Packing for a Road Trip
Fri, Jul 16, 2010On our road trip of Europe my husband and I learnt a thing or two about the easiest way to pack the car so that everything we needed was easily accessible and there wasn’t too much mess! Here are my top tips for packing your car for a long journey:
Make a list of what you need to take. See my packing list for ideas.
Be organised. I like to put lots of little bags (for example one of vests/onesies, one of nappies/diapers etc) into one big bag. Every couple of days I take what I need from the big bag and put those things into a weekend holdall. It just means you don’t have to carry all of your things with you all of the time, most of your stuff can just stay in the car.
If you can’t borrow one, invest in a roof rack and box. My husband and I have found ours invaluable while travelling with our baby.
Pack light and bulky things such as your buggy/stroller and packets of nappies/diapers in your roof box. It’s best to have a low centre of gravity so that your car handles better. It also means you shouldn’t have to access your roof box more than about once a day when you reach your accommodation.
Passports, money, credit cards, keys and other valuables should go in a safe pocket in the nappy/diaper bag. You are always going to have it with you so your valuables won’t get lost and it means you won’t have to carry an extra bag with you. It’s very unlikely anyone is going to think to steal a nappy bag. I also recommend getting some bag clips for your buggy/stroller because these secure the bag nicely to your buggy.
Keep as little on the back seat as possible. I do this for two reasons: my baby does get bored if we’re in the car for over an hour so I like to be able to jump into the back seat beside him to keep him entertained. The second reason is to do with safety – if the unthinkable happened and we were to be in an accident I don’t want there to be anything on the back seat so there’s nothing to fly about. This is why having a roof rack and box is a good idea.
Please feel free to ask questions or share your tips below. I’d love to hear from you.
Make a list of what you need to take. See my packing list for ideas.
Be organised. I like to put lots of little bags (for example one of vests/onesies, one of nappies/diapers etc) into one big bag. Every couple of days I take what I need from the big bag and put those things into a weekend holdall. It just means you don’t have to carry all of your things with you all of the time, most of your stuff can just stay in the car.
If you can’t borrow one, invest in a roof rack and box. My husband and I have found ours invaluable while travelling with our baby.
Pack light and bulky things such as your buggy/stroller and packets of nappies/diapers in your roof box. It’s best to have a low centre of gravity so that your car handles better. It also means you shouldn’t have to access your roof box more than about once a day when you reach your accommodation.
Passports, money, credit cards, keys and other valuables should go in a safe pocket in the nappy/diaper bag. You are always going to have it with you so your valuables won’t get lost and it means you won’t have to carry an extra bag with you. It’s very unlikely anyone is going to think to steal a nappy bag. I also recommend getting some bag clips for your buggy/stroller because these secure the bag nicely to your buggy.
Keep as little on the back seat as possible. I do this for two reasons: my baby does get bored if we’re in the car for over an hour so I like to be able to jump into the back seat beside him to keep him entertained. The second reason is to do with safety – if the unthinkable happened and we were to be in an accident I don’t want there to be anything on the back seat so there’s nothing to fly about. This is why having a roof rack and box is a good idea.
Please feel free to ask questions or share your tips below. I’d love to hear from you.
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