A family road trip can be an incredibly fun way to not only reach your destination, but have the opportunity to explore multiple spots along the way. Below, I’ve provided the ultimate family road trip packing list, for free!
Remember, the key to a successful road trip with kids is organization. Being prepared is the number 1 most important aspect of any road trip, but especially one with kids.
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Whether you’re planning on a quick couple-hour drive to visit family, a day long drive to a sunny beach location, a multi-day trek across the country, or absolutely anything in between, you are going to want to be prepared.
My husband and I have taken our two kids (ages 13 and 5) on many road trips over the years.
We’ve gone from our home in Boston to all the neighboring states for camping trips, visits with friends, day trips, and more. We have taken them for weekend trips from Boston to Pennsylvania to see Philadelphia and visit Hershey Park and Sesame Place, and to see the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C.
We’ve gone up to Canada to spend one day in Niagara Falls, and we’ve even taken them all the way down to Orlando for a wonderful Christmas holiday in Disney World.
Suffice it to say, we are pros at family road trips and have all the family road trip hacks you need!
Read on for my comprehensive packing list for family road trips. I’ve included a free printable family road trip packing list for your convenience!
Expert Tip: If you happen to be taking this road trip during the Thanksgiving season, be sure to check out my top tips on stress free Thanksgiving travel.
First And Foremost
Before you get started on a road trip, clean out the car!
Take out all the extra stuff that accumulates in cup holders, door handles, the center console, the glove box, and the trunk.
If you feel up to it, take it for a good vacuum and a wash too. There’s nothing like starting fresh and clean for a road trip!
Make sure your car registration is up to date, and your inspection sticker if you live in a state that requires that. Get your oil changed, check the air pressure in your tires, and make sure you have a spare tire and tools to change it.
Know The Necessities
So how do you get started packing for a family road trip? First off, know your audience. Which should be easy enough if you’re the parents- no one knows your kids better than you!
Start thinking about the things your kids use every day. They might have certain toy preferences, perhaps they need a special blanket or stuffed animal, maybe they have a favorite pair of PJs. Bring those!
When my daughter was little, she couldn’t go ANYWHERE without her little lovey, “Susie”. The disaster that would ensue if we dared leave the house without “Susie” was enough to make sure we never left it behind.
We even went so far as to buy a spare “Susie” just in case it was ever lost. Which actually happened when we were in Alaska. Let me tell you, we learned our lesson then, and always kept a spare!
If they use it every day, or it is a comfort item for them, make sure you have it.
Comfort Is Key
Speaking of comfort items, you are going to want to make the car itself as comfortable as possible. Pillows, blankets, and comfy clothes are essential. A sleeping mask is great to block out the sun or streetlights.
A comfortable car means your kids (and you!) will be more likely to sleep.
You also want to bring flip flops or some other easy on/off pair of shoes for bathroom and snack stops. You don’t want the hassle of dealing with socks and lace-up shoes every time your kids need to go in and out of the car!
I personally like to start our long road trips in the dead of night. This allows us to get a head start on the miles, and if the kids sleep in comfort through the night it means less cranky kids in the morning.
Just Here For The Snacks
I cannot, I repeat, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH the importance of snacks!! We all know someone who gets hangry if they haven’t eaten in a while. Nobody wants to deal with that in an enclosed space.
The thing is, crackers and chips aren’t going to cut it. You need nutrient-dense, protein-packed foods to make it work.
I’m not saying don’t bring crackers and chips and stuff, just don’t only rely on those things to keep the hanger at bay.
Make sure you also have some caffeine for the adults. On our road trips my husband and I try to switch off between the two of us, alternating between driving and napping.
It doesn’t always work out that way, so make sure to keep some form of caffeinated beverage in the car.
Snack Ideas
- Deli Meat Rollups
- Fresh Fruit
- Cheese
- Veggie Slices
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Sandwiches
- Beef Jerky
- Protein Bars
- Peanut Butter Crackers
Overnight Bag
Depending on the length and details of your road trip, you may wind up staying in a hotel before you reach your final destination. Or maybe the journey IS your destination!
Either way, you don’t want to have to drag all of your luggage in and out of every hotel, every time you need to spend the night.
So pack one smaller bag separately, with a change of clothes, toiletries, and a swimsuit just in case, for everyone. That way you only have to bring one bag in and out with you when you stop for the night.
Keep It Fun
Now let’s talk entertainment. It can be tricky to keep kids occupied on long car rides. And adults too for that matter. So our solution to this is multi-faceted.
First off, on a road trip with kids, everyone gets their own backpack filled with books, toys, word game puzzles, coloring books, crayons, notebooks, etc.
Whatever age-appropriate things each person needs.
Secondly, we always play car games like I Spy, the License Plate game, Categories, I’m Thinking Of, etc. We always start off the trip by predicting how many big trucks we can get to honk at us with an arm pump, and then we all have a blast pumping our arms at the truckers hoping they’ll see.
It’s also a good idea to listen to a fun audio book too. Harry Potter is always a favorite.
