What are your best Road Trip tips?

[angiekey]

At the end of the month, my husband and I are heading off on the longest road trip of our life together. We’re driving 2,000 miles from DFW, Texas to Kennebunkport, Maine to spend a week with friends. It’s just the two of us, no kids, no pets, and we’re driving my Prius (50mpg, baby!).

I would love to hear all your best Road Trip tips and tricks and hacks. Whether it’s in the planning, or packing, or while you’re on the road, what advice can you share about taking a road trip?

[Kimberly27]

2 coolers helped us...one we opened a lot with drinks and one to keep food cold. We packed snacks, sandwich stuff (rolls did better than bread), grapes, carrots, other veggies, prepackaged crackers and snacks. When just hubby and I we found a fun audio book to listen too or you can do a fun podcast. We love Dear Bob and Sue or crime podcasts. Download your maps.
I would use the road trips app to find fun pit stop places along your route.
We used suitcases but crates/totes are nice for snacks and such.

Have a first aid box (bandaids, meds (tylenol, nausea etc), creams, scissors, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, alcohol pads etc). Also a small tool kit (hammer, screw drivers wrench, duct tape etc)
Extra toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes....You never know!
A small gas can (just in case)
Flashlights with extra batteries
Small handheld broom/dust pan
Small camping fan (our ac went out on the SUV we had and no way to get a new one or fix so the fan helped a lot.)
Our longest road trip was over 5000 miles and 2 weeks with a lot of camping and hotels.

You may have room in the car for the two of you after all this LOL

[JillW]

Oh my! That is quite a road trip - what a blast it will be!!

We did a major road trip last year ... we packed two coolers as well that included plenty of water and snacks.

Kimberly has a lot of great tips - the only one I would add is to be sure you have your phone charger(s) handy - we ran out of battery as we traveled.

We had a VRBO booked in a few towns along the way, which in retrospect, I would not recommend - obviously, we HAD to stay where we'd booked, but it would have been less hassle and less stressful to just have stopped when we felt like it.

Oh, and I always had my camera near me - snapping photos along the way.

Have a safe and wonderful trip! I bet you will have tons of photos to scrap when you get back home!!

[joelsgirl]

How fun! My only advice is to make sure you have clear expectations for each person when the other is driving. Our biggest fight on our epic road trip was that I wanted to listen to audiobooks on my headphones while Joel was driving, but he wanted me to be available 24/7 when he wanted to say something to me. It's stupid, I know, but once we talked through that the next time we travelled together and came to a compromise, we were great.

[Kimberly27]

I hear you on that Kellie! We love to do road trips and will sometimes when it is just the two of us have nothing playing just quiet or talking. My hubby is a planner and hates to stop so establish that if you are stopping and how long for detours. My MIL would joke that bathroom stops were only when we needed gas and it was jump out and run no slowing down....hurry back to the "bus" before it leaves you. :) We eat our meals in the car (sandwiches, cheese, nuts, fruit etc) and save our stops for gas/bathroom/touristy stuff.
We kept a power strip in our car to plug into an AV switch to plug up multiple things. Extra USB cords and bricks to charge phones.

BTW Kennebunkport is amazing! We stayed in a little place by the water 10+ years ago for a 10 year anniversary trip. Enjoy the trip!! We want to do another road trip up there in the fall months.

[KristinCB]

It’s just the two of us, no kids, no pets

pretty sure you got the best tip already lol :thumbup:

I love road trips! It's really the only type of vacations my husband and I have had together but I really do love them :) I wish I could do more. Our last trip was the summer before covid. I'm so glad we did the going the sun road/glacier national park before the world turned upside down

[lovely1m]

My son and I did a road trip a few years back, just the two of us and he was young. The thing that helped me the most was we found podcasts to listen to together. The time flew by listening and gave us stuff to discuss. I never stopped after, they help me drive without getting bored.

[knittingbec]

My tip: don't buy a new water bottle that won't fit in your cup holder! (I just ordered a cup holder expander last night!)

[KristinCB]

y'all i'm clearly losing my mind because 1) i've commented in this thread 2) i read this title just now as what are your best roast beef tips and I was about to talk about using the instant pot. there's clearly something wrong with me lol.

