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The Best Road Trips Ever Taken by the 'Top Gear' Trio

Watch these to prepare yourself for ‘the grand tour.’.

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If you have the pleasure of being outside the UK and watching Top Gear , you’ll just know the three hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, as reasonably affable hosts of an entertaining TV show. However, if you’re based in the UK, you’ll be far more familiar with Clarkson’s views espoused through his column in the right wing tabloid The Sun and the embarrassing campaign – led by a man driving a tank through London while dressed as The Stig – designed to appeal Clarkson’s firing for punching a producer.

But, despite this, we’ll freely admit that Top Gear is an entertaining show. And a large part of what made Top Gear entertaining was its road trips, taking different cars around the world and seeing how they fared in varying conditions. The blend of choppy editing, fast cars and the three hosts means the road trips often resemble a Ken Loach-directed version of The Fast and The Furious, in a good way. If you haven’t seen the show but still like cars, let this be your primer into the world of Top Gear and their soon to launch show, The Grand Tour . The trio’s new show will appear on Amazon Prime from November 18, with the company spending a reported £160 million ($202 million USD) for 36 episodes of the show. To whet your appetite for their triumphant return, here’s a guide to the best road trips and treks ever done by Jezza, Hamster and ‘Captain Slow.’

Search for Driving Heaven (Series 10, Episode 1)

Vietnam Motorbike Special (Series 12, Episode 8)

France (Series 3, Episode 7)

Bonneville Salt Flats (Series 12, Episode 2)

Japan (Series 11, Episode 4)

Bolivia Special (Series 14, Episode 6)

The North Pole (Series 9, Episode 8)

The German Border (Series 15, Episode 2)  

Botswana (Series 10, Episode 4)

Crossing the English Channel (Series 10, Episode 2)

US Special (Series 9, Episode 3)

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30 Best Top Gear Episodes Ranked

Not that long ago, "Top Gear" was one of the most popular shows in the world . Launched in 1977, it was revamped in 2002 with the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May taking on presenting duties with the help of a mysterious test driver known as the Stig. Broadcast in more than 200 countries, it was considered one of the best British TV shows on the air and ensured that the three presenters became household names.

"Top Gear" is not without controversy, and it has faced plenty of criticism over the years. These unpleasant incidents include the cast making incredibly offensive remarks  and driving irresponsibly . This controversy culminated in Clarkson being fired from the show in 2015 . Shortly afterward, Hammond, May, and executive producer Andy Wilman all left "Top Gear" to create "The Grand Tour" with Clarkson on Amazon Prime . They were ultimately replaced by a series of new presenters, though it's debatable whether any of them resonated with audiences quite like the original three.

Despite all those negative aspects, "Top Gear" was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining shows on television when it was in its prime. Spanning more than 30 seasons and 200 episodes means that picking the very best of the best is a difficult task. Fortunately, we've done the hard work already. You can just sit back and find out which episodes of "Top Gear" are simply unmissable.

30. Super Car Road Trip From Las Vegas, Nevada To Calexico, California

In the second episode of Season 19, the three presenters went on a road trip across the United States . Traveling across the west coast of the country, they journeyed from Nevada down to the Mexican border, taking in Las Vegas and Los Angeles along the way. Each of the three hosts chose a supercar for the challenge, with Clarkson going with the Lexus LFA, Hammond picking the Dodge Viper, and May decided on the Aston Martin Vanquish. The road trip involved a legal drag race in Las Vegas organized by the police and a game of aerial laser tag with a group of fighter pilots. 

The episode lacked a news segment and did not feature any reviews or power tests. Instead, most of the show was dedicated to the American road trip. This ended with a race from Palm Springs to Calexico, which Clarkson won. Meanwhile, the star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was Fleetwood Mac member Mick Fleetwood , who went around the track in a time of 1 minute and 45.4 seconds.

29. Making A Commercial For Reducing Cycle-Related Accidents

The fifth episode of Season 21 saw Hammond travel to Abu Dhabi to test out the Porsche 918 Spyder . This hybrid supercar makes use of a pair of electric motors with a traditional V8 petrol engine to create a stunningly fast vehicle. To put it through its paces, Hammond took it for a spin around the Yas Marina Circuit , home of the Abu Dhabi Formula One race, and compared it to the McLaren P1. In an earlier segment, Clarkson reviewed the BMW M135i and Volkswagen's latest Golf GTI. After that, he and May set about creating a brand-new public information film to promote safety for cyclists in London.

The star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was "Breaking Bad" actor Aaron Paul . He spoke about his time on the iconic AMC show as well as his role in the 2014 movie "Need for Speed." He managed to set a time of 1 minute and 44.7 seconds in the Vauxhall Astra, which put him in first place ... until pop star Olly Murs came along and beat Paul's time in a later episode.

28. Patagonia Special

The "Patagonia Special" was a two-part "Top Gear" episode that did not feature any studio segments, with the action taking place entirely in South America. Airing over the holiday season in 2014 across two consecutive days, it saw Clarkson, Hammond, and May celebrate the 60th anniversary of the V8 engine by driving three V8-engined sports cars across Chile and Argentina. The trip was roughly 1,600 miles long and involved a Porsche 928, a Ford Mustang, and Lotus Esprit .

Along the way, the trio struggled to navigate the difficult terrain and poor roads, with the Ford and Porsche suffering numerous breakdowns and faults. The presenters were forced to camp outside, travel over an old and broken bridge, and get through a boggy marsh. Yet the episode is perhaps most famous for the ending that saw the production crew and the presenters faced with a host of protesters following what was perceived to be offensive number plates that referenced the Falklands War. An investigation later found the license plates had been registered to the car since 1991.

27. Australian Northern Territory Road Trip In GT Cars

In this Season 22 episode of "Top Gear," the three presenters take a road trip across the Northern Territory of Australia . Each of them picked a fast and comfortable grand tourer for the trip, with Clarkson going for a BMW M6 Gran Coupé, Hammond a Bentley Continental GT V8, and May opting for the Nissan GT-R. Driving across the vast open spaces in Australia, they visited an abandoned gold mine, got to see some of the world's longest lorries, and finally ended the challenge by helping  herd more than 4,000 cows in one of the largest farms in Australia. This experience may have come in handy for Clarkson on his later show, " Clarkson's Farm " on Amazon Prime.

Unlike most "Top Gear" episodes, there was no news segment or power test; most of the screentime was devoted to the Australian challenge. However, Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland did appear as the star in a reasonably priced car, setting a time of 1 minute and 49.2 seconds in wet conditions.

26. Amphibious Car Challenge

The third episode of Season 8 featured what has become known as the " Amphibious Car Challenge ." This is the first incarnation of the challenge and saw Clarkson, Hammond, and May building cars that could work when driving on land or sailing on water. Hammond chose a Volkswagen camper van that he dubbed the Damper Van, May attached a sail to a classic Triumph Herald, while Clarkson modified a Toyota Hilux truck to create a Toybota. May ultimately won the challenge when Clarkson and Hammond failed to finish — their vehicles sank in the reservoir they were racing across.

As well as the main challenge, the episode also featured the usual "Top Gear" segments. Philip Glenister appeared as the star in a reasonably priced car, who drove the Lacetti around a wet track in a time of 1 minute and 54.3 seconds. Clarkson and the Stig helped test out the Lotus Exige S , a car that was ultimately deemed to be uncool when it was put on the "Top Gear" cool board.

25. Perfect £2,500 Car For 17-Year-Olds

Episode 2 of Season 13 was focused on the team trying to find what would be the best car for a 17-year-old driver . This included examining multiple factors, such as what would reduce insurance costs, be cheap to repair after accidents, and be able to navigate muddy fields and uneven terrains at music festivals in the U.K. May chose a Volkswagen Golf Mark-III, Clarkson picked a turbocharged Volvo 940 Estate, and Hammond selected a Hyundai SCoupe.

In a later segment, Hammond went to Abu Dhabi to try out the Lamborghini Murcielago SV. Impressed with the car, he tested it out against the far more expensive Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722. He later stages a race between the Bugatti Veyron and the McLaren F1 , two of the fastest cars on the planet. The McLaren F1 took an early lead in the drag race, but the Veyron ultimately caught up to it and used its superior top speed to take a significant lead. The "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment  featured actor, writer, and presenter Stephen Fry.

24. Season 15, Episode 1

This episode of "Top Gear" saw the team investigate why the world does not have more three-wheeled cars, with Clarkson  testing out the classic Reliant Robin . He drove the car from Sheffield to Rotherham, but immediately found out that the vehicle is incredibly prone to toppling over  due to the unusual configuration of having the single wheel at the front rather than the rear. During the episode, Clarkson also tested out the Bentley Continental Supersports while May took the Toyota Hilux to the top of an active volcano.

Season 15 marked the end of the Chevrolet Lacetti as the reasonably priced car used in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment. The show would now use the Kia Ceed, a car that could go 0 to 60 mph in 10.4 seconds with a top speed of 119 mph. Rather than feature a single guest star, the team decided to invite several celebrities who would be able to fill out the leaderboard and ensure it had more than a single time on it. The guests included comedian Al Murray, journalist Nick Robinson, dancer Louie Spence, athlete Amy Williams, businessman Peter Jones, presenter Johnny Vaughan, and stand-up Bill Bailey.

23. Albania Road Trip

The third episode of Season 16 saw the "Top Gear" gang head to Albania in order to test out three super-luxurious cars. The ultimate aim was to see what car was best suited for an organized crime boss. The trio originally chose a Rolls-Royce Ghost, a Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, and a Bentley Mulsanne. Unfortunately for Clarkson, Bentley withdrew from the episode shortly before the start. Circumstances forced him to switch his choice to a Yugo Skala 55, which caused a few issues when the car refused to start during a drag race midway through the episode.

Outside of the challenge, where the group robs a bank, Clarkson tested the Subaru Impreza STI CS400, the latest car from Cosworth. He later compares it to the Ford Focus RS500 and the Volvo C30 PCP. British presenter Jonathan Ross was the star in a reasonably priced car , and he managed to record a time of 1 minute 49 seconds on a wet track.

22. Spanish Road Trip In Budget Convertibles

Featuring the "Spanish Supercar Road Trip," this is the third episode of Season 20 of "Top Gear." The main challenge in this entry was the presenters going to the Iberian Peninsula to cross southern Spain  from Gibraltar to Madrid. Clarson chose a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Hammond a Ferrari 458 Spider, and May an Audi R8 V10 Spyder.

The challenge saw the cars tested in a variety of environments as they traveled through the mountain regions of Spain, raced at an abandoned airport, and drove around an area of Madrid that had been converted into a street circuit. 

Unlike other studio-based episodes of "Top Gear," this one didn't have any standard reviews or other features outside of "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car." The celebrity this week was "Doctor Strange" and "Sherlock" leading man Benedict Cumberbatch . He made it around the track in 1 minute and 47.8 seconds.

21. Building The Ford Transit Hovervan

The fourth episode of Season 20, this entry in the car series saw the three presenters building a car that is able to operate as a hovercraft . Using a Ford Transit van, they created what they dubbed the "Hovervan." The first version of the vehicle proved to be a failure. The second iteration featured an improved design that worked better but still had some notable issues that made it impractical and difficult to control as they traveled down the River Avon.

The show did face some criticism over claims that some scenes featured paid actors rather than genuine members of the public, but that didn't stop the episode from being a hit with fans. Clarkson also reviewed the Mercedes SLS Black along with the Mercedes SLS Electric Drive.

The star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was actor Hugh Jackman . He drove the Vauxhall Astra in a time of 1 minute and 46.1 seconds, posting a time that put him in fifth place on the leaderboard, beating out the likes of Will Smith, Ron Howard, and Margot Robbie.

20. Best Crossovers For Caravanners

The fifth episode of Season 20, this installment of "Top Gear" featured a challenge focused on a new type of hatchback known as a crossover. Believing that these vehicles are most popular with caravanners, each presenter picked an example of the vehicle class and went on a caravan holiday , ending up with a Mazda CX-5 and a Volkswagen Tiguan. The challenge sees them testing the type of activities that a crossover would be used for and living life as someone who goes on caravan trips.

There were two reviews in this episode of "Top Gear." The first was done by May and involved the latest edition of the Porsche 911 Carrera, which was largely unchanged from when the car was first introduced in the 1960s. Later, Hammond tested the Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, taking it to Italy and racing it around the famous Imola track. Finally, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler was the star in a reasonably priced car, driving the Vauxhall Astra around the track in a time of 1 minute and 51 seconds.

19. Amphibious Car Challenge II

In this Season 10 episode, Clarkson, Hammond, and May revisited one of their most popular challenges from earlier in the series. Working with a variety of vehicles, they each try to create amphibious cars that work equally as well on the ground as they do in the water. Clarkson used a Nissan pickup that he dubbed the Nissank; Hammond used a Volkswagen as he did in the previous amphibious challenge; May went back to his original Triumph Herald, although he upgraded it with some new materials and features.

Starting off in Sidcup, the group drove to Dover, and then attempted to cross the English Channel and make it to Calais in France. Unfortunately, both Hammond and May had issues with their vehicles in the sea and were unable to complete the challenge as their vehicles sank . Meanwhile, Clarkson's Nissank proved effective, and he eventually picked up his two colleagues.

The star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was musician and presenter Jools Holland. He posted a time of 1 minute and 49.9 seconds. The main review of the episode was of the Audi R8, which Clarkson drove and compared to Hammond's very own Porsche 997 Carrera S. The Audi performed better around the track, but both presenters agreed it lacks soul.

18. Britcar 24 Hour Endurance Race — Fiat 500 vs. BMX Riders Through Budapest Race

Episode 9 of Season 10 is a 2007 "Top Gear" episode that was a follow-up to an episode from the previous season. Back in Season 9, the presenters had used tractors to plant seeds and create a biofuel crop. However, when they harvested the crops, they were shocked to find they planted the wrong seeds and are left with 500 gallons of biodiesel instead of the fuel they initially wanted.

To make the best of the situation, the trio used the biodiesel to enter the Britcar 24-hour endurance race at Silverstone. Driving a modified BMW 330d, they managed to qualify but suffered a number of mechanical issues during the race that put them at the back of the grid multiple times. Fortunately, the Stig was able to keep them in the race and they ended up finishing in 39th place overall.

Outside of the main challenge, actor Keith Allen took part in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment, recording a time of 1 minute and 51.7 seconds on what was described as one of the wettest days at the "Top Gear" test track in the history of the show. May reviewed the latest Fiat 500 in Hungary while Clarkson compared the Daihatsu Materia hatchback with the Ascari A10.

17. Race Across The Urban Landscape Of St. Petersburg

The Season 22 premiere of "Top Gear" saw the gang take part in a race across the Russian city of Saint Petersburg . The race was essentially a recreation of the Season 10 race where the trio competed to get across London. May chose a tiny Renault for the journey, Hammond cycled, and Clarkson used a hovercraft to travel mainly by water. May ended up winning while the Stig failed to finish after struggling to travel on public transport.

Elsewhere in the episode, Hammond reviewed the Huracán, a replacement for the Lamborghini Gallardo. Pop singer  Ed Sheeran was the star in a reasonably priced car . Sheeran claimed this was the first time that he had ever driven a car, so he had to use an automatic. He posted a time of 1 minute 54.2 seconds in very wet conditions.

One of the most famous moments of this episode came when a lorry pulled out in front of Hammond while he was cycling. This led to a foul-mouthed tirade against the driver that was mostly cut from the original broadcast. However, the uncensored version was included on the DVD release and has become popular on social media platforms such as TikTok.

16. Homemade Ambulance Challenge

Airing in February of 2015, this is the third episode of Season 22 and saw the three main presenters compete in a series of challenges as they created their very own ambulances . After examining the limitations of a normal ambulance used in the U.K., the trio set about designing their very own vehicles that would improve the transport experience for patients. These projects were tested for their usefulness, speed, practicality, and their monetary value. Ultimately, Hammond came out on top with his Chevrolet G20 van, while Clarkson came second with his Porsche 944 Turbo, and May came last with a Ford Scorpio Cardinal.

The star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was Formula One racing driver Daniel Ricciardo . Rather than use the Vauxhall Astra Tech Line GT that was used for the segment from Season 20 onwards, Ricciardo was given the original Suzuki Liana like all previous Formula One drivers to make the leaderboard a level playing field. He set a time of 1 minute and 42.2 seconds, making him the fastest Formula One driver on the leaderboard.

15. Hammond Is Dropped Into British Columbia, Canada To Test A Watch With A Built-In Energy Beacon

Season 22 of "Top Gear" was the last to feature the talents of Clarkson, Hammond, and May following Clarkson's high-profile dismissal from the BBC . Despite the controversy, the eight episodes included in the 2015 season are all rated quite highly by fans. This is the second installment of Season 22 to appear in this article, and there's more from "Top Gear" in 2015 on the way.

This episode sees Hammond testing a specially made watch that is designed to work in severe weather and alert rescue teams when the beacon is activated. However, it ends up alerting Clarkson and May who are forced to rescue Hammond  when he gets stuck. The two choose pickup trucks and race to get to their colleague first.

Outside of the main challenge, the episode also featured standard "Top Gear" segments. Clarkson road tested the Lexus RC F coupe. The star in a reasonably priced car for this episode was Gillian Anderson , best known for her roles in "The X-Files" and "The Fall." She set a time of 1 minute and 48.5 seconds, although the track was deemed to be mildly moist.

14. Making A Train Out Of A Specially Modified Car And Caravans As Carriages

This Season 17 episode first aired in July of 2011 and saw the group try to improve the railway experience in the U.K. Expressing the opinion that traveling by train can be expensive, slow, and inconvenient, the gang adapted a series of different vehicles and caravans so that they can operate on standard railways. Eventually, Hammond and May gave up and stuck with a normal train as they raced against Clarkson's new sports train invention.

Rowan Atkinson, known for his role in "Mr. Bean," was the star in a reasonably priced car and he drove the Kia Ceed around the test track. He managed a time of 1 minute and 42.2 seconds, putting him in second place on the leaderboard behind Matt LeBlanc , who went a tenth of a second quicker.

The Stig  test drove the Nissan GT-R around the track, setting a blistering time that beat out many of its rivals by a significant margin. Meanwhile, the car was compared to the Jaguar XKR-S in a review by Clarkson, who suggested the Nissan GT-R was a better car for most people and far more practical.

13. US Special

First broadcast in February of 2007, the "US Special" was the third episode of Season 9 . As is usual for specials, this episode features none of the standard "Top Gear" in-studio segments. Instead, it features a 60-minute segment that charts the group's progress as they travel through the United States.

The concept behind the special sees the trio attempting to prove that buying cars would be more enjoyable and cheaper than simply renting a car. Given just $1,000 to make their purchases, Clarkson, Hammond, and May end up buying a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro RS, a 1991 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck, and a 1989 Cadillac Brougham. The route sees them go from Miami to New Orleans and meet the Stig's American cousin, who tests each of the cars to determine their performance.

The episode is perhaps best known for a scene where the group are chased from an Alabama gas station . This was in response to hilarious slogans that the presenters had painted on each other's cars, which included a taunt about NASCAR.