Our 13 year old daughter packs her own bag. She usually puts a couple chapter books, a notebook for drawing or writing, her iPad and phone with chargers, headphones, some fidget toys, a stuffed animal, and a puzzle book. If she’s going to be missing school then we’ll have her bring some schoolwork too.
Our 5 year old son has his backpack filled with the toys he had been using the most lately. Usually for him that’s some Disney or Marvel character figurines or monster trucks. He also gets a few books, a coloring book with a little box of crayons, and a few smaller toys that he likes to steal from his sister.
We add those as a wow factor for him and it seems to keep him occupied for longer. “Wow you get to play with your sister’s toys, aren’t you so lucky she’s letting you do that! So cool!” Fortunately, big sister plays along by selecting the toys he can borrow and it works out great for everyone.
We also download content for ourselves and the kids on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+. They can watch a show or movie together, or separately if that’s what they want.
Flexibility Is Not Just For Yoga
Perhaps the biggest key to a stress-free successful road trip with kids is staying flexible. This means you don’t rigidly adhere to your pre-planned itinerary, but instead keep a more go-with-the-flow sort of attitude.
By all means, have a plan. But keep it general.
For example, last Christmas we took the kids from Boston to Disney World. We knew we had resort reservations starting on a specific day, and park tickets for specific days. We knew we had to be back in Boston by a specific day. So with our timeline in mind we set out on our road trip.
We decided to leave at a time of night that would enable us to make a leisurely stop to eat breakfast and see the Statue of Liberty. We all got to take a nice walk and get some fresh air before we continued down the coast.
Later on in the afternoon, the kids were getting antsy so we pulled off the highway and found a playground nearby. (Thank you Google Maps!) Everyone got out some pent up energy, and we continued on our way.
By being flexible on our road trip, we were able to attend to the physical needs of everyone and avoid meltdowns from being cooped up for too long.
Although the game plan is to alternate sleeping and driving between the two of us adults, it doesn’t always happen that way.
On our road trip down to Disney, by night time we were both tired and figured we could all use a bed to sleep in. So I simply searched for hotels in the area and booked one on the go.
Instead of being stressed that we HAD to get to a specific hotel by a certain time (what if there was traffic, or an accident, or construction? Or what if we made better time than we assumed, and could get further down the coast than we thought?), by being flexible in our arrangements, we took the stress out of the trip and were able to get exactly what we needed, when we needed it.
Family Road Trip Packing List
So without further ado, here is our family road trip packing list. This list is going to cover the things you need specifically for a family road trip. These will be in addition to whatever items you may need for your particular vacation’s destination.
Car Necessities
Most of these generally will already be in your car, but it’s a good idea to double check them anyway! Also, double check that your oil change and other maintenance items are sufficient to make it through your trip.
- Driver’s licenses
- Car registration
- Toll pass
- Spare tire, jack, tools
- Jumper cables
- Flashlight
- Owner’s manual
- Spare key
- Cleaning wipes (both disinfecting wipes and baby wipes)
- Paper towels
- Trash bags
- Freezer bags (in case of food leftovers or car sickness)
- First aid kit
- Toilet paper
Comfort Items
Remember, comfort is key. If it’s going to make the trip run smoother, bring it!
- Pillows
- Blankets
- Special stuffed animal or blanket
- Flip flops
- Sleep masks
Food
Use this list as a guide as you plan the foods that will fit your family best. Remember, protein is key!
- Deli meats
- Cheese sticks
- Veggie sticks
- Fresh fruits
- Beef jerky
- Protein bars
- Granola bars
- Squeeze pouches
- Peanut butter to-go
- Trail mix
- Hard boiled eggs
- Individual salads
- Sandwiches
- Wraps
- Waters
- Juice
- Soda, iced coffee, or energy drinks
Overnight Bag
In this bag have one set for each person, as needed.
- Complete outfit
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Any eye needs – glasses, contacts, contact case and solution
- Swimsuit
- Makeup/cosmetics bag
- Cell phone charger
- Deodorant
- Perfume/Cologne
- Razor
- Lotion
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Soap
Personal Bags
Each person gets a bag customized to their individual needs.
- Books
- Toys
- Coloring book and crayons
- Notebook
- iPad and charger
- Cell phone and charger
- Headphones
- Activity or puzzle book
- Schoolwork
- Sunglasses
- Mad Libs
Medications/First Aid
Bring both adult and children’s formulations of medications whenever possible.
- Tylenol/ibuprofen
- Benadryl
- Dramamine
- Cold medicine
- Allergy medicine
- Any prescriptions
- Bandaids in various sizes
- Lip balm
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
For Road Trips With Babies
Definitely make sure you have a little more than what you think you’ll need.
- Diapers
- Wipes
- A couple changes of clothes
- Bottles
- Formula
- Pacifiers
- Diaper rash cream
- Baby food
- Changing pad
- Trash bag
Extras
- Camera
- Video camera
- Binoculars
- Audiobooks
- Playing cards
- Travel games
- Tablet/laptop with downloaded content
So there you have it! With this family road trip packing list, you should be well prepared for your family road trip. Go enjoy the ride, make some memories, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss out on helpful travel tips and tricks!
