26 Things To Pack If You're Prepping To Take A Looooooooong Car Ride

Buzz Feed

03-03-2025

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They say it's about the journey, not the destination, and these might just make the journey a little bit easier.
1. An over-the-seat organizer that has pockets, pockets, and MORE POCKETS! Whether it's endless gas station candies, a large McDonald's Sprite, or some entertaining games, this has the space to keep you organized for your long journey ahead.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These were a last-minute purchase before a summer road trip with our 4- and 7-year-old sons, and I couldn't be happier! It's a great way to keep the car organized with games, toys, colors, devices, water bottles, etc. Definitely recommend for every day and road trip use!" — Kathy
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in five colors).
2. A fluffy car pillow because waking up from an amazing car nap usually comes with the not-so-amazing neck pain. This easily buckles behind the headrest and gives you a *proper* place for your head to rest. Neck pain? Never heard of her.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "My second grader used this while we road-tripped for two weeks. It eliminated that awkward contortion that kids do when they nap in the car. It was definitely one of our more useful purchases for the trip. Keep in mind that the pillow is large and can take up some space in a cramped car. Outside of traveling, my kid likes to use it inside the house since it's so soft. She naps with it on the bed or just snuggles with it while reading." — Sarah Aquino
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two styles and six colors).
3. A license plate game that'll get you and your kiddos to keep your eyes off Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and look out for plates from Idaho, Florida, and Texas! Each license plate is magnetic, so you won't lose them all over the car floor.
Promising review: "I love this for road trips. I bought this for our first road trip that was longer than we have ever gone. Now I take it every time we go more than two hours from home. I, the mom, love it the most. I'm always looking for plates now. Haha. Fun activity for the whole family to do that is not just iPad time." — Amanda Gainey
Get it from Amazon for $10.52.
4. A Springer leak-proof water bottle so you can make sure even your fur baby is hydrated and taken care of. Just squeeze the bottle to fill up the built-in bowl, and when your pup is done, the water sucks right back into the bottle! So genius!
Springer Pets is a woman-owned small business run by a mother-daughter duo (and the dogs who love them). They were also featured on Shark Tank!
Promising review: "I am extremely happy with this purchase! We have two medium-sized dogs (30 lbs and 42 lbs), and this was a LIFESAVER. We beat the heat, car anxiety, and quenching thirst by providing our fur babies with much-needed water breaks. This bottle is 'mess-free' and was absolutely easy to provide water to our dogs even while we where driving. No water spills, no need for extra plastic water bottles or collapsible bowls. Throw some ice cubes in there, and you'll see it holds cool and fresh water for a good amount of time." — Tatiana
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in six colors).
5. A kid's car seat lap organizer featuring a dry-erase board that also doubles as a tray for snacks, a tablet holder, and so many pockets for crayons and toys. This helps keep your kid entertained and prevents you from having to grab all those markers they love to drop on the ground.
Some color options come with dry-erase markers and an eraser included!
Promising review: "Are you a parent who is sick of picking up everything your kid accidentally drops off their lap while on a car ride? If not, lucky you. If you are… this thing is great! We recently went on a beach vacation that involved a 9-hour drive each way with my 4-year-old. Usually, he drops stuff while playing with it. With this, everything stayed on the tray! It also helped him balance his tablet to watch, held his drink and foodstuff in place without anything spilling, and gave him a space to draw and play on. Easy to take on and off for potty breaks." — Dawn Michele
Get it from Amazon for $28.95+ (available in 11 colors).
6. A forever classic game of Mad Libs on the Road bound to get some laughs from the crowd because of the hilarious sentences you'll be retelling. No need to write in "Are we there yet?" — that one's not in there.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Our 8-year-old and 3-year-old LOVE playing mad libs. We keep it in the car to play while we wait for the bus or on car rides. I like that it's educational, too — reinforcing parts of speech and practicing spelling and reading, as well as broadening their vocabulary. A must-have for every family!" — Chelsea Peterson
Get it from Amazon for $4.65.