12. Race To The North — Ferrari FXX Lap Time — The Stig Revealed

The opening episode of Season 13, this "Top Gear" installment first aired in the summer of 2009. During the "Race to the North" segment, iconic Formula One driver Michael Schumacher appeared as a guest. It was jokingly revealed that Schumacher was actually the Stig , but many were skeptical that the Formula One star could actually be the test driver. One source told The Guardian that this revelation was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek prank.

In the "Race to the North," the team competed against each other as they traveled from London to Edinburgh. The concept was that this would demonstrate what "Top Gear" might look like if it was filmed 60 years ago . Hammond and May drove a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike and a Jaguar XK120, while Clarkson used a Tornado steam locomotive. May went on to win the race by a relatively small margin of just 10 minutes, with Clarkson coming in second.

11. Season 15, Episode 5

First broadcast in July of 2010, Episode 5 of Season 15 of "Top Gear" stands out for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that both Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz take part in the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment. The pair were promoting their movie " Knight and Day " and finished in nineth and 13th place, respectively, in what ended up being one of the show's most watched episodes in the U.K. with over seven million viewers.

The rest of the episode features two segments that involve Hammond and May. In the first, Hammond raced a group of snowmobile pilots in Sweden as he drove the Volkswagen Touareg. Hammond won thanks to the 130-mph top speed of the car. The final segment saw May attempting to set a new world's record for the fastest car using the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. He managed to reach a speed of 259 mph while test driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel made it a staggering 267 mph.

10. Polar Special

The "Polar Special" episode of "Top Gear" first aired in 2007 and marked the first time that the show was broadcast in HD. Clarkson and May attempted to reach the north magnetic pole in a Toyota Hilux Double Cab 3.0L, while the crew used a different modified Hilux for filming and a Toyota Land Cruiser 120. Meanwhile, Hammond raced against the pair using a dog sled pulled by huskies with explorer Matty McNair.

Before the group started their challenge in Canada, they received cold weather training in Australia with the help of Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The journey itself took all of the competitors around 450 miles in total . While the episode was well received by fans , it did come under some criticism.

One of the main complaints focused on a scene where Clarkson and May appeared to be drinking gin and tonics while driving , suggesting they had consumed alcohol while behind the wheel. The BBC Trust later upheld a complaint saying the inclusion of the footage was not justified. Explorers also criticized the episode for making polar expeditions seem easier and less dangerous than they really are.

9. Building Motor Homes

Episode 4 of "Top Gear" Season 15 is known as the "Building Motor Homes" episode. Unlike many others in this list, this particular episode is more of a traditional entry in the series, following the usual format rather than that of a special. Airing in 2010, the main challenge for Clarkson, Hammond, and May was to build their own motorhomes . Using cars they purchased — including a Citroën, Land Rover, and a Lotus — they had to modify the vehicles so that they would work as motorhomes as they traveled across the West Country in the U.K. to test out how well they work in typical situations for campervans.

Model Lauren McAvoy also appeared in a segment where she was driven around the test track by Clarkson. Meanwhile, "The Godfather: Part III" and "Ocean's Eleven" actor  Andy Garcia was the star in a reasonably priced car . Throughout the episode, the presenters also tested a variety of cars, with the Audi R8 V10 Spyder pitted against the latest version of the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

8. Middle East Special

The "Middle East Special" was a 2010 episode of "Top Gear" that saw the trio go on a 1,200-mile trip from Iraq, through Turkey and Syria, and finally reaching Palestine through Jordan. Along the way, the group visited an abandoned theme park, drove through cities such as Aleppo and Bethlehem, and saw landmarks like the Mount of Olives and the Sea of Galilee.

The idea behind the special was to see Clarkson, Hammond, and May follow  the path that the Three Wise Men seemingly took in the Bible when they set out to visit the newborn Jesus. It aired over the Christmas period in 2010 and ran for 76 minutes, making it one of the longest "Top Gear" episodes. They drove a Mazda MX-5, Fiat Barchetta Riviera, and BMW Z3, respectively. The presenters had to modify the cars for challenges, including making them bulletproof and customizing their appearance.

Clarkson himself has since admitted that the "Middle East Special" is one of his favorite episodes . Listing the episode along with the "Botswana Special" and "The Grand Tour" episode where they visited Mongolia, the presenter said that this episode was "probably the most amazing to watch."

7. Botswana Special

First aired on November of 2007, "Botswana Special" is a 60-minute episode of "Top Gear" that acted as the fourth episode of Season 10. The trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May are forced to purchase secondhand cars with just £1,500, and then travel across the salt flats of Botswana . The three presenters were joined by the Stig's African cousin, who tested the cars purchased by the presenters by racing them around a dirty rally track.

The three vehicles used in the special were a Mercedes-Benz 230 E from 1985, a Lancia Beta coupé from 1981, and an Opel Kadett from 1963. A Volkswagen Beetle was kept in reserve as the backup car, as punishment for any presenter whose car became too damaged to drive. The team eventually arrived after a 1,000-mile trip at the Namibian border, where they ultimately declared that the Beetle was the best car as it had needed no repairs during the journey. The setting's breathtaking visuals and unique scenery were particular highlights among the lighthearted and entertaining action of the presenters.

6. A Tribute To Sabine Schmitz

This episode of "Top Gear" was unusual in that it is considered one of the better episodes despite the fact that it first aired well into the post-2015 era of the show. It also had a tragic overtone, acting as a tribute to Sabine Schmitz . The former professional racing driver who competed most regularly for BMW passed away from cancer in 2021. Before that, she made numerous appearances on "Top Gear" and went on to act as a host on the revamped version of the series, along with the likes of Chris Evans, Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, and Chris Harris.

A  number of other former "Top Gear" personalities also returned to pay tribute to their colleague, including Clarkson, Hammond, and May. It aired in April of 2021, just a few weeks after Schmitz's death, and showed important moments from her life as well as some of her best scenes from "Top Gear." Fans and critics alike praised the episode , saying that it was a fitting way to honor the memory of the 51-year-old.

5. Africa Special

Another two-part special, this "Top Gear" episode first aired in March of 2013. The sixth episode of Season 19, this installment sees the three presenters attempting to find the true source of the great river known as the Nile as they traverse east Africa. Along the way, they had to contend with a variety of challenges and obstacles, including hectic traffic and seeing their vehicles damaged in a multitude of ways.

Clarkson chose a BMW 528i Touring for the journey, Hammond picked a Subaru Impreza WRX Estate, and May drove a Volvo 850 R. Throughout the two parts, the trio also had to deal with mud slides and navigating with limited maps and a distinct lack of skills. Like many of the "Top Gear" specials, this episode lacked the usual studio segments and instead focused fully on the main feature.

In reviews, some critics who admitted they were not fans of the series said they actually enjoyed its "Africa Special." Stuart Heritage of The Guardian noted that the special felt more organic and genuine, with real moments of emotion.

4. Burma Special

The "Burma Special" was a two-part "Top Gear" episode that saw the three presenters travel across Burma in derelict lorries. The basic premise is that they would journey to the border with Thailand and attempt to build a bridge across the River Kwai. This was a clear reference to the 1957 film " The Bridge on the River Kwai " starring Alec Guinness. Both parts aired in March of 2014.

Clarkson and Hammond both drove a modified Isuzu TX, although the two lorries looked very different, while May used a Hino FB110. The special sees the trio play soccer with a group of police officers, customize their lorries with paint jobs, and face a constant struggle to keep the vehicles going through tough conditions. According to The Guardian , the episode was "undeniably funny" and full of childish pranks that would make most viewers laugh.

3. Bolivia Special

Part of Season 14 , the "Bolivia Special" first aired in 2009 shortly after Christmas. Despite being called the "Bolivia Special," the episode actually takes place in several South American countries, as the presenters journey from the Amazon rainforest in the center of Bolivia down to the Pacific coast of Chile.

Given £3,500 to purchase vehicles, the gang ends up with a Range Rover, a Suzuki SJ40, and a Toyota Land Cruiser that are transported up the river on a raft. Before the group can get going, they are forced to find a way of getting the cars off the boat and onto land. Other challenges involved waterproofing the cars so they could cross safely over a river.

The episode ended up being incredibly popular with viewers, becoming the most watched show on the BBC when it aired, attracting 6.4 million viewers in the U.K. alone. Highlights included confrontation with local drug lords and the infamous Road of Death, one of the world's most dangerous roads .

2. Vietnam Special

The eighth episode of Season 12 of "Top Gear" is the "Vietnam Special," where the trio of presenters were given 15 million đồng to buy motorbikes to travel across the Asian country. In total, the presenters traveled some 1,000 miles, going from Ho Chi Minh City to Hạ Long Bay. Unlike most episodes of the series, it ran for a total of 75 minutes and didn't feature any of the traditional elements that are usually included in "Top Gear" episodes, such as "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car."

While most "Top Gear" episodes are very much focused on the vehicles, "Vietnam Special" stood out. Director and producer  Andy Wilman said that the story of this installment was "skewed towards the three guys." Many viewers and critics agreed that this allowed the hosts to show more of their chemistry and banter with each other in a way that was not usually possible. Hot Cars suggested the fact that Clarkson was forced to use a motorbike when he hates them so much added to the comedy.

1. Season 22, Episode 8

This episode of "Top Gear" was originally due to air in March of 2015 but was delayed following an incident involving Jeremy Clarkson. He was suspended on March 10, just days before the episode was due to hit TV screens. The presenter was ultimately let go by the BBC when  the corporation decided not to renew his contract following what it described as an "unprovoked physical attack" on a producer of the show.

The episode itself featured few of the common elements of a standard "Top Gear" episode and opened with May and Hammond explaining that it had been put together using two features that had been filmed for the previous season. It aired in June of 2015 , following a lengthy hiatus for the show and was the last to feature the three main presenters before they were replaced for Season 23 by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc .

The first of the two films saw the trio purchase classic convertible cars for the English summer and learn what it takes to look after the vehicles and the culture that surrounds them. The second feature tasked the presenters with choosing an SUV to take part in a series of challenges designed to test out their abilities.

The 10 Best Top Gear Adventures, Ranked

Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond journeyed around the world, hosting Top Gear and showing off vehicles in unique settings.

Top Gear has long been a staple of British comedy television, turning Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond into household names. The series saw the three friends complete a number of unusual car-related challenges and, as time went on, sent them around the world on adventures. Traveling everywhere from the war-torn Middle-East to the Australian outback, the series was nothing short of epic in scale.

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While the team are now enjoying further adventures with Amazon's The Grand Tour , their journeys with the BBC's Top Gear were some of TV's greatest adventures. Although a British series, Top Gear slowly became a global phenomenon, reaching almost every country with its journeys and antics. Although the series is still on the air, the iconic trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May departed in 2015. By far, theirs were the greatest adventures in the series.

10 Vietnam Put The Three Top Gear Friends On Motorcycles

In the "Vietnam Special," the three Top Gear hosts were left in Vietnam with shoe boxes of cash and told to find a means of transportation. Initially giddy at the sight of all the cash, they soon found out it was only worth $1000 and couldn't buy a car, leaving them with motorcycles.

They then set off across Vietnam , with Clarkson initially struggling to figure out how to ride. In typical fashion, they inconvenience one another with cumbersome gifts, challenging each other to make it to their destination without breaking them. In the final challenge, they must modify their bikes for the water.

9 Patagonia Landed The Top Gear Trio In Hot Water

Although the "Patagonia Special" has gone down as one of the most controversial entries in Top Gear history, it was a fun and touching road trip. With each man behind the wheel of a classic V8, they made their way down to the southernmost town in the world.

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The special came to a premature close when Clarkson found himself at the heart of a touchy subject: the Falklands War. As they came to blows with locals, the crew had to plot an exit strategy, leading to an escape in the style of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid .

8 The Middle East Was A Nativity-Themed Journey

In the "Middle East Special," the Top Gear trio were thrust into an Iraqi airfield in three super cars, immediately having to do some evasive driving. Navigating political divisions in the region, James May getting injured and Hammond getting sick, they make their way through Iraq, Syria and Jordan.

As they make their way through, they have to modify their cars for the desert, transforming their cars to pass through one of the borders undetected. In the second half, the trio draw nearer to Nazareth and, in typical nativity tradition, set about buying gifts to mirror those brought to Jesus.

7 Australia Was A Great Exploration Of The Outback

In the Australian road trip episode, the Top Gear trio were each put in GT cars and sent out on a four-day road trip across the Northern Territory. They race towards their final challenge, a giant cattle drive where they have to use their cars to assist in rounding up the cows.

The trio enjoyed speed tests, drag races and the Australian environment, sure to make stops to enjoy a good evening of fishing together. The episode also featured a fun special guest appearance from 24 star Kiefer Sutherland as the star in a reasonably priced car.

6 The Canadian Mountain Rescue Top Gear Episode Was A Race Of Survival

Seeing Richard Hammond left to his own devices on top of a desolate snowy mountain, and had the episode double as a race and a survival special. While Richard was channeling the energy of a Bear Grylls show, Clarkson and May slugged it out through the Canadian wilderness in their trucks.

The two drivers, mostly indifferent to Richard's situation, decided to make a bet that whoever made it to Hammond first didn't have to rescue him. As they enjoyed the Canadian landscape and mountains, viewers were treated to Gillian Anderson as the star in a reasonably priced car.

5 The North Pole Was One Of Top Gear's Most Daring Adventures

Top Gear's North Pole race channeled the adventurism of the polar expeditions of old, this time pitting the dog sleds against a modern truck. As Hammond navigated the harsh conditions of sledding, Clarkson and May enjoyed the heated comfort of their truck.

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The contrasted methods of exploration, the old sled dogs against the new and powerful truck, made this an excellent race to the North Pole. One of the show's first specials, it was a great entry as one of the show's many comparisons of old and new and wheels versus other forms of travel.

4 Bolivia Was A Fun Journey Through The Amazon

Beginning with the three hosts being left by their cars on a boat in the Amazon, the "Bolivia Special" had the Top Gear crew battling the elements, cutting through vines and trees on the way. If the journey itself wasn't entertainment enough, their efforts just to get the cars off the boat was plenty of humor.

As they pushed on through the jungle, they found their way to a main road - which led them to one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Their plucky and robust 4x4s made it to their destination, but in the final minutes one of the guys had an unexpected loss.

3 Botswana Had Some Of The Funniest Moments Of Top Gear

In the "Botswana Special," the trio were given a budget of £1500 and instructed to find the best car possible for the trek ahead. They were tasked with traveling across Botswana in any car other than a 4x4 to prove to viewers back home that driving on roads wasn't as hard as was being made out.

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The Botswana episode has a special place in the hearts of many fans for Hammond's impressively durable car, "Oliver." The sequence where the trio pass over the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats, beginning with an unexpected visit by Botswana's vice president, was especially memorable.

2 Burma Sought To Remake Bridge On The River Kwai

Taking inspiration from the acclaimed war drama Bridge on the River Kwai , the team drove through Myanmar using trucks. As they made their way through the nation, they met members of the military fighting in the Burmese Civil War, even enjoying a party together.

In classic Top Gear tradition, viewers got to see and enjoy the gang renovate their trucks into living spaces, though some fared better than others. When they finally reached their destination on what they believed to be the River Kwai, they began the hard task of building their bridge.

1 Africa Was Pure Adventurism For The Top Gear Trio

By far the greatest Top Gear adventure, the "Africa Special" sent the three friends on a quest through Africa in search of the true source of the River Nile. Fancying themselves as the modern equivalent of the Victorian British adventurers, they purchase estate cars and set off.

Modifying their homes for living, they made their way through jungle and muck alike, passing through Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, even passing over Lake Victoria. As they neared their destination, the race heated up and had the trio get out of their car and hunt for the source of the Nile on foot.

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10 Best Top Gear Episodes To Relive The Good Ol' Days

Relive the beauty of Top Gear's finest! From epic challenges to breathtaking reviews, these 10 episodes are a nostalgic ride you won't forget.

There truly is nothing quite like tuning in to witness the camaraderie and expert insights of three violently British friends as they embark on automotive adventures, reviewing the latest and greatest cars from manufacturers, and partaking in outrageous challenges. Of course, we are talking about none other than the iconic trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May hosting the world’s most beloved motoring show, Top Gear. With its roots tracing back to its original airing in 1977 on the British Broadcasting Channel (BBC), Top Gear truly took off after its revival in 2002 and became the gold standard for automotive journalism, so much so that it expanded to multiple countries .

Top Gear was the show you could turn on to get all your automotive news all while having a laugh. It gave us an unforgettable journey spanning 240 episodes, including 13 specials, of pure automotive excellence. For countless enthusiasts, Top Gear served as the gateway to a lifelong passion for automobiles, with select episodes leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

Whether it was the thrill of embarking on daring adventures across foreign countries in unsuspecting vehicles, the hilarious antics of the trio , or the showcase of extraordinary vehicles, Top Gear’s episodes are jam-packed with unforgettable moments. As fans of the show reminisce on a time long past, we have curated a selection of ten of some of the most memorable episodes that promise to reignite the passion and experience of watching them for the first time.

Final Top Gear Episode With Jeremy Clarkson Will Air June 28

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from the BBC and TopGear. The episodes are ranked based on their impact among viewers, automotive cultural significance, and displays of artistic journalism.

10 Caravan Holiday

Season 8, episode 6.

In the hilarious Top Gear episode titled "Caravan Holiday," Clarkson, Hammond, and May set out on a quest to uncover the reasons behind the road nuisances caused by caravaners. Their chosen method? An eventful caravan holiday. The journey kicks off with Clarkson introducing their caravan of choice, an Elddis Shamal XL, and May unveiling the tow car, a Kia Cerato. However, their venture doesn't go as smoothly as they planned, as May struggles to exceed 30 mph while towing the caravan. The abysmal speed caused a queue of frustrated motorists behind them, causing Jeremy to purchase a sign to direct people around the caravan.

Along the way, mishaps ensue, from smashing plates during lunch to Top Gear Dog's car sickness-induced vomiting brought on by the wind-catching nature of the now 30-foot-long vehicle. Arriving in Dorset, their navigation woes lead to encounters with the police and an unintentional awning demolition. Their attempts to enjoy traditional caravan activities, such as cooking and showering, are met with even more issues, culminating in a caravan fire that engulfs their belongings and a neighboring caravan, requiring the intervention of the fire department.

Back in the studio, Clarkson humorously concludes the episode by jokingly proposing a ban on caravaning should they ever come into power. With its blend of comedic mishaps and insightful observations on the quirks of caravan culture, "Caravan Holiday" earns its spot as one of the funniest and most memorable episodes by the beloved trio of hosts .

• Kia Cerato "Best Tow Car"
• Crashing the caravan
• Top Gear Dog
• Action from the fire burning the caravan down

9 Revealing The Stig As Michael Schumacher

Season 13, episode 1.

In a historic moment for Top Gear fans, the series thirteen premiere aired on June 21, 2009, promising an unprecedented revelation: the identity of the mysterious Stig. Jeremy Clarkson, in his newspaper column, teased the highly anticipated event, stating that The Stig was tired of the endless speculations about his identity. Amidst mounting anticipation, the episode unfolded with The Stig setting a blistering lap time of 1:10.7 in a black Ferrari FXX around the iconic test track, before making a dramatic entrance into the studio.

