45 Useful Gifts for Road Trips You Didn’t Know You Needed

Road trips are our preferred way of traveling. We always get super excited when we get gifts for road trips.

There is nothing better than the independence you have when you drive your vehicle on the open road and being able to stop to explore the stunning landscapes whenever you feel like doing it.

Over the years and 2 cross-country road trips later, we learned a lot about which gear is really useful and makes a huge difference on your trip. Of course, every road tripper is different and needs a different comfort level on the road, but there are some items that are essential and an absolute must for road trips. 

Besides those, we are sure we added some road trip gifts to this list you didn’t even know you needed until you started using them. 

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Our Other Resources for Road Trips

• 100+ Tested Road Trip Pack List Essentials You Will Not Want to Forget
• 90+ Road Trip Quotes to Excite You to Hit the Road
• 31 Best Games for Road Trips for Adults to Beat the Boredom

Helpful Travel Planning Tools

Quick Recommendations for Road Trip Gifts

Don’t have enough time to read? Here is a quick look at our recommendations for the best gifts for road trips. Otherwise, scroll down to see our complete list with in-depth suggestions.

• Road Trip Essentials Gifts – Pacsafe 
• Organizational Gifts for Road Trips – Backseat Organizer
• Electronic Gifts for Road Trips – Kindle Paperwhite
• Road Trip Gifts for Comfort – Rumpl Blanket
• Road Trip Gifts for Fun Outside the Car – Cliq Chair
• Gifts for Road Trips to Stay Entertained – Audible Subscription
• Unique Road Trip Gifts – Get Your Guide Gift Card

45 Gifts for Road Trips

Let’s dive deeper into our 45 gifts for road trips. We organized the gifts for a road trip into different categories (see above) to make it even easier for you to find the perfect match for the person you are looking for. 

Essential Road Trip Gift Ideas

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1. Roadside Emergency Kit

A roadside emergency kit is a perfect solution for all road trip mishaps. 

There are many times throughout a road trip you can be miles away from service centers. So being equipped with some basic emergency essentials is important. This kit comes with jumper cables, a tow strap, a seat belt cutter, a safety triangle, and other necessities. 

On our longer road trips across the U.S., we found ourselves in trouble on the road quite a bit. We had it all, from a dead battery to 2 blown-out spark plugs.

Our roadside emergency kit couldn’t always save us but definitely gave us peace of mind when things didn’t go as planned. 

2. Road Atlas

While out on the road, most of us just rely on cell phones or other forms of technology to get us from one place to another. But what happens when technology fails us, or we have no service, or we run out of battery. This is when old-school paper maps come in handy again. 

Do you have a paper map to fall back on?

There are a bunch of different road atlases you can gift for road trips. But the one we like to have is the National Geographic Road Atlas, Adventure Edition. This map highlights the National Parks and other attractions in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. 

3. First Aid Kit

No matter where the road takes you, it is important to have a small portable first aid kit filled with all the essentials. 

This kit is packed with bandaids, ointments, creams, and other basic medical supplies to care for any injuries along the way. 

If you are a hiking freak like us, don’t forget to bring a first aid kit on the trails. 

4. Car Phone Mount

There is nothing more important on the road than keeping your hands free and your eyes on the road. 

In case you are using your phone for navigation, use a car mount to keep your hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, and directions in view. 

This car mount quickly and easily connects to a car’s air vent without obstructing any function of the venting system. It is the best gift for road trips to maintain a safe driving environment. 

5. Car Phone Charger 

It happens to everyone. You really need your phone for something and it is about to die. 

Don’t go without charge anymore. Keep your phone at full battery with a USB car charger. This charger can take your phone from low battery to fully charged in no time. You can even charge up to 4 small devices at once. 

6. Bestek Power Inverter 

Give the gift of power. Keep all your batteries fully charged with one simple device. 

This compact Bestek power inverter is perfect for all tech gadgets that need to be charged to capture all the exciting adventures on the road. Trust us, it is one of the most valuable road trips gifts. 

7. Gas Gift Card

There is no road trip without gas, otherwise, you wouldn’t even make it out of your hometown. Buying a gas gift card could probably be the best gifts for road trips because you are fueling the adventure. Keep the road trip going with the gift of gas. 

