Road Trip Essentials: 25+ Things You’ll Need When You Hit The Road

I’m excited to be teaming up with Boiron Oscillococcinum to share the road trip essentials that I can’t live without. All opinions are 100% my own.

Hitting the road for a vacation? From portable chargers to a roadside emergency kit, these are the road trip essentials you need to have the best time ever!

Road Trip Essentials

These are just a few of our must-haves. Keep reading for the full list and scroll to the end to get your free printable road trip packing list.

• Boiron Oscillococcinum
• First Aid Kit 
• Antibacterial Wipes 
• Trash Bags 
• Portable Chargers
• Batteries 
• Music
• Headphones
• Travel Games
• Slip-on Shoes
• Paper Towels
• Window Shades
• Roadside Emergency Kit
• Flashlight
• Printed Directions
• Spare Change

I love a good road trip. How exciting is it throw everything in the car and take off on an adventure to who knows where?! Not only is it fun to get to your final destination but with a road trip, you can stop along the way to explore places you may not have seen otherwise. Plus, whether you’re road tripping with friends, your spouse or the entire family, it makes for the perfect bonding time (especially when you bring some road trip games along)!

Packing For A Road Trip

Great road trips don’t just happen on their own. Behind every successful road trip, there’s someone who spent time planning, preparing and making sure all the right road trip gear is packed before taking off (and we all know that person is mom!).

I’ve traveled enough to know there are just certain things we can’t live without and packing what we need for a road trip can mean the difference between smooth sailing or a rocky ride.

These are some of the travel essentials we just can’t leave home without…

Boiron Oscillococcinum

One of the worst things that can happen while traveling is that you get sick. That’s why I like to head things off the second any of us feel flu symptoms coming and my go-to is always Boiron Oscillococcinum. 

I first heard about this homeopathic flu medicine years ago when my husband and I were dating. I was coming down with something and had all the classic flu symptoms…body aches, headache, fatigue, chills, fever, etc*. It was NOT a good time for me to get the flu (is it ever?) and he suggested I try Oscillococcinum. His mom always swore by it and now he did too. He brought me a box to try. 

It was different from anything I’d taken before. Oscillococcinum is made up of sweet tasting pellets that dissolve under your tongue and clinical studies have shown that it reduces the severity and duration of flu symptoms. It totally did the trick for me and I’ve been using it ever since. Since children as young as two can take it, we can give it to our girls too.  

The small container is convenient for travel so I can easily throw some in my bag when I’m packing for a road trip. Because it doesn’t make me drowsy or interact with other medications or supplements, I can feel totally safe taking over the wheel and letting my hubby have a break.  

We’re not the only ones that swear by it. People in more than fifty countries have been using it for 50+ years and it’s the best-selling flu medicine overall. I like to stock up so that I have it on hand when I need it and it’s easy to find at supermarkets and drug stores. Head to their site now to get a $2 coupon for your next 6 or 12 dose box.

*These “uses” have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration

While Boiron Oscillococcinum is at the top of my list while packing for a road trip, it’s not all we need (that would be way too easy)! Here are the other things you’ll find in our car…

First Aid Kit

You never know when you’re going to need a first aid kit on the road, especially if you’ve got the kids in tow. It’s just one more thing you hope you won’t need but will be glad to have if you do.

Antibacterial Wipes

Antibacterial wipes are another one of my top road trip essentials. The last thing I want to do is touch a gas pump handle (SO germy), then eat a snack. Throw in an extra pack or two for road trips with kids!

Blankets

Our family has a temperature problem. When some of us are comfortable, others are cold and visa versa. We’ve solved that problem by bringing along extra blankets so that everyone is cozy and happy.

Pillows

Leaning your head against the window glass to get a quick nap is never comfy. Some might prefer travel pillows but when we road trip, we love our cushy full size pillows.