7. A memory foam car seat cushion since driving for hours does a lot for your booty, and not in a good way. This provides extra support to help your back, improve your posture, and can even give you an extra boost for better visibility.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "It worked great for long road trips to help with fatigue and lower back pain. I never imagined this would work as well as it did, and as an added bonus, it worked as a great pillow when we needed to pull over for short sleep [breaks]. It's worth the price for the pain it relieved." — Jess
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in three colors).
8. A car cup holder and eating tray for when you want to be *sophisticated* when eating your fast food meals on the go. The large tray and cup holder (which holds up to a 40-oz drink!) make eating on your lap a thing of the past.
Promising review: "I used it for a 13-hour road trip to Colorado for camping/wheeling, and it held up great. So nice to be able to throw snacks, fries, or whatever on there while I was driving. Perfect arm's length for everything I needed for the long drives. When I got home, I just removed the table part and used the big drink holder. Perfect to have a large water bottle in one and a big coffee tumbler in the other." — SamoanJoe
Get it from Amazon for $33.99+ (available with different add-ons).
9. A Febreze Unstopables car freshener if you don't want the lingering smell of french fries to be the only fragrance you smell for the remainder of your trip. This clips onto your air vent and makes your car smell real nice and fresh!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "These are great and pretty strong. I made the mistake and tried another scent after using these and you have no idea how much I'm still regretting it. The scent lasts long after the oil inside is done, and it hits you as soon as you open your door, without being overbearing." — camelia virgo-evans
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $11.88 (available in three scents and five pack sizes)
10. A car power adapter with the ability to charge up to six devices at once, and it even has a cooling fan built in, so you don't have to worry about it overheating. No need to panic when your kid screams that the iPad ran out of juice, this will help you out big time.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This comes with a lighter adapter and allows you to plug in four USB chargers and two AC outlets!
Promising review: "It arrived just in time for a 15-hour road trip with five kids, everyone was able to keep their devices charged, and us parents didn't go crazy." — Tiffany
Get it from Amazon for $25.95+ (available in two sizes).
11. An herbal inhaler and oil stick that can help reduce nausea and motion sickness all in one little pocket-sized stick. You can breathe in on one end or rub the oil on your skin from the other. Going on a family road trip means there's gonna be a lot of *breathe in, breathe out* kind of moments — and not just from the nausea of being in the car for many hours.
Allclair a small business based in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
This non-medicated and non-drowsy inhaler and oil is perfect for when you don't feel like taking medication but still want a little relief. Its made from natural herbs and isn't too overpowering.
Promising review: "We bought this when we went on a cruise, everyone used it! You can use it for smell or rub it on your wrist, behind your ears, etc. We now keep it in the car for my son who gets car sick. Just a quick, easy item!" — Brandi C.
Get a pack of two for $12.99.
12. And, a Migrastil migraine roll-on stick made with peppermint and lavender essential oils to rub on your temples, forehead, and neck. Some reviewers say they were skeptical in the beginning but were pleasantly surprised at how well this worked to reduce their migraines and headaches.
www.amazon.com
Read more about aromatherapy and stress and tension at Johns Hopkins.
Promising review: "I will start this by saying, I am not one to try herbal remedies of any kind. However, this had good reviews and my husband is always looking for eucalyptus-smelling scents. The first time I tried this, both my husband and I tested it in a car ride, both fully expecting it not to work. We put it on our foreheads as directed and went about the car ride. Then 5–10 minutes later, I realized my (very bad) headache was much better. Out of nowhere, I said, 'So does your head feel...' and my husband blurted, 'Better?? Yes!!' We were both shocked. I ended up giving mine to my mom for a trip she was taking and bought another one. I've since used it a few more times, and it does not get rid of a headache but definitely lightens the pressure." — Stacy S.
Get it from Amazon for $12.95.
13. An auto bingo card, which will introduce some friendly competition to see who can yell BINGO first. Instead of looking down at screens, this encourages your young ones to look for road signs, cars, and more. Plus, there are no loose pieces because the window shutters are built-in!
www.amazon.com
Regal Games is a small business based in Chicago, IL and has been around for over 70 years creating games for all ages.
Promising review: "I purchased as a gift for my daughter to use in the car with her children. These are perfect to occupy them on long road trips. She keeps them in the seat pocket so they are readily available. The sliding door for each square makes it very easy to play. No added pieces or markers to have to use." — noreen
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in four styles).