As the audience roared for The Stig to reveal himself, the tension reached its peak when the mysterious driver removed his helmet, unveiling none other than Formula One legend Michael Schumacher. The revelation sent shock waves through the studio, marking the first time the show publicly acknowledged the identity of the Stig. In a subsequent interview, Schumacher embodied The Stig's persona, displaying his characteristic stoicism and quirky sense of humor.

However, the episode took a comedic turn when Schumacher, now unmasked as the Stig, attempted to navigate the Suzuki Liana around the track. Instead of showcasing his legendary driving prowess, the former F1 champion comically struggled with the vehicle, culminating in a series of mishaps, including colliding with a camera tripod and losing his way. Clarkson concluded the segment with a tongue-in-cheek observation that perhaps Schumacher wasn't the true Stig after all.

While the BBC initially remained tight-lipped about whether Schumacher's appearance was a mere stunt, subsequent reports confirmed his role as the Stig during the Ferrari FXX segment. The revelation of Schumacher as the Stig marked a significant moment in Top Gear history, blurring the lines between reality and fiction while adding an extra layer of intrigue to the show's iconic mystery driver.

• Ferrari FXX record-breaking lap around the test track
• The Stig identity "revealed"
• Michael Schumacher appearing on the show

8 Bugatti Veyron Vs. Eurofighter Typhoon

Season 10, episode 3.

In a thrilling display of speed and power, Top Gear presented one of its iconic matchups between automotive and aerial marvels. In this episode, viewers were treated to the spectacle of a high-stakes race between the Bugatti Veyron , hailed as the epitome of automotive engineering and speed at the time, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a fighter jet renowned for its unparalleled agility and speed.

As anticipation mounted, the stage was set for an exhilarating flat-out speed challenge unlike any other seen on the show. The atmosphere crackled with excitement as Richard Hammond took the wheel of the Bugatti Veyron, channeling his trademark enthusiasm and adrenaline-fueled energy.

Against the backdrop of roaring engines and soaring expectations, the Veyron hurtled down the runway, its sleek contours cutting through the air with ferocious determination. However, it's a race against the clock and gravity as the Eurofighter Typhoon unleashed its full might, streaking across the sky with breathtaking speed and precision.

In a dramatic climax, the Eurofighter Typhoon surged ahead, crossing the finish line with a commanding lead over the Veyron. Despite the inevitable outcome, the race is a testament to the show creating the most exciting matchups possible in the pursuit of entertainment and journalism.

• Drag race against a fighter jet
• Pure display of speed
• The Bugatti Veyron was the fastest car in the world at the time

7 American Special

Season 9, episode 3.

In what started as a typical Top Gear adventure, the "American Special" episode quickly spiraled into infamy, leaving a more violent mark on the show’s history. Tasked with a seemingly straightforward challenge of purchasing used cars for $1,000 and embarking on a journey from Miami to New Orleans, the presenters soon found themselves in a series of events that would devolve into chaos.

As they traversed through the heart of America, the trio encountered unexpected challenges with their American-made vehicles . However, it was during the fourth challenge in Alabama that things took a dramatic turn. Tasked with painting their cars with "questionable slogans," the trio unwittingly ignited a firestorm of controversy in the deeply Republican state.

With slogans like "Hillary for President," the whole team found themselves at odds with the conservative locals, sparking outrage and hostility. The situation quickly escalated as the cast and crew became targets of aggression, enduring a barrage of stones and ultimately being forced to flee the town.

Reflecting on the wild experience, Jeremy Clarkson succinctly summed up the ordeal with his blunt advice: "Don't go to America." The "American Special" episode stands as a cautionary tale of the unpredictability of travel and the delicate balance between humor and cultural sensitivities, solidifying its place as one of the most infamous moments in Top Gear history.

• Cheap car challenge
• Borderline violent comedy
• Memorable experience

6 U.S. Road Trip, Race To The Mexican Border

Season 19, episode 2.

In a spectacular showcase of automotive selection, Top Gear embarked on an exhilarating road trip through the Western United States, featuring an eclectic lineup of cars. Jeremy Clarkson led the pack in the magnificent Lexus LFA , its glorious sound echoing through the vast landscapes.

Meanwhile, Richard Hammond opted for the raw power of the Dodge SRT Viper, exuding pure American muscle and performance. Not to be outdone, James May embraced the sophistication of a true icon, the Aston Martin Vanquish, channeling his inner James Bond as he cruised the open roads in style. As the trio journeyed through breathtaking scenery, the road trip unfolded into a thrilling fun-fest of automotive antics.

Drag races ignited the competitive spirit of the trio, with each car unleashing its full potential. Burnouts and donuts littered the whole trip. However, the adventure reached new heights of excitement with an unexpected twist: an aerial laser-tag game. Faced with the challenge of evading two Aermacchi SF.260 jets armed with laser guns, the presenters found themselves in a high-stakes battle.

From the roar of engines to the thrill of competition, the Western United States road trip epitomized the essence of Top Gear's unique blend of automotive entertainment and adventure. With a diverse array of cars and a series of challenges, it captured the imagination of viewers, leaving them eagerly anticipating the next epic journey on the world's most iconic motoring show.

• Lexus LFA V10 soundtrack
• Beautiful scenery
• Massive displays of straight-line speed on American highways

5 £1500 Police Car Challenge

Season 11, episode 1.

In a classic Top Gear challenge, the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May set out on a mission to create the ultimate police car, armed with a budget of £1,500 each. The task? To surpass the capabilities of the standard-issue Vauxhall Astra diesel used by the UK police force.

However, true to their style, the presenters opted for a James Bond-inspired approach rather than practicality, leading to a series of hilarious moments. James May, in his analytical manner, outfitted his Lexus LS400 with a rear-mounted paint gun. However, the effectiveness of his gadget is called into question, as its practicality in law enforcement remains useless at best.

Meanwhile, Richard Hammond's Suzuki Vitara is equipped with a self-deploying spike strip, intended to immobilize fleeing vehicles. But Hammond's hopes are cut short when his contraption fails to deploy, creating more comedic unpredictability in their DIY police cars. The episode's humor reaches its peak when the trio sets out to apprehend a "most wanted" criminal, only to discover that the elusive culprit is none other than the show's mysterious test driver, the Stig. As the trio try to make light creations and face off against their own test driver, the episode unfolds into an adventure filled with laughter and expected banter, putting it high on the list of “classic” Top Gear episodes.

• Challenge episode where the trio are responsible for their creations
• Outrageous ideas create even more outrageous moments of hilarity
• One of the funniest segments, and it is a mere slice of the full episode

4 Africa Special

Season 19, episodes 6 and 7.

In an epic Top Gear adventure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May embark on a journey through Africa, tasked with finding the true source of the river Nile. The challenge begins with the trio each purchasing a used estate car (read Wagon for those in the U.S.) for £1,500 in Britain, ranging from a BMW 528i Touring to a Subaru Impreza WRX Estate.

As they converge in rural Uganda, the true nature of their challenge is unveiled, leading them on a quest filled with twists and turns. Their expedition takes them through breathtaking landscapes and challenging terrain, from the discovery of Lake Victoria to navigating through the Rwenzori Mountains.

Along the way, they encounter a series of obstacles, including vehicle modifications gone awry and a treacherous river crossing with a makeshift car ferry. Despite the trials and tribulations, their camaraderie perseveres as they press onward in search of the elusive source. In a climactic race to be remembered as the discoverer, James ultimately uncovers the source first, albeit a humble pond beneath large rocks.

With flags planted and a humorous caption immortalizing the moment, the trio commemorates their journey with a blend of humor and triumph. All the events throughout this two-part special are widely regarded as some of the best of the best of the Top Gear team. As the credits roll, the crew's names are playfully adorned with honorary titles, echoing the spirit of exploration that defines their unforgettable adventure through Africa.

• Two-part series
• Incredible scenery
• Absurd obstacles to get through, IE a road that blew up multiple tires
• One of the best showcases of triumph from the trio

3 The Indestructible Toyota Hilux

Season 3, episode 5.

Starting the top three of our list, in this Top Gear episode, Jeremy Clarkson subjects a Toyota Hilux pickup truck to the ultimate tests of durability. The episode unfolds as Clarkson pushes the truck to its limits, subjecting it to a series of extreme challenges. From submerging it in water and ramming into trees and buildings to dropping a caravan on it and setting it ablaze, the Hilux endured relentless punishment, yet, remarkably, continued to run. Throughout the testing, the one rule was that no parts could be replaced, the truck needed to continue working on its own.

The ultimate test came when the truck was placed atop a building slated for demolition and subjected to the full force of an explosive blast. Astonishingly, after the dust settles, the Hilux miraculously springs back to life with a battery reconnected and a bit of diesel. As Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May return to the studio, they reveal the battered yet resilient truck driving in, a display of Toyota's reputation for producing some of the most durable vehicles in the world. The episode is a testament to the Hilux's legendary toughness, along with being an incredible bit of automotive journalism to subject a vehicle to this extent of durability testing.

• Toyota truck durability
• Incredible reliability tests you wouldn't see anywhere else
• Demolition of a building with a vehicle on it

2 Vietnam Motorbike Special

Season 12, episode 8.

Truly considered Top Gear's most epic adventure, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May embark on a journey through Vietnam that is equal parts exhilarating and comedic. The trio begins with the challenge of purchasing vehicles on a limited budget , only to find themselves navigating the complexities of Vietnamese currency and the exorbitant cost of cars.

Ultimately, they opt for motorcycles, setting the stage for a series of misadventures as they traverse the country from Saigon to Hạ Long City. Along the way, they encounter the warmth and generosity of the Vietnamese people, forging memories that will last a lifetime.

The episode is masterfully edited, accompanied by a powerful musical score that enhances the emotional impact of their journey. From the highs of stunning vistas to the lows of mechanical breakdowns, the Top Gear team captures the essence of exploration and adventure. It showcases the joy of travel, especially when shared with close friends, and highlights the resilience and beauty of Vietnam. In the end, despite their challenges and setbacks, the trio reaches their destination, Ba Hàng Bar, floating amidst the picturesque islands of Hạ Long Bay.

As the credits roll, the Top Gear team pays homage to the cinematic legacy of Vietnam with a clever nod to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Overall, the Vietnam special of Top Gear is a captivating blend of adventure, camaraderie, and cultural exploration, leaving viewers inspired to embark on their own journeys of discovery.

• Breathtaking views
• Hilarious antics sprinkled throughout the adventure
• A cultural exploration into the automotive world of a country across the world

1 Holy Trinity Reviews

Season 21, episodes 2 and 5, season 22, episode 5.

In a trio of Top Gear episodes dedicated to reviewing the Holy Trinity of supercars, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond each take center stage to showcase the pinnacle of automotive engineering and performance for its time. Through their masterful storytelling, editing, and music selection, these segments exemplify the art of automotive journalism, captivating enthusiasts and invoking true emotions felt by those who love cars along with everything surrounding them.

Jeremy Clarkson's review of the McLaren P1 is a pure display of speed and precision. Against the backdrop of Bruges, Belgium, he takes the P1 around town, highlighting its hybrid powertrain's seamless integration of electric motors and twin-turbo V8 engine. From navigating city streets to tearing up Spa Francorchamps, Clarkson paints a vivid picture of the P1's mind-blowing speed and agility . He lauds McLaren for creating a masterpiece of British engineering, acknowledging its unbelievable performance while being reminded of its potential lack of passion. Ultimately, Clarkson declared the P1 a brilliant car, setting a new standard for supercars.

James May's review of the Ferrari LaFerrari celebrates the essence of a supercar. Against the majestic backdrop of Italian mountains, he rejoices in the noises of the LaFerrari's V12 engine, emphasizing its visceral driving experience. May contrasts Ferrari's traditional approach to supercar design with its reluctance to embrace electric technology, highlighting the LaFerrari's lack of an electric-only mode. Yet, as he pushes the LaFerrari to its limits on the Fiorano test track, May's joyous expression reflects his admiration for its unmatched performance and esthetics. In the end, he declares the LaFerrari the best of the Holy Trinity, embodying the epitome of automotive excellence.

Richard Hammond's review of the Porsche 918 Spyder at Yas Marina Circuit focuses on the car's pioneering hybrid technology and future-proof design. He marvels at the 918 Spyder's blistering acceleration and impeccable handling, praising Porsche for utilizing hybrid technology not just to enhance performance but also to meet future emissions and efficiency regulations. Hammond's assessment showcases the significance of the 918 Spyder in advancing the supercar landscape , offering a glimpse into a sustainable future without compromising on performance or driving pleasure.

Collectively, these segments demonstrate Top Gear's unrivaled ability to showcase the world's most extraordinary cars with unparalleled flair and expertise. Through a combination of thrilling driving footage, insightful commentary, and captivating storytelling, Clarkson, May, and Hammond elevate automotive journalism to an art form, rightfully earning its place at the top of this list.

• The world's best supercars at the time
• Masterful storytelling and editing
• Displays of adrenaline and speed not found in other pieces of media

Stuck Inside Right Now? Here's The Best Top Gear Road Trip Specials

Top Gear has no shortage of episodes that are guaranteed to stoke the adventurer in you.

As traveling options remain limited for much of the world, one of the best ways to replicate the feeling of setting out on an epic road trip is to watch one on TV. Top Gear, the motoring world's favorite show , has no shortage of episodes that are guaranteed to stoke the adventurer in you to get you ready for your next road trip.

Whether you want to watch Jeremy, James and Richard forge a crocodile-infested river in Africa or navigate ice fields in the Northern Arctic, Top Gear's specials are an incredible display of nature, engineering and TV production. In total, 11 different official Top Gear specials that have aired over a nine-year span. This article will take a look at some of the very best of those episodes that will get you motivated for your next road trip.

Let's take a look at the best road trip specials.

The Africa Special

This Top Gear special is beloved by fans of the show everywhere. The journey takes the trio on a Victorian-inspired expedition in station wagons through Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania to find the true source of the Nile River -- the only catch is each car used in the show must have been acquired for less than £1,500.

Richard chose a very capable Subaru Impreza WRX Estate that held up through all of the route's challenges -- especially the nearly impenetrable mud of rural mountain Uganda. Jeremy chose a BMW 528i Touring that started out strong but predictably developed unsolvable electric issues due to the remote nature of the adventure.

Finally, James went with the truly "out of its element" lowered, sport-model Volvo 850R that not only encountered road clearance issues the whole way -- but completely destroyed its suspension and lost its rear wheel towards the end of the second part of the episode.

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Despite the car troubles, the truly remarkable scenery made this trip unforgettable. The trio starts their journey on the banks of the famous Lake Victoria; then make their way into the mountain highlands of Uganda; and finally end the trek driving through the staggering Serengeti of Tanzania.

"I'm going to put my hand on my heart and say that this is the best Top Gear adventure we've ever had," said James May, on the final leg on their journey. "It's a noble quest in a truly stunningly beautiful country full of utterly hospitable people."

The Burma Special

If you have ever wanted to visit Southeast Asia, this incredible two-part special is for you. The episode takes the Top-Gear trio on a 1,200-mile trek through the remote reaches of Burma -- also known modernly as Myanmar -- in order to construct a bridge over the River Kwai in Northern Thailand. The episode's plot is largely based on " The Bridge on the River Kwai " a 1957 epic war film depicting the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in World War II.

This episode also stands out due to the vehicles the trio is forced to use. Instead of using typical cars or SUVs, the presenters are required to try their hand at long-distance lorry driving -- the British name for the international equivalent of a delivery truck.

Both Jeremy and Richard choose an Isuzu TX, a well-equipped truck that offers all the trappings of a typical lorry. Going against the grain, James chose a Hino FB110, and while the Hino isn't technically a lorry, its built-in crane becomes extremely useful for all three members of the group.

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During the Top Gear adventure, the team's route also takes them through the rural northern province of the Shan State -- a mysterious region of the country riddled with civil war and conflict. However, despite the rumors, the trio is welcomed by a rural group for a night of drinking and festivities.

The Patagonia Special

As environmental regulations in Europe began to force the phase-out of mass-produced v8s, the trio heads to the absolutely stunning South American region of Patagonia in traditional small-block V8s. Far south of the equator, Argentina and Chile's cold and wet weather climate takes the trio through high alpine passes, misty swamps and massive deserts to the "gateway of the Antarctic" Tierra del Fuego.

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Jeremy chose a grey Porsche 928 GT that started out performing well -- but ended up developing catastrophic electronic issues. Richard purchased a bright green Ford Mustang Mach 1 that from the start proved to be unreliable -- losing steering and other vital components. It was definitely the worst car chosen by the trio. James, on the other hand, decided on a Lotus Esprit V8, that despite its low-profile and notorious reputation lasted till the end of the special, stunning all three of the presenters.

While Top Gear was filming the final leg of the journey, the group became caught up in a local controversy surrounding the number plate on  Jeremy's Porsche (H982 FKL) . Locals in Southern Argentina claimed that the plate was a reference to the 1982 Falklands War in which British and Argentinian forces clashed over a group of islands off the coast.

As a result, the entire production crew faced relentless mobs that threw rocks, signs and other objects at their vehicles as they tried to flee the country. No matter what type of trip you're in the mood for, these Top Gear specials will get you motivated to start planning your next post-quarantine road trip.

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The Best Gear for Your Road Trips

By Kit Dillon and Wirecutter Staff

A road trip is an adventure. It doesn’t matter how far you go. But all adventures require a little planning (and one or two backup plans, in case things go sideways).

We took our first testing road trip in an age far less complicated than these past few years, but the gear we tested and the advice we’ve gathered here should still help you navigate the roads safely and comfortably.

Our original trip, in 2016, included 60 hours of researching and testing gear to take on the open road. We packed all of our top contenders into a Honda Fit EX and headed out on a four-day jaunt to determine what’s nice to have, what’s great, and what’s absolutely essential for your next road trip.

In 2020 we added a few items to help you adhere to safe-travel guidelines, and those things will always come in handy during flu and cold season. We’ve also added several selections to take on challenging winter car trips.

After traveling for 1,500 miles, through four states and six national parks, we think we have a good grasp on what makes an excellent road trip. In addition to performing our own research and testing, we consulted with half a dozen engineers, mechanics, and other experts to bring you these picks. Our hope is that the recommendations in this guide will help you see more and explore farther down the road than you thought possible.

Below, you’ll find recommendations for cargo boxes , binoculars , coolers , emergency beacons , a first-aid kit , a folding blanket , an ice scraper , an instant camera , inverters for your electronics , a multi-tool , phone mounts , a portable jump starter , ratchets and tie-down straps , a road atlas , stain remover , a stowable daypack , sun shades , sunglasses , a tire-pressure gauge , a toolkit for cars , a travel game , a travel pillow , water jugs , windshield water repellent , wipes , and so much more. These items will help you have a successful road trip, regardless of region or weather.