Top Tip: When going on a road trip, money for gas can quickly disappear. Find the cheapest gas prices and more perks like a trip cost calculator with the GasBuddy app. 

8. AAA Membership

Unfortunately, we learned the hard way how important it is to have an AAA membership. With a AAA membership, you are given the gift of roadside assistance, flat tire service, fuel and gas delivery, battery replacement and jump-start, vehicle lock-out service, and more. 

It really saves you big bucks when you need to use their services. When we were in the middle of nowhere, we had to pay a lot of money to get towed to the next town because we were not AAA members. Guess what we purchased the next day?!

Help your favorite road trippers with one of the best gifts for road trips with an annual AAA membership. You can become a basic, plus, or premium member.

9. Pacsafe

A Pacsafe is one of the best road trip gift ideas. It takes so much worry away by protecting your valuables in your vehicle, or hotel room. We even bring our Pacsafe to the beach to go snorkeling together without being worried about our phones and wallets being stolen.

The size and lightweight of the Pacsafe allow you to secure your valuables wherever you go. 

What makes this bag so safe is the impressive anti-theft technology. It also includes a stainless steel locking cable and padlock. 

10. Goodr Sunglasses

Tired of buying expensive sunglasses just to lose or damage them on your outdoor adventures? Well look no further, the Goodr Sunglasses are the best gifts for road trippers.

For just $25 it is hard to believe that they come with such great quality. But as soon as we used them for the first time, we were absolutely convinced because of their lightweight, durability, and fashionable features. They come in a variety of color and style options.

A good, affordable pair of sunglasses is hard to come by. Goodr has mastered a comfortable fit that stays on your face without falling down your nose.

Organizational Gifts for Road Trips

11. Backseat Organizer

A backseat organizer tops our list for being one of the best gift ideas for road trips. Using a backseat organizer on our various road trips throughout the USA has been a lifesaver. 

Instead of constantly searching the car for high-demand items such as tissues, sunglasses, flashlights, or reusable shopping bags, everything has its own easily accessible place right in the back of the seat. 

No matter how long the road trip is, from a quick weekend getaway to a cross country trip, a backseat organizer always does the trick to keep the car arranged.

12. Trash Can

You really don’t understand the importance of a trash can for your car until you spend hours on the road, snacking away the time. 

To keep the mess from packaging and foods away, simply get a small trash can to get rid of your mess immediately. Make sure you also have a lid, to avoid unpleasant odors in your car.

Top Tip: It doesn’t even have to be a trash can. A bigger storage container for cereals does the job too. 

13. Peak Design Tech Pouch

Any getaway means there are tons of cords and gadgets to pack. Usually, they get tossed into a bag to get tangled or lost. But not anymore. Help your favorite road trippers stay organized with this thoughtful Peak Design Tech Pouch. 

This tech pouch has a place for everything from computer chargers, to phone cords, camera cords, and other electronics accessories. It is also extremely packable which makes it great for all kinds of trips.

14. Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are individual bags for your suitcase or backpack. They come in different sizes to help you organize and separate items.

There is a big hype about packing cubes and once we started using them, we totally understood why. 

A great advantage of packing cubes is their multifunctionality. You can use them for your clothes, shoes, as a laundry bag, or even as a pillow on your backpacking trip. That makes them one of the most useful gift ideas for road trips. 

We are also convinced that you can fit more in your backpack or luggage when using them. 

15. Roof Bag

When you plan a road trip with multiple passengers you might run out of space in your vehicle. No worries, a roof bag has you covered.

We would highly recommend a lightweight, waterproof cargo carrier for the top of your car. That also has the advantage of easily folding and storing it away when not in use. 

The Fivklemnz carrier even comes with an anti-slip mat and adjustable straps which keep everything in place without scratching the surface.

Electronic Gifts for Road Trips

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16. Tile Key Finder

Are you someone who constantly misplaces the keys? They are so small that it can easily happen. On a road trip, you won’t get very far without your car keys though. 

Attach a Tile Mate to your keychain to find your keys in seconds. The Mate has a Bluetooth range of up to 250 feet, is water-resistant, has voice assistance, and works well with both Apple and Android. 

17. Bluetooth Headphones

A pair of headphones is an ideal gift for road trips because it allows all road trip passengers to enjoy their own music, show, or podcasts without disturbing one another. 

