Must Haves For a Family Road Trip Plus FREE Printable Packing Checklist!

This Spring Break we decided to pack up the car and head off on a road trip to Tampa!  Now if it was just my husband and I, it would’ve taken maybe 30 minutes to gather our clothing and toiletries and we’d be on our way in no time.  But that is not the case as we have two very awesome little boys, and if you don’t already know, with two very awesome little boys comes A LOT more planning and packing!

First and foremost, until they are a little bit older (mine are 10 and 8), I do not recommend letting your children pack their own clothing.  Last time they packed their own bags, we were missing underwear, toothbrushes and toothpaste, a swim shirt and a few shirts.  They did however remember their Pokemon cards, stuffed animals, LEGOs, and electronics.  I commended them on helping out and made a mental note to keep that task on my traveling to do list.

Depending on where you are going, you’ll need to pack appropriate clothing.  Be sure to check the weather and also take into consideration any formal nights/events.  The weather isn’t always 100% accurate but it can give you a good idea of the temperature and if you’ll need to pack raincoats, etc.  I always pack two extra pairs of undies and socks for the boys, a zippered sweatshirt or sweater incase it gets cold at night, and an extra t-shirt or two in case of random spillage.  What’s nice about driving as opposed to flying to a vacation spot is that you won’t get charged for heavy or extra luggage!

Even though we were going to a location that had easily accessible pharmacies and supermarkets, it’s frustrating to have to stop off if we need anything.  In a zippered tote bag, I packed the following:

• Advil (for adults and kids)
• Bandaids
• Thermometer
• Vitamins
• Allergy Medicine

Our road trip was only going to be about 3 and a half hours, so I didn’t have to pack too much in terms of entertainment for the boys.  I grabbed the following:

• Reading books
• Electronics (and chargers)
• Headphones (a MUST if they are going to be on their electronics and you don’t want to have a symphony of game sounds coming from the back seat)
• Deck of cards
• Blanket
• Ball – If the trip was to be longer and we were stopping at a rest stop to stretch our legs, this would come in handy!

Sustenance during the voyage is huge.  Our boys have a tendency to say, “I’m hungry” about every 30 minutes, so we needed to be prepared.  I packed a reusable grocery bag with the following:

• Protein or granola bars
• Popcorn
• Water bottles
• Chocolate bars (my oldest is a chocoholic)
• Gummy bears (something sweet)

Don’t forget to prep your car!  Make sure the tires are properly inflated to the recommended air pressure. Peek in the trunk and confirm that the emergency kit is there (just in case – you never know).  It should contain jumper cables, a first-aid kit, road flares, a flashlight (with batteries), and a reflective triangle.  Set your favorite radio stations and if you have Sirius do the same!  Our Kia had bluetooth so once the radio signal to our usual stations started to go, we listened to Pandora.  It was perfect!

Before we embark, we prep the car.  Luggage goes in the trunk area, cold bottled waters are distributed to each seat, all chargers are plugged in.

The Kia Sorento that we took to Tampa had an overabundance of outlets for charging.  In the front seat area, there were 2 12V and two USBs.  In the back seat there was one USB, one conventional plug, and one 12V.  My youngest “called” the conventional outlet as his own.  They are so funny sometimes.

The boys had more than enough room to stretch out and relax – and I loved the center cup holder!