However, even if you have the best gear in the world, it’s always best to address small problems before they become emergencies. That’s why we asked Christopher Smith , a veteran automotive journalist with a penchant for restoring fixer-uppers, to help us put together some advice on how to prepare your car for a trip . (And he lives in South Dakota, where things are spread out, so he’s always prepared.) We cover everything from checking your tires and dipsticks to knowing what you should do if your car starts smelling like rotten eggs for seemingly no reason.

This guide isn’t specifically geared toward families, though most of the picks would be useful to a family traveling by car. We do have guides to infant car seats , travel car seats , booster car seats , and water bottles for kids —all things that are of particular interest to families on the road.

The research

Stowing your gear, in the driver’s seat, health and cleaning supplies, staying comfortable, refreshments, entertainment, just in case, preparing for a road trip.

Being able to find what you need when you need it—whether it’s water, emergency lights, a change of clothes, or a granola bar—can make the difference between a short, easy stop that rejuvenates and a long, frustrating one that makes you question why you left home in the first place.

It all starts with packing. Don’t overthink it. We like to keep items grouped: emergency gear in the back right of the trunk, water in the back left, spare batteries in the glove compartment along with the power inverter, and so on. After a few days, double-checking that everything is where it should be before heading off becomes a comforting ritual, and it helps mitigate the worry that you left … something … in the motel last night.

And don’t overpack. As with a bag, a well-packed car is one that has less than you think you want to bring but everything that you truly need. You don’t have to bring everything—just the things that are essential. Remember, you want to enjoy the drive. Not having to worry about countless items that someone might lose or misplace is a big step toward that enjoyment.

Cargo boxes

Yakima SkyBox NX 18

The best cargo box.

This cargo box offers great aerodynamics, easy mounting and operation, and a lot of storage at a reasonable price.

Buying Options

A cargo box effectively allows you to double your trunk space by moving bulky items from your car’s interior or trunk to its roof. After gathering up as much intel as we could about rooftop cargo boxes from experts, retailers, manufacturers, customers, and outdoor-gear reviewers, we’ve concluded that of the 21 boxes we surveyed, the Yakima SkyBox NX 18 offers the best combination of features, build quality, and value pricing for most road trips.

The NX line replaces the Carbonite line of Yakima boxes, which included our previous cargo box pick, the SkyBox 16 Carbonite .

The cargo box’s low-drag aerodynamic design minimizes wind noise and reduces the impact on fuel economy. Its 18 cubic feet of space allows it to hold skis, duffle bags, backpacks, sleeping bags and other camping gear, or any random (though fairly lightweight) stuff, and it does so securely—both in solidly mounting to your roof rack and in resisting theft. If you don’t have a rack already, this REI car rack buying guide is a good place to start, but be sure to consult your car’s owner manual to see how much weight its roof can bear.

The SkyBox NX 18 is easy to use. Like most cargo boxes these days, it uses sliding brackets, rather than one or two fixed spots, for attachment to the crossbars, making perfect positioning a snap. To secure the brackets to the crossbars, you use a simple torque wrench (included) that will announce with an audible click—like a gas-tank cap—when you’ve tightened the four installation bolts down securely. The tool lives inside the cargo box, though out of the way of your gear, for safekeeping.

Once installed, the SkyBox NX 18 allows easy access from either side of the car, and its newly redesigned dimensions (a change from the previous model) make it less likely to interfere with a liftgate if you put it on a hatchback or station wagon.

If you need more space, Yakima’s older-generation 21-cubic-foot model (the company has not released an updated, NX 21 version so far) may still be available for purchase. Be aware, however, that this box weighs more and can encourage overloading past your car rack’s weight limit, which might be lower than you expect. It may also be too long in the back to clear some liftgates. As Ken Klaes, general manager of ReRack , a Portland, Oregon–based cargo-box retailer and rental company, explained to us: “A rack designed to carry 150 pounds doesn’t forget that the box is there; the weight of the box itself (often 50-ish pounds) needs to be subtracted from the weight rating to give you a real capacity for the box.”

Roof straps

Keeper Endless Loop Ratchet Tie-Down

The best ratcheting straps.

Easier to use than non-ratcheting straps, these straps ensure that your stuff stays put.

I spent many years working in rigging and rope access on offshore oil platforms, where I played with loads, angles, line pulls, and sheave-block friction percentages—in other words, I know a thing or two about strapping things down. You can find two common types of roof straps: ratchet straps, which have a mechanical lever and gear, and cam straps (sometimes called “lashing” or “loop” straps), which connect to themselves through a cam buckle . If I could choose only one type, I’d get ratchet straps because they’re easier to secure. More specifically, I’d get the Keeper Endless Loop Ratchet Tie-Down .

We spent several hours examining 22 strap options before landing on the Keeper version. Keeper is a reliable brand, and the ratchets are easy to tighten and loosen, thanks to their all-metal construction. ( Cheaper ratchets are hard to release and prone to sticking or breaking due to their reliance on plastic parts.) At 13 feet long, these 1-inch straps are long enough for all but the most strenuous loads on the largest of vehicles, and their nylon webbing’s 400-pound working load limit and 1,200-pound break strength put them right in line with similarly priced straps. You could get something that’s heavier-duty or longer, but you’d be paying more for strength or length you don’t need.

On our trip, driving in a car without a roof rack, we used the Keeper straps to great success. The straps held a full water jug to the roof of our Honda for a few dozen miles through the backroads of Arizona with no issues. Other Wirecutter staffers have owned Keeper straps for years and vouch for their overall strength and durability.

NRS 1″ HD Tie-Down Straps

The best cam straps.

Simpler and cheaper than ratchet straps, these straps have above-average strength ratings.

If you prefer the simplicity of a cam strap or don’t need the extra force that a ratchet strap provides, we like the NRS 1″ HD Tie-Down Straps , which come in a variety of lengths. They’re pricier than more popular options, but their webbing is rated to a 1,500-pound breaking strength (the cam itself has a 2,000-pound breaking strength) and a 500-pound working load, in contrast with the 600-pound breaking strength and 200-pound working load of this best-selling Keeper set . Equipment of this grade may seem like overkill, but Wirecutter’s Mark Smirniotis had several weaker cams fail on him when he was strapping loads to his Jeep. He noted in 2016 that of all the straps on Amazon with more than 25 customer reviews, the NRS straps were the only ones that had no reviews complaining of failed cams. NRS is primarily known as the premier kayaking- and rafting-accessory company, so the folks there probably know something about strapping awkwardly large loads onto cars.

Thule Quick Loop Strap 530

For smaller cars.

This strap offers a quick way to add load-stabilizing anchor points to a small car.

For owners of compact cars who want to move long or oversize loads, such as a kayak, we also like the Thule Quick Loop Strap . You secure these straps under the hood of your car (or the trunk, if you don’t have a hatchback) to create a set of forward anchor points to help stabilize the forward section of whatever it is you’re carrying. Judging from our testing, these straps are very quick to set up, and they can add a welcome level of versatility to tough packing situations.

• Always check the maximum load of your car’s anchor points, such as the roof rack. Ratchet straps can apply a lot of force beyond just the weight of your belongings, so knowing your maximum load will help you avoid over-tensioning the straps.
• If the straps vibrate against the roof while you drive, adding a few twists in them can sometimes stop them from slicing the air.
• Don’t put knots in your straps, especially if you’re applying tension. Knots can cut through nylon with surprisingly little force. A knot also significantly reduces the overall load that the strap can handle.
• Never use bungee cords to hold anything down. They’re fine for stabilizing items but not for securing heavy loads.

Driving can be fun, meditative, exhausting, and torturous. After five hours of driving through the desert, it can sometimes be all of those things at the same time.

A thousand little gadgets promise to make a long drive somehow easier. Most of them are useless and seemingly designed to distract you more than anything else. Try to avoid these items. The best gear is durable, unobtrusive, and easy to use—so you can keep your eyes (and your thoughts) on the road.

You will get bored—500 miles on cruise control with an automatic transmission can be a pretty dull time. Not always, of course, but sometimes it will be boring, and maybe that’s the point. In this frenetic age, that feeling is practically a luxury, and it’s essential to the trip. Revel in it.

It would be impossible for us to pick the best overall sunglasses, since your choice ultimately depends on your personal style. We have picks for cheap sunglasses in a separate guide. But driving sunglasses are different because they’re designed to help you perform a specific task: driving safely. In that regard, Maui Jim makes the best sunglasses around, though they are something of an investment.

The best sunglasses

These are the clearest driving sunglasses we’ve found, with no perceptible distortion.

We compared a Maui Jim pair with more than 20 types of sunglasses, driving or otherwise, and found this pair to be the best of the bunch. The Maui Jim sunglasses had the clearest lenses, with no perceptible distortion, on the lightest frames we tested (0.6 ounce, or about half the weight of a wooden pencil). I’ve never encountered sunglasses that I can wear for hours on end without somehow hurting my nose, ears, or both. But during my trip there were a few afternoons when I had completely forgotten I was even wearing the Maui Jim sunglasses—despite five-plus hours of driving with them on.

The clarity of the lenses was another surprise. The Maui Jim lenses are so clear that it’s borderline unsettling the first time you try on these sunglasses. Thanks to the lenses’ exceptional clarity and polarization, everything—including the scenery around you and the road ahead—looks sharper through them.

As far as specific model recommendations go, I suggest scanning the offerings on the Maui Jim website and reading the fit descriptions to find something that matches your aesthetic sensibilities. Unlike companies that go by lens size only, Maui Jim lists face shape as part of its fit guidelines. That means you’re more likely to find what’s most comfortable for you on your first try. Just keep in mind that bigger lenses tend to be better because they offer more coverage.

Maui Jim glasses come with a two-year warranty . After checking with the company, we confirmed that it fulfills warranties on its sunglasses no matter where you buy them. However, Maui Jim services only authentic lenses and frames that haven’t been modified in any way. You can tell whether the pair you have is genuine (and not a knockoff) by confirming that the Maui Jim logo is etched, not just painted onto the lens.

Smartphone mount

In an ideal world, people wouldn’t use a phone at all while driving, and if you have a copilot, you shouldn’t have to—you can delegate the phone-related tasks to them. But in reality, for many drivers, a phone is the source for navigation, information, messages, music, and (of course) phone calls. However, if you hold the phone in your hand as you drive—or look down at it in a cup holder or center-console bin—it can be a major distraction and safety risk. That’s why we recommend using a smartphone mount.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2

The best dash- or windshield-mounted smartphone mount.

Whether it’s on a dashboard or windshield, this model is easy to set up, grips securely, and has a strong magnetic mount that supports most phones in any position.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 Air Vent Mount

The best vent-mounted smartphone mount.

This model is easy to set up and remove, and it has the same strong magnetic mount as the dash version. It securely held on to our cars’ vent slats.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD Slot Mount

The best cd-slot-mounted smartphone mount.

This mount attached quickly and firmly to our cars’ CD slots and has the same magnetic mount as the other iTap Magnetic 2 versions.

I enjoy the simplicity of my phone with no accessories, so I like that the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 mounts offer an attractively easy way to mount and unmount my phone with one hand. In our tests , the magnets in all three versions— dash/windshield , vent , and CD slot —were strong, supporting most of our phones vertically and horizontally over even the roughest terrain. Only the large, 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max gave them some trouble when they held it horizontally; the mounts were solid with a 6-inch Google Pixel 2 XL.

To use the magnetic mount, you have to attach a small metal plate to the back of your phone or to the case. Doing so is safe for your phone, and we found this detail to be small, subtle, and attractive enough that we didn’t mind it. Often you can hide it entirely by attaching the plate to the inside of a phone’s case. But the plate could interfere with your ability to wirelessly charge your phone; if you want to be able to continue to use that function, consider the following options from our guide to wireless charging phone mounts .

iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 Dash & Windshield Mount

Best mount for charging a smartphone on a dash or windshield.

This model delivered some of the quickest charging speeds and earned top results for stability. It lets you easily mount and unmount your phone, too.

iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 Air Vent & CD Slot Mount

Best mount for charging a smartphone on a car’s air vent or cd slot.

This is the sturdiest vent-mounted model we tested, with fast charging speeds, a firm grip, and a quick way to attach and remove your phone.

The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2—available as a dash and windshield mount or a vent and CD player mount —offers a convenient way to charge your phone in the car while also giving you easy access to audio controls, directions, messages, and more. In our tests , both models ranked among the quickest at charging our phones. Their spring-loaded tension arms made attaching or removing a phone of any size simple, and they held the phone steady while we drove. Both models offer a wide range of adjustability for positioning your phone where you can readily see it, regardless of the vehicle. iOttie also offers a magnetic mount (for vent use) that’s compatible with wireless charging.

Rain-repellent coatings

Rain and snow add stress to a road trip, and they decrease your visibility and your reaction time in an emergency. Along with wipers, rain-repellent windshield coatings can help keep your windshield clear. If you want the most effective rain repellent, pick up the classic Rain-X spray bottle and commit to applying it once a month. If you simply want to give your windshield a boost, Aquapel is almost as effective and can last six times longer between applications—but it is very expensive.

Rain-X Original Glass Water Repellent

Cheap but short-lived repellent.

This affordable hydrophobic spray offers effective protection, but it wears off after a couple of weeks.

Most auto-supply shops offer a huge variety of Rain-X products, including wiper blades, gels, and washer-fluid additives, but you should stick to the original Rain-X formula in the 16-ounce spray bottle because it has the most reliably positive reviews from buyers. Once applied, Rain-X forms a hydrophobic coating , which causes water to bead up and quickly slide off your windshield. Most people who have used Rain-X agree that maintaining its effectiveness requires reapplication about once a month. If your wiper blades start “chattering,” that probably means the coating is beginning to wear unevenly, and it’s time to reapply.

Aquapel Glass Treatment

Long-lasting but pricey repellent.

Aquapel bonds to your windshield for up to half a year, but it costs more than twice as much as Rain-X.

If you can’t commit to applying Rain-X once a month, consider Aquapel . Instead of coating your windshield, it bonds to the glass chemically , and it should last for three to six months before you need to pull out another one-time-use sponge and reapply. YouTube user jwardell posted a 30-day comparison video that shows how Rain-X is more effective initially, but after a month Aquapel still works even after the Rain-X has all but worn off.

For either repellent, proper application is the key to getting the maximum benefit. You need to start with an extremely clean windshield. Then clean it again just to be sure. Both of these repellents dry best in warm weather, out of direct sun. Even when perfectly applied, however, these substances have potential drawbacks. Some people who have used them complain that the repellents cause noticeable haziness at night. Others report that they had trouble getting windshield chips professionally filled after learning that the chemicals interfered with repair methods—though Aquapel’s site disputes such claims. Still, if you’re stuck in inclement weather on a road trip or a commute, either the original Rain-X spray or Aquapel can help increase visibility and decrease your stress levels.

Ice scraper and snow brush

Hopkins SubZero 80037

The best ice scraper and snow brush.

Efficient at clearing ice and sweeping snow, this scraper works on vehicles of all sizes.

The Hopkins SubZero 80037 tool combines a scraping blade and ice-crushing teeth to make quick work of thick or thin ice, and its plow-like bristle broom is the best we’ve tested —equally adept at shoveling snow off body panels and brushing it out from tight spots around mirrors and wipers. The Hopkins SubZero has a self-locking extension that’s easy to use when you want to fold the scraper away to make room in the trunk of your car. It’s of average size—39 inches folded up and 60 inches fully extended. But no other contender offers such a complete scraping-and-sweeping package with so few weaknesses.

Paper road atlas

Rand McNally Road Atlas

The best road atlas.

This atlas is large enough to use while you’re in motion, with a logical, straightforward layout.

With the advent of GPS units and smartphone navigation apps (both of which we recommend over the onboard navigation systems that might come with a car), the age of the paper road atlas would seem to be over. But don’t let anyone convince you of that. A road atlas is the heart of every road trip. It’s the inspiration.

Planning a road trip starts with imagining the places you could be next weekend, if you threw a few granola bars and some clothes into the backseat and left everything else behind. Of course, you could bring up Google Maps, look up the top 10 travel destinations near you, plan your exact route, and save a PDF to your digital device so you’d know exactly where to go and how to get there at each stage of your trip.

Or you could pull out a physical map and highlight a route. You might not know exactly what to expect when you get there, but you’ll definitely know that you can get there. And regardless of electronic-device failures, you will always have a map in hand.

For use in the car, we like the classic Rand McNally Road Atlas —just make sure to get an updated edition. Its oversize shape makes it simple to read and easy to spread out on the hood or in your lap, and the user-friendly design can’t be beat. This atlas’s arrangement of state and keyhole maps is the best for navigation.

As a test, we used the Rand McNally atlas to complete the first leg of our trip, from Ventura to Joshua Tree, California, with no phones and no GPS, on roads we had never driven before. The Rand McNally atlas was simple, functional, and easy to follow. Most important, it was fun to use.

We did read one complaint from somebody who began using that year’s map early: Some of the roads it listed as passable were still mid-construction at the time. If you’re buying a map in the middle of the year or later, you could play it safe and stick with the current year’s edition.

Garmin DriveSmart 55

The best car gps.

Best-in-class directions, driver alerts, points of interest, and free map updates—combined with the best screen we’ve seen on any GPS unit—set this model apart from the pack.

For most shorter trips, a smartphone can provide all the navigation assistance you need. But should your journey take you off the beaten path (and out of your coverage area), we suggest the Garmin DriveSmart 55 . Like the best GPS units, the DriveSmart 55 can also connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth, which lets you send destinations to the device, get incoming messages on screen, and receive extra trip and traffic info. The DriveSmart 55’s extensive points-of-interest database helps guide you to an area’s best sites and businesses through integrated Tripadvisor ratings, Foursquare listings, a database of sites from the History network, and US national park directories (something that other brands’ models don’t offer). Similar to a smartphone, the DriveSmart 55 allows multi-touch gestures, such as pinching or spreading for easier zooming on a map; this feature is a clear step up from the resistive displays of less-expensive units, which allow only single-finger gestures and require you to tap on the plus and minus buttons to zoom in or out.

The DriveSmart 55 also provides helpful traffic info in many metro areas. It responds to voice commands as effectively as the best GPS units, and like other top models it includes free lifetime map updates—in contrast with the pricey updates you need to buy for many cars’ built-in navigation systems.

Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes

The best body wipes.

Not quite a shower but pretty darn close, these wipes are amazing after a sweaty day in the desert.

Road-trip and backpacking veterans know just how much better a shower can make an adventure after three days and a lot of smelly clothes. When taking a shower is not an option, or even if you just want to tidy up a bit after a long drive, body wipes can provide some much-needed relief.

We considered 22 brands and tested nine different body wipes, including some that were popular on Amazon and others that were recommended on the blogs of seasoned outdoorspeople.

Cheap, portable, and durable, the Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes were the clear winners.

The wipes come in a resealable package, which helps keep them fresher for longer. You can find them in two sizes, XL (8 by 12 inches, in a pack of eight) and Compact (6 by 8 inches, in a pack of 12). On our trip, we preferred the XL wipes for their extra coverage and longer cleaning power. The fully compostable Wilderness Wipes were among the most lightly scented ones we tested, and their lack of alcohol left our skin feeling clean and moist.

Surface wipes

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

The best disinfecting wipes.

