We polled staff and site visitors to compile a list of the top 30 car trip essentials. Let’s dive into the health, safety, and entertainment items guaranteed to keep road trip travelers — from infants to adolescents — in their seats. And happy.
So, without breaking the bank or loading down parents with a lot of excess gear, here’s a Car Trip Essentials Kit any parent can assemble, probably from gear you already own.
Car Trip Essentials for Parents to Carry & Administer:
- Cooler to hold drinks and snacks. Try for healthy ones like KIND bars and unsweetened, flavoried waters and juices.
- Moist towelettes or hand-sanitizing wipes
- Paper towels
- Zip-loc bags for trash, dirty diapers and car sickness attacks
- Masking tape: stakes out territory for siblings
- Roll of “discipline” quarters: start your trip with a full roll for each child; take one away for infractions or add one for good behavior (you might need dollar bills for your brood!)
- Flashlight: to reward kids who want to read after dark
- Car charging unit for all electronics
Essential Road Travel Items for Infants & Toddlers
- Cooler to hold small chew toys in hot weather
- Baby safety mirror: clip on visor so driver or passenger can view baby without turning around
- Pop-up top on sippy cup for juice/milk
- Bottle warmer with cigarette lighter power adaptor
- Pull-down, lock-in-place back window shade to keep sun away and divert vision of motion sick kids
- Plush toys
- Padded toy bar to clip onto rear or front-facing car seat
- Sports bottle caps to convert bottled water into no-spill container
All The Gear for Preschoolers to Have in the Backseat
- Sing-along recordings with book of lyrics for whole family
- Plush toy and picture book for sibling to read aloud
- Auto Bingo or “I Spy” out-the-window games on highway
- Playsets with self-stick felt pieces to place on cardboard scene, or washable crayons and pad of paper
Necessities for School Age Children to Enjoy Car Trips
- Selection of absorbing books with large type
- Favorite comics, manuals, “Waldo” search-for-clues type books
- Audio Books or Children’s Story Channel on Sirus radio (Kids Place Live at Channel 78 and Radio Disney on Channel 79)
- DVD player, iPad or mobile phone with headset (Y-jack for siblings)
- Magnetic chess and checkers gameboard
- Deck of cards
For Tweens and Teens on Road Trips to Carry on Own
- Most of the above plus:
- Spotify, personal mixtape or collection of tunes to play on car stereo
- Language Learning apps like Rosetta Stone so they can tune up for school
- Selection of books
- Portable video games
- iPad, Chromebook or small laptop with power adaptor to run off the car’s cigarette lighter. Be sure to secure the player safely with Velcro to the back of the front seat, in the well between front seats, or another convenient spot where kids can watch but not touch it.
Tip! This is a car, you can always pack in more. When in doubt, bring it along!
Tip! Here are 50 (FIFTY!) more road trip tips from seasoned family travelers in case this is going to be a really long ride.
Remember! None of these suggested amusements take the place of using car trips and plane rides to get to know your captive kids a little better, and to discuss what’s on their minds. That may well be the strongest family memory you take away from your vacation.
Anything else you think is an essential car trip accessory? Please note it in the Comments Field below.
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Grt place to visit.. This place is located after entering the Ranthambore National Park.. However, to visit this place u can evn get your own vehicle…
John, glad you liked the story. This park is in Ohio where the weather can be unpredictable! It’s warmest between late April and November, but even April has the risk of some snow. If you’re camping with kids, the safest bet is June to August, because it’s warmer and there’s little rain. Enjoy your trip.
Hey Maggie, I really appreciate your innovative traveling ideas. You have covered so many adventurous places. Waiting for some new destinations. Please keep posting.
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It’s truly magical being there. I love the art this country offers. Their wall arts and crafts are just lovely.
Hi Maggie,
You always share to the world with something new and different destinations. Thank you so much for sharing.
The history of Cuhahoga valley national park seems interesting and must be a new experience when we observe scenes of National park from their scenic campgrounds.
which season do you think is the best time to visit this national park?
