Written by Christi Sparrow
Prefer to watch/listen to the 8 tips? – Click on the image below.
Ah, road trips. There’s nothing like packing the car for an adventure, setting off, and putting serious miles behind you. It’s undeniably freeing to chart your own course and have the flexibility to incorporate unexpected sights along the way. With these essential road trip tips, you’ll be confidently on your way to your family’s next adventure.
I grew up taking family road trips from Maryland to Florida each summer, so I’m well-trained in how to use a public restroom without touching any surfaces, how to curb motion sickness, and how you’ll never be sorry for leaving before the crack of dawn to beat the morning rush hour. Now as parents we’ve driven thousands of miles with our own kids, and we’re passing the road trip tips down to them.
In December 2020 we took our first family road trip here in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We drove 18 cautious hours from Sarasota, Florida to Charlottesville, Virginia. (Our GPS calculated the route would take approximately 14.5 hours, but hey, #familypace.) Our goal was to get to our destination as efficiently and safely as possible while minimizing our contact with others. Since we have two drivers, we chose to drive straight through.
Of course, much of the mechanics, (no pun intended), of road trips are the same as they were before the pandemic, but there are undoubtedly new issues to contend with and more preparation to consider.
Below are our top eight road trip tips for an efficient, safe, comfortable, and successful journey in the U.S. in 2021.
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Road Trip Tip #1: Know Before You Go
Of all our road trip tips, this one should be your first step. If you plan to cross state lines, heck, even if you plan to cross county lines, it’s prudent to check each jurisdiction’s requirements and rules for travelers due to COVID-19. Some states require negative COVID tests within a certain timeframe of arrival and may have quarantine requirements for travelers.
For example, as of February 2021, Pennsylvania required a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival or a commitment to quarantine for 10 days upon entering the state. So we got tested.
Bottom line: know what’s expected of you and be prepared. It’s incumbent upon travelers to move around safely and responsibly.
Road Trip Tip #2: Updated Road Trip Essentials
Traveling during a pandemic warrants a few additional road trip supplies. Here’s a glimpse of the essentials to pack.
- Disposable and/or reusable face masks
- Hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray
- Disposable gloves (Some gas stations provide these in dispensers at their pumps, but don’t rely on them.)
- Compostable plastic trash bags – Can also be used for pumping gas 🙂
- Water, and plenty of it. Consider filling a large reusable water bottle per person. We particularly love our Yetis and our Hydro Flasks.
- Cash for emergencies. Even though we are all trying to go cashless as much as possible, you never know when you might encounter a situation where cash is the only option.
- First aid kit
- Chargers for phones and other electronic devices
- Road atlas. It’s wise to have a road atlas handy when passing through areas with spotty cell coverage, (or in the instance when your phone battery dies; see item listed previously). Take screen shots of your map and start your navigation app while you have coverage for a better chance of seamless directions.
- Snacks! See Road Trip Tip #3 below.
Road Trip Tip #3: Meals and Snacks
Packing a road trip food stash is one of my favorite parts of planning a road trip, and it directly contributes to happy, healthy travelers.
With the goals of minimizing exposure and contact with others and keeping immune systems strong, packing wholesome meals and snacks for the road is extra important nowadays. Plus, you never know when you’ll get stuck in traffic or get delayed due to weather, so it’s wise to be prepared. And packing your meals can save money, too! Consider using bento boxes with tight-fitting lids to make mealtimes easy.
Some of our family’s favorite road trip meals and snacks include:
- Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
- Turkey pesto avocado wraps
- Hard boiled eggs
- Cheese sticks or Babybel cheeses
- Bell pepper sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber slices
- Apples, bananas, clementines/mandarins
- Dried fruit or freeze-dried fruit
- Nuts, trail mix
- Yogurt cups
- Hummus cups
- 3-ingredient banana oatmeal cookies
- Peanut butter energy balls
Road Trip Tip #4: Stay Organized, Stay Sane
Your car is a confined space. Think tiny house living! One way to stay sane is to get organized with packing cubes. We use one packing cube for our cleaning kit, one for diaper change supplies, one for electronics and cords, and one for each of the kids’ toys and activities.