Effective, EPA-approved, and (usually) easy to find, these pre-soaked wipes need only four minutes of contact time to neutralize the coronavirus—and they’ll kill other nasty bugs you might come across in your travels, too.

Most disinfecting wipes are the same. Although we recommend Clorox Disinfecting Wipes , we advise getting any pack of wipes you can find that contains a disinfectant on the EPA’s List N (most have a bleach or quaternary ammonium base). Clorox’s bleach-free wipes are usually sold in single canisters or in four-packs at a range of retailers. These wipes can eliminate the coronavirus and other pathogens on hard surfaces—countertops, door handles, and bathroom fixtures—in your home, vehicle, or motel room, but not on fabric or other soft materials.

Surface spray

Lysol Disinfectant Spray

The best disinfectant spray.

This aerosol works in 10 minutes and is fabric-safe, but it’s guaranteed to eliminate the coronavirus and other pathogens only on hard surfaces.

Instead of bleach, which can damage car interiors, Lysol Disinfectant Spray uses quaternary ammonium. It’s safe on hard surfaces and most fabrics, and it’s gentler on skin than bleach. It also produces fewer harsh fumes—which is good if you’re disinfecting the same space frequently. The spray eliminates the coronavirus, for instance, on hard surfaces in 10 minutes, but on soft surfaces it only sanitizes (kills most but not all pathogens).

One thing we’ve learned in the past few years is that face masks can be useful whenever you’re sick (with COVID-19, a cold, the flu, whatever) and don’t want to share your misery with fellow passengers, people at rest stops, or anyone else. Fortunately, compared with the situation in early 2020, medical-style N95 and KN95 masks (which many experts recommend as the best protection) are widely available these days. They’re easy to tuck into a bag, which we do now whenever we travel. You can find out where to buy these masks in our guide .

Stain remover

Shout Wipe & Go Instant Stain Remover Wipes

The best stain remover.

By keeping a pack of these in your glove box, you’ll remain tidy through multiple meals at drive-throughs.

In our testing, we’ve found that if you spend five hours a day in the car on a drive-through-fueled cannonball run, there’s no way you’ll get to your final destination without having some kind of condiments disaster. I met my own inevitable conclusion outside an In-N-Out Burger on the last leg of our trip.

When the unavoidable happens, you’ll need something more than a napkin and ice water to clean up the mess. We recommend Shout Wipe & Go Instant Stain Remover Wipes . We tested them against other instant spot removers and assorted DIY methods to see how they handled wine, coffee, lipstick, and mustard stains.

In our tests, the Shout wipes easily outperformed the popular Tide To Go pen , and the Shout option was the only stain remover that erased almost all traces of lipstick on the collar of a shirt. These wipes also did pretty well on the ketchup I spilled.

The single-use towelettes don’t occupy much space; you can throw a dozen into your glove compartment and barely notice they’re there. Plus, by using a single wipe per stain, you don’t risk depositing an old stain on another piece of clothing, as you might with reusable stain-remover sticks.

Hand lotion

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion

The best moisturizing lotion.

Once it’s rubbed in, this moisturizing lotion is lighter and drier-feeling than competitors. It’s better for people with normal to oily skin.

You might find yourself washing your hands a lot on the road, which can result in cracked and dry skin. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion is thick enough to stay neat in your hand and thin enough to spread quickly and smoothly onto your skin. Unlike its competitors , this moisturizing lotion dries nicely without leaving a greasy film in its wake. And its neutral scent won’t follow you out of the bathroom or into your car.

Can a long road trip be comfortable? I didn’t think so: Long hours of sitting in one position, nights spent camping or sleeping in cheap motel beds, and breaks for indigestible fast food are a terrible combination. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With a little planning and a few small luxuries, you can keep the enthusiasm of your trip alive. Skip the fast food and instead pack your own snacks and water. Keep off the main highways and pull over when the scenery strikes you (not when you’ve gone a certain number of miles). And stop for as long as you need. The cliché is unavoidable: It’s the journey that’s important, not the destination (though that should be good too!).

Folding blanket

Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket

Comfortable and easy to carry.

Our favorite picnic blanket travels easily, feels comfortable to sit on, and holds up to wear and tear.

There’s only so much time you can spend in a car without needing to pull over to pause, stretch your legs, and take in the scenery. We stopped dozens of times on our trip, and we were glad every time we were able to take a side road, pull out a blanket, and find a place to sit down and share some food.

In 2023, Nemo enlarged the Victory Blanket, which previously fit just two people, to fit four people. At roughly 95 by 95 inches, according to our measurements, the Nemo Victory Picnic Blanket is now bigger than most blankets we looked at; it’s well suited for larger groups of people or for two people who want room for more board games and snacks. For those who need even more space, the Victory Blanket is also available in a truly mammoth extra-large version (120 by 120 inches). Both sizes come with two adjustable, clasping straps that keep the blanket rolled up tight, and those clasps can perform double duty as bottle openers.

Travel pillow

Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch

The best travel pillow.

The redesigned-for-2022 Therm-A-Rest pillow remains a firm and supportive choice that packs down to 50% of its expanded size. It now has a sewn-in cable that you can cinch down to make the pillow firmer.

price may vary by color or size

A good travel pillow is hard to find. It shouldn’t take up much space, and it should be able to expand when it needs to. And, ideally, it should allow you to shape it for use as a shoulder or neck pillow when necessary, such as when you’re on a plane or in the passenger seat of a car.

We found that the foam-filled Therm-A-Rest Compressible Pillow Cinch fit all of those criteria exceedingly well. During the day, it can fold in on itself (a loop-and-toggle closure holds it tight), which makes it easy to stow in a backpack or to toss into the backseat. When it’s in this tightly packed configuration, you can also use it as a shoulder and lumbar pillow. The Therm-A-Rest pillow is a bit larger than your typical travel pillow when it’s packed down—about the size of a tissue box—but saving space is less of a priority when you’re driving instead of flying.

At night, the pillow unrolls and expands into a decent bed pillow, though side-sleepers with larger frames may say it has too little padding. But this is a travel pillow, of course, so it will never feel like your home pillow, which is all part of the fun somehow. I sleep on my side and back, and I found it exceptionally comfortable compared with camping pillows I’d used in the past, although I did have to supplement it with a flannel shirt when I wanted to sleep on my side. In spring 2022, Therm-A-Rest released a slightly redesigned version of the pillow. The “regular” version is roughly the same size and weight as the old “medium” version, but the integrated pocket is now larger (9 inches deep instead of 6), which we found makes the pillow easier to roll up. The pillow also has a cord sewn in a loop into its back; you can tighten the cord and cinch it securely to make the pillow firmer. One other change: A thin layer of polyfill backs the brushed polyester fabric on its face and softens the lumpiness of the foam filling.

The Therm-A-Rest pillow is well reviewed on Amazon and on REI’s site. It’s available in a variety of colors and sizes, but we prefer the regular/medium for its mix of portability and support.

Silk sleeper wrap

Sea to Summit Premium Silk Travel Liner

The best sleeping bag liner.

This liner is a lightweight, moisture-wicking, easy-packing fix for scratchy motel sheets.

Not all motels are created equal. Some are fantastic, with their bright neon signs truthfully advertising a cheap, clean, and convenient place to stay. But out there you can stumble across other motels—desperate, last-chance places you wouldn’t wish on anyone, and cursed by all of the bleary-eyed travelers who’ve been forced to stay in them for a night.

Sea to Summit’s Premium Silk Travel Liner is the best accessory to bring along for these situations. Inclement weather, unexpected traffic, or poor planning (my personal downfall) may at some point prevent you from reaching your expected destination for the night and force you to stay somewhere you wish you didn’t have to. We can’t help you accept your fate, but we can make that night just a little easier to tolerate.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

The best sleep mask.

Lightweight and contoured, this mask fits comfortably and blocks light well for a wide variety of face shapes (though it’s best for those who sleep on their back). And the mask’s deep eyecups allow your eyes to flutter during sleep.

Not every bedroom on the road is as dark as some people would like. That’s why we recommend the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask . Its contoured eyecups rest over your eyes, giving them space to move, which makes this mask comfortable to sleep in—even when you’re sitting upright (as you might in the passenger side of a car). Although the mask is adjustable, with Velcro straps, restless sleepers may want to consider other options in our full guide to sleep masks . If the Nidra mask fits you well, its weightless feel can make you forget you’re wearing a mask at all as you continue to sleep in bright cars or poorly shuttered hotel rooms.

Puffy blanket

Rumpl Down Puffy

The best outdoor blanket.

This blanket offers the greatest warmth and durability for the lowest relative weight, price, and size. It also stuffs away very well when not in use.

The Rumpl Down Puffy blanket, which has a soft yet durable nylon shell that’s stuffed with water-repellent and sustainably sourced down, wards off the cold better for the price than the competition. It helps you to stay warm longer, inside or outside. (A puffy blanket has come in handy for us especially on winter road trips in an EV, when we don’t have the heat of a combustion engine warming the interior of the vehicle.) So far in our testing , the Rumpl blanket has survived four rounds in the washing machine without a snag, and it dries within an hour. And it’s been notably stain resistant after encountering dirt, dew, and even coffee.

Van camping mattress

Hest Sleep System

The best vehicle camping mattress.

Predominantly for van camping or long-term car camping, this blowup mattress takes up a hefty amount of space when stowed away but provides the most comfort of any camping mattress we’ve tested.

Although the size of the Hest Sleep System limits its use to either vans or pickup trucks, we’re including it on this list because of its impressive night-over-night comfort. If your road trips tend to include lots of outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, or climbing, a good night’s sleep is fundamental to having the energy you need to enjoy your days. The Hest mattress takes up about the space of a small cot mattress (78 by 25 inches). Half consists of a dense foam layer, and the other half is a high-pressure inflatable base that needs a pump system to inflate. The Hest mattress is not a small piece of kit when rolled up: It weighs 26 pounds and packs up into a 28-by-16-inch bedroll, including the air pump. If two of you are camping, you can connect two Sleep Systems together, though Hest also makes the Dually two-person foam mattress, which we haven’t had a chance to test yet.

Tinkle Belle Female Urination Device

The best pee funnel.

Sturdy and accommodating yet packable, the Tinkle Belle funnel is easy to use and clean when you’re on the road or hiking a trail.

It’s not always easy to find a secluded spot on the side of the road or a clean-enough public restroom. The Tinkle Belle funnel has a stable, rigid base and a flexible spout, so it won’t collapse under you during use, as Wirecutter senior staff writer Nancy Redd learned while researching the topic. One of the longest and widest of all the single-piece reusable funnels Nancy tested , the Tinkle Belle funnel makes less mess and is easy to use, as the more coverage a funnel has, the lower the risk of leakage or spills. While you’re on the road, a simple rinse works fine for cleaning the funnel. Although the Tinkle Belle funnel is larger than most, it folds up for more-compact storage. You can also buy it with a matching case .

Windshield protector and sunshade

A1 210T Fabric Sunshade

The best windshield shade.

This shade provides effective sun protection and fits a wide variety of windshields. It’s easy to store, too.

If you’re traveling through a sunny area, a sunshade for your windshield is a worthwhile investment. We like the A1 Windshield Sun Shade , which we found to offer the best combination of low cost, decent coverage, and ease of setup. Its pop-up design made it much simpler to install and stow than the accordion-style shades we tested.

Recommending just one sunshade for all cars is difficult because vehicles vary so much in size. But A1 offers several sizing options ranging from 59 by 19 inches to 69 by 36 inches (when the shade is fully expanded). You can compress each of these size options down to fit into a circular carrying case, which you can easily store on the door or underneath the seat. When you take the A1 sunshade out of the case, the compressed plastic arcs inside the sunshade spring open to create a rectangular shape, which you can adjust to fit your car’s windshield. Amazon reviewers mention that the build quality is solid and that the metallic finish does a good job against the sun, particularly in hot Southern states like Florida and Texas. Several reviewers also recommend , however, that you buy a size smaller than you think you need to avoid excessive overhang.

Although we prefer the A1 shade’s pop-up design, it’s not completely foolproof. Even with the choice in sizes, you still might have difficulty arranging the two plastic circles (which provide rigidity) within the A1 shade into a shape that hugs both edges of the front window and balances off the rearview mirror. Gaps, loose corners, or overhangs are almost unavoidable. In the end, what you gain in compactness and decent price, you lose in rigidity and reflective power. If you’re uncertain, measure before buying, or look into a custom shade like the WeatherTech shade described below, which is guaranteed to fit.

WeatherTech SunShade

A custom-fitted, maximum-protection shade.

This custom-fitted shade will ensure that no sun gets in, even in the sunniest climates.

If maximum temperature reduction is your goal, invest in a custom-fitted WeatherTech SunShade . Thicker than the A1 shade, WeatherTech’s shade completely blacks out the windshield when you install it. This shade is also notably bulky—about the size of a yoga mat when rolled up—and difficult to store discreetly. But if you frequent sunny climates, it’s well worth the cost, which at this writing starts at $55.

Passenger window UV protector and shade

Britax EZ-Cling Window Shades

The best passenger shade.

This shade sticks easily to car windows and provides great sun protection for passengers.

We researched 14 shade models and tested two finalists before determining that the Britax EZ-Cling Window Sun Shade is the best around. Available in a pack of two, it’s dead simple to install, and it’s effective. The Mylar on the back provides some protection against UV rays, and it acts like a large sheet of cling film that seems drawn to your windows once you pull the shades out of the box; the black mesh on the inner surface blocks a good amount of sunlight while still allowing you to see through the shade. We like the EZ-Cling shade better than film-only shades because the EZ-Cling design has a support ring of firmer material around its perimeter that makes it easier to install without prompting wrinkles and bubbles. I have way more fun than I rightly should when I’m putting these things onto car windows.

Unlike similar models with suction cups, the EZ-Cling shade doesn’t have any secondary or removable parts. Wirecutter’s Dan Frakes tried four other shades of various types and was dissatisfied with all of them, so he brought two EZ-Cling pairs for testing on a four-day road trip with his family. “They clung to the windows well,” Dan said. “They were a lot easier to install than both the suction-cup models and the flimsy film ones we’ve tried. We also removed them and reapplied them many times as our position relative to the sun changed, and it was easy to do so. Our only real complaint is that they’re small—they don’t cover an entire backseat window.” That kind of half-coverage can’t keep the sun off young children for too long, especially when the sun is low on the horizon.

Quick tip: Be sure to wipe your EZ-Cling shades with water when you first get them. A thin film protects the Mylar sheets during production, and it can leave a waxy residue on your car’s windows if you use the shades right out of the box without first wiping them down.

Portable extending shade

Shade extension

This extending shade attaches to a variety of vehicles, whether you have a roof rack or not, and whether you attach it to metal or a composite material such as a pickup-truck bed cover.

Although the MoonShade works best on SUVs and trucks, it’s lightweight and adaptable enough to work with smaller vehicles. When deployed, the MoonShade covers 9 by 7 feet, and its height adjusts from 78 inches to 96 inches. The shade mounts in three ways: directly to a roof rack, with very strong magnets, or with surprisingly robust suction cups for composite materials. We found that all three methods are secure enough for most situations, though as you might imagine, the suction cups are somewhat less stable than a direct mount on a rack. The MoonShade weighs 8 pounds and stows away into a carrying case that measures 28 by 6 inches, which is small enough to fit in the trunk of most cars. The MoonShade is great if you like to pull over in the middle of the day and set up a lunch, or if you tend to do activities outdoors in predominantly shadeless areas, as in the Southwest.

You could cross America with no plan at all and survive solely on fast food as your nourishment, without ever having to leave your car. But we don’t recommend that. Packing your own snacks and bringing your own water is not only healthier but also safer—you never know when you might be stranded somewhere along the way.

We got stranded on our second day of driving, somewhere east of Joshua Tree, California, when we pulled off the side of the road onto a soft, sandy shoulder (we were new in this part of the country). The car’s dash thermometer read 105 degrees Fahrenheit. As we waited, I was thankful that we had full water bottles, more water in the trunk, and plenty of food.

A highway patrol officer drove up, gave us a little lesson about sand, and pushed us out with no trouble. So things turned out fine. The beauty of a road trip is in the unexpected moments. You can be prepared for most of them by having a little food and water on hand.

RTIC Soft Pack Cooler 20 Can

Best soft cooler.

This simple lunch-box-style cooler is insulated with thick closed-cell foam and made from a durable coated nylon.

Capable of carrying everything from healthy snacks to emergency ice packs, a cooler is one of those items that can make long trips a lot more enjoyable. After several 500-mile days on the road, having a chilled container filled with cold drinks and body wipes is a gift. We recommend bringing along our favorite soft cooler , the RTIC Soft Pack Cooler 20 Can .

The lid of the RTIC cooler is capped by more than 2 inches of closed-cell insulation , and its walls are a touch thicker than those of the far more expensive Yeti Hopper Flip. When we tested them head-to-head, all that extra insulation seemed to give the RTIC cooler an insulating edge. The exterior of the RTIC cooler is made of a durable, thickly coated nylon—waterproof and tough—and the zippers are waterproof, as well. Still, don’t leave the cooler out in the sun, as the light and heat can degrade the material and slowly wear it out.

When the RTIC cooler is open, it stands erect like a grocery bag, providing easy access for loading and unloading.

Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme 5 Marine Hard Ice Chest Cooler

Our hard-cooler pick.

Better insulated and less expensive than the competition, this cooler keeps ice for a week. And its well-designed drain port makes it easier to clean.

If you need extra insulation for longer hauls and don’t mind sacrificing a little extra space, we recommend the Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme 5 Marine Hard Ice Chest Cooler . Our testing shows that a hard cooler will almost always outperform a soft cooler in insulating ability (five-plus days, versus a soft cooler’s two-day average) and durability. So the hard cooler is a great pick for RVs, trailers, or boats. But hard coolers are huge, so you might not have room for one if you’re carrying a bunch of other equipment.

Water bottles

CamelBak Eddy+ (25 ounces)

Great for the car.

A bottle with a straw is the easiest way to quaff water and keep your focus on the road since you don’t have to tilt your head back while drinking.

The 25-ounce CamelBak Eddy+ is the most reliable, most versatile water bottle for road trips that we found. This bottle has an integrated straw in the lid that features a plastic bite valve to keep it sealed (something that anyone who has owned a CamelBak hydration pack will be familiar with). Just bite down to open the straw, and release to seal it shut. That leak-free lid makes this bottle an ideal driving companion—it fits in a cup holder and is easy to sip from while you’re keeping your eyes on the road. The straw lid twists off to reveal a wide mouth that makes adding ice to your drink easy, which is handy if you like to keep your water cold. However, this is a plastic bottle, so adding ice could also make it sweaty; if you want to avoid that, the insulated version should prevent moisture from accumulating on the outside of the bottle.

Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug

The best mug for road trips.

Contigo’s Autoseal Transit is a wider mug that may fit better in cup holders than our top travel-mug pick. It doesn’t retain heat as well as our top pick, but some people may find its flat lid easier to drink from and to clean.