[Scrapcrazy]

We always pick out audio books that we would both like to listen to and then we have the fun of sharing a good read on our way!

[tjscraps]

y'all i'm clearly losing my mind because 1) i've commented in this thread 2) i read this title just now as what are your best roast beef tips and I was about to talk about using the instant pot. there's clearly something wrong with me lol.

Hahhaa - that brain fog of yours is real!!!



The only thing I have to add is make sure to discuss ahead of time if it's a 'Get there as fast as you can' kind of road trip, or a meandering 'enjoy the ride' trip, where little unexpected stops in small towns along the way adds to the trip. Hubby always wants to go-go-go and get there as fast as possible, I like to stop in the little towns and see what's there lol

[Robin Carlton]

My advice was going to be leave your kids at home, but I see you're already doing that :D

[angiekey]

Ladies, you are the BEST - thank you for coming through for me with such awesome advice!

2 coolers helped us...one we opened a lot with drinks and one to keep food cold. <snip>

Kimberly, these are fantastic tips - thank you so much! I'm definitely planning on bringing two coolers, and I love that we can pack in open crates and totes. So much easier than flying!

Kimberly has a lot of great tips - the only one I would add is to be sure you have your phone charger(s) handy - we ran out of battery as we traveled.


Jill, with your advice in mind, I actually purchased two console/cupholder extenders with an opening on the bottom so you can feed in a phone charger. It'll keep it all nice and organized and right at our fingertips!


We had a VRBO booked in a few towns along the way, which in retrospect, I would not recommend - obviously, we HAD to stay where we'd booked, but it would have been less hassle and less stressful to just have stopped when we felt like it.


Yeah, this is something I've been wrestling with - whether to pre-book hotel rooms for our overnights or just grab something whenever we decide we're ready to stop. The one time I tried that, though, we wound up sleeping in our car in a Walmart parking lot because all the hotels for 50 miles were fully booked - some kind of convention - and we were stuck. Not the worst thing in the world, car camping, but not the most comfortable night of sleep either.

How fun! My only advice is to make sure you have clear expectations for each person when the other is driving. Our biggest fight on our epic road trip was that I wanted to listen to audiobooks on my headphones while Joel was driving, but he wanted me to be available 24/7 when he wanted to say something to me.

Kellie, I couldn't stop laughing when I read this, because I'VE BEEN THERE. Not with my husband, but with my best friend when we did our first road trip together. She got more than a little frustrated with me when I slept almost the entire time I wasn't the one driving. She expected I'd be awake and talking with her to keep her alert - LOL!

I love road trips! It's really the only type of vacations my husband and I have had together but I really do love them :) I wish I could do more.

Road trips were the only vacations my family ever went on when I was a child. Lots of drives up and down I-95 from Virginia to upstate New York or Virginia to Miami to visit family on alternating summers. If this trip goes well, I expect my husband and I will do more in the coming years. Since he works remotely, we can travel on weekends and let him work during the week, requiring fewer vacation days for trips!

My son and I did a road trip a few years back, just the two of us and he was young. The thing that helped me the most was we found podcasts to listen to together. The time flew by listening and gave us stuff to discuss.

We always pick out audio books that we would both like to listen to and then we have the fun of sharing a good read on our way!

I'm hoping I can convince my husband to listen to an audiobook with me along the way. He's a political junkie and we've listened to numerous political podcasts on long drives, but I'd rather listen to something entertaining rather than something that will get him frustrated and angry...

My tip: don't buy a new water bottle that won't fit in your cup holder! (I just ordered a cup holder expander last night!)

Oh no!!! I'm definitely going to test my tumblers and water bottles to make sure they fit.

The only thing I have to add is make sure to discuss ahead of time if it's a 'Get there as fast as you can' kind of road trip, or a meandering 'enjoy the ride' trip, where little unexpected stops in small towns along the way adds to the trip. Hubby always wants to go-go-go and get there as fast as possible, I like to stop in the little towns and see what's there lol

Trina, your advice is super timely as my husband and I just had that very conversation! We compromised: I've agreed we can do the "get there as fast as you can" thing on the way home (trying to do it in 2 segments of 14 hour days with us spelling each other every few hours behind the wheel) and he's agreed we can break up the drive there into 4 days so we can stop and see stuff along the way.

