50 of the Best Road Trip Packing List Essentials This Year (Free Checklist)

This road trip packing list will help get your organized and ready for your next vacation!

Road trips can be a bucket of fun or a whole lot of “are we there yet” — and which way it rolls often comes down to the planning and packing. Whether you’re driving cross-country on a family road trip or to the beach with pals, you want to make sure to bring the right gear to keep everyone comfortable, happy and safe on the way. This road trip packing list will help get you ready for the next big adventure.

Packing for a road trip isn’t quite the same as prepping for other types of vacations. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in the vehicle, things like car care, entertainment, and snacks are a top priority.

If it’s your first time planning this type of vacation, these essentials for a road trip will get you started. But even if you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll find a few new ideas to stay extra comfy and organized. We’ve skipped stuff like outfits and toiletries (you already know to bring those) and focused more on what you’ll need in the car.

I’ve driven through about 10 countries and 30 states, including Switzerland, Hawaii and Arizona, and these are my top things to bring on a road trip! Scroll down to the bottom for a handy printable road trip packing checklist.

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The Ultimate Road Trip Packing Checklist

Use this road trip packing checklist to ensure you don’t leave anything important behind. We’ve organized the list into groups of items so you can check off a section at a time.

Essentials and Safety

What to pack for a road trip starts with the essentials — items for safety and car care. You probably already keep a few of these in the trunk but skim the road trip packing list below to make sure you aren’t missing anything.

License, Registration and Insurance Papers | This is self-explanatory but it doesn’t hurt to check them off the list! Don’t forget your international driving permit if you’re road-tripping overseas. It’s easy to get one from AAA if you need it.

Car Maintenance Items | Make sure you have your car manual, spare tire, tire jack, jumper cables and a gas can. Consider bringing a container of coolant and engine oil if you’re driving long stretches of backroads or wilderness.

Roadside emergency kit | These handy kits have items like jumper cables, gloves, tools, reflective vests, tow rope, ponchos and more.

First aid kit | Even the basic first aid cases have bandages, antiseptic wipes and gauze pads, while more decked-out kits include things like burn gel, cold compresses, pain reliever, emergency blankets, eye wash and more. Keep one in the car for emergencies.

Flashlight and batteries | If it isn't already in the emergency kit, bring a good flashlight and spare batteries, especially if you're planning to drive at night.

Duct tape | How often does duct tape come in handy? Add it to your emergency kit.

Multi-tool pocket knife | Use it whenever you need scissors, tweezers, a can opener, and so on.

Sun shade | This one's more about comfort than safety, but UV shades for your windows and windshield will help when it's hot and sunny.

Paper map | Throwback paper maps are useful when electronics and GPS fail and where signals go weak in the wilderness.

Spare change | Keep some quarters handy for toll roads and tire air pumps. There are still some places where you'll need them.

Winter supplies | You’ll only need these for certain conditions, but don’t forget a window scraper, shovel and tire chains if you might encounter snow and ice.

Organization

Staying organized is key when you’re in the car for a long time. This road trip packing list has everything you need to keep the mess in check and the snacks in easy-to-reach places.

Car rack | With a car rack you can carry outdoor gear like bikes and boards that may not fit inside the vehicle. If you have too much stuff for the trunk, a cargo carrier on the roof comes in handy as well.

Trunk organizer | Whether you want to easily access your car safety items, store food and snacks, or keep games and toys confined, trunk organizers are super handy for long road trips.

Car trash can | It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but a trash can in the car keeps things from getting gross on road trips.

Car backseat organizer | These storage systems that hook onto the back of seats are perfect for keeping items close at hand and easy to reach. You can stick games and snacks for the kids in them, and some even come with a flip down table or tablet holder.

Reuseable shopping bags | Big reuseable bags come in handy for so many things, whether a quick run into the gas station for drinks or gathering loose items in the car when you're unloading at a hotel.

Packing cubes | Packing cubes will help you stay organized on the go. Use them to keep clothes, shoes and other items separate and compact in your luggage.

Laundry bag | You'll want a place to stash dirty clothes and keep them from stinking up the car on a road trip.

Daypack | Road trips often involve some outdoorsy time, hiking or sightseeing. A daypack is useful to carry necessities while you're out of the car on excursions.

Electronics and Entertainment

Entertainment is a must, especially for a family road trip packing list. Make sure you grab the items below to keep devices charged, kids happy and everyone from saying “are we there yet” for the millionth time.

