My Number 1 Tip for a Road Trip

Here it is: Pack just one small suitcase for each hotel night.

Typically, each person brings one carry-on on a trip, right? For multi-state road trips where you are sleeping at a different place each night, my hack is to take those carry-on bags and pack just enough in each one for each person for one day/night.

Each night, I leave everything in my car and only bring these items into the hotel: 1) one carry-on bag for that destination, 2) a small toiletries bag, 3) a backpack with electronics/books, and sometimes 4) a reusable grocery bag with cold items for a refrigerator (drinks, yogurt, snacks). My kids each carry their re-usable water bottle and a stuffed animal in and out of the hotel. That’s it.

The genius of it is that it saves so much time checking-out of a hotel with such limited bags and there’s no need to completely unpack/re-pack your car everyday. And with just one outfit already chosen, getting us all ready is faster than when we’re at home.

Separately, I also have packed a swim/exercise clothes bag that I leave in the car (unless I plan on swimming at the hotel). I love having a separate swim bag, it makes spontaneous swimming so easy (no need to dig through suitcases).

Jackets and shoes stay in the car as well. Each of us bring two pairs: one sandal and one sneaker. Okay, maybe I have a couple other pairs stashed in the car for me!

The only time I do not advise to leave the rest of your bags in the car overnight is when you’re staying in a major city where theft is more common. But typically, our stops in major cities are for more than one night and I can justify un-packing our entire car when we’re in a hotel for more than 24 hours. I always cover our remaining luggage with a dark-colored towel and I’ve never had any problems (knock on wood).