5 Organization Tips for Road Trips
Heading out for a road trip adventure soon? Read on for my five organization tips for road trips to help keep your car clean, and your sanity intact! We’ve taken quite a few road trips and have discovered there are some basics must-do’s to set your car up for a fun and organized road trip. After reading my post, check out the other great tips for road trips from fellow travel bloggers.
5 Organization Tips for Road Trips
1. PACK SMART
The best thing you can do is to take the time to pack your car well. Think out what you’ll want to access each day and what you’ll need each night. I’ve shared our method in my post on how to pack your car for a road trip. Taking some extra time before the trip will save you from some headaches along the way.
2. GARBAGE
I highly recommend you have a garbage bag or can in each row of the vehicle. One up front for driver and passenger, and one in the back for the kids. This is to help make everyone responsible for their own garbage, and will give the passenger a break from the garbage hand-off that seems to always happen with kids and road trip snacks! We use this nice car trash bag,
3. STOP AND CLEAN
This is definitely one of the tips for road trips that we could put a little more effort into. My brother-in-law is a pro at this, and their car is a thing of beauty to peek into after a long road trip. It looks the same as when they started! One of his biggest methods for staying organized is every time they stop, he (or his kids) put away everything that has spread out since the last stop.
4. STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR EVERYONE
Piggybacking on the tip above, each person needs to have a way to contain and store all their stuff. We’re fans of the girls having totes or backpacks with all their activities packed away. Then I have a tote up from that I keep my magazines, books, and iPad in. We even have a bin for our snack food, so it all stays in one spot.
5. READY FOR CLEAN UPS
I’ve already shared my road trip essentials, so be sure to see what items I recommend you pack to help with cleaning up. Another helpful tool is a car vacuum
I hope you found these 5 organization tips for road trips helpful! Want more road trip tips?
Our Grand prize includes a GoPro HERO (camera only, $129 value), a selfie stick ($25 value) and three Lonely Planet Road Trip Guides ($30 value).
Second prize includes a travel eye pillow, hand-made soap, world map, stickers, Lonely Planet Kids’ books, National Geographic 2016 Kids’ Almanac, and a Thirty-One hang-up activity organizer.
To enter, add your contact information in the Rafflecopter widget below and leave a comment on this post with your best road trip tip. You can earn additional entries – see the Rafflecopter widget to learn how.
The Rules
1. You must leave at least one comment on one of the participating blogs to enter.
2. Additional entries via commenting on other blogs in the hop are available to you.
3. You will receive additional entries by performing the actions in the widget, giving you a possible 20 entries (there are 10 participating bloggers, with two ways to enter each).
4. PRIZES ARE ONLY ELIGIBLE TO SHIP IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.
5. The giveaway runs through June 12, 2015 11:59 p.m. EDT.
6. Winners will be notified via email.
Read more road trip tips on the following blogs and enter again to win the prize packages!
Great tips on organization! I love utilizing those behind the seat organizers on road trips. I can fit snacks and small games in them. It’s also smart to keep a designated trash bin or bag to keep the car cleaner.
I love those too! We have the thirty-one timeless beauty bags, but we’re giving away a thirty-one hang up organizer in the prize package!
garbage bag for each row is a good tip
I went to your website to read a blog to get a raffle entry…ha! Little did I know that I’d been pinning your stuff off Pinterest all along. I’ve already copied your road trip essentials bin and have mine packed and ready for our rapidly approaching road trip…4 kids under 10 and 5,000 miles. I ran across your stuff searching on Pinterest now I am following you. Thanks, it all is so helpful.
This comment brought a huge smile to my face! Thanks so much Cindy for the kind words and comment! We sometimes are writing and creating and think, am I really helping anyone?! :) Thanks again, and I hope you have a GREAT trip!
My best road trip tip is scheduling breaks to get refreshed and stretch. Bring along a football and throw is around on breaks.
Stop and clean is totally something I do methodically. It makes you feel so much more organized and ready for whatever lies ahead.
Great tips! The clean up at stops tip is key. It’s amazing how much trash you can collect while driving!
Love the infographic!
We are in the middle of a full year on the road and I have dealt with the challenges of road trips. These ate great tips!
:-)
Traci
We definitely do the trash bag in each row thing. The kids don’t always use it though. We definitely plan for everyone to have there own clothes/stuff in a tote instead of sharing a suitcase.
Great tips as summer vacation gets underway. We always need little reminders to make it go smooth.
These are great! I need to bookmark this
These are such great tips! I have such fond memories of road trips when I was a child, but once I’m a mom I’m sure that will be a totally different experience!
