Packing the car for a road trip
Check the car before you load it, keep a cabin bag within reach, pack the boot so the first night's bag comes out alone, and add winter items for snow.
A car feels like unlimited luggage space, which is why road trips so often end with a boot full of things nobody touched. The car does make some things easier: no liquid limits, no weight limits, room for a cool box. It also adds a list of its own, for the car and for the hours you spend in it.
Check the car before you pack it
A week before, look at tyre pressure and tread, oil, screenwash and the spare or repair kit. Make sure the documents are in the glovebox: registration, insurance details and breakdown cover number. If you cross a border, find out what that country requires drivers to carry. Some ask for a warning triangle, high-visibility vests or a headlamp beam adjustment, and rules differ from place to place.
The cabin bag
This is what stays within reach of the front seats. Everything else can go in the boot.
- Phone mount and charging cable for the car socket
- Offline maps downloaded for the route, in case signal drops
- Water and snacks for the day
- Sunglasses
- Tissues, wipes and a small bag for rubbish
- Cards and some coins for parking and tolls
- A jacket each, kept out of the boot
Loading the boot
Heavy, flat things go in first and at the bottom, close to the back seats. Soft bags fill the gaps above. Put whatever you need at the first overnight stop on top, so you only lift out one bag at the hotel instead of unloading the whole car. Keep the view through the rear window clear.
Use soft bags where you can
Duffels and packing cubes squeeze into odd spaces in a way hard cases do not. A folding crate is handy for food and kitchen things if you are self-catering.
Winter driving add-ons
For snowy routes, add an ice scraper, a small shovel, a blanket, gloves, a torch and a phone power bank. Check whether winter tyres or snow chains are required on your route and fit them before you need them. Keep the fuel tank fuller than usual in case of delays.
Plan the stops
Breaks every couple of hours keep the driver alert. Pick a few places on the map in advance, so you are not looking for one when everyone is already tired. A stop is also a good moment to tidy the cabin, refill water and swap the snack bag.
Coming home
Unpack the car the same evening if you can. Damp towels and leftover food are easier to deal with on the first night than on the third.
Where to go next
If the drive leads to a trail, add our day-pack list to the boot. PackPoint can build a list that includes items for driving and for the activities at the other end, from your route and dates.
