Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay
Are you planning on heading out on a road trip soon?
If so, you’re going to need some road trip accessories.
Over the years, we’ve figured out what we need and don’t need to have in our car or van for our road trips. And with that experience, we’ve compiled a list of car travel accessories.
These travel accessories will help you stay safe and organized on your road trip and allow you to sit back and enjoy the journey ahead.
Let’s dive in.
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Car Safety Accessories
Some of the most important but often forgotten accessories are the ones meant to keep you safe on your road trip. These car safety accessories will help make sure you arrive at your destination safely.
Roadside Emergency Kit
A roadside emergency kit is a must for all road trips and a good thing to keep in your car all of the time. You never know when there might be an accident or your car makes the executive decision to take a break when you least expect it.
If something does happen, it is good to have a kit on hand to help. things to make sure your roadside assistance kit includes are:
- Jumper cables
- Tire gauge
- Work gloves
- Flares or Roadside Triangles
- Emergency Blanket
This one from Amazon has all the essentials and is relatively cheap too!
First Aid Kit
Many roadside emergency kits contain first aid kits. But if yours doesn’t, then make sure to bring a small first aid kit on your next road trip. You never know when you might need one.
Roadside Assistance Membership
Roadside assistance such as AAA is beneficial if you encounter emergencies while on the road.
These membership programs allow you to call someone in case of emergency and ask them for help when you are on the side of the road. This might seem like a luxury, but it can be beneficial if you find yourself stuck without any assistance nearby.
Many auto insurance companies offer roadside assistance plans, so check yours to see if it’s included in your plan. If not, it’s usually very inexpensive to add.
Tire Chains for Winter Driving
Depending on where you are traveling, winter-like weather can be an issue even in the summer. Standard car tires can not handle snow-covered mountain and rural roads well.
Therefore, having tire chains in your car if you hit poor road conditions is a must to ensure you get to your destination safely.
We haven’t used ours yets, but there is peace of mind knowing we have them if bad weather sneaks upon us.
Many are easy to install when you need them, and some with a carrying case for compact storage.
Window wipes for Inside Your Car
Sometimes the inside of your windows get filthy, and it makes seeing out of them difficult.
Keeping a small pack of window wipes in your car will help you keep your windows clean and be able to drive safely.
More Road Trip Safety Tips:
Best Weather App for Road Trips
How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip
Navigation Accessories
GPS Navigation System
The most essential road trip navigation accessory is the GPS system.
These days our smartphones are often used as our GPS systems. Applications like Google and Apple maps can provide both directions and traffic information.
But if you prefer, there are several other models on the market today that you can mount on your car’s dashboard.
Many of these GPS devices can connect to your backup camera and provide extensive safety features. These features include sending text alerts in the event of a crash, lane departure notifications, and front-collision warnings.
Protip: For any GPS device (phone or mounted), make sure to download the necessary maps to your device before leaving home. You never know when you’ll find yourself without cell service.
Paper Road Map or Atlas
You never know when your GPS device is going to fail you. Maybe you are in the middle of nowhere, and you forgot to download a map, or your device is simply not working.
In these cases, having a paper map is essential.
Also, there is something fun and adventurous about using a paper map to discover your surroundings. Especially when you are traveling abroad in an unknown territory, it can be empowering.
Entertainment Accessories
Tablet
Tablets are a great way to stay entertained on a road trip, and they are great for both kids and adults.
With a tablet, you can download movies and TV shows on them. You can also use apps, like Netflix, to stream your favorite TV Shows directly from home.
Some models even have built-in cloud storage, so you won’t run out of space when streaming or downloading content.
Protip: Subscribe to Slickdeals to be alerted when high ticket items like tablets go on sale.
Road Trip Games
Road trip games are a great way to pass the time. There are fun classic games like the license plate game or I spy.
There are also a ton of fun games to be played on your tablet or smartphone.
These days, road trip games apps are available in the app stores, and they provide great entertainment for everyone on the trip.
Make sure to bring along or download a few games before you leave.
Frisbee or Football
A toy such as a frisbee or a football is a great accessory to have in your car.
Throwing a ball around for a bit helps get the blood flowing. And, for kids, it allows them to expend a bit of pent-up energy from being in the car.
Comfort Accessories
Blankets and Pillows
Being comfortable on your car ride is essential, so having blankets and pillows in the car is a must.
We love the Rumpl blanket, but we’ll be honest, it is a bit of a splurge. It’s lightweight, warm, weather-resistant, and easily stuffs into its compact carrying case.
If you are looking for something a little less expensive, this blanket is a great option.