Also consider a car organizer to maximize every inch of potential storage space. At each stop, put items back in their homes and empty the car of trash.
Items shown in the Packing Cubes above:
Sanitizer supplies: See Road Tip #2 or consider a Travel Sanitizer Kit.
Travel Toys Supplies:
– Water Wow
– The Gruffalo Book
– Tegu Cubes
– Reusable Sticker Set
– Peter Rabbit Soft Toy
Road Trip Tip #5: Are We There Yet? Enter Entertainment
Take some time to think about what each member of your family enjoys, and pack a few new items that are bound to captivate them. As you gather your arsenal of entertainment for your next road trip, consider these tips.
- Download new ebooks for each traveler. Check your library’s offerings for free books.
- Discount stores like the Dollar Tree are great for picking up a few new-to-them books, coloring books, crayons, stickers, toys, or road trip games. Pick up a small metal cookie sheet which can be used as a tray for writing and eating and a magnet board. Dollar Tree is also a great place to load up on snacks.
- Select some new podcasts to enjoy as a family. Our favorite podcasts for kids include Julie’s Library, Circle Round, But Why, and Storytime. Be sure to download your podcasts before you leave home, just in case you pass through spots with no data coverage. Don’t forget car chargers!
- Reusable sticker books, Water Wow books, magnetic drawing boards, and magic ink coloring books are great road trip activities with minimal mess risk.
- Select a new app or two for each of your kids to explore, and download them to your tablets before you leave home.
- Don’t underestimate the power of tried and true road trip games like I Spy and Bingo. We often host our own episode of America’s Got Talent! (Or Britain’s Got Talent to please daddy :))
- I highly recommend a deck of conversation cards. It’s a terrific, simple way to engage everyone in the family.
- If you have the space, a new little travel companion is a sweet, unexpected gift for young kids. It’s fun to travel with a new friend!
Road Trip Tip #6: Find Creative Rest Stops
Here again, the idea is to minimize exposure to other people as much as possible. Use your maps app and apps like RoadTrippers and All Trails to locate free parks and unique attractions with wide open spaces to stretch, picnic, and run around.
For example, on our drive from Florida to Virginia, we found a nature preserve where we enjoyed our picnic lunch. And later in the day, we found some empty soccer fields in Florence, South Carolina, that made the perfect place for stretching stiff legs.
Road Trip Tip #7: Auto Maintenance
Pandemic or not, it bears mentioning to make sure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape for the distance you plan to travel. Getting your vehicle tuned up will give you the best chance of mitigating unexpected inconveniences, breakdowns, delays, and frustrations.
Our vehicle had been sitting dormant for a year, and so it needed an oil change, new brake pads, and turns out, a new power lift gate system!
And of course, remember to bring your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and a copy of your auto insurance policy.
Road Trip Tip #8: Deep Breaths, Have Fun!
Attitudes are contagious, especially when you’re confined to a car for long hours. Before you leave the driveway, decide how you will set the tone for your trip. Your positive attitude, patience, and creativity will do wonders for you and your family’s experience. With the trip planning behind you, you’re free to enjoy the trip and make new lasting memories!
Does your next family adventure include flying? If so, check out some ideas on how to entertain your toddler during your flight. And don’t miss our list of essential family travel items as you plan your next trip. Happy trails to you!
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8 thoughts on “Eight Road Trip Tips for 2021”
Great post. We love road trips! This is a very comprehensive guide with useful points and will definitely use some of these ideas for our future family trips.
Thanks, Michael! Happy travels. 🙂
Awwh there are some great tips here. What a fab post. Cant wait till we’re allowed to travel again. Miss it so much. Well done
Thanks, Lynne! Take care. 🙂
Very inclusive!
Hi Jade, thanks for reading our post and visiting our blog!
Great post! Will be saving some of these ideas for our family trip this summer.
Hi guys!!! We are back in Texas and planning on more road trips soon as well! We have two 5 month old grandsons, so we are really excited about the ideas for when travelling with the littles. We hope to see you guys soon! Much love
Cindi and Ken ♥️