Phone mount | Keep an eye on maps by using a phone mount that attaches to your dashboard or vents. Just make sure they are legal where you're traveling before using one in a different state or country.

Car charger | A car charger or power inverter are a must if your vehicle doesn't have a usb. Be sure to grab one with multiple places to plug in if you're traveling with a crew.

Power bank | A portable charger comes in handy on the go or for those sitting in the back to power up.

Headphone splitter | Headphone converters are great for keeping the kids entertained quietly with movies without the rest of the car having to listen to "Frozen" for the thousandth time. Splitters let them share a screen but use individual headphones.

Travel games | Classic games like bingo, Battleship, Trouble and Connect 4 in travel sizes are perfect for keeping the backseat happy.

Podcasts and audio books | Download some audio entertainment before taking off for a long road trip.

Comfort and Personal Care

Keep the car cozy and clean with these road trip packing list items. Back seat passengers and copilots especially will love the comfort items for sneaking in a nap.

Pillow | Whether it's a neck pillow or your favorite full-sized one from the bed, a pillow makes it easier to nap and rest when you're not in the driver's seat.

Throw blanket | A car blanket to keep warm comes in handy when the AC is blasting. A larger one can cover up the whole backseat, but you might want your own personal sized throw or wrap come nap time.

Oversized sweater | In the same vein, a big comfy sweater can help when the car is freezing, especially if you're driving and can't exactly wrap up in a blanket.

Comfy socks | Nothing says cozy car ride like a pair of fuzzy socks. If you have long stretches on the road, slip out of your shoes and into some fluffy and warm socks to get comfortable.

Eye mask | For the snoozers in the car, an eye mask keeps the pesky sun or street lights from interfering with your slumber. This is especially helpful if you're taking turns driving and need to get some good sleep when it's not your watch.

Earplugs | Earplugs for passengers make it easier for the driver to stay stimulated with podcasts and music without disturbing the snoozing backseat.

Slip-on shoes | No one wants to waste time lacing up shoes for a quick gas or restroom stop. Keep a pair of flip-flops or slip-on sneakers nearby for easy in and out.

Sunglasses | A good pair of polarized sunglasses are a must, especially for drivers.

Rain jacket or umbrella | No one wants to get soaked running into a rest stop or gas station and then have to sit in a cold car in wet clothes. Make sure to keep an umbrella, poncho or rain jacket in easy reach.

Towel | Even with proper rain gear and paper towels on hand, something will inevitably happen that requires a bigger clean up. Travel towels pack up small and dry quick, so they're perfect to stash in the car for a road trip.

Toiletry bag | Keep a little bag handy with quick refresh items like a hairbrush, chapstick, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, gum and deodorant if you don’t want to be a total wreck when you get out of the car.

Wet wipes, paper towel, toilet paper and tissues | You can pick your favorites, but keep at least a couple of these handy. Wipes and paper towels make eating and cleaning up a lot easier, while tissues and toilet paper come in handy for sneezes and poorly stocked bathrooms along the way.

Snacks and Drinks

You can’t do a road trip without road trip snacks! You pick the grub but add a few of the items below to your road trip packing list to make eating and drinking on the go a little smoother.

Cooler | The size of cooler you need will depend on your travel party and whether or not you're camping, but definitely pack a cooler to store drinks and healthy snacks. I like to fill mine with frozen drink bottles instead of ice to maximize space.

Insulated tumbler | A stainless steel tumbler or mug will keep your drinks hot or cold on the go.

Water bottle | A reusable water bottle will cut down on plastic waste on your road trip. Fill up a supersized gallon one in the morning and you may not even need to refill for the whole day.

Reusable snack bags | Reusable plastic bags are also handy for storing and divvying up snacks. They come in everything from snack to gallon sizes and wash out easy to reuse.

Cutlery | Even if you aren't camping, you'll likely run into a situation where you need an extra fork or spoon. An eco-friendly camping cutlery set or two will work just fine.

Collapsible bowls | Collapsible bowls take up little space but make it easy to pass out snacks without making a big mess.

Water flavor packets | Water mixes will save money on gas station drinks and make sure everyone stays hydrated on the road. Just check the contents of what you buy — they can be full of vitamins and electrolytes or just pure sugar.

Snacks | Of course, you can’t forget the best part of any road trip — snacks! Buying in bulk ahead of time and portioning them out will save big over vending machine and gas station prices. Make sure to sneak some healthier goodies and produce into the cooler, too, especially on long road trips.