The Contigo Autoseal Transit Mug is a very different mug from the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug—our top pick for travel mugs —but it offers several features we like for road trips. The lid has fewer parts, is easier to clean, and prevents spills with its Autoseal button, which you have to hold down to keep the sipping port open. Plus, the flat lid won’t bump your nose or get in your line of sight while you’re drinking, as can happen with the Zojirushi model’s flip-top lid. Although this Contigo mug doesn’t keep drinks nearly as hot as the Zojirushi mug over a long period of time, some people might prefer that (we’ve heard complaints of the Zojirushi model keeping drinks too hot in the past). In addition, the Transit is a little wider than the Zojirushi mug, which is good if you want your mug to fit more snugly in a car cup holder or if you use a device such as an AeroPress, a pour-over dripper, or a tea steeper directly with your mug.

Edward Abbey wrote an entire book about being alone in the desert , long before portable screens, streaming music, and the best and worst of what instant entertainment can bring. He saw incredible things. But then again, Abbey wrote that book before he had kids.

Being in close proximity on a road trip can bond families and friends. Of course, a packed car could also become a pressure cooker. Some games, toys, and electronics can provide welcome relief.

Even more important, on our trip, every 100 miles the scenery around us changed drastically, and being able to charge our cameras allowed us to capture some wonderful personal moments.

Bestek 300W Power Inverter

The best inverter for simple devices.

More-sensitive gadgets may not function correctly while using this DC-to-AC converter, but a smoother converter costs $100-plus.

Lots of newer cars have USB ports capable of charging plenty of smaller gadgets. But to plug in bigger items, such as a computer, or certain items that have larger batteries, you need an inverter to transform your car’s round-plug, 12-volt direct current (12 V DC) outlet into a three-prong outlet with the same 120-volt alternating current (120 V AC) you have in your home. After sending our three favorites, culled from a list of 18 top-rated inverters, to physicist Jim Shapiro for testing, we recommend the Bestek 300W Power Inverter for simple devices such as water boilers. Not all inverters are equal, however, and you need to know what you’ll want to plug in before deciding which one to buy.

The Bestek unit—like every inverter that sells for less than $100—creates AC power, but in what’s called a “modified” sine wave. Shapiro examined this phenomenon using an oscilloscope. “Although the Bestek and similar units produce voltage at the same 60-hertz frequency as house voltage, the waveform has sharp corners, unlike the smooth, curvy sine-wave signal from your local power company,” Shapiro explained. “Those sharp corners give rise to higher frequency harmonics that are not friendly to electronic devices.”

However, because many electronics, including laptop computers, use power supplies to convert AC back into DC before delivering the power to your device, a higher-quality power supply can make the arrangement work—as owner reviews attest. Shapiro was able to charge an iPad without any problems via the AC outlets on the inexpensive Bestek inverter. Charging a Dell Chromebook, on the other hand, caused some problems: “The screen flickered, and I noted that when I asked the computer to display the charging time left, it oscillated between giving that time and ‘calculating,’ indicating that the software was having problems.”

While we were on the road, we realized that the Bestek inverter’s dual USB ports and dual outlets offered a nice benefit, particularly for people traveling in an older car that didn’t have USB ports built in everywhere. You shouldn’t have issues charging USB devices because they charge on DC voltage anyway. And though you can’t see the inverter’s safety features, such as over-voltage and low-voltage shutdown, they’re included as well.

For powering a TV (for tailgating) or any other demanding piece of electronics during a road trip, we used to recommend the Go Power GP-SW150-12 Pure Sine Wave Inverter. It now appears to be out of stock almost everywhere (or discontinued). As an alternative, we recommend looking into a portable power station , which is basically a large battery in a protective box, with AC outlets and other ports built in. They tend to be expensive, so for road-trip purposes we recommend our budget pick, the Jackery Explorer 300 . If you need to power only a laptop during your trip, we have several recommendations for portable laptop chargers . Note that portable power stations and laptop chargers both charge on wall outlets and can’t draw power from a car outlet.

Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger

The best car charger.

This model can charge phones, tablets, and computers from its USB-C port, plus it has a second port for charging USB-A devices. It adheres to USB-C fast-charging standards and includes a quality cable.

May be out of stock

If your electronic gear doesn’t require AC—for instance, you’re charging smartphones or Bluetooth speakers more than laptops or portable TVs—you can save a few bucks and a lot of space by getting a car charger . Compared with the familiar USB-A port, the smaller USB-C port can charge most modern phones faster (if you’re using the right cable) and can even charge tablets and laptops. And the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger provides the best of both worlds. When you’re using a USB-C–to–Lightning cable , the charger’s USB-C port can charge an iPhone about three times faster (at 18 watts) than the USB-A wall charger that comes in the box from Apple; your phone can charge from empty to roughly 50% in just half an hour. This Nekteck charger’s 45-watt output and included USB-C–to–C cable also support the maximum charge rate on Android phones (such as the Samsung Galaxy S10), the 2020 iPad Pro, and even many laptops. And you can use the 12-watt USB-A port at the same time to charge a second phone or other device with any USB cable you already have.

Bluetooth kit

Besign BK01 Bluetooth Car Kit

Best bluetooth adapter for cars with an aux-in jack.

The Besign BK01 kit offers great sound quality for music and good sound quality for phone calls. It also lets you pair two phones and access your voice assistant with the press of an easy-to-find button.

If your car lacks Bluetooth support—which you may want for wirelessly listening to music or connecting your phone calls over the car’s stereo system—and you aren’t willing to swap out the stereo for a new one that has such a feature, your best option is a Bluetooth kit. The best and easiest way to add Bluetooth to cars with a line-in jack is to get an aux kit. The Besign BK01 Bluetooth Car Kit provides good sound quality for music, clear-sounding voice audio for hands-free calls, and access to Siri or Google Assistant at the press of a button. It also allows you to connect two phones at once, so you and your passengers don’t have to duke it out for the aux cord.

iPad headrest mount

Depending on the length of your trip and the temperament of your passengers, you may need to find a way to keep folks occupied. Providing their favorite movies or TV shows on a tablet is an option. After testing six top tablet-mount contenders, we determined that Arkon’s Center Extension Car Headrest Tablet Mount is a great pick for viewing by multiple backseat passengers.

Arkon Center Extension Car Headrest Tablet Mount

For multiple viewers.

This model positions a tablet solidly between the front seats for easy viewing by all backseat passengers.

The Arkon mount anchors with a pair of adjustable clamps that tighten around the metal rods that support a front seat’s headrest; the tablet holster is located on the end of an extendable pole that you can move to a position between the front seats, where all three passengers in the backseat can view it.

We had recommended the LilGadgets CarBuddy Universal Headrest Tablet Mount for people who preferred a mount that’s best for just one backseat passenger. It appears to have been discontinued, but it’s a good find if you can get your hands on one.

Instant camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

The best instant camera.

Fun and simple to use, this camera takes good-looking wallet-sized photos for 60¢ per print.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film (Twin Pack)

Instax mini film.

Buying Instax Mini film in twin packs helps you get the best price.

With a smartphone, showing a photo to hundreds of followers is as easy as pressing the share button. But if you want to create something tangible, an instant-film camera can add a fun and welcome dose of analog charm to your digital world. Our pick is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 , which provides high-quality, retro-cool prints at a reasonable price.

Also, when your phone is serving as a radio, a map, a restaurant guide, and whatever else, you’ll appreciate having a dedicated tool that does one thing: take instant shots that look great.

After doing extensive research , we found the Instax Mini 12 to be the best instant-film camera. Its compact body feels durable, and thanks to its minimal controls, anyone can easily learn how to use it. The 3.4-by-2.1-inch prints cost only about 60¢ apiece , so documenting your trip won’t break the bank. Its photos aren’t perfectly sharp, but they are pleasingly colorful and creamy, with a classic look that we love.

Travel game

Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversations

The best silence-breaker.

The questions are not always the most thought-provoking, but they sure can spark a conversation.

You can find countless travel games for all ages, from magnetic chess boards to Adult Mad Libs , and we’re not about to review them all here. (You know what kinds of games you like to play.) So instead we’ll tell you about the game we chose, Chat Pack: Fun Questions to Spark Conversations .

I am, as a rule, generally wary of anything designed to prompt conversation. But by day three of our trip, with 1,100 miles behind us and 400 miles ahead, my then girlfriend (now wife) reached for Chat Pack and told me it was time.

It’s hit or miss with Chat Pack. Some of the questions are oddly inspiring, if clunkily written: “What is one item you own that has virtually no monetary value but has such sentimental value that you would not sell it for $1,000?” So, what item do I have that has no value but remains precious? My grandmother’s wire glove stretchers. And that became an hour-long conversation.

Some of the questions were abrupt duds: “If rain could fall in any scent, what scent would you want it to be?” “Like rain,” we both answered. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh rain? The feeling of camaraderie in the car was strong; we agreed that it was a dumb question. We were a young couple on an open road in full accordance with each other, and that’s not a moment you take lightly.

So get a Chat Pack. Your mileage may vary. But this pack helped us pass the time, and it takes up barely any space.

Make time in your trip for the detours. If there’s one bit of non-gear-related advice we can give, it’s that the complicated route always proves to be more interesting. There will be times in the car when a sort of tunnel vision can set in, and the destination becomes all-consuming. At my worst, as I pressed down on the accelerator, I found myself mentally calculating the time saved for every increase in miles per hour—as if the scenery I was flying past wasn’t what I’d come to see in the first place.

The first time we pulled over without a plan was on some Bureau of Land Management stretch east of Zion National Park in Utah. We were alone, on an outcropping overlooking a shallow canyon. Someone had built an impromptu fire pit. But somehow it wasn’t until we finished lunch that we realized there was no point in going any farther.

You can find many ways to plan a trip. But once in a while, take a risk and make a left when all the maps and devices are telling you to go right. You won’t know where you’ll end up—and that’s the whole point.

Athlon Optics Midas ED

The best binoculars for nearly everyone.

Amazingly affordable with great optics, these binoculars offer performance comparable to that of many models costing thousands more.

Binoculars might not be a necessity. But when you’re standing on the edge of a trail in Zion National Park and looking for nesting peregrine falcons or lying at the edge of your campsite in Joshua Tree watching a pack of coyotes move under a full moon, will a good pair of binoculars come in handy? Yes. Yes it will.

The waterproof and lightweight Athlon Optics Midas ED binoculars boast a rugged shock-absorbing exterior. And this pair’s optical clarity and extra-wide field of view allow you to see more of the scene, more clearly and accurately. In fact, the professional ornithologist who tested binoculars for us said that things looked every bit as good through the Athlon binoculars as they looked through his $2,500 Leica Ultravid pair.

And the optics of the Midas ED pair aren’t the only strong suit: These are exceptionally durable binoculars that easily withstood the humid, dusty, and hostile environment of the Mexican rain forest and the harsh sun of the Californian desert. Also, their focus dial adjusts reliably and smoothly across a wide range of depths, making it easy for you to focus on what you’re trying to see, no matter where it is.

Stowable tote or daypack

It’s always a good idea to have a bag on hand for spontaneous off-the-road excursions. But anything that will take up space on a trip needs to be functional enough to hold cameras, snacks, jackets, maps, and souvenirs. And it needs to be durable enough to survive beach trips, sightseeing excursions, picnics, and museum tours.

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

A pack that won’t crowd your trunk.

Toss this lightweight, phone-sized packable bag into your trunk or under your seat, and you’ll never get caught without a spare bag again. If you need something to carry every day, though, you’ll probably prefer one of our more-structured picks.

After researching dozens of packable daypacks across a spectrum of portability, features, and prices, and then packing, unpacking, loading, wearing, and drenching the top-rated finalists during multiple rounds of testing, we’ve found that the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack is the smallest and lightest packable backpack of the bunch. Packed up, it is very discreet, nearly the size of a keychain accessory. The bag itself is a no-frills sack made from a paper-thin siliconized Cordura nylon, so it’s very light and water resistant. The Ultra-Sil bag also has reinforced stitching at stress points, which allows it to carry more weight than you might expect. That said, since this pack is made of such thin, light material, carrying large or awkwardly shaped loads is somewhat uncomfortable, especially in comparison with our more structured picks.

If lightness, waterproofing, comfort, and organization are more important to you, check out the alternative picks in our review of packable daypacks for travel .

Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+

An easy-to-spread physical sunscreen.

This physical sunscreen lotion absorbs easily and is free of added fragrance. Though this water-resistant formula can feel greasy, like most physical sunscreens, and leave behind a white cast (especially on darker skin), we’ve found its dependable coverage to be worth the trade-off.

On most road trips you’ll be exposed to the sun, whether it’s your arm out the window or your legs and neck during a pit stop, so we recommend bringing our favorite sunscreens along for everyone to apply. (The one exception: your youngest passengers. Do not put sunscreen on an infant. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends keeping children who are younger than 6 months out of the sun entirely.) Although most sunscreens containing only physical UV blockers are notoriously harder to spread and more visible on skin than sunscreens with chemical UV filters, Blue Lizard’s Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ formula spreads relatively quickly and easily, and it absorbs nicely. Formulated with both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, this sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection, from both UVA and UVB rays. Blue Lizard says this formulation, which contains no added fragrance, is sweat resistant and water resistant for 80 minutes (the highest such claim allowed by the FDA). It comes in bottles that uniquely change color, from white to blue, in the presence of harmful UV light.

Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+

A lightweight, oxybenzone-free chemical sunscreen.

Although it contains added fragrance, this easy-to-apply chemical sunscreen lotion doesn’t have an overpowering sunscreen-y scent. It rubs in nearly transparently and appears colorless on most skin tones.

Banana Boat Light As Air Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+ is our favorite chemical sunscreen that doesn’t contain oxybenzone. Fairly runny and lightweight, it blends seamlessly into a variety of skin tones. Although it contains added fragrance, it’s not strongly scented. It’s water resistant for up to the maximum-allowable claim (per FDA guidelines) of 80 minutes, and it costs far less per ounce than our physical-sunscreen pick.

Having an emergency kit in your car is a great idea for day-to-day driving, but it’s pretty much a necessity for long-distance road trips. Although it’s tempting to buy a preassembled kit and be done with it, we haven’t found a great one yet. Even the most promising options suffer from having jumper cables that are too short, too thin, or both. Basically, if you want a good kit, you have to make it yourself, and we’re here to help.

We spent hours researching and testing each of these essentials to confirm that they’ll be useful in case of an emergency, whether it’s your own or someone else’s.

On a desolate stretch of two-lane highway in northern Arizona, we were driving behind a rental camper van just as it had a rear-tire blowout after hitting a rumble strip. The couple driving the van couldn’t find their jack, didn’t know where the spare tire was, and had come to a stop just past a low dip in the road. It wasn’t a good scene. But it couldn’t have happened at a better time (for them, at least), and it gave us a great opportunity to put our emergency gear to the test.

It’s also wise to get a membership to a roadside assistance program. We don’t have a single best recommendation for everyone, since your options and needs vary depending on what car you have, how you use it, and where you live, but here’s a good guide by Popular Mechanics on what to look for in choosing a plan. Basically, make sure your plan fits your needs. For example, if you live in a city, 3 miles of free towing may be enough. But if you’re going on a road trip across the desert, paying for more range is worthwhile.

First-aid kit

First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit (FAO-442)

All the basics.

This kit is chock-full of bandages and cleaning supplies that are suitable for minor incidents.

On the road, a first-aid kit is useful for keeping someone comfortable until people with real medical expertise can help. It’s much more important to have a basic kit with you—and to be sure that the bandages haven’t degraded and the disinfectants haven’t expired—than to have a 432-item, war-zone-worthy kit sitting at home.

We like the First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit . It lacks some of the higher-quality tools that we recommend for a wilderness first-aid kit , but it comes with plenty of bandages, alcohol prep pads, pain relievers, and equipment to treat up to four people’s minor cuts and scrapes on a weekend trip. (For an extensive list and comparison chart, see our full guide .)

Snow shovel

Voilé Telepro Mini Avalanche Shovel

The best car shovel.

This small shovel slices through icy snow and can be disassembled for car storage. It isn’t cheap, but it’s what we’d want to have in a roadside emergency.

After spending two years researching car shovels and testing five contenders, we found that the best one to keep in the trunk for an emergency is the Voilé Telepro Mini Avalanche Shovel .

The tool, popular with ski patrols and people clearing backcountry trails, has a solid metal scoop and a two-piece handle that clicks together to form a sturdy shovel. Our tester keeps the Voilé shovel in her truck every winter, and it has come in handy more times than she can count. Though the Voilé shovel is too short to be a primary shovel, it’s perfect for any kind of fast shoveling. When you aren’t using it, you can tuck its three pieces neatly under a car seat or in the back.

Accu-Gage RRA60X

The best tire gauge we’ve found.

This is the favored tire gauge of all the professionals we interviewed.

Checking your car’s tire pressure (including that of the spare tire) is like flossing: It’s something that everyone should do but many people don’t do. Proper inflation is vital . Too much, and you’ll feel every bump and have more difficulty stopping your car; too little, and your tires will wear faster. Worse, they’ll also overheat, which can separate the treads and blow the tires, something we saw happen right in front of us in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. Don’t let that happen to you.

When we asked three different San Francisco Bay Area tire shops which gauge they used, they all pointed to the Accu-Gage 60 PSI gauge with shock protector . After our testing, which included road-tripping with the tool ourselves, the Accu-Gage model has emerged as our favorite tire gauge for several years running. It’s accurate and durable, and unlike a digital gauge, it has no battery to wear out. The Accu-Gage model is available in several different configurations , but the performance is largely the same. We prefer a version with a hose attached and a straight chuck, because that design makes it easier to hold the gauge and check the tire pressure at the same time. The version we tested even comes with a removable rubber bumper in case you drop it.

Portable jump starter

A portable jump starter is essentially a lightweight battery attached to two jumper cables that you use to jump-start your car. It’s easier, safer, and less intimidating than old-fashioned jumper cables that you attach to another car—and it’s something that you can use if you’re alone, instead of waiting for roadside service/a kind stranger/a friend/a relative to show up and bail you out.

Weego Jump Starter 44s

Staff-favorite jump starter.

This jump starter has the right safety features and contains enough juice in a small package to start most cars and SUVs.

Wirecutter has recommended Weego gear since we first published our guide to portable jump starters in 2017. Guide writer Mark Smirniotis researched 40 lithium-ion jump starters and tested 12. Two Weego portable jump starters (both of which are now discontinued) became picks: the Weego 22s (the top pick; about $60) and the Weego 44 (the upgrade pick; about $150). Though we no longer maintain that full guide, many of us at Wirecutter still keep a Weego jump starter in our cars . But now, in many cases, it’s an updated version, namely the affordable Weego 44s , which hovers around the same price as the 22s model, its less powerful predecessor.

Measuring 5.62 by 3.44 by 1.04 inches (LWD), the Weego 44s jump starter is about the same size as a cell phone in length and width. It also weighs less than a pound (around 12 ounces, according to my kitchen scale) and has safety features that help prevent you from hurting your car or yourself: If you incorrectly attach the jump starter to your battery (which can potentially damage the battery or your car’s electrical system), the unit’s reverse-polarity protection feature activates, issuing a red light and an alarm alerting you not to proceed.