Drinks & Snacks

Stopping along the way for drinks and snacks not only takes extra time but it can get expensive. I save money and time by bringing along plenty of stuff to eat and drink. It’s one of the most important road trip essentials to remember!

Small Cooler

Unless you don’t mind your drinks warm, you’ll want to bring along a small portable cooler keep things chill.

Trash Bags

When you bring drinks and snacks, you’ll need something for the trash too. I usually just throw a few plastic grocery bags in the car and we’re good to go.

Batteries

If you bring electronic games or anything else that takes batteries, be sure to bring along a few extras.

Portable Chargers

Another of my road trip essentials are portable chargers. While we’ve got one plug-in charger in the car, portable chargers are a must have so we’re not all fighting over the plug-in. The one thing none of us want when traveling is for the electronics to run out of juice. 

Music

I have to have my music when we’re on a road trip and it can be frustrating when we have a weak radio signal or we’re in a dead zone and can’t stream music. Before we leave, I make sure I’ve got all my favorite tunes downloaded to my phone. That way we always have something to jam out to, even if we’re in the middle of nowhere. 

Headphones

With more than one person in the car, you’ll need headphones. That way when the kids are playing their video games in the back, the grownups can listen to music or podcasts.

Travel Games

I don’t mind the girls playing on their electronics for some of the time but part of the fun of a road trip is the bonding experience. Bring some travel games along and set aside time to play. 

Books

A road trip is the perfect time to chill with that books that we never got around to reading back home.

Slip On Shoes

I learned early on that traveling with slip on shoes like flip flops or sandals is the only way to go, whether you’re flying or taking a road trip. Sneakers can be a hassle when you’re just running into the rest stop for a quick potty break. You won’t catch us in anything but slip on shoes. It just saves time and makes life easier.

Extra Clothes

When we’re traveling with the kids, we can usually count on a spill or two. I don’t want to have to dig through suitcases for clothes so I just pack a separate bag with a fresh change of clothes.  

Paper Towels

How can you NOT bring paper towels in the car for road trips? They’re great for cleaning up spills, using as napkins and even wrapping around cold soda bottles to keep condensation from dripping everywhere.

Sunglasses

Those little sun visors in the front seats don’t always do the trick so we always keep extra sunglasses in the car for sunny days.

Window Shades

There’s nothing worse than when the afternoon sun blasts full-on through the window. We like to bring along detachable window shades to block the sun…we’re a little shady that way!

Umbrella

On the flip side, bring an umbrella along for those rainy days. You’ll have to get out of the car at some point and you don’t want to have to get back in the car soaked from the downpour.

Roadside Emergency Kit

Most of us keep one of these in our car anyway but it’s even more important to have one for a road trip. It’s better to have those jumper cables and not need them than the other way around. While you’re at it, make sure the spare tire is in there too. 

Scissors

I always keep a small, kid sized pair in the car. You never know when you’ll need it to open a pack of crackers or that toy that came in the kid’s meal. 

Flashlight

You never know when a flashlight will come in handy. It’s super helpful to have if you need to change a tire at night or just read in the backseat once the sun goes down.

Printed Directions

Technology is great but we all know it can be unreliable at times. It’s always best to print your directions before you leave, just in case you lose connection and can’t pull them up.

Phone Mount

When you are using your phone for directions, which most of us are, a hands free phone mount makes things a lot easier and even more important, a lot safer.

Spare Change

Will you be going through toll booths along the way? It’s always good to bring extra change along. There’s nothing worse than digging for change last minute when you see an unexpected toll booth ahead.

Make it easy and use this free printable to help you pack… 

Whether it’s sunglasses to shield your eyes or Borion Oscillococcinum to shield you from flu symptom, this is the road trip gear you won’t want to leave home without!

Are you already planning your next trip? Where will you be heading?

For more travel tips and wellness info, visit the Oscillococcinum travel site. Don’t forget to print your $2 coupon to get a box of your own.

You can also learn more about Boiron Oscillococcinum by following them on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube