest of the car guess what it is by asking a maximum of 20 yes or no questions.
  
  
• The alphabet game – Find every letter of the alphabet in order by using road signs and billboards.

10. Don't forget to download podcasts or audiobooks

Before you head out on your family road trip, pick out some family-friendly podcasts on Spotify or Amazon Music, then download them to your device to save data and ensure you can play them even when cell service is limited. 

As for audiobooks, services like Audible are a terrific source of entertainment. You may also be able to acquire audiobooks for free—check with your local library to see what they offer.