My best traveling tip would have to be, make sure you get plenty of rest before you take a long trip, especially if you’re driving. On top of this, clean your house before you leave. It’s alwa nice to come home to a clean house after a long trip.
Some wonderful tips to incorporate for a pleasant road trip. I definitely like the idea of tidying up when making a pit stop.
Great tips! We just came back from a road trip. I made sure to throw out garbage every time we stopped. I gave my son his own trash bag and his own hand wipes too .
I need to try the trash bag idea! Careful packing does make for a lower stress trip.
Great tips and giveaway! I bought my selfie stick in Europe last November — LOVE IT!
This is awesome! we are planning some traveling this summer. Great tips.Selfie sticks are so much fun that way everyone gets to be in the memories not just everyone else :)
My best road trip tip is to use technology to the fullest advantage for the kids….even if you typically limit screen time.
Limit drinks in the car so you don’t have to stop at every rest area.
Our most important tip – audio books that kids and adults can all enjoy, snack boxes for every person, and lots of stops!
Make sure you keep everything clean. Bring bags for garbage, wet wipes, napkins, etc.
My best tip is to make a list of what you need to take with you way ahead of time – then as you go through your daily routines, make sure you have everything you need on that list. It is amazing what you forget to put on the list! Thanks!
My best tip is to have lots of car-friendly snacks and drinks!
I will definitely use these tips this summer. Thanks!
My tip is to pack plenty of snacks and drinks in a cooler that is easy to reach. This way you won’t have to make as many stops and it will be cheaper and healthier than gas station snacks.
My best tip is to have plenty of things for the kids to do ( games, Mad-Libs, magazines/books) and plenty of snacks!!
My best road trip tip is pre-planning. Figure out where you’re going to stop along the way and don’t deviate. So you don’t A. end up driving a bazillion miles out of the way to see a cool destination (Wall Drug trap anyone?!) and B. so no one gets frustrated when someone starts begging to stop at a rest stop or a cool sightseeing spot. If everyone’s on the same page, things go a lot smoother!
My best road trip tip is to make sure your route is correct and bring garmin.
Bring plenty of snacks and drinks.
For road trips I love to make sure I am armed with snacks, drinks, music and some type of entertainment for each person in the car. Also make sure you have all medications on hand as well as a first aid kit and maybe a surprise treat or game that no one but you knows about!
What a great giveaway! My boyfriend would LOVE this :)
My best road trip tip is to pack plenty of snacks and books! It keeps your tummy full and your mind occupied
My husband and I took off in the car with no plans and drove thru KY and TN. We stopped at places that interested us!
My best road trip tip is to always “overestimate” the amount of time the trip will take. That way you have a much safer, relaxed adventure.
Always make sure that you buy good snack before hand but don’t go over board! Always have a backup for music for when the reception is bad. ALWAYS ride with someone interesting!
Great tips on organization! I will definitely be using them!
I love all of these tips! I am getting ready to go on a 6 hour road trip with my 4 year old niece and can you all the help I can get.
We usually make sure the kids go to the bathroom before going back on the road. We pack a generous amount of snacks and goodies to make lessen the stops for food along the way.
That is one cool infograph! Thanks for sharing!
try to travel after rush hour to not be stuck and always keep toilet paper in the car with kids you never know!! snacks, games, pillows, and movies, check make sure you have your spare and of course that the air in your tires are even
my tip is to take frequent breaks along the way to stretch your legs and feel refreshed :)
I like going to Door County for the beautiful scenery and quaint towns along the way – very fun.
My best road trip is plan plenty of time and make frequent stops. Plan so you can stop and see things along route. You get to see new things and have a break from the monotony of the road. My feeling is that the trip can be a part of the destination.
Try to limit travel to less than 250 miles a day, this allows you to have a break, be less crappy, and more rested to start the next day of driving.
Leave with extra time to handle the unexpected because what can go wrong…
Pack some extra old towels in the corner of your trunk. After several days of traveling, your car could use a refresher. When you stop for gas, run the car through the station’s car wash. Use the towels to finish touching up the car’s wet spots, especially around the windows. headlights, and outside mirrors. Wipe down the dash and any area that’s gotten sticky. Throw the wet towels in a plastic grocery bag and stuff back in the trunk. It makes a big difference to continue driving in a nice clean car.
That’s a fabulous tip Olivia! I know after a lot of driving, a dirty car makes you feel dirty just getting in and out. Thanks so much for sharing such a helpful idea!