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Wow, what a nice article. Makes you feel like you should pack up and go immediately. It seems Linblad runs a good operation and trips are kid friendly. Is there a list of particular dates that are family friendly or are there kid activities year round on board the boats. Any other advice on travling with kids to Ecuador and Galapagos would be really welcome.
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Hello Michael, glad to hear your family is interested in a dude ranch holiday.
Since your kids are older and, hopefully, everyone in the family rides, you have lots of options. The Dude Ranchers Association is a really helpful resource in sorting through the many types of ranch vacations. For example, you can go here: https://duderanch.org/by-activity-amenity and search for ‘Advanced Rides’ and “Cattle Drives’ and that would get you some real working ranches that would have more of the lifestyle you seem to be looking for. One of our authors recommends the Hideout in Shell, Wyoming for this type of trip.
Looking for a real ranch experience with horseback riding (lots of it) and time in the open air with my son (15) and daughter (12) and my wife (49). I am 62. We live in NJ, my children have been sheltered but I grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I want my children to see another side of life.
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Of course, you can do travel freely and easily through these two countries yourself, but I enjoyed having the trip curated for me, including well-chosen local guides, comfortable transportation on call and some superb private tours, such as a Khmer cooking class or historic walking tour of Saigon, with flexibility in the itinerary for our group of five to follow their own paths, such as making an emotional detour to the moving Genocide Museum housed in the old S-21 jail in Phnom Penh.
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I enjoyed reading your Italian family vacation story, and thank you so much for these tips. This surely gonna help us achieve a stress-free vacation in Italy. Great blog!
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For Richard re: dual citizenship US-Nicaragua… can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Hi Richard, In our travel experience, this type of document should work well for your travels, but if your wife is available, it can’t hurt to download the sample forms we have online and also have her fill out and notarize one for your trip with your child. The agency responsible in your case will be the carrier — we assume an airline — and if they can make a note in your travel record that they have approved the Nicaraguan documents you should be fine on both departing and entering.
Safe Travels!
Wow, great!!! it could be a great fun out there.
very informative article Travel forums provide first hand experience and advice to travelers and are a great source of information and travel tips.
As a signal parent, your life, world, actions are based on your childs well fair. Not your happiness or anything that has to do with you.
It should list where they are going, the dates that they are allowed to go and grant your permission for that trip. You want to include your address and phone number and probably the contact info for the adult traveling as well.
The grand archways and the paintings of Lord Krishna and his cows are a visual treat. Wander through areas opened for tourists and you shall witness the impressive aura and architecture of the Royal state of Rajasthan.
Thanks for Sharing
Hello guys my wife and I have dual citizenship US-Nicaragua, I’m planning to travel to the US with our son also dual citizenship for 3 weeks, with a Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) from Nicaragua, can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Congratulations to the winners! A question to all the professional travelers here, how are you planning the route ant the places to see while visiting a new country? As for me I just google the most touristic and popular places. It works mostly, but there were a few times when I realized that I have seen only some the places this country or city is famous for, and that’s sad. On my last trip to Armenia, I decided to take a tour and it was quite productive. It’s much more informative when somebody is telling you history and some interesting facts. If someone wants to save their time – make sure to ask them to help if you’ll ever be there.
Curitiba é uma lugar lindo, além de ser considerada uma das melhores cidades para se morar em Brasil.
Realmente a muito o que conhecer por lá, como também diversas outras belezas do nosso brasil.
Principalmente as praias do Brasil que são muito procurada por inúmeros turistas internacionais e nacionais.
As Praias do Litoral Paulista, divididos entre Praias do Litoral Norte e Litoral Sul.
As mais conhecidas são as Praias de Ubatuba com mais de 100 belas praias no litoral norte paulista.
Já no litoral sul, a região mais procurada são as Praias de Guarujá, a região conta com 23 praias de pura beleza e preservação ambiental.
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I would like to add my baby equipment company, Nana’s Baby Equipment. I serve the entire island of Kauai with aloha!
Mahalo,
Sharon Hackleman
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Was an honour and pleasure to host you both in the Maori Whakata/Welcome to Wanaka. Welcome back anytime to this wonderful part of the world.
Kia Kaha/Stay strong
[http://www.wanahaka.co.nz]