Business Travel Blog

Taking a road trip, be it a several-day trek across the country or just a couple of days in one state, is the ultimate form of American summer travel. Just you, a few friends and the open road. But don’t make the mistake of just jumping in the car and going. There are a few items you’re going to need for that ole’ road trip and here are six of the most important ones.

Cooler. This indispensable item is important for a number of reasons. It holds the healthy snacks we’ll talk about in a minute, but it can also be used as a chair, footstool or arm rest in case you have to camp out.

Healthy snacks. When driving in the USA, it is so easy to fall prey to one of the many disgusting roadside fast food chains, but as we talked about yesterday, staying healthy on the road can be achieved by filling your cooler with plenty of healthy snacks. Things like cold cuts, raw veggies, cheese, fruit and hummus are great fillers.

Road map. Don’t set off without a good, sturdy road map that outlines your entire trip. Rand McNally makes very reliable USA road atlases, or if you’re just staying in-state, pick up a state road map, which will be less bulky. If your trip is long, you might want to use a highlighter to mark your route as you go.

Tunes. Music is perhaps the most indispensable part of a road trip, especially because, when you get out on the open road and away from cities, radio signals can fail, leaving you with nothing but white noise to listen to. That’s where your CDs, iPod or satellite radio comes in. I personally still like to do mix CDs – they are old school and you can custom design your trip’s soundtrack.

Pillows. A pillow for each passenger is my rule. More if you need extra padding.

Cash. It’s a good idea to carry a few bucks in cash, because you never know a) which roadside stops aren’t going to be equipped for debit/credit and b) when you’ll see your bank’s ATM again.

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