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Ladies, you are AWESOME! Thank you for sharing your advice with me. I'm getting super excited about our trip!

[angiekey]

y'all i'm clearly losing my mind because 1) i've commented in this thread 2) i read this title just now as what are your best roast beef tips and I was about to talk about using the instant pot. there's clearly something wrong with me lol.

Mmmmm ......... roast beef .................

https://media.giphy.com/media/47JVxF4eQZWOxscpGG/giphy.gif

Kristin, brain fog is the worst - but it does lead to some funny stories, for sure! #fibrofog #longcovid #chronicfatigue #ilaughsoidontcry

[Robin Carlton]

y'all i'm clearly losing my mind because 1) i've commented in this thread 2) i read this title just now as what are your best roast beef tips and I was about to talk about using the instant pot. there's clearly something wrong with me lol.

HAHA :D I think I am delirious over here because everything is making me giggle out loud today. Adriaan keeps looking over at me like I'm crazy.

[MamaBee]

Roadside America is a great app for all those dumb roadside attractions! haha We had a blast stopping at all the Muffler Men we found on our way to Galveston from WI. Lots and lots of snacks...

[angiekey]

Roadside America is a great app for all those dumb roadside attractions! haha We had a blast stopping at all the Muffler Men we found on our way to Galveston from WI.

I've not heard of this app before - I'm going to download it now! I'm using Roadtrippers to plan out our drive; Roadside America sounds like it would be a great tool to pair with it. Thank you!

[Brendazzle]

Taking notes in case I get to road trip this year.

The only thing I would add is to plan for detours. My first Christmas with my now-husband, the highway was randomly closed (as in "detour signs said get off the highway and then didn't direct us anywhere") and, even with the GPS, it added an hour and a half to our loooooong day. Luckily, his parents were driving so I got to buy knitting needles at a random Michael's and cast on a sock but it was stressful for them.

[kristalund]

At the end of the month, my husband and I are heading off on the longest road trip of our life together. We’re driving 2,000 miles from DFW, Texas to Kennebunkport, Maine to spend a week with friends. It’s just the two of us, no kids, no pets, and we’re driving my Prius (50mpg, baby!).

I would love to hear all your best Road Trip tips and tricks and hacks. Whether it’s in the planning, or packing, or while you’re on the road, what advice can you share about taking a road trip?

Sounds amazing! We have many road trips on our bucket list!

[aussiegirl]

Ours have mostly been with kids, but one thing we do, when you stop for gas, that is when you go potty and get food nearby also. Otherwise, you are making 2-3 different stops. Truck stop gas stations are some of the cleanest we have found!

Use a map(google maps) to figure out where you would want to stop each night and reserve a hotel ahead of time. My husband's limit is 10 hours in the car. So we figure out where that would be, and get a hotel nearby. Waiting until you are there, you may pay more or not find any hotels in the area.

While it can be fun to make a few stops along the way (to get out and walk around, stretch etc) limit this. Especially if Maine is your main destination. There will be plenty to do in Maine, but a couple stops along the way doesn't hurt!

Be mindful of toll roads, fees etc. Some of these you pay ahead of time, others charge you by your license plate.

My husband uses WAZE app to tell us where there may be traffic backups, construction, etc.

Keep a flashlight in your glove box. This can help late at night or super early morning to see something without having to turn on the overhead light.

Pack a few light snacks, gum, mints, bottled water to save on having to stop and buy these items (you probably still will, but you can start out strong by having a few on hand). Even making some sandwiches ahead of time (our fav is hawaiian rolls with meat and cheese. Pack the mayo and mustard seperately so they don't get soggy. Put them together when you are ready to eat).

[AmieN1]

Sounds so fun! We road trip tons! My hubby is a hurry & get there guy- where I'm like- lets stop at all the monuments. lol! I have learned that I like my own pillow with me in my seat, I can sit a book on it on my lap or use to to doze off when I get sleepy.