14. A car seat gap organizer because you can never have too many pockets or compartments when it comes to traveling on the road. Plus, it can help prevent your things from falling in between the car seat gaps! Now, you don't have to go rummaging through your bag to find where your sunglasses or pack of gum is because it'll be right next to you.
Promising review: "It worked great. Had to endure a road trip. As a couple, we have duplicates of everything: phones, iPads, wallets, drinks, and we make it maybe 100 miles before everything is all over the dash — but not anymore. Everything has a place it was great" — Karen D.
Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in five colors).
15. A mini car trash can so you can have a designated place for all those candy wrappers, used napkins, and whatever usually gets tossed on the bottom floor of your car. You can clip this onto a headrest or even some center consoles.
Promising review: "These are the perfect size. We are going on a road trip, so I got one for each of my front seats. They're not too bulky, and they hold a fair amount of trash. Love that they are adjustable and have pockets on the outside. Great for holding knickknacks or extra trash bags." — Katlyn
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two sizes and eight colors).
16. A Travel Tray that fits into the cup holder and gives you easy access to your snacks so you can keep your eyes on the road. It also relieves you of constantly handing back food to your little ones, who always seem to drop everything you give them.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Travel Tray is a small-business that makes convenient products for easy snacking on the road.
Promising review: "I bought this for our car seat to use during a road trip. It really came in handy, and it's so easy to clean and reinstall. Bonus that it's snug enough in the cupholder, but not so snug that it makes getting drinks out of the holder hard for the child. I would buy this again." — Emily
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in seven colors).
17. A pair of Apple AirPods Pro because sometimes hearing dad's sixth college story makes you wanna just *pop* one of these noise-cancelling earbuds in. And if you still wanna listen to your T-Swift while pretening to be kind of attentive, you can switch to transparency mode, which lets you hear when you need to chime in with a "that's cool" response.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "With two small children, I can vouch for the noise-canceling feature. I never thought noise canceling would work well using earbuds and that it was more a gimmick than anything. I was wrong. Definitely works. Alternatively, I LOVE that I can turn it off so that I can keep the buds in for a call or while watching a *real* movie from my tablet (instead of the 347th episode of Bluey that is on our TV) and still be able to properly supervise the kiddos." — MKE
Get them from Amazon for $189.99.
18. A backseat pet protector your car really needs if you've got a shedder or just need to give your pup a nonslip surface to rest on. This attaches to the headrests and it's even waterproof! Plus, if you come to a sudden stop, your pet won't go flying into the footwell.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Perfect for travel. Didn't get to test it much because my pup just HAD to be in the front seat with me the whole time. I bought the front seat cover to match, so I know the material is amazing. Pretty comfortable, canvas-type material. Easily cleaned and mostly water-resistant. Had a slight spill on the front seat cover that was wiped rather quickly, and none transferred to my actual car seat. The adjustable straps and backseat anchors are easy to install." — Ashley C.
Get it from Amazon for $33.30+ (available in five colors and an optional dog seat belt).
19. A Munchkin Snack Catcher so you can *somewhat* have peace of mind knowing that crackers aren't going to be spewing left and right, thanks to the soft protective flaps that keep the snack secure.
Promising review: "I absolutely love these. They are easy to use, my kids love them, and they are great for preventing spills! The lid has a unique silicone-type opening that the kids can just squeeze their hands through and grab some snacks. I would recommend this due to its versatility for road trips, events, etc. I am writing this review after owning these cups for YEARS. I have purchased them over and over again. They're fantastic. Never broke either, I've ordered more as I lost the original, so great investment for help with a mess-free life." — Amazon12x
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $5.96.
20. And, a portable car vacuum if there's any leftover crumbs or dog hair that you somehow always end up finding no matter what you do to prevent it. This mini vacuum has strong suction power and can even fit in a cup holder!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "This little crumb sucking machine is awesome! I have had mine for about six weeks now. As a mom of four, I find that my kids are always dropping crackers or dry cereal and then stepping on them. The car seats are known to have entire ecosystems in all the nooks and crannies. This vacuum tackles all of them without trouble. I leave mine in the trunk of the van plugged into the outlet back there so that it's always charged when I need it. Worth every dime! It hasn't died on me yet… And I've run it 20 minutes straight before." — Wundermama
Get it from Amazon for $69.99 (available in five colors).
