I went on a road trip to visit some the United States National Parks with my entire family, and we had a blast! I was a little bit scary at first, but then, after planning everything smartly and wisely, it was a comfortable and funny experience for everyone! I know how hard it can be to pack for what’s useful and essential, so today I am here to share with you the tips on how to pack for a family road trip with a list of the essentials you should bring with you!
What to Pack for a Family Road Trip
- 1. Documents required to pack for each family member
Don’t forget to always check all passports to ensure their are valid.
- 2. Local currency and some cash
Don’t rely too much on credit cards as you may find it difficult to pay with it on the road in small shops and so on. Also, don’t forget to consider the exchange of the value!
- 3. Some water and snacks
Especially when travelling with kids, you have to think about having the right back-up plan in case you just can’t stop to buy something!
- 4. Pack smart phone charger and power bank
Primarily a power bank could be a saviour when it comes to excursions into nature!
- 5. Toys for the kids to entertain them
Toys are going to be a top priority to treat your little ones while exploring every national park on the road! Kids get bored so quickly and bringing their favourite toys could be the right thing to do!
- 6. The right hiking shoes to master the paths
Exploring national parks is quite an adventure, but you need to be ready for it. Bring the perfect comfortable hiking shoes to keep things going with no problems, pain, or discomfort!
- 7. Pack The perfect gear to explore nature
Bring some thermic shirts, sweatshirt, jackets, and comfy, baggy pants to keep it smooth the hiking and the exploration! Don’t forget a scarf and a hat when it gets colder!
- 8. Some essential cosmetics to stay clean and hydrated
Don’t underestimate this throughout your road trip as you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors while exploring the parks and you’ll need to protect your skin. Some UVA sunscreen would be useful too!
- 9. Consider some optional extras for your car
Once you rent your car to stroll around the country, you should consider some exciting extras. After renting an amazing and cheap car, you could add infant seats and an additional driver. It’s comfortable, convenient, and practical!
- 10. An old-fashioned paper map besides GPS
Paper Map is something I always recommend, especially when a trip is for natural paths and outdoor excursions. Your GPS signals may get lost and it’ll be much more difficult to stay on track and oriented while driving or exploring!
PinThese are my top 10 essentials on how to pack for a family road trip. You should totally pack for a family road trip! Besides these practical tips, always remember to create a balanced and exciting itinerary to make every family member happy and motivate yourself to keep going during this exciting adventure together!
Definitely have and will keep following these tips for family road trips, thanks
I always wind up forgetting something so I welcome and appreciate suggestions and tips for packing. I will keep these in mind for our next road trip. Thanks!
Can I also suggest that you scan, take images of all your documentation and save them in your email or the cloud or leave them with a trusted person in case you lose them or they are stolen.
Great tips!
Thanks for such great tips, we just plan to have summer vacation this year, I will keep your tips in my notebook.
I love the idea of taking a paper map. You never know when technology will fail you! Also the extra driver on a rental car. We’ve made the mistake of not having two drivers listed and we have always regretted it.
Great tips. Comfortable shoes are so important for me since I love to walk and I thought I was one of the few people that like a road map!
All great tips, need all the help I can get
These certainly are useful tips,thanks for sharing!