The Weego 44s is rated to work with a wide range of vehicles, including gas engines up to 7 liters and diesel engines up to 3.5 liters. It can jump-start pretty much any gas- or diesel-powered passenger-vehicle engine—anything from a Mini Cooper (2 liters or less) to a Dodge Ram (as much as 6.7 liters)—and it fits that power into a package that’s small enough for most glove boxes.

The Weego 44s comes partially charged out of the box and takes about 2.5 hours to charge from zero. A USB-A–to–Micro-USB charging cord is included, but it doesn’t come with a charging cube, so you need to plug the USB-A end into your own USB phone charger that works in regular household outlets or use an outlet with a USB-A port . According to the company, the unit can stay charged for more than a year in storage, though you should make sure to top it off every three to six months. With regular use, it’s rated to last for about three to five years or up to 1,000 recharge cycles. Plus, it can provide multiple jumps before it needs a recharge itself (five lights on the side of the unit indicate its remaining battery life).

The Weego 44s has checks and balances to ensure that you safely jump-start a car, but its lithium-ion polymer battery comes with certain caveats. Though the manufacturer indicates that the unit will operate in temps of -4 °F to 140 °F, leaving it in a car in extremely hot or cold conditions is not a great idea. “Most devices that contain a lithium-ion battery, whether it’s your smartphone or a portable jump starter, should not spend long periods of time in extreme temperatures since it can cause permanent damage to the battery,” says Wirecutter senior staff writer and battery expert Sarah Witman. “You should also keep in mind that car engines need more power to get started in freezing temperatures, so it’s especially important to keep your jump starter fully charged when driving in cold climates.”

Jumper cables

If you’re a die-hard jumper-cable partisan, make sure that the cables you get are long enough for most scenarios and thick enough to carry sufficient current to jump most vehicles.

Lifeline AAA Heavy Duty 16-foot 6 Gauge Booster Cables

The best cable option.

This cable is long and durable enough for any situation, with a current rating that can handle SUVs.

After scrutinizing the specs of dozens of jumper-cable options and having an electrical engineer analyze three top-rated models, we recommend Lifeline’s AAA Heavy Duty 16-foot 6 Gauge Booster Cables . As this image illustrates, these cables are long and thick enough for most situations, and their 400-amp current rating means they can handle most vehicles, even trucks and SUVs. They also come with a surprisingly sturdy and convenient mesh storage bag.

One thing that sets these Lifeline cables apart from other cables we found on Amazon is that the 6-gauge description is accurate. For example, Capri sells a 4-gauge, 20-foot cable that reviewers say is closer to 8-gauge. That’s no good, because thinner cables can fail to deliver sufficient current to start trucks, SUVs, and other larger vehicles.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to use jumper cables, familiarize yourself . But lest you forget, Lifeline includes a handy diagram in the bag. The important thing to keep in mind: Do not attach the black clamp to the black post of the dead battery. Instead, clamp it to an unpainted metal surface under the hood. Also, don’t touch the exposed parts of the clamps together while the cables are hooked up to a battery; they will spark.

Decked x BoxoUSA Tool Bag with Tool Roll

For the at-home mechanic.

This tool roll is designed for off-road emergencies. The handy roll and its mix-and-match tool configurations offer almost everything necessary to keep a vehicle on the road.

If you don’t own any tools for car maintenance, this kit is a great start. With 65 individual tools, the Decked x BoxoUSA Tool Bag with Tool Roll has nearly every tool that a home mechanic (especially those who own a truck) might need to keep their vehicle on the road. As the kit was designed originally for off-roading, bringing the whole thing and all its contents would be overkill for most people (the entire kit weighs 31 pounds). But selecting the necessities—the ratchet and wrench set, for instance—depending on the kind of journey you’re planning is easy and efficient due to the built-in compartmentalization. Included within the kit are combination wrenches, sockets, impact sockets, hex and torx keys, breaker bars, and a family of hammers, pliers, and screwdrivers. The heavy-duty Cordura nylon bag is built to last, too. If you’re at all interested in doing some of your own car maintenance, or if you want to be prepared in case of emergency, this toolkit offers a solid foundation.

Petzl Actik Core

A rechargeable headlamp.

This headlamp emits bright light with the highest beam quality. And it stays charged for days, whether you charge it via USB or use AAA batteries. It’s the perfect headlamp for backpacking trips.

We’ve been testing headlamps since 2012, including our latest round of research and testing in 2022. For a road trip, we like the Petzl Actik Core because it’s rechargeable, so you won’t ever get caught with a dead battery, as long as you have a USB car charger on hand. Its 450-lumen light ranks among the brightest of all our picks. (As of early 2023, the Actik Core was updated and now has a 600-lumen beam ; we’re currently testing the new version.)

Twice during our trip we pulled into our camping site late, and our headlamp was the first thing we reached for. Knowing that it was always charged meant that we didn’t have to hunt for batteries or use our car lights and disturb neighboring campers.

Right out of the box, the Actik Core was easy to use. It has just one button and three brightness options: low (6 lumens), medium (100 lumens), and high (450 lumens). If you hold down the button for several seconds, the color turns to red; double-pressing lets you access the strobe setting. Compared with some other rechargeable headlamps, which require complicated button-press configurations to reach the desired setting, we found this one to be simpler, though we lamented its lack of a flood beam. We also liked the double-button setup of the Black Diamond Spot 400 and the Vitchelo V800 a bit better than the Actik Core’s single button.

Flare alternative

StonePoint LED Emergency Beacon

The best emergency beacon.

Crushproof and waterproof, this set of three beacons comes with magnets for car mounting. And these are much safer than traditional flares.

To keep yourself safe while your car is parked on the side of the road, we suggest StonePoint LED Emergency Beacon flare alternatives.

We like the StonePoint set because, for the price of one high-intensity model like the PowerFlare device, you get three separate lights that are all crushproof to 20,000 pounds, waterproof, magnetic, and easy to set up and turn on. The magnets are important because they let you mount the beacons on your car, which adds height; having a flare anywhere above the surface of the road greatly increases your visibility. By putting one on the road (preferably elevated on something and located about 100 feet before your car), another on the trunk, and another on the hood, you create a very visible early warning for drivers.

Traditional magnesium flares will almost always be brighter and more visible. But their hazards—both to your health and to the environment around you—are substantial. (Read the health and environmental hazards section in this report [PDF] for a breakdown of the risks and the potentially harmful chemicals involved.) Combine that with the fact that you can mitigate any differences in visibility simply by elevating an electric flare, and you end up with a compelling argument against using traditional flares.

Of the three beacon models we tested, we couldn’t figure out how to open or turn on the Wagan model. And the Smittybilt U.F.O. safety light, though tough, wasn’t especially effective during the day and came only one to a package. Only the StonePoint beacons were easy to fill with batteries and place on the road exactly when we needed them. They also happened to be the brightest flare alternatives we had with us.

I should take a moment here and repeat what the responding officer told us when he arrived on the scene. Regardless of what safety beacons you have laid out behind you, “Stay off the road, and when in doubt stay in your car.”

Leatherman Skeletool CX

The best multi-tool.

This light, slim multi-tool is easy to carry and built to last.

No emergency kit is complete without a multi-tool. Most minor situations—such as a loose Phillips-head screw or a need to create a rag for checking your oil—are easily fixed as long as you have the right tool. Multi-tools are small enough to carry in a jeans pocket or to attach to a belt, so you can take a set of useful tools almost anywhere. Our choice is the Leatherman Skeletool CX , which comes with pliers, a bit driver, a pocket clip, and a carabiner/bottle opener, in addition to a high-quality, 2.6-inch 154CM carbon-fiber stainless steel blade. The Skeletool CX stood out from the other 22 multi-tools we tested because it focuses on the functionality, ergonomics, and solid construction of a few essential tools, instead of cramming dozens of different tools into a single bulky body that makes it difficult to use. That means it’s easy to carry but still has just about everything you could possibly need (short of a hammer and a socket set) to make an emergency repair in the field and on the road.

Duck Brand Max Strength Duct Tape

The best duct tape.

This tape is super strong and sticky, flexible enough to wrap around corners, and easy to tear in a clean, straight line.

If you can’t duct it, fuhgeddaboudit . We tested the heck out of 11 rolls of duct tape and chose Duck Max Strength tape above the competition for its perfect blend of attributes, namely high material strength, a strong adhesive, and superior overall flexibility for easy wrapping around odd shapes and curved surfaces. Is it an absolute necessity on the road? No. But the moment you need to fix a ripped tent wall or to keep unruly motel shades shut, you’ll be glad you packed some duct tape. It can even handle first-aid duties when the right materials for the job are unavailable. Duct tape is, as any MacGyver fan will tell you, a very useful tool.

Reliance 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer

The best water jug.

This water jug holds enough water for two people for two days, and it has a spill-proof screw-on vent cap.

The general rule for water in an emergency is that one person needs one gallon of water for one day. But four to five gallons is a good amount to throw into your trunk—enough to get you through being stranded, even with a passenger. You should increase that estimate if you plan to go out in the middle of nowhere, or if your travels take you to a desert region or some other dry place. We found on our trip through the Southwest that we were refilling our water bottles a lot more than we were stopping for gas.

After researching 16 different types of water jugs, we recommend the Reliance 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer for most situations. The Reliance jug has two standout features: a screw-on vent cap and a spigot cap that reverses in on itself when not in use. These features work together to prevent major spills. The screw-on vent cap doesn’t come undone, unlike the pull-top vents on some competitors, which tend to pop open and spill water as soon as you hit anything other than the smoothest roadways. Spigot caps can be a weakness for some jugs, too. In contrast, when not in use, the Reliance jug’s spigot unscrews and drops into the jug itself, sealing up the whole canister nice and tight. On our road trip, we used the 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer, which can provide water for two people for two days; for more people, consider the 7-Gallon Aqua-Tainer .

The Reliance Aqua-Tainer jug is made from BPA-free molded plastic. It’s easy to pack around in the trunk of a car—certainly easier than large, bladder-type jugs (like the MSR Dromedary Bag ), which, though excellent for camp showers and good for a backpack, are too difficult to pack around in a trunk because of their non-rigid shape. The Aqua-Tainer’s hard sides also make it easier to use for dispensing water from, say, the roof of your car. But be sure to throw a shirt or towel under the Aqua-Tainer before setting it atop your car like this: We learned the hard way that the molded plastic edge can scratch your car’s paint job if you’re not careful.

Before investing in a jug, you should know that water kept in plastic bottles won’t harm you, even if left in a hot car . A 24-pack of Poland Spring is not environmentally kind, but it is safe for a brief trip. Avoid gallon jugs, since they’re typically made out of HDPE plastic, which punctures easily. (Such jugs also have caps that pop off easily.) We wouldn’t buy collapsible jugs, either, since they are prone to leaks and are unruly when pouring.

It takes only a few minutes to get your vehicle checked out for a proper road trip. When in doubt, or when preparing for an especially long trip, see a mechanic first. There are plenty of potential mechanical troubles that a professional can identify—and that you’d rather learn about in their shop than on the side of a highway. Use these tips to determine where to go for help, based on the age of your car and what you need done.

• Dealership service departments: newer vehicles covered by factory warranty, or when specialized service is required
• Independent mechanics: general maintenance items such as brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust, and fluid changes
• Quick oil/lube centers: oil changes only

Getting word-of-mouth advice from family and friends remains a very good way to find reputable mechanics. Sites such as RepairPal and Yelp are also helpful. And don’t forget to check local Facebook community groups.

The vehicle inspection: Six key areas

• Under the hood: Check the engine oil, transmission fluid, engine coolant, windshield wipers, washer fluid, and brake fluid.

• Tires: Check for proper inflation and good tread that doesn’t show uneven wear. For inflation, consult your owner’s manual to find your tires’ recommended PSI; don’t go by what’s printed on the side of your tire, which is the maximum PSI. For tread wear, stick a penny into the center (not the edge) of each tire’s treads, with Lincoln’s head facing down—if you can still see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tire is worn out. Also, if you have a spare tire, check it and make sure that a jack and a lug-nut wrench still accompany it. If you don’t have a spare, consider getting one from a dealer or a salvage yard. Or invest in an emergency roadside repair and inflation kit—like the Slime 50107 Smart Spair Emergency Tire Repair Kit —which includes sealant for small punctures as well as a small air compressor for reinflating tires. At the very least, bring along a portable sealer kit like Fix-A-Flat , but be aware that these options work only on very small punctures in the tread and could ultimately require you to replace your whole tire. So it’s really better to have a spare, if possible.

• Lights: Check all the bulbs, including the turn signals, headlights (high and low beam), brake lights, parking lamps, reverse lights, and license-plate lights.
• Smell test: You can sniff out potential problems in your car by paying attention to its odors.
• Sulfur/rotten-egg smell: You have trouble with your exhaust or emission system that could be dangerous. Get your car to a mechanic immediately.
• Sweet smell: This scent indicates an engine coolant leak; the smell could be strong when you’re using the heater, and accompanied by fogged-up glass. The coolant is toxic, and when it runs out, your engine will overheat.
• Burning carpet/paper smell: Your brakes are hot. Smelling this after you’ve used your brakes hard (such as after coming down a mountain) is not unusual. But if you smell this while you’re driving around normally, it means your brakes might be stuck, which is a serious problem.
• Musty/mildew smell: This odor is generally attributable to water getting stuck in the ductwork for your heating and air conditioning. It usually indicates that a drain plug is blocked, which you sometimes can fix just by running your fan on high for a few minutes.
• Burning rubber smell: Unless you’re doing burnouts, this smell can be caused by slipping engine belts or a tire rubbing. In these cases, the smell is usually accompanied by a noise, namely squealing (with belts) or grinding (with a tire rubbing).
• Noise test: Cars make lots of noises, and the following are some that should get your undivided attention.
• Clunking or rattling over bumps: This sound can indicate a variety of problems with the steering or suspension, but it often points to worn plastic or rubber bushings that allow contact between metal components. In extreme cases, these components can fail, causing major damage or even loss of control if the vehicle is moving.
• Clicking or groaning sounds when turning: Clicking is a sign of imminent axle shaft failure on front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicles, so get to a mechanic immediately if you hear this sound. Groaning noises are less serious and occur because of a lack of lubrication in steering components or bushings.
• Loud humming that increases steadily with speed: This sound almost always points to a bad wheel bearing, especially if the noise gets louder or quieter when the car is turning.
• Grinding, squeaking, or squealing when stopping: Squeaking and squealing happen when the brake pads are worn and need replacing. Grinding means the pads are already gone, and you’re pushing metal against metal when you stop.
• Feel test: The following are a few situations that should warrant a visit to the shop.
• Soft or spongy brake pedal: Brakes should be firm; a soft pedal means something is wrong. Either you have a mechanical problem or the brake fluid is leaking.
• Shimmies or vibrations: These sensations usually indicate that a rim is bent or that a tire is out of balance, but they can also be signs of loose steering or suspension parts.

Pre-trip planning

Before heading out, check these commonly taken-for-granted aspects of road-tripping.

• Update your GPS system. Factory-installed GPS devices generally receive updates once a year and require CDs, SD cards, or USB thumb drives purchased from the manufacturer for installation through a dealership. Mobile third-party GPS units get updates throughout the year, and you can install the updates via most home PCs through a simple download from the GPS manufacturer’s website.
• Make sure that you have maps or a paper atlas. Sometimes technology fails. Having a current map for backup is always a good idea.
• Make sure you’re covered by a roadside assistance program. Auto-club programs are the most common source of roadside assistance plans, with companies such as AAA and Good Sam offering coverage to members regardless of what vehicle they drive or its age. Most new cars, however, come with complimentary roadside assistance that lasts a certain number of miles or a certain number of years, whichever happens first. So check your owner’s manual (and read the fine print, since these plans can be very limited). Many auto insurance companies also provide vehicle-specific roadside assistance, usually for a monthly fee. Some credit card companies offer a mix of complimentary and basic fee services, and even cell phone companies are now offering basic services to customers. Verizon’s roadside assistance plan costs $5 per month and covers any vehicle, as long as the phone is present. Most of these plans have limitations and plenty of fine print to study, so carefully review your coverage before hitting the road.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guides

Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. He has written for Popular Science, The Awl, and the New York Observer, among others. When called on, he can still make a mean sandwich.

Wirecutter Staff

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Further reading

Road-Trip Essentials

by Eve O'Neill

We spend a lot of time driving each year, and this is our list of essential road-trip gear to include in your packing list.

Traveling With Little Kids Can Be Tough. The Right Gear Can Help.

by Kerry Davis McGuinness

From compact car seats and cribs to portable blackout shades and white noise machines, the right tools for travel can lead to less fuss—and more fun.

The Gadgets We Bring on Every Trip

by Haley Perry

You don't have to be a digital nomad to travel like one. Here are a few gadgets and accessories to make travel as painless as possible.

The Best Gear for Travel

by Wirecutter Staff

We put in another year and tens of thousands more miles of travel to test the best travel gear—and we stand by last year’s choices alongside a few new picks.

Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip

Fed up with road works and traffic jams, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond take out their frustrations by going on a seven-day road trip from Venice, Italy, to Pau, France, in this special episode from the BBC motoring series.

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Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip

Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond go on a seven-day road trip from Venice, Italy, to Pau, France, in this special episode from the BBC motoring series. Along the way the pair visit the Aut... Read all Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond go on a seven-day road trip from Venice, Italy, to Pau, France, in this special episode from the BBC motoring series. Along the way the pair visit the Autodromo Nazionale Monza race track and take to the road in Monaco. The show features a rang... Read all Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond go on a seven-day road trip from Venice, Italy, to Pau, France, in this special episode from the BBC motoring series. Along the way the pair visit the Autodromo Nazionale Monza race track and take to the road in Monaco. The show features a range of cars including a Ford Model T, a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a Porsche Cayman S and an As... Read all

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For a more detailed synopsis , gallery of screencaps , list of cars featured , or a selection of quotes from this home video release, please click the relevant hyperlink to be taken to the mentioned subpages.

• 2 Vehicles Used 

Synopsis [ ]

The overview was to find the perfect road trip across southern France and Italy and the perfect cars to utilise across the trip.

The Perfect Road Trip was filmed in August 2013 and was released first on iTunes and then on DVD in November 2013. The special saw Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson driving across Italy and France in the some of the greatest cars ever made. The duo rode from Venice to Pau, testing out some of the latest supercars along the way. They were spotted filming with a Jaguar F-Type, E-Type, Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse in Monaco.

Vehicles Used  [ ]

• For TV series, the DVD was the UK's best selling DVD release of 2013, outselling the Olympics.
• The E-Type used on this trip was Richard's own E Type, breaking down on the trip.
• Neither the Mono nor the GT3 were used by Jeremy or Richard as on their way to Pau, they were banned from driving in France.

Trailer [ ]

The Perfect Road Trip - DVD Trailer - Top Gear

• 2 Cheap Car Challenges
• 3 Hammond's Rimac Crash (TGT)

The Transfagarasan Highway: the world's best road?

Romania's highest road has all the ingredients in the Perfect Road recipe. But can it live up to the hype?