21. A seatbelt shoulder pad so you can drive without having the belt dig into your neck for several hours. This easily attaches to the seatbelt and gives you some extra comfort, which is definitely a priority when it comes to being in the car for a long (or short!) amount of time.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "We absolutely love these shoulder pad cushions in our car. The seatbelt, even at its lowest setting, would scratch my neck. I would be left with scratches on my neck as a result. My husband often pulls his shoulder strap out on long trips because he is uncomfortable. Since purchasing these, I no longer get scratches and my husband is comfortable even after eight hours in the car. Great purchase!" — Fourth Grade Teacher
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in 18 colors).
22. A battery-operated fan that straps onto a car seat, headrest, or stands on its own to keep you cool, especially if you don't feel the AC extending all the way back to the third row of the car. You might not be a fan of cross-country road trips, but you'll be a ~big fan~ of this little fan.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:" I really love this fan because you can literally hang it or stand it on just about anything. I took it on a 12-hour road trip and stopped for a couple of hours to take a nap, and the fan lasted on high for about 2–3 hours. I still haven't had to charge it since I got it, but I probably will soon. I have another long drive, and I'm camping, so it's great to have it with me. It's also super light but feels like a quality fan. Hardly made noise, and the low hum it did make was soothing to me. I recommend this fan!" — Kelsey O'Leary
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in three colors).
23. A contoured sleep mask so that you can get some shut-eye for at least some of the road trip. This blocks out 100% of light, doesn't put tight pressure on your eyes, and the adjustable straps make sure it won't fall off even if you get into one of those weird sleeping positions you do when you're in the car.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:" Never thought I'd spend this kind of money on a simple eye mask, but I did and don't regret it at all. Yes, it's perfect for side sleepers, it doesn't move, and blocks out every bit of light. The game changer is the space around your eyes so it's not pushing on your lashes. Buy this, and you'll never look back." — Jessica
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in six colors).
24. A tissue holder, which clips onto your sun visor so you don't have to pull over to take both hands off the wheel and rummage through your bag for those little tissues that you then ALSO have to open up. So when you tear up realizing there are still 13 hours left in your road trip, these are convenient and ready to grab.
www.amazon.com
People have also put napkins or disposable face masks in these!
Promising review: "This is my second time buying it, this car tissue holder makes my car more organized and saves space. I love this car tissue holder! So when my sister got her new car, I ordered this again for her as a gift. She loves it too. She said the design is amazing, the clip holds on tightly. When she is driving and needs a tissue. No more stopping alongside the road looking for the box. This car tissue case is attractive, elegant, and modern. Good quality!" — Cathy
Get it from Amazon for $9.79+ (available in four colors).
25. A 3-in-1 car phone mount you can suction cup on your dashboard, windshield, or clip to your air vent. This keeps your phone secure from any bumps in the road, whether it's a physical bump or an unexpected detour where you NEED your Waze directions at eye level.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This has a retractable arm and 360° rotation for the perfect positioning you want.
Promising review: "I had bought another auto phone holder but this was the best. Rather than placing it in the middle of my dash or blocking my front view, I placed it on the left of the steering wheel in an area that was already a blind spot. I was able to spin, bend, and tilt it to exactly the right position. The quick-release button for my phone is so convenient. It has held in place for three months now, even when the windows are down and the wind is blowing. Finally! My phone is not inconveniently taking up one of the spots in my cup holders." — Anonymous genius
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three colors).
26. A portable Wi-Fi hotspot that'll make sure you don't miss a second of that 14-part TikTok series spilling all of the tea (iykyk) while you're driving through the middle of nowhere. You can connect up to 10 devices, and it lets you stay online for up to 16 hours!
www.amazon.com
You can also purchase larger gigabyte plans and international day passes to connect to your account.
Promising review: "Portability and keeping me connected to the internet while traveling is the best. Kept my 6-year-old granddaughter connected to the internet while we drove for seven hours. Prior to that, she had only ridden in the car for no more than 60 minutes (and was not happy about it). Successful trip thanks to Solis Lite." — Steve P.