When my great grandmother died we all packed into the van for our 600 mile road trip. My mom’s church packed up a big laundry basket with snacks and book lights and I still think about it all the time.
If you are thinking about giving a road trip care package to a friend, do it. You will never regret giving a gift, and you can make it insanely practical.
What should I put in a Road Trip Gift Basket?
So, if you have some adults or families that you are looking to give a road trip themed gift, I have the master list here.
We take frequent road trips and all of these things are helpful and useful for a long road trip.
Clip Board
Mini clip boards are great for writing in the car. If you have ever tried to sign a check in the front of the car you know there are no flat surfaces!
Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are perfect for the car because they don’t bleed and they don’t melt. Grab the fancy colored pencils and a few coloring books. (affiliate link)
Fancy Water
There are a lot of beautiful and interesting water options that make your gift bag beautiful and useful. My favorite is SAP which is a slightly sweet maple tree sap. (affiliate link)
Instant Coffee
Coffee can be hard to come by on the road, so some Starbucks Via packets will be a welcome addition to a road trip gift basket. There are some iced coffee options as well.
Pretzels
Pretzels are a great travel snack, that is why they give them out on planes!
Sleep Mask
The darkness that a sleep mask provides can mean the difference between sleep and no sleep. My husband will wear it in the car, but this would be helpful for hotels too.
Map
A paper road map or atlas is a great gift for travelers. When you road trip frequently you have probably been in a situation where Google Maps fails you. I think everyone should have a paper map.
Having a paper map is an important safety net for anyone who travels by car frequently. You can find my recommendation for paper maps in the linked post.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses can keep you from getting that road trip headache! What a gift.
Lotion & ChapStick
Traveling in the winter is so drying and lotion and chapstick make the drive much more comfortable. I remember putting lotion on my legs as a kid to keep the static from shocking me!
Socks
Cushy comfy socks are really helpful for a road trip. Slipper socks are helpful when you are staying in a new place, but they can also keep you more comfortable when traveling.
Drinks
Sports drinks are a good choice on a long trip, you can also give cool local drinks. When we visit Maine we like to try Moxie, but one can is enough!
Snacks
The snacks are a HUGE part of road trips! I have a great list of the most popular road trip snacks. There are 3 road trip snacks that were by far the most popular. Grab the printable list of favorite snacks in the linked post. There is plenty of inspiration from seasoned road trippers.
Audio Books
Road trip entertainment can come in many forms and if your gift recipient has a CD player, jump on Ebay or Mercari and include an audio book. I love classics like Anne of Green Gables, A Stitch in Time, Sarah Plain and Tall Series.
I think these ideas would be great for most travelers, but if you are preparing a gift for you children or grandchildren, I have a few special suggestions.
What should I put in a road trip gift basket for kids?
Prepare a sweet gift for the little ones on a road trip with these really useful, mess-free gift ideas.
Book Light
A small dim light for kids to use to read or color in the back seat is such a nice gift.
Coloring Books and Colored Pencils
Colored pencils don’t melt and they cannot color on the seats or windows of a car. Mini colored pencils are nice for little hands. Coloring books are available for EVERY interest that is out there. My kids, 7 and 5 love coloring pages.
Try a free printable coloring page website and print some favorites and put them on a little clip board for a custom coloring page.
Clip Board
A clip board with a storage compartment is so handy and you can personalize them with stickers!
Fruit Leather
Fruit leather is a great snack because they last for a long time in the car and they do not leave crumbs!
Small Games
Amazon has a lot of small electronic games that are super fun for kids. We like Math Shark, Speak and Spell and Simon.
Craft
Small crafts like lacing shapes, repositionable stickers or felt games are great small crafts can be neat and fun for kids who are old enough to work on them in the car.
What should I put in a road trip goodie bag?
Hosting Christmas this year? Give everyone a road trip goodie bag on their way back to their cars. This is incredibly thoughtful and kind for your guests and your kindness will follow them all the way home.
These ideas are a bit smaller and less expensive, so you could create a beautiful basket of grab bags for your guest to grab on their way to the car.
Think of things that will make the ride more comfortable:
Family or Adult Travel Grab Bags
Fancy Bottled Water
Pretzels
Dried Fruit
Fruit Leather
Eye Mask
Keychain
Travel Grab Bags For Kids:
Sticky Notes
Colored Pencils
Pretzels
3D Glasses
Coloring Pages
No matter what you choose to give as a road trip gift basket, make sure that it does not produce too much trash or have confetti, sprinkles, beads or glue that can cause a HUGE back seat mess.
Small trash bags are always helpful for travel as well. Not too pretty for a gift basket, but they would be appreciated.
