Hitting the open road is an exciting time, but it is also a process that requires you to think carefully about what you want to pack and how you pack it. The less you can carry while still ensuring that you have enough material to get through the cross-country road trip and enjoy the trip safely, the easier it will be for you to spend most of your time relaxing and enjoying the sites.
Our cross-country road trip essentials list will make it easier for you to put together your cross-country road trip packing list. Many people want to know what to bring on a cross-country road trip, and in this article, you’ll learn more about some of our most important recommendations.
Before figuring out exactly what to bring on a cross-country road trip, it’s important to think about the weather conditions for where you’ll be visiting. If these weather conditions vary from one place to another, packing in layers is the easiest way to ensure that you can always add or remove a jacket and other materials if need be.
Skip the Suitcase and Pack Travel Bags
Hauling a suitcase in and out of a vehicle for a cross-country road trip gets to be a pain very quickly. Packing travel bags makes it easier and faster for you to access the materials that you need without having to carry around something extremely heavy. This is why travel bags come at the top of a cross-country road trip packing list.
Travel bags are easy to store, too, so you can keep your stuff separated while you’re traveling as well. If you have dirty clothes or souvenirs you pick up along the trip, you’ll be able to easily store these without much fuss.
Don’t Leave Home Without Portable Chargers for Your Electronics
Remember that you might be dealing with a variety of different situations to plug in all of your portable electronics including your computer, your cameras, and any cellphones.
It’s also a good idea to bring battery back-ups so that you can charge any of these electronics on the go. Having a couple of cords that are easily stored within a backpack means you’ll always have access to the ones that are most important.
Personal Medications
If you have any personal medications that you take on a daily or regular basis or any supplements, vitamins or symptom treatment that you like to have on hand, make sure that you have at least a small quantity of each one of these with some as a backup.
If your cross-country road trip is a very long trip, you’ll need to think carefully about whether or not you can transfer your prescription to any pharmacies you might encounter along the way. Even if you’re not entirely sure that you will need a personal medication, such as an EpiPen or an anti-seizure medication, having these on hand gives you that much more peace of mind so that you can enjoy your trip.
Change and Small Bills for Tolls
You never want to be caught without money going through a tollbooth because it’s unlikely that you’ll get home to get the mail on time to pay for these tolls racked up. In some cases, you might even be charged a lot of money because you don’t have any change or bills, and you’ve lost the ticket. This can put a big damper on your road trip, and this is why having a small pouch with extra money in estimated tolls can help you.
Lots of Water
You should never hit the open road without thinking about hydration. Failing to hydrate appropriately can lead to headaches, a feeling of being sluggish or tired, and can even have more serious consequences if it lapses into dehydration.
Make sure that you have plenty of water that can be safely stored within the vehicles. Remember that if you are using plastic water bottles, that these can reach unsafe temperatures inside vehicles that could cause additional medical conditions. Have enough water on hand to be able to enjoy activities every single day and make sure to include extra water in the car if you’ll be engaging in any physical fun like hiking.
Road friendly snacks make for a great addition, too. Make sure these don’t include anything that could be hurt by going in the car, such as those that might help in extreme heat. Keep these stored separately so that they’re easily accessed but also so that they’re not taking up too much space.
Don’t Miss the First Aid Kit
It’s always a good idea to have at least a minimal first aid kit in your vehicle when packing your cross-country road trip essentials. You never know when an accident will happen, and you’d much rather have this information and material on hand than not if an emergency were to occur.
Plenty of first aid kits contain items that you hope you never have to use but it can become instrumental in a dangerous situation where you need to send up a flare or bandage a wound.
Rental Bus
You can make your road trip that much easier by taking a rental bus instead. A cross-country rental bus makes it easy to transport big groups of people around and to keep things organized. No worrying about splitting things up into multiple vehicles.
A charter bus is another option available to you that takes the pressure off of you of having to worry about travelling and staying on the road. You can relax, get more sleep behind the wheel, and pass off the driving responsibility to someone else.
With a rental bus, you can still use all of these packing tips, but you’ll be able to kick back and relax knowing that you’ve got everything and everyone on board that you might need.
How Long Do You Need for a Cross Country Road Trip?
The answer will depend on your ideal stops, but it’s great to have at least a few weeks blocked off for your cross country road trip so you can hit all the big attractions and have some wiggle room for any unexpected delays.
How Do I Make My Bus Ride More Comfortable?
Getting a rental bus that is outfitted with the best luxury can really help, but it’s also smart to bring along blankets, pillows, and any other items that could make this road trip more comfortable.
How Many Passengers Can Be Fit on Your Rental Bus?
A mini bus fits 39 passengers. If you need more space than that, consider an upgrade!