Need some help with road trip survival tactics? I get it. I drive from Seattle, Washington to Tucson, Arizona several times a year with a husband, two teenagers, two dogs, a guinea pig, and everything but the kitchen sink stuffed into my very uncool mom-van. One question I get asked frequently is how I survive that drive with a family.
Road trips were miserable for me growing up. It was the time before smart phones, tablets, the internet, and even well-functioning air conditioning. I have enough memories of squeezing into the back seat a hot sedan with my equally-sweaty siblings in the middle of the Arizona summer to write an autobiographical horror story. Imagine listening to static-filled music of your father’s choosing while your parents argue and the sun beats down on your sunburnt legs for two solid days. For that reason, I really go out of my way to make family road trips something bearable.
Luckily, modern technology has made road trip survival much more possible. I dare say that… well, I even enjoy it.
Okay, I’ve said enough. You really didn’t need my life story before getting to the tips. So… here’s my family road trip survival guide!
Have a plan mapped out before you go and double-check it the day you leave.
I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s actually a step worth noting first. There a few different routes we can take to get from Washington to Arizona, and we’ve discovered that we have to check the driving and road conditions the night before we leave AND the morning we go for the most up-to-date info.
Often, we change our original plan the day we leave.
For example, last winter we chose to follow one route and ended up on a very different one mid-drive because we hit a snow storm with road closures as we passed through Oregon. This was actually not an isolated event.
Long drives are difficult enough. Being familiar with multiple routes and options can eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress when you have to change plans as you go.
Snacks and hydration are important.
Have plenty of water and food with you before you leave. Depending on where you are headed, you could end up in locations without access to a gas station or rest stop for hours at a time.
We bring a cooler and a reusable shopping bag full of snacks we can eat without making a mess of the car. With teenagers, it’s safe to say we bust into those options every other hour. Having snacks readily available is definitely one of the most important road trip survival strategies for my family.
Don’t wait to fill up on gas.
I don’t know why it took us multiple oh my gosh gas is an emergency moments to realize we need to fill up even if we have half a tank left, but it did. Having enough gas to not end up stranded on the side of the road like an idiot is definitely road trip survival 101.
I find this to be particularly true when driving through Nevada. There are long stretches of highway with zero cell service and no gas stations that go on for what feels like hours.
Podcasts can make the time fly.
Download several episodes of multiple podcasts before you leave. I recommend something that keeps your brain alert if you are the driver. I’ll admit this is a little twisted, but I like listening to true crime podcasts. They keep me wide awake when the drive gets monotonous.
My favorite true crime podcasts are Once Upon a Crime, The Minds of Madness, Casefile, Serial, and Criminal.
Create music playlists before you go.
We have a family subscription to Spotify, and it is well worth it for us. I like to create playlists of different genres before a road trip, and I make sure everyone in the car has their own set of headphones or earbuds so that no one can complain about the music choices.
Pro Tip: Download your favorite playlists so that you have access to your favorite tunes even when you lose cell coverage.
Listen to an audiobook.
Never underestimate the power of a good story, especially if you’re on a family road trip. The best part about audiobooks for my family is that we are able to find teen and young adult books that are interesting for all of us.
Family road trips are best with blankets, pillows, earplugs, and a sleep mask.
Making sure everyone in the car is as comfortable as possible should be a priority. It can really make the difference between a miserable long drive and one that passes by quickly.
Even if you’re driving during the summer, don’t forget the blankets. I recently ran a 200-mile summer relay race and instantly regretted not bringing a blanket for the 2-day car ride even though it was warm outside… luckily, my team captain had one for me to borrow.
If you are low on space but still want to bring a pillow, I really like this one.
If you’re traveling with animals, bring a collapsible water dish.
This is SO DUMB, but it took me several cross country road trips before I realized that having collapsible water and food dishes for my dogs is an absolute must. Dealing with their dishes is kind of a pain. The collapsible ones fit in the limited space, and they make it easy to give my pups water mid-drive.
Road Trip Survival 101: Prioritize rest.
This should be the simplest tip out there, but how often have you driven when you’re exhausted? Too many times, right? Unfortunately, I am not able to sleep sitting up, so I’m not the kind of person who can actually nap in the car.
We’ve driven almost 30 hours without stopping for the night on more than one occasion. This is very risky and I do not recommend it.
My husband can’t drive at night without getting drowsy, so I’m always the designated nighttime driver. However, being awake and being wired on caffeine and adrenaline is NOT the same as being awake and capable of making safe choices.
I learned the hard way how dangerous exhaustion is after nearly getting kidnapped and/or murdered at a rest stop (true story and scary as heck… I’ll have to tell you about it in a separate post). After that, we stopped the 28-hour straight-through drives. Now we always plan a stop at about the halfway point to get some rest.
Stop at National and State Parks along the way.
On a recent solo trip to central Oregon, I took a quick side trip to Smith Rock State Park.
On other family road trips we have stopped at Zion, Death Valley, and Sequoia National Parks. For my next drive from Arizona to Washington, I’m hoping to stop at Lake Tahoe or somewhere else along the way.
Having one or more scenic stops planned during a road trip can turn a miserably long drive into one full of amazing and beautiful sights!
Do you have any road trip survival tips that work well for you?
Like this post? Check out my road trip itinerary for Sedona and Antelope Canyon!