Living in Charlotte, we are just a 9-hour drive away from getting a dose of Disney magic, a short 4-hour drive to the beach when we need some sand between our toes, and only a 2-hour drive away from the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains. One of the biggest perks of living in the southeast is the sheer number of awesome places for a family to visit just a road trip away. Needless to say, our family spends a lot of time in the car together when it comes to our vacations and getaways. Every single time it comes to packing up the car, it feels like I’m just jamming things into the trunk. When in doubt, toss it in! Right?? Isn’t that one of the biggest benefits of driving vs. flying? Actually, I admit this is probably the worst tactic for organization and I always worry that I’m forgetting something. Not exactly how you want to start that long drive: biting your nails and fretting over what you left behind on accident. When it comes to surviving a road trip with kids, the real key is being organized. To make packing your car infinitely easier, I’ve rounded up all the road trip necessities a family with young kids needs in one handy checklist for you to keep handy for your next trip. Be sure to grab your free printable packing list at the bottom of the post!
The Ultimate Road Trip Packing List for Families
I’ve sorted each of the items into easy categories. Let me know if I forgot anything in the comments, I’ll add it to this list!
Health & Safety Items for the Car
You never know when you’re going to need one of these safety items for someone in the car.
How to Make the Trip More Comfortable
If you’re on a long drive, these items for the car will help everyone stay comfortable for the drive:
Road Trip Food & Entertainment
Melt downs are much less likely if everyone is fed and happy on the go!
Free Printable Packing List
Every family is different. Some of the items we recommend may or may not work for your particular set of kids. Since I can’t stand printable packing lists that have a bunch of items on them that we don’t need, I created a perfectly custom packing list you can use to work for your family. To get the printable packing list, simply sign up for my email list right here. So what did we miss? Is there a road trip car essential your family can’t live without? I’d love to know! We are always planning our next big adventure, I can’t wait to get out there again! Check out these great lists to help make sure you don’t forget a thing:
