Whether you’re heading out for a weekend getaway or a cross-country drive, having the right road trip essentials in your car can make the difference between a smooth trip and a stressful one.

This checklist covers the must-have safety items, comfort essentials, tech gear, and smart extras you should pack before you hit the road.

Road Trip Essentials (Quick Checklist)

• GPS or navigation app

• Paper road map

• Jumper cables or portable jump starter

• Spare tire (checked and inflated)

• First aid kit

• Ice scraper and snow brush (seasonal)

• Water bottles

• Cooler with snacks

• Phone chargers and car adapter

• Portable power bank

• Travel pillows

• Blanket

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen

• Wet wipes

• Trash bag

• Noise-cancelling headphones

• Entertainment (audiobooks, playlists, downloaded shows)

• Car sick bags

• Change of clothes (especially for kids)

 

Read on for why you need each one and find some of my family’s favorites.

Road Trip Essentials for Safety

GPS

Gone are the days when you had to pore over maps before a long road trip. Whether your GPS is on your phone or a separate device, a GPS makes your life so much easier. My favorite GPS app is Waze, an app that takes input from other drivers to help you calculate the fastest route.

Map

I have been in the unfortunate situation where my GPS couldn’t find a signal or my phone didn’t have service, and I was really glad I had a map. This is especially important when you are driving in remote areas as the chance of the GPS not working is greater.

Jumper cables

These are a must in any safety kit. A dead battery means a prolonged trip and grumpy kids. I recommend this portable one in case your battery dies in a remote location. It works just as well as the regular kind and you aren’t dependent on a good Samaritan passing by.

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Spare tire

This should come standard with your car today, but check out the tire before a long road trip. We found that we had a spare with a hole in it!

Ice scraper and snow broom

Don’t get stuck with only your credit card to scrape ice off your windshield! This one is great because it extends to get the tops of our van.

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First Aid Kit

This is a smart thing to keep in your car all the time. A compact first aid kit should be able to keep you and your passengers well and safe on your trip. If you are road trip packing for a cross country trip you might want to beef up your first aid kit a little bit.

 

Road Trip Essentials for Comfort

After safety concerns, this is the most important part of road trip packing. These are the things that make the journey fun instead of just a way of transportation. If you are going on a cross country road trip you will probably want most of these items.

 

Great playlist

We love Spotify! This app allows us each to make our own playlist of our favorite songs. We swap out playlists during the trip to keep everyone happy and to find new songs to love. If music isn’t your thing you could also download some great road trip podcasts to keep you entertained.

Audio books

This is one of our favorite ways to stay entertained on a road trip! We pick books the whole family will enjoy and while away the hours listening to some great books. Some of our favorites include: the Harry Potter Books, the Chronicles of Narnia, Michael Vey, and Anne of Green Gables.  For more of our favorite road trip books check out our post here. We use Audible to get two new books each month.

Water bottles

What normally happens on our road trips is my husband brings his filled water bottle and the rest of us forget ours and drink all of his water! So get the size you need.

Noise-cancelling headphones

These are essential for keeping the peace after you have passed hour 2 or 3 on the road. The kids can watch their movies or listen to their music quietly.  My teenagers are big fans of Beats headphones, but for the smaller kids I recommend these Mpow ones. They are much less expensive so you don’t need to worry about little fingers breaking them.

 

Travel pillows

These are another road trip essential! Especially with kids. If you have been following me for any length of time you will know that this is my favorite travel pillow.

 

Blanket

Whatever you love to sleep with or something comfortable if you disagree on the car temperature.

 

Electronics

This is an umbrella statement for iPods, iPads, iPhones, portable DVD players, Nintendo Switch, or really any hand-held entertainment device. Make sure you grab what you need and make sure they are charged!

Chargers

Without these, you will get an hour and a half into your road trip and be out of luck! In addition to chargers we also put one of these in the car so everyone can keep their devices charged, and we don’t have fights over whose iPhopne is dying first.

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Travel Games

Gone are the days when your only option was “I spy.” There are hundreds of fun games that allow your to all enjoy the trip together.

For our favorite travel games for all ages visit  Travel games for all ages.

Wet wipes

Regardless of who is going on the trip, these are essential! Spilled food or drinks, sticky fingers, yucky noses and more. I always keep a package in the pouch in the back of the seat.

Cooler with snacks

If you are going on a longer road trip, you will want to bring some snacks. This cooler is fabulous because it keeps cool while plugged into your car’s 12V DC. You won’t waste space keeping things cool with ice.

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Sunglasses

Don’t let the sun get to your beautiful peepers! I would recommend having a pair that just lives in your car so you never forget them.

Sunscreen

I make sure to wear sunscreen ever since I read an article that said that the left side of our faces are generally more aged then the right side because of the sun coming in while we are driving. Most car windows don’t protect you from UV rays. I keep it in the car so we have it at all times. My favorite one, Australian Gold, is a mineral sunscreen that works well under makeup and doesn’t sting your eyes.

Road games

We have some favorite games in a bag that we keep in the car. We love this scavenger hunt game and this this memory game. It is great to have something to do that the driver can participate in as well!

 

Guide books

I love to read the history of the place we are going to visit from a guide book. It helps all of us have a little bit more background and understanding of a new place. I also make sure that we have everything planned as well as it can be.

Books

If you don’t get car sick, a great book to read sure passes the time. I also like reading books that take place in our destination!

Garbage bag

You will need one or two of these if you have a particularly long road trip so you don’t have trash all over the car. I learned long ago that if you don’t give your kids somewhere easy to throw things, they will throw them on the ground. I also learned that most garbage bags for cars are pretty worthless.

These ones are actually really great and hang right in front of your kids so that it is easy to throw things away. Plus they have water bottle holders and a package for the wet wipes you are sure to need. (see above!)

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Road Trip Essentials for Kids

Here is an entire post dedicated to Road Trips with Kids!

Car sick bags

Car sick bags are the greatest invention!  They have saved us numerous times. We keep them in the glove compartment for easy access. They don’t leak and are easy to tie off and throw out.

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Easily accessible change of clothes

You don’t want to have to haul the big suitcase out of the trunk if your kids spill things all over or if you stop for a break and it’s chilly. I always pack one change of clothes for everyone is a small bag and place it within easy reach.

Road Trip Essentials FAQ

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What are road trip essentials?

Road trip essentials are the must-have items you should keep in your car before a long drive. These typically include safety items like jumper cables and a first aid kit, navigation tools, chargers, water, snacks, and comfort items such as travel pillows and blankets.

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What should I keep in my car for a long road trip?

For a long road trip, keep emergency supplies (spare tire, jumper cables, first aid kit), navigation tools (GPS and a paper map), phone chargers, water bottles, snacks, wet wipes, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a trash bag. Comfort items like blankets and travel pillows also make a big difference on longer drives.

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What are the most important road trip must-haves?

The most important road trip must-haves are safety-related: a spare tire, jumper cables or a portable jump starter, a first aid kit, and a reliable navigation system. After safety, hydration, chargers, and basic comfort items are the next priorities.

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What should you not forget on a road trip?

Don’t forget phone chargers, water, snacks, important documents, and emergency supplies. Many road trip issues can be avoided simply by checking your spare tire, packing basic safety gear, and making sure your devices are fully charged before leaving.

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How do I prepare my car for a road trip?

Before a road trip, check your tire pressure (including the spare), test your battery, top off fluids, confirm your insurance and registration are current, and pack emergency essentials. A quick vehicle check can prevent delays and unnecessary stress on the road.

 

 

 

 

Last update on 2026-03-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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