Let’s face it, there might be a time you get annoyed with your road trip partner while on a long, never-ending road. When that happens, you will be happy to take a quick timeout, turn on your pair of headphones, and come back together after a few minutes.

Our preferred choices are the Apple Airpods and the Bose QuietComfort headphones. 

18. Kindle Paperwhite

Lighten the load of heavy books on your road trips by bringing a Kindle Paperwhite. If you are the type of road tripper who likes to take a rest with a good book, when you aren’t the one driving, this is the ideal option. 

What makes the Kindle Paperwhite different from other Kindle ebooks is the anti-glare and waterproof feature, plus its lightweight design. This is the best gift for road trippers who love to enjoy beautiful views on the open road with an unlimited number of books at their disposal. 

Believe it or not but Rachel is actually reading more books since I gave her a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas last year.

19. Tablet

Our Samsung tablet is one of the true must-haves for road trips. We mainly use our loyal companion to do small things for our blog and to watch shows on streaming services. 

For this, we also bring our tablet holder, one of the greatest inventions ever. No matter which vehicle we use for our road trip, we always find a way to set up our own personal theater.

20. Power Bank

One of the most popular ways to stay fully charged is with the Anker Power Bank. It delivers a high-speed charge for 2 devices at a time. Give the gift of staying powered for the whole length of your road trip.

We have used our Anker Power Bank on many adventures and have never been without a charge since.  

21. Durable Phone Case

We are big fans of Peak Design products for our camera gear. Now, Peak Design has created new products designed for mobile devices, one being a phone case. 

The Everyday Case and Everyday Case with loop offer a sleek design, durable protection, and an easily connectable Peak Design system. That makes them best gifts for road trippers who need the best safety for their outdoor adventures.

Road Trip Gifts for Comfort

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22. Travel Pillow

How can you make your vehicle more cozy and homey than with a comfortable travel pillow and a blanket?

We wouldn’t just use any travel pillow. Since we are outdoor lovers, we were looking for a multipurpose pillow for various occasions. The Therm-A-Rest travel pillows are fantastic for all kinds of adventures, no matter if you need a catnap in the car or a good night’s sleep in a tent. 

The durable pillow comes in 3 sizes. What we love about it is that you can tailor the firmness of the pillow by cinching a cord which really makes it super comfortable for everyone. On top of that, it packs so small that it can even be used on backpacking trips.

23. Rumpl Blanket

The Rumpl puffy blanket should be a standard item on every road trippers packing list. This cozy and comfortable blanket is perfect for all road trip activities from napping in the car to hanging outside at the campfire.

But the best part about this blanket is it can be stuffed up nice and tight into its stuff sack for low-profile storage. 

The blanket is waterproof, warm, lightweight, repels stains, and machine washable. Seriously what more could you ask for when looking for the perfect blanket as a road trip gift. 

24. Quick Dry Towels

Anywhere we travel, we always carry quick dry towels with us. These take up less space, are lightweight, and prevent smelly mildew from occurring from a wet towel. 

We tried a couple of different brands to find our favorite quick dry towel and let me tell you, it was not easy. The Wise Owl Outfitters camping travel towel convinced us due to their great quality and softness. They come with a small carrying bag for easy storage. Oh, and the price is not beatable either. 

25. Exped Air Mattress

We can’t even emphasize enough how much we are in love with this very compact, lightweight air mattress.

Even though it is very light and just 3in thick, it is extremely comfortable which is also due to the fact that on the duo mattress you can customize each side with your favorite firmness. To inflate it, you simply use the pump bag, which is included. 

Setting up an air mattress has never been easier with the Exped innovative design.

26. Sunshade

Vehicles can sometimes take a real beating on road trips. One part of avoiding this situation is to get sunshades as a gift for road trippers.

Did you know that besides preventing the car from getting too hot and protecting the dashboard from fading, it also prevents the windows from chipping or cracking?

Help protect your car’s interior with this sunshade. We prefer the one below because of its compactness. It can be easily stored in one of our vehicle door compartments for quick access. 

27. Window Coverings

Similar to sunshades, side window coverings can help protect your car’s interior with the same benefits. Plus, they are great for privacy when car camping on road trips. 

