The road trip blog
Routes, tips, car games and travel notes — so the drive counts as much as the destination.
Road Trip with Kids: Packing List & Must-Haves
The road trip with kids packing list that actually helps: comfort, food, screen-free games, clean-up and safety, with a free printable checklist and age tips.
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Car Games
Printable Road Trip Bingo: 4 Free Cards for Kids
Print 4 free road trip bingo cards: picture bingo for toddlers, highway, town and road sign bingo. Rules, age tips and how to reuse the cards on long drives.
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Best License Plate Game Apps (2026): 5 Compared
License plate game apps compared: PlateSpot, Plates, Zaffles, States & Plates and Convoi. Platforms, price, ratings and which fits your family road trip.
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License Plate Game Printable: Free 50 States Checklist
Print a free 50-state license plate game checklist, with the rules, the 10 hardest plates to find and scoring ideas by age for your next family road trip.
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Itineraries
Brittany Road Trip: 7-Day Coastal Drive for Americans
Drive Brittany's coast in 7 days: mile-by-mile route, tide and weather tips, rental car advice, and the best stops for American road trippers in France.
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Itineraries
Provence Road Trip: 7-Day Itinerary for U.S. Drivers
Drive Provence and the French Riviera in 7 days: our day-by-day route plus rental car tips, manual transmissions, tolls and driving advice for Americans.
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Road Trip Car Checklist: 15 Things to Check Before You Go
Most states don't require a safety inspection, so check your own car. Tires, fluids, brakes, emergency kit and roadside assistance before your next road trip.
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Van & Camping
Dispersed Camping on BLM and National Forest Land: Rules
Free dispersed camping on BLM and National Forest land: the 14-day rule, where it's allowed, why National Parks ban it, and how to camp legally in the US.
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Tips
Holiday Traffic: Worst Days to Drive, Best Hours to Leave
The worst window of the year is Thanksgiving Wednesday, noon to 6 p.m. Here are the days to avoid, the clear hours by corridor, and the busiest US highways.
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Tips
Toll Road Costs: How to Calculate Your US Road Trip
Estimate toll road costs before you drive: E-ZPass, SunPass and FasTrak rules, pay-by-plate billing, plus per-mile rates on major US turnpikes. Plan ahead.
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15 Screen-Free Road Trip Games for Kids on Long Drives
Keep kids happy from Chicago to Nashville or LA to San Francisco with 15 easy screen-free car games for every age, no prep, no gear, and no screens required.