If you’re anything like my family, you road trip to your vacations and rarely fly places. However, road trips can be stressful especially when there are, in my case, five people in the cramped mini van at once. Over the many years of road-tripping that I have experienced, I’ve learned many hacks to make it just a little bit more bearable.
My biggest piece of advice for making your road trip much more enjoyable is to compile a long road trip playlist on your favorite streaming outlet like Spotify or Apple Music. I use Spotify because it is super easy to create a playlist and they have a huge variety of music to choose from but I mostly use it because it’s free. Every road trip, I turn on my 12 hour playlist and put in my ear buds and listen to my favorite songs the entire time.
Another thing that helps me pass the time is downloading movies onto my phone or iPad. Virtually any streaming service allows users to download movies or shows onto any device. My favorite thing to do is download movies from Disney Plus onto my iPad and watch my favorite comfort movies, which also kills a lot of time.
One of the most important pieces of advice I can give you is to take advantage of the gas station runs. Fueling your body for a road trip is so important. Compile a list of your favorite candy, snacks, and drinks to keep you going through the long drive. However, if you don’t have time to stop at a gas station for snacks, be sure to pack a bag before you leave that will last you through the entire vacation. Some of my favorite road trip treats include Peanut Butter M&M’s, Almond Thins dipped in peanut butter, and Nilla Wafers.
Another way I pass the time on long car rides is simply by sleeping. I know this can be hard for some people but I find that sleeping in the car is kind of relaxing. When I was younger I would never take naps on car rides but now that I’m older, I understand the hype around it. What I like to do is blast soft piano music in my ear buds and just relax and close my eyes. It is a super calming way to pass the time and before you know it, you arrive at your destination.
I hope these road trip hacks are helpful and can provide a little more peace to what can oftentimes be a stressful experience. Be sure to let me know some of your favorite road trip hacks!