Family road trips are a great way to travel and have fun together. This is the ultimate family road trip checklist that includes everything you may need on the way.
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Are you headed on a family road trip and wondering what essentials you need to pack? Well…this is the ultimate family road trip checklist.
Be prepared with family road trip essentials for your car, road trip essentials for adults, road trip activities for kids, road trip essentials for entertainment, and more.
This family road trip checklist will ensure you are ready for your travels and give you the peace of mind of knowing that you have everything you will need.
This post is all about the best family road trip checklist.
Whenever leaving for a road trip you need to ensure your car maintenance is up to par. Some examples of this are checking your brakes, oil, and tires, and filling up windshield wiper fluid to start.
Once your vehicle maintenance is done you need to ensure you have your license and car insurance. Make sure you have a first aid kit and roadside emergency kit which includes jump starter cables, spare tire, tire pump, garbage can, and cargo carrier. These are all the basics that you should have before you leave for your family road trip.
If you are traveling with young kids there are a few road trip essentials you need to have. A car seat or a booster seat. Other great essentials for traveling with kids are a backseat organizer for food, drinks, and toys. And a kid’s travel tray for eating and playing with toys.
This car seat is the perfect one for younger kids. It is super safe, which is the most important thing. It also has a headrest and a durable seat belt. Plus a bonus it also comes with a cover that can be washed easily to keep it clean.
This booster seat is great for older kids that still require a booster seat. It is super comfortable and even comes with arm rest for ultimate comfort.
This car seat organizer is a lifesaver. It has many different compartments for all types of things like drinks, snacks, tablets, toys, coloring books, crayons, and much more. The different compartments keep everything organized and within arms reach. The tablet holder is at the perfect height to watch some movies while on your road trip. Definitely essential for your family road trip.
This kid’s travel tray is a bestseller and is super durable. It is great for kids to play on, and also great for coloring. The perfect table for kids to eat on the go and will keep your car clean.
Family road trips are super fun but can sometimes get boring. Some road trip essentials for entertainment include your Phone, headphones for music, or watching something. A tablet or iPad for doing work or watching tv shows/ movies. A Kindle e-reader for reading books, Nintendo Switch for kids to play games. A portable charger to keep all electronics charged. And a camera for taking pictures of fascinating things you may see on your travels.
These JBL wireless headphones are great to use while on a family road trip because the sound is crystal clear. They are also noise canceling which is great to keep all other sounds out. They are wireless which is great and the battery lasts for a long time.
When on long road trips you want to have entertainment to make the time go by faster. The easiest way for kids and adults to keep busy while traveling is to watch a TV show or movies on an iPad or tablet. This is the best iPad Pro. It has 1TB of memory which is plenty to download shows and movies. This is great since wifi most likely won’t be available in the car. This iPad Pro can also be used if you have work to catch up on in the car.
The Amazon Kindle e-reader is great for reading. You can buy and store many books on the Kindle and it’s all right there. A lot easier than bringing multiple books that are chunky and take up space.
The Nintendo Switch is a portable game system that is great to use on the go or at home. This makes it a great option for a family road trip. The game console consists of 2 controllers and a screen. You can buy and add more controllers if needed. The little controllers slide off the screen and 2 or more players can be playing a game. My favorite game console since it can literally be used anywhere.
This is the best power bank/ portable charger for traveling. This 3-in-1 Cable Battery Pack is one of a kind. It allows you to charge different devices all with the same interchangeable charger. It has a micro USB, USB-C, and Lightning connectors attached. This portable charger is very small and lightweight but very powerful with 10,000mAh. It easily fits into travel belts, or purses to have it available at all times on the go.
This Canon EOS Rebel T7 Camera is a great affordable camera for traveling. It has a 24.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, built-in Wi-Fi, and NFC Technology. Perfect for basic use while traveling with family and friends. Store it in a shoulder bag case for protection. It also would be a good idea to bring an extra battery and charger for your camera.
Family road trips can be a lot of fun but you also want to ensure you are comfortable while sitting in the car for long periods at a time. An absolute must-have for road trips is a travel blanket and pillow.
You always want to make sure you have a blanket with you in the car in case you get too cold or just want to sleep and need a blanket. This travel blanket is super soft and warm. It can be folded up into a bag so it is super compact. Also can be used for airplane travel and has a clip where it can be clipped onto your backpack or luggage too.
A neck pillow is a game changer when it comes to sleeping in a seat. This neck pillow is the best one out there. It is versatile and is not just a neck pillow but can also be used as a cushion under your legs or even your back. This pillow can be folded in many ways to adjust for optimal comfort. Very easy to clean. Also has a snap closure so you can hang it on your luggage or backpack as well.
Traveling with kids isn’t always easy but with these essentials, it will make it a little bit easier. Things to always have on hand with kids and toddlers are baby wipes for any spills. reusable water bottles, spill-free snack cups, a portable change station, and a portable potty seat.
These baby wipes are hypoallergenic and come in a 6-pack with 72 wipes in each pack. They are very durable and great for cleaning up messes on the go.
These Bubba reusable water bottles are great for road trips. They have a spill-proof lid, they keep drinks cold, come in many colors. These water bottles are durable and won’t break or dent if dropped. They are dishwasher-safe and are the perfect size for toddlers.
Spill-proof cups are fantastic for family road trips with young kids. These are made of silicone and are great for holding dry foods like cereals or little snacks. Definitely worth it.
This portable change station is great to use while traveling. It comes in different patterns has a little pocket for wipes, and has other pockets for anything you may need. It is a good size and it folds up super compact so it is easy to take anywhere.
If you are potty training a toddler this portable potty seat is great to use for traveling. It comes in 3 colors. The seat also folds up compact, comes with bags, and even comes with a bag for the potty so it is easy to take with you.
When heading on a family road trip you want to make sure you pack everything just like you would when flying somewhere. The good thing about road trips is you don’t have to worry about your luggage being too heavy. The benefit of this is you can ensure you pack everything you may need.
Packing for kids and toddlers can be tricky because you want to make sure you have everything. Here is a great checklist to follow: long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, shorts, long pants, pajamas, socks, shoes, underwear, diapers, baby wipes, pacifiers, swimsuits, kids pool floaties, a hat for the sun, a microfibre towel, toys, snacks, toothbrush, and other toiletries.
Packing for teenagers and adults is another challenge. But with this checklist, you can ensure you have it all: Long sleeve shirts, t-shirts, shorts, long pants, pajamas, undergarments, swimsuits, microfibre towels, toiletries for a shower, face, sun, makeup, etc., hat, purse or travel bag, and chargers.
Snacks are absolutely essential for family road trips whether for adults or kids. Some of my favorite snacks to bring on road trips are pretzels, chips, goldfish, fruit rollups, gummy treats, granola bars, croissants, sandwiches, apples, bananas, and munchies.
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