Try these ones which are extremely durable, offer great sight protection, and can be folded up super tiny. Just make sure to buy the right size for your car windows.

Road Trip Gifts for Fun Outside the Car

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28. Cliq Chair

Everyone needs portable chairs. No matter if you have a picnic with friends, relax at the beach, hit the trails, or on the open road, portable chairs are great companions.

The Cliq Chair is a unique portable chair. With the compact size of a water bottle and low weight (3.65 lbs), it seriously can be brought everywhere. 

Don’t get fooled by the small size. Even though they look tiny, they are extremely stable and comfortable.

29. Folding Table

Do you like to spend time outdoors? Then complete your outdoor composition with this functional compact Trekology travel folding table. When you aren’t using it, it can be easily tucked away without needing a lot of space. 

We have brought our folding table on all our road trips and were extremely happy to have it. It made having a picnic along the road even more enjoyable. 

30. Coleman Camping Stove

Now that you have your folding chairs and table, you need a portable camp stove to make delicious food on the road. The Coleman 2 burner stove is our preferred choice for all our road trip adventures. 

It has 2 adjustable burners which allow you to cook different foods at once with better temperature control. It can cook on high for 1 hour with one 16.4 oz propane cylinder. 

31. Backpacker Cookset

This outdoor backpacker cookset for 2 comes with 11 items. Besides a pot and a pan, you also get plates, bowls, and mugs. It is stored in a stuff sack which you can use to do your dishes afterward. 

This best gift for road trips can be perfectly paired with the GSI Outdoors Gourmet Kitchen Set 11. 

We even brought the two packs on a plane to Alaska with us and used them every day during our 2-week car camping trip.

32. Gourmet Kitchen Set 11

This 11-piece outdoor kitchen set is perfect for all adventures. The compact bag includes whichever utensils you need to cook a delicious meal, like a cutting board, knife, spoon, spatula, and more. 

It even comes with 2 little spice containers, small bottles for liquid for you to individually fill up, and products to wash your dishes.

33. Cooler

Keeping food and drinks cool on a road trip can sometimes be a hassle. With the right cooler, you can elevate the issue of having spoiled food, hot drinks, or soggy food from sitting in melted ice. 

In our opinion, finding the right cooler will depend on what type of road trip you are taking. 

For quick road trips, we can recommend the Coleman 50 quart Xtreme with wheels or the Yeti Roadie hard cooler. For longer road trips, we would opt for the Yeti Tundra hard cooler. 

34. Water Bottle

Staying hydrated on the road is essential. The best way to refresh yourself with (ice) cold water is using a Hydro Flask water bottle. 

Before purchasing multiple Hydro Flask water bottles, we used regular outdoor bottles without insulation and our water was always piping hot from the sun. You can imagine how much we enjoyed drinking water in the heat of the sun in the middle of the trails. Not so much…

Investing in an insulated water bottle is key to staying cool and hydrated on the road. Now we do not use anything but our 32 oz Hydro Flask bottles.

35. Hammock 

The ENO Doublenest Hammock has been at the top of the hammock game for a while. It is by far the most wanted and used hammock in the outdoor community. 

This is one of the best road trip gifts for people who like to take a relaxation break on the road. The versatile hammock is lightweight and easily stuffs in your pack. The best part is it sets up within seconds. 

36. Portable Light

The Luci Solar Inflatable Light is a solar-powered, lightweight, durable, and waterproof lantern that keeps you out of the dark, no matter where you are. The batteries last up to 24h from just one single charge.

It inflates small enough (1 in. thick) to throw in your bag and is strong enough to light up a campsite making it one of the most practical and environmentally friendly gift ideas for hikers who like to hit the backcountry.

37. Comfortable Sneakers

We can highly recommend the waterproof all-terrain Tropicfeel shoes. What we appreciate the most is their functional design. You can use them for all your outdoor adventures but they also look great on a city trip when you want to feel comfortable.  We even used them snorkeling with sharks on the Virgin Islands.

They are made out of recycled plastic bottles and 20% recycled EVA which makes them extremely sustainable.

These are the only sneakers we bring on our road trips because you can use them for so many different occasions. 

Gifts for Road Trips to Stay Entertained

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38. Audiobook Subscription

An audiobook subscription is an excellent road trip gift for when the whole party wants to listen together. It is also a great gift for road trips for kids to keep them entertained. Pass the time in the car by listening to a book or podcast. 

Audible is one of the most famous audiobook services and offers the world’s biggest selection of audiobooks, podcasts, meditation programs, and more. You can purchase the plus or premium plus subscription for a monthly fee.

Top Tip: As an Amazon Prime member you can start a Premium Plus membership for 30 days for free.

39. Conversation Starters

Want an engaging way to connect and learn more about your road trip partner? Experiment with the conversation starters Table Topics. These cards stimulate lively, interesting, and engaging conversations through various questions. 

We are sure this road trip gift will get the fun rolling for miles and miles. 

40. Travel Journal

If you like to keep track of our adventures and help the environment, then the Rocketbook Journal is one of the most unique gifts for a road trip. 

You get the old-fashioned feeling of writing in a journal with a modern twist. The Rocketbook may look like a regular notebook but it has reusable paper and can be connected to any cloud service to store your notes. So write as much as you want, store, erase, and keep on writing.

41. Road Trip Books

Keep your favorite road tripper dreaming of their next road trip by gifting them a variety of books. Here are some great guides to stay inspired:

• Lonely Planet’s Epic Drives of the World:  It covers a Utah’s National Park trip, Route 66, Pacific Coast Highway, plus other domestic and international drives 

• Moon’s Road Trip USA: You can find a variety of cross country road trip routes in the USA packed with what to do and when to go

• Moon’s The Open Road- 50 Best Road Trips in the USA:  It also covers road trips in the USA with even more helpful planning information including “best of” lists and more 

Unique Road Trip Gifts

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42. National Park Pass

The America the Beautiful Pass is hands down one of the best gifts for road trippers who love the National Parks. This pass grants you access to every U.S. National Park, National Forest, National Monument, and more for just $80 a year.

You will be surprised at all the places you can use your America the Beautiful Pass. We could even utilize it for our hiking trips in Sedona where you normally have to purchase a Red Rock Pass to park in the Red Rock Ranger District around Sedona.

Still not convinced that this is one of the best gifts for road trippers? See all the benefits in our post, How to Save Money with the America the Beautiful Pass. 

43. Get Your Guide Gift Card

Don’t have a clue on what to buy? Purchase a Get Your Guide gift card for your favorite road tripper. This is truly a one-of-a-kind gift for road trips. You can easily purchase a gift card online ranging from $50 and up. 

Unfamiliar with Get Your Guide? It is one of the best travel companies that offer tons of tours, excursions, and activities all over the world. No matter where you are looking to travel to, we promise you will find great options with Get Your Guide.

Now they can hit the road and enjoy a special travel experience of their choice on you. 

44. The Dyrt Pro Subscription

One thing that quickly adds up is accommodation costs. If your road tripper doesn’t mind camping, a simple and easy solution to find cheap and even free camping spots to stay overnight is The Dyrt. 

Even without being a member, you can browse more than 44,000 campgrounds but with the Pro subscription, you can find free dispersed camping, get discounted rates at campgrounds, and even download an offline map to search for places while being offline.

Trust us, this will come in handy because you won’t believe how often you will find yourself without service and wifi and the road.

To help your favorite road tripper save money, purchase a The Dyrt Pro subscription for $35.99 a year. 

45. Road Trip Gift Basket

Having trouble deciding which road trip gifts to give or do you feel creative and want to put your own road trip gift basket together? 

Then pick an amount you would like to spend and simply compile some of the best road trip gifts we mentioned above. 

Which road trip gifts did you give to someone before? What is the most useful one?

Let us know in the comments below!

Our Other Resources for Road Trips

• 100+ Tested Road Trip Pack List Essentials You Will Not Want to Forget
• 31 Best Games for Road Trips for Adults to Beat the Boredom
• 90+ Road Trip Quotes to Excite You to Hit the Road
• Plan a Trip from Zion to Bryce Canyon: 2 Utah National Parks
• Explore Utahs National Parks in One Unforgettable Road Trip
• 40 Perfect Road Trips from New York City to Take

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• Quotes: 100+ Short Travel Quotes to Capture Your Epic Adventure
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