An excellent car pillow will help you sleep while sitting upright while preventing your head from bobbing around with every bump. No one likes to get woken up with every turn or bump in the road.
For a great car pillow, check out this neck pillow.
Comfy Shoes
Comfy, breathable, and sturdy shoes are a perfect accessory for your road trip.
We love these slippers from Teva. They are super comfortable and easy to slip on and off. And perfect for both driving and hanging out in the hotel or campground.
Seat Cushions or Back Support
Seat cushions or back support pillows help you to be comfortable in the car when traveling long
distances.
They are great for soothing your body and helping it relax while mitigating any pain from sitting in a car seat for long periods.
Electronic Accessories
Plug-in Charging Station for Car
With so many electronic devices needed for your road trip, a charging station for multiple devices is a great accessory. You don’t want to get to your destination only to find that your camera isn’t charged.
There will be no more fights about which device needs to get charged next.
This charging station with a long cord for backseat charging is a perfect solution.
Portable Power Bank
Another option for device charging is to have a portable power bank. Power banks provide days of charging power, and you don’t need to find an outlet for your device.
Many are compact enough to throw in your pocket or purse, so you’ll never be without power.
The Anker portable charger is super affordable and fantastic for all of your charging needs.
Cord Organizer
When traveling with multiple electronic devices, it can be hard to keep track of all of your charging cords.
A cord organizer will help you keep everything in place so you can find what you need and get back to enjoying your trip.
Phone Car Mount
Although smartphones are convenient on the road, they are only handy if you can see them easily while driving. Luckily, there is a solution to this problem in the form of phone car mounts.
A phone mount will allow you to mount your device securely so you can view it easily while still maintaining full mobility in the car.
We like the one that suction to your window or dash.
We’ve tried the ones that mount on the air vents, but the phone’s positioning didn’t quite work for us.
What car mount works for you will depend on your car. The main thing to look for is that you can easily see the screen without taking your eyes entirely off the road.
Protip: If you have a vehicle that has Bluetooth capabilities, consider installing a hands-free speakerphone in your car as well. This will allow you to use voice commands on your phone, similar to the way Siri works.
Organization
Back seat organizer for kids
If you are traveling with kids, a back seat organizer will help keep things neat and organized back there.
Things can get out of hand pretty quickly if you don’t have some sort of organizational system for all of your kids’ stuff.
This backseat organizer has been a great solution for keeping the kids organized. Plus, it is big enough to hold multiple devices as well.
Trash Can
Another great thing to have in the car is a small trash can. A trash can is great for keeping wrappers and other junk off of the floor.
It will also help your vehicle stay tidy throughout the trip, so no one has to sit in a pile of trash.
Trunk Organizer
A trunk organizer will help keep things organized and easily accessible during your road trip.
The last thing you want to do is empty the entire trunk to find the one thing you need is on the bottom.
There are many options for trunk organizers, and the one you buy will depend on the type of vehicle you are traveling in.
Road Trip Outdoor Adventure Accessories
Packable Backpack/Day Pack
If you plan to do any sightseeing or hiking along your road trip, a small packable backpack is a must.
The best daypacks for travel are those that don’t take up much room in the car and are also comfortable to wear while you are on your adventures.
We love the Osprey daypack that packs into a small stuff sack about the length and width of a pen.
Eating on the Road Accessories
Picnic Blanket
One of our favorite things is to find a nice lunch spot to take a break from sitting in the car.
Having something comfortable to sit on (like a picnic blanket) for your meal stops will help make eating on the road more enjoyable.
A compact picnic blanket is an excellent accessory for dining on the road, and it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
This foldable blanket zips up and can easily be stored in your car.
Plug-In Cooler
Another great thing to have during your road trip is an eclectic cooler for keeping food and drinks cold.
A cooler is essential for road trips where you stay in hotels or have picnics because it will help keep things cold overnight.
But an eclectic cooler makes your road trips even more hassle-free. There is no more draining the cooler and stopping for ice.
This is an accessory you won’t regret buying.
Wet wipes
Alright, these aren’t necessarily an accessory for your car. However, you will not regret having a pack of these wipes in your glove compartment.
Wet wipes have many uses, including cleaning up any spills and disinfecting your car’s inside car.
\More Road Trip Essentials:
26 Essential Van Camping Accessories for Your Next Adventure
The Ultimate Camping Road Trip Packing List
Road Trip Food Ideas: Packable Snacks and Make-ahead Meals
You Got This
With this list, you are ready to get on the road and explore new places! We hope this blog post helps you find everything your next trip needs. Be safe, be prepared, and have a blast exploring the world.