There are many characteristics that contribute to a great driving road. A string of great corners, probably draped over a mountain. Scintillating views as you ascend or descend. And a nice, remote location to ensure you’ve got it mostly to yourself.

The Trasfagarasan Highway in Romania gets a lot of that stuff right. Hundreds of corners, dissecting a section of eye-wateringly pretty Carpathian mountain range, which – yep – is slap-bang in the middle of nowhere.

But good luck getting it to yourself. Perhaps with some light assistance from – ahem – a British motoring TV show, it’s now Romania’s prime tourist spot. Get to the Transfagarasan (pronounce it like Transfer-garrison ) after 10am and you’ll more than likely join a train of 20mph tourists sticking phones out the window to record their selfishly slow ascent through the Highway’s most famous set of hairpins. A fact not helped by its slim opening window; over 2km above sea level, it’s typically shut from October to June because of how treacherous the weather gets.

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Words: Stephen Dobie

So what you do is set your alarm early for a smash’n’grab run up to the pass’s highest point before all the roadside cheese stalls open (seriously), encouraging snail's-pace Dacia wagons as they do.

That’s exactly what we did, with the latest Mazda MX-5 primed and ready. The top-spec 2.0-litre version now comes with – hurrah! – more power, signifying the roadster’s biggest performance leap in years. It now produces 182bhp, revs harder and higher, to 7,500rpm, and comes with a standard limited-slip differential to ensure its newfound muscle is meted out neatly by the rear wheels.

It’s still not a car that flings itself sideways with a prod of the throttle, remaining a My First Sports Car that needs provoking into silly behaviour. It’ll only catch you out if you’ve clumsily gone looking for trouble. In truth, that’s nigh on perfect for the Transfagarasan. While our presenters brought a trio of 500bhp convertibles here, having something with a third of the firepower takes away a significant amount of jeopardy.

Stay in the historically fascinating (and quite beautiful) city of Sibiu and you’ll begin the Highway’s 60 miles from the north, with a handful of tree-lined hairpins leading you to the sticker-splattered sign which officially kicks off the Transfagarasan. You’ll know you’ve left your journey too late if there’s already a swarm of cars haphazardly parked around it…

From here, the road’s pace picks up, and after a dozen or so corners wondering where the scenery is, suddenly everything opens out: the mountain in front of you, probably cloaked in ice-cool mist if you’ve arrived early enough to enjoy the place to yourself. The road may only open in the heat of summer, but you’ll be frantically prodding at the heated seat button if you’re in an MX-5 with the roof down. Trust us.

The severity of the climb, with the hairpins strung out above you like fairy lights leading to the angel atop a Christmas tree, is absurd. Good job the MX-5’s got a nice power boost to make light work of the relatively short straights between each corner; just long enough to contemplate changing into third gear, but worth keeping in second to avoid flustering yourself with a belated downchange as you turn the steering almost to full lock ahead of your next climb.

With the danger of plummeting down the hill gone, you’re absorbed fully into the process of working the car as hard as you dare

Time things right and you’ll punch right through the mist in a couple of corners and emerge above it, basking in the sun at the Transfagarasan’s peak, albeit with the pass's postcard view somewhat covered in cloud. No problem: the distraction would only have delayed your onward progress.

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Because, like all the roads that carried the heavy burden of ‘world’s greatest driving road!’ before it (we’re looking at you, Stelvio Pass), if you stop when you reach the vista you’ve seen in pictures, you’ve really not driven the best bit. As the tourists and cheese-hunters slowly wake up and start following in your wake, it’s time to drive through the tunnel that cuts through the mountains and takes you to the southern leg of the Highway.

Make the briefest of stops at the tunnel's end – the views haven't suddenly disappeared – then enjoy a much smoother flowing, more enriching hour of driving, as the road more gently descends the mountain and through more trees to the simply astounding Vidraru Dam. (The road from the Stelvio’s peak to the town of Bormio is similarly refreshing after the stop-start nature of the picturesque hairpins that take you there.)

Here the MX-5 is in its absolute element. It’s a car most comfortable just below its grip limits, and maintaining momentum in third gear – only blipping down to second for the really tight stuff – you’ll never care that it’s not as serious as a Toyota GT86, nor as punchy as an Abarth 124. Its slender kerb weight lends it wondrously quick reactions, while it feeds every detail of the road service through your hands and bum.

Ah yes, the road surface. With the Transfagarasan’s opening window so small, the highway authorities presumably take every chance they can to resurface stretches of it, using severely questionable methods that look like nothing short of ploughing the tarmac. Anything lower-slung than the little Mazda would jettison its splitters and sills like something resembling the sickening finale of a game of Buckaroo , thanks to huge divots in the road that greet you right at the exit of blind corners.

As do sleeping dogs. Most sections of the animal kingdom are strewn across the Carpathian Mountains, and while locals will warn you about bears – and keenly scroll to a blurry mobile phone picture of their last sighting, presumably taken at speed – you’re considerably more likely to encounter the region’s copious stray hounds. Hundreds of them cover the roadside in places, the braver (or stupider) among them taking a rest right on the tarmac, their most restful place often being the kind of spot a keenly driven MX-5 might bound towards from a second-gear corner.

Fear not, no dogs were harmed in the making of this feature. Nor, sadly, were any stroked or petted. While it’s tempting to pull over and quickly make friends with the local câine, their wild status probably makes it unwise if you’ve not had a whole fleet of jabs.

Soon the tree cover returns, the views completely disappear, and in truth the road gets better yet, with dozens of beautifully flowing, nicely cambered corners. With the danger of plummeting down the hill and the distraction of Insta-pleasing views completely gone, you’re absorbed fully into the process of working the MX-5’s newly keen engine as hard as you dare. And without going especially fast, forever the magic of the little Mazda.

We arrive at the dam, attempting (and failing) to squeeze its phenomenal height into a portrait iPhone pic, and spying the next tunnel that takes you to the final leg of the Highway. It's already spewing out hundreds of cars, each with at least one phone-clutching arm emerging from a back window.

Thus the run back to Sibiu is slow, no matter how easily the MX-5 overtakes trundling Sanderos. When there’s so many of them, it ceases to be worth the hassle. Better to drop the roof (assuming it ever went up) and bask in the sun, returning to the Transfagarasan’s peak while properly taking in the views you’d whizzed feverishly past when this whole road was your plaything. It’s not even lunchtime yet, and driving nirvana has already been taken over by those who don’t seem to particularly engage with the process.

A great driving road, then? It’s got most of the right ingredients: a string of great corners, draped over a mountain. Scintillating views as you ascend or descend. And a nice, remote location. But you’ll only ever get to fully tap into your car’s potential for a precious hour or so. The lesson? If there’s a road you adore, only tell a select few people about it. And certainly don’t announce it on a British motoring TV show. Oops...

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23 Incredible Road Trips in the U.S.

Whether you’re looking for sweeping views of the pacific ocean or a multiday adventure through national parks, these road trips provide plenty of opportunities to explore the united states..

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Glacier National Park is one of many scenic places you can visit on an American road trip.

Photo by Zack Frank / Shutterstock

In a country as large as the United States, there’s no shortage of destinations and detours to explore by car . Whether your idea of the perfect American road trip entails an epic, cross-country journey or a shorter jaunt through a few of its most iconic national parks , your options are as large and varied as the country itself.

Even if you don’t have the time to drive cross-country, there are plenty of road trip routes (ranging from three days to a week or longer): classic California itineraries , New England routes that shine especially well in the fall, scenic East Coast adventures, and a variety of Midwest journeys for folks farther from the coasts.

No matter your mode of transportation—be it van, RV, motorcycle, or four-door sedan—these are 21 of the best road trips in the nation to consider.

Plan your next Route 66 trip around thirst-quenching stops.

Photo by Peek Creative Collective/Shutterstock

There are many ways to do a cross-country road trip in the USA, but these two itineraries will take you through some truly iconic American places.

1. Chicago to Los Angeles: A Whiskey Road Trip on Route 66

It doesn’t get more American than a 2,000-mile drive along the entirety of Route 66. There are endless ways to take this legendary trip (including an EV version —but to take your cross-country road trip to the next level, we recommend exploring another American pastime: whiskey.

Starting in Chicago and ending in L.A., you’ll stop by some of the leading craft distilleries in the United States, like Few Spirits in Chicago, Still 630 in St. Louis, and Red Fork Distillery in Tulsa. In between tastings, make time for detours to natural attractions, like the Grand Canyon, and quirky roadside curiosities, like Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Just remember to drink responsibly—this is a road trip after all.

Plan your trip

The full itinerary: Put a New Twist on Route 66—Make It an American Whiskey Road Trip

No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island, so you need to park before taking the ferry to this spot.

Photo from Shutterstock

2. Bangor, Maine, to Seattle, Washington: The Great Northern on U.S. Route 2

Covering both the U.S. and Canada, a cross-country trip along U.S. 2 is ideal for anyone who wants to experience the vast diversity and expansiveness of North America. This drive runs the entire top border of the U.S. and showcases otherworldly natural wonders like Acadia National Park in Maine, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, and Mackinac Island in Michigan. The route also passes through Canada, taking road-trippers through Ontario into Quebec—this route may focus on nature, but you won’t want to miss a stop in Montreal or Ottawa.

You’ll also get to explore Montana and Glacier National Park ( reservations may be required ) before passing the Columbia Plateau and ending in the Pacific Northwest’s largest city, Seattle. Don’t miss spending time in the Olympic Peninsula (home to Olympic National Park) for a peek at one of the most scenic places on the West Coast.

3. Dana Point to San Francisco: Driving California’s Pacific Coast Highway

The seemingly endless views of the Pacific Ocean along Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) are what road trip dreams are made of, and exactly what makes this California road trip so popular. However, with so many stops along the 655-mile stretch, we pulled together a list of the ones well worth pulling over to view. Don’t miss the perfect surfing waves in Santa Cruz, seasonal cuisine in Malibu, an afternoon a the boardwalk in Santa Monica, or a night in Big Sur as you drive between Dana Point (just south of Los Angeles) and San Francisco.

• The full itinerary: The Best Stops for a Road Trip on the Pacific Coast Highway
• The AFAR Guide to San Francisco

The seaside town of Monterey was the setting for John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row .

Photo by Denise Lett/Shutterstock

4. Big Sur to Mono County: A Literary Road Trip Through Northern California

Yes, this itinerary requires you actually put down your book to drive, but seeing some of the pivotal places that shaped American authors will be so worth it. Follow in the footsteps of writers like Jack Kerouac, Maya Angelou, and Amy Tan on this road trip that takes you through literary landmarks in Northern California, such as Caffe Trieste, a meeting place for Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Alan Watts, and other bohemian writers and thinkers. This 12-stop itinerary is perfect if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area because you’ll be able to stay make these trips in one or two days.

The full itinerary: The California Road Trip All Book Lovers Should Take

Arizona may take its nickname from the Grand Canyon, but the state has far more natural wonders than just that one.

Courtesy of Shutterstock

5. Phoenix to the Grand Canyon: An Iconic Arizona Road Trip

This 240-mile Arizona road trip takes travelers along some of the state’s most iconic highlights, including its most famous one, the Grand Canyon. A great itinerary for first-time visitors and returning travelers alike, it offers plenty of opportunities for scenic drives, hiking, and biking—as well as tasty food along the way. Hike the 2,704-foot-tall Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale or take in the beautiful red rocks of Sedona on a hike to Cathedral Rock while exploring the Grand Canyon State.

• The full itinerary: The Classic 5-Day Arizona Road Trip
• Grand Canyon guide: The First-Timer’s Guide to the Grand Canyon
• Where to eat in Phoenix: A Chef’s Guide to the Best Restaurants
• Where to stay: The Best Hotels in Arizona ; The Best Airbnbs in Sedona

The Delicate Arch living up to its name in Utah’s Arches National Park

Photo by tusharkoley / Shutterstock

6. Zion to Grand Canyon: A National Parks Road Trip in the Southwest

If you’re looking to visit as many national parks as possible in one road trip, this southwestern itinerary is for you. This journey through Utah and Arizona lets you hike Angel’s Landing in Zion, feel tiny under Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, explore Fairyland Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon, and, of course, raft down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Most visitors to the Grand Canyon remain on the rim, but take at least four days to venture within the canyon and take advantage of the trails and river rafting.

• The full itinerary: The Ideal Road Trip Through U.S. National Parks
• Utah’s 8 Best National Parks and Monuments
• 10 Best National Parks and Monuments in Arizona
• The First-Timer’s Guide to the Grand Canyon

Stop and admire the winding roads of the San Juan Skyway.

Photo by Anh Luu/Shutterstock

7. San Juan Scenic Skyway Road Trip: An Adventure Through Southwestern Colorado

This Colorado trip takes you along the 232-mile loop of the San Juan Scenic Skyway, where you will see plenty of alpine forests, mining towns, and craggy peaks. And for anyone looking to enjoy refreshments after a long day of driving, this route features many opportunities to stop at some of the best breweries in Colorado , such as Ska Brewing Co. in Durango.

• The full itinerary: The Ultimate Southwestern Colorado Road Trip
• Five Classic Colorado Road Trips To Take This Year

In small-town Buena Vista, the riverfront Surf Hotel offers front-row seats to Colorado-style adventure seekers.

Courtesy of the Surf Hotel

8. Denver to Montrose: A 420-Mile Road Trip Through Colorado

Want to explore even more of the Centennial State? Head out on this weeklong road trip where you can fish for salmon in Colorado’s largest reservoir, visit numerous small towns, like Paonia and Crawford, with thriving art scenes along the Colorado Creative Corridor , and explore Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, one of the least visited national parks in the nation.

• The full itinerary: Art Stars, High-Altitude Wines, and a Remote National Park: The Ultimate Colorado Road Trip
• Where to stay: The Best Hotels in Colorado
• The AFAR Guide to Denver

Portland may be Oregon’s largest city, but with a population of some 652,000 (or 2.5 million in the larger metropolitan area), it isn’t intimidatingly large.

Photo courtesy of Travel Portland

9. Portland to Astoria: An Oregon Coast Road Trip for Outdoor Lovers

If you love the outdoors, then this six-day road trip along the coast of Oregon is for you. After driving to Coos Bay from Portland, travelers will meander along Oregon’s dramatic, rocky coastline, discovering some quintessentially Pacific Northwest vistas along the way: evergreen forests, seaside dunes, and marine ecosystems. Between stops, there are ample opportunities to stretch your legs hiking, kayaking, or strolling around the region’s small towns—like the historic old town in Florence.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Oregon road trip without a stop (or three) at a craft brewery, such as Fort George Brewery in Astoria, or cozy coffee shop, like Bread & Roses in Yachats.

• The full itinerary: An Outdoor Lover’s Road Trip on the Oregon Coast
• The AFAR Guide to Portland

The State Capitol Building in Nashville marks the end of this road (trip).

Photo by photo.ua / Shutterstock

10. Seneca Falls, New York, to Nashville, Tennessee: Follow the Path of the Women’s Suffrage Movement

Starting in New York’s Finger Lakes region and ending at the State Capitol Building in Nashville, this road trip traces the route of the national women’s suffrage movement. Highlights include stops at the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House ; Union Square in New York City, which was the site of the first suffrage march; and the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C.

• The full itinerary: Celebrate Women’s Suffrage on an Epic, Self-Guided Road Trip
• Where to stay: The Best Hotels in Nashville
• The AFAR Guide to Nashville
• The AFAR Guide to Washington, D.C.

Asheville is one must-stop on a North Carolina road trip.

Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

11. Charlottesville to Asheville: A Scenic Road Trip Through Virginia and North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in the country. Beginning in the soft hilly meadows of the Appalachian Mountains from Shenandoah National Park down into the Blue Ridge Mountains, then into the Great Smoky Mountains, this five-day road trip is best done at a slower pace, which is perfect for admiring the dramatic outlooks and green plateaus. This eclectic itinerary features stops at an art museum, a dairy farm, and plenty of hiking trails.

• The full itinerary: The Ultimate Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip
• Where to stay: 12 Dreamy Blue Ridge Mountain Cabins You Can Rent on Airbnb and Vrbo
• 8 U.S. National Park Road Trips to Take in Your Lifetime

Dowa:kwe dance group from Zuni Pueblo in 2019

Courtesy of Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

12. Albuquerque to Las Cruces: Discover New Mexico on This Three-Day Road Trip

This route steers you away from New Mexican tourist hot spots like Taos and Santa Fe and instead takes you on a three-day adventure with places that teach you about Pueblo history. You’ll stop at Indian Pueblo Kitchen (formerly known as Pueblo Harvest), a restaurant inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center that features Indigenous cuisine ; pick up peppers at Three Brothers in Hatch; and slide down the dunes in White Sands National Park.

• The full itinerary: This New Mexico Road Trip Is the Perfect Introduction to the Land of Enchantment

Historic Fort Martin Scott is one of the places travelers can visit to learn about Fredericksburg’s history.

Photo by Mark König/Unsplash

13. A Five-Day Scenic Road Trip Through Texas Hill Country

This Texas road trip starts and ends in San Antonio with stops in small towns like Bandera, Boerne, and consider a stop in Fredericksburg, which is one of AFAR’s best places to go in 2024 ). Over five days, you’ll find opportunities to stroll in a Japanese tea garden in San Antonio, relax along the Sabinal and Frio Rivers by inner tube, and eat as many tacos as you want. Seriously: You could eat tacos for every meal on this road trip and not get tired of them.

• The full itinerary: Tree Houses, Tubing, and Tacos: The Ultimate Texas Hill Country Road Trip

Mount McKinley looms large on a drive through Denali National Park.

Photo by warnsweet / Shutterstock

14. A Weeklong Road Trip Through Alaska’s Most Majestic Sights

This weeklong drive in Alaska starts and ends in Anchorage. You travel along four scenic byways; explore Wrangell–St. Elias wilderness, the largest U.S. national park; catch sight of Denali, the tallest peak in North America; and enjoy the surprisingly stellar food scene of McCarthy, a one-road town with only a couple dozen residents.

• The full itinerary: Glaciers, Mountain Peaks, and Organic Farms: The Ultimate Alaska Road Trip
• Which Alaska National Parks Should You Visit?

More than geothermal pools, Kirkham Hot Springs features a piping-hot waterfall.

Courtesy of Idaho Tourism

15. Boise to Sun Valley: Explore Idaho’s Scenic Byways

Even a short road trip can be packed with adventure, good food, and scenery, which is exactly what this trip from Boise to Sun Valley along Idaho’s Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway offers. Although the drive only takes six hours, we recommend taking a few days to explore all the stops and detours along the way. One can’t-miss spot is the Kirkham Hot Springs , where you can stand under a waterfall that will splash you with 135-degree mineral water year-round.

• The full itinerary: The Little-Known Idaho Road Trip You Need to Drive
• Things to do: The Best Outdoorsy Things to Do in Idaho

Grand Portage State Park is the only state park jointly managed by a state and a Native American band.

Photo by Shutterstock/QZ

16. Duluth to Grand Portage State Park: A Scenic Minnesota Sampler

Although there are many appealing road trips throughout the Midwest, this 143-mile, three-hