Travel hacks that will help make your road trips easier. Try a few of these road trip tips and see how much more pleasant your drive is!

We’re a family who travels often. Since there are 5 of us and we aren’t wealthy beyond belief we go on a lot of road trips!! 😉 Here are a few great travel hacks that will help you on your next trip alone or with the kiddos, genius I tell you. (originally published 8/16, affiliate links present)
Whether you’re going on a long road trip with the kids, or a shorter 2 hour jaunt, these travel hacks will come in handy for making the trip more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Which one is your favorite??
- Let’s start with how to travel for free!
- A free road trip packing list
- And our top suggestion is how to make road trip busy bags and bento boxes.

A few basic travel tips to remember before you take off:
Depending on where you’re going you need to ensure you have correct local currency. There may not be an accessible currency exchange location near you, or atms to get local money. You also need to be aware of the exchange rates so you bring enough.
- Make sure you have your I.D. and credit cards
- If you’re traveling internationally and a passport is necessary make sure it isn’t expired
- Keep an extra phone charger in your carry on AND checked bag
- Mark your baggage as fragile so it is handled with care at baggage claim
- Keep hotel room confirmation numbers and wifi passwords saved in your phone (mine is in my notes)
Always save space in your suitcase and carry ons by rolling your clothes and taking a bottle of water with you once you pass security. Here’s a vacation packing list for that.

If you don’t already have the travel sites you’re using downloaded to your phone so so before you leave. You may not have great Wi Fi where you’re going and you don’t want to deal with that.
Also remember to add Google maps to your phone and take a photo or scan your passport on your device in case it gets lost.
Here are a bunch more travel hacks
- Play games like road trip iSpy
- Printable I SPY game for the car from us!
- Things to bring to keep kids busy in the car or plane
- 12 Smartphone Travel Hacks from A Worthey Read
- Kids’ Travel Binder from Sweet Rose Studio

- Kid-Size Travel Pillow is a must for each one of my girls to have
- Road Trip Games
- Life Hacks + Little Secrets to Ensure You Have The Best Road Trip Ever from Lauren Paints
- Road trip checklist for your car, so you don’t forget anything
Yes I am all about check lists, can you tell?? It’s just that when you’re packing and planning a big trip you’re bound to be under a bit of stress and that’s going to cause forgetfulness.
- 12 Essential Items To Road Trip On The Cheap from Thrifty Nomads
- Car Hacks, Trips And Tips For Families from Kids Activities Blog
- 10 Essentials for Your Cross Country Road Trip from Slap Dash Mom
If you’re on the West Coast or plan to visit this area you’ve gotta check out Zion Ponderosa. Love these tips? Check out all the other free printables we offer on The Typical Mom!