20 Road Trip Tips and Hacks {What to Know BEFORE You GO}

Get prepared for your next vacation with these Road Trip Tips and Hacks & Road Trip Must Haves!

Everybody loves a good Road Trip, right? A little bit of planning ahead will make your next road trip off the charts!

Before you go vroom vrooming down the road… be sure to check out these Road Trip Tips and Hacks + Road Trip Must Haves for your next Vacation!

Let’s get ready for some road trip fun…

Related:

Easy Ways to Earn Free Travel Gift Cards

Road Trip Tips and Hacks & Road Trip Must Haves

Start Your Trip with Free Gas Gift Cards!

Save Money on Gas when you earn some Free Gas Gift Cards for Road Trips! Then save even more with these 9 little known tips and tricks for getting the best gas prices…

Check Your Car Oil and Fluid Levels

If you plan to go on a longer road trip, you might need to change your oil and filter before you leave. For information about when to change your engine oil and other fluids, you can read the manual that came with your car, or simply call and speak with someone in the service center at your local dealership. If you’re car is getting older, consider having a trusted mechanic inspect the engine hoses, belts, coolant, brake pads, air filters, battery, and other car fluids.

Check Your Car Tire Pressure and Tire Tread

It really pays to keep your tires properly inflated. Driving your car around with low tire pressure can easily cost you 1-2 miles per gallon of fuel efficiency. Plus, keeping your tires properly inflated will also help them last longer. So before you head out on the road, be sure to check your tire pressure! Your wallet will thank you!

You can use an analog or digital tire pressure gauge for checking your tire pressure. Or, simply get a tire inflator with a built in tire pressure gauge. I personally use the highly rated Dewalt Cordless Tire Inflator along with this handy easy clip-on Hose Adapter. It’s easy to use, fairly quiet and helps you avoid a trip to the gas station to fill up your tires.

The Dewalt tire inflator comes without a battery, so I simply use one of the 20 volt Max Batteries from a Dewalt drill I already own.

Check The Tire Pressure On Your Spare Tire

Don’t forget to check the air pressure on your spare tire. I once got a flat tire and my spare tire in the trunk was also flat… yikes!! In case of a flat tire, make sure you know how to use the tools in your car for changing a flat tire.

Clean Your Windshield

It’s so much easier to enjoy the view and to see in the afternoon sunlight with a clean windows!

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe

Add a New Car Air Freshener

Put A New Air Freshener and two boxes of Arm & Hammer Fridge & Freezer Baking Soda in your car, so your car will smell fresh and amazing. The baking soda will absorb the bad smells and the air freshener will make your car smell better.

Pack A Small Cooler with cold water and coffee beverages.

You’ll want lots of water so you don’t get dehydrated… and anything coffee related so you don’t fall asleep!!

Don’t forget the Snacks!

Having a great road trip necessarily involves tasty treats. Try taking a batch of fresh made Cake Mix Cookies. Um… Yum!!

Stock Your Glove Box with Portable Phone Chargers!

Portable Phone Chargers are the perfect way to keep charging your devices whether the car is running… or not!

Don’t Forget a Paper Map!

Packing a Paper Street Map of your travel route is always a good idea. Ever get lost because your phone battery was dead? I know, I know… that would never happen, but just in case… 🙂

Make a brand New Music Playlist using Free iTunes Gift Cards!

Listening to fun, brand new music for hours and hours will make your trip amazing! Load your playlist with happy, upbeat songs to keep you cruising bright eyed and bushy tailed!

Keep the Hand Sanitizer Handy

Every road trip eventually involves a gas stop, and even an occasional sketchy bathroom break along the way, so have some hand sanitizer available for goodness sake! 🙂 You can even make your own at home!!

DIY Hand Sanitizer Recipe {How to Make It At Home}

Always Pack a First Aid Kit and Auto Emergency Kit

You may never need it… but be prepared just in case!! You can even make your own Mini Survival Kit to store in your glove box or center console!

DIY Mini Survival Kit

Auto Emergency Kit

Good Sunglasses are a MUST!

Sunglasses keep your eyes from getting tired from straining in the bright sunshine. Plus… you just look better driving with a nice looking pair of Sunglasses! 🙂

Keep Your Passengers Happy!

Don’t forget about some entertainment for your friend over in the passenger seat! This might include Magazines, e-Books, a movie downloaded to your Kindle, or even knitting or crochet supplies! Drive a little ways, knit a doily. Drive a long ways, knit a blanket!! 🙂

Amazon Kindles on Sale

Keep those Kiddos Entertained!

Keep the kids happy all the day long with these 34 creative Ways To Entertain Kids on a Trip activities!

Consider Renting a Car!

Now if you just don’t want to rack up the miles on your current car on your next road trip, consider renting a newer car to take on your trip!

20 Ways to Save Money on Rental Cars

More Budget Road Trip Tips and Tricks:

Debby said: “If it’s not more than a 12 hour drive, I take my own car. If you stop in the smaller towns, you can save on gas. You also won’t have to rent a car and you’ll be comfortable in your own. I spent no more $150 in gas driving from Atlanta to Tampa and back. Not to mention, we drove all over the area including St. Pete, Zephyrhills FL, and South Georgia before returning. That’s also including the tank fill-up for the week after we came home.”

Amy said: “I focus on saving on food. Each kid gets a lunchbox full of snacks and a bottle of water. That way there is no begging at gas stations for something unhealthy. And I buy the Kool Aid pills, they each get two and can put it in their water. When their food is gone, then that is all they get.

I also make meat bun sandwiches to take on the road. (Hamburger meat cooked inside a homemade bun). Then I make other foods that don’t need to be heated to eat, and I freeze them. I store these foods in a cooler, foods like pasta salad with grilled chicken. A couple days down the road they are thawed and yummy.
We would eat PB&J for lunches, and then the meals I made for the trip. It saved us about $75 a day for a family of 6. Then I allowed for eating dinner out once or twice. For fun, we stuck to the free stuff! Like free museums, the beach, etc.”

Ashley said: “We used to always spend the most unexpected money on food on vacation. It may not be glamorous, but we always bring things we can eat for breakfast, and eat sandwiches (esp. PB&J) while we’re on low budget vacation, we always find a pretty place to picnic. If you don’t have access to a fridge for your jelly, you can use the small individually packaged ones from restaurants. Hope this helps!”

John said: “I useGasBuddy, a packed lunch (or several) and some good old common money sense to save on vacations, and I mostly only take road trips.

Karey said: “I save all the samples I receive all year from Quaker, Kashi, etc., then I put all of the snacks in a large zip lock baggie and save it for our trip. There are several different varieties of snacks and I did not pay a penny for any of it! I also save all of the samples of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and toothpaste and take it with me on vacation. I am saving space in my suitcase and saving money by not buying travel sized items.”

Next: Now that you’ve scored these ideas for Road Trip Must Haves, plan the rest of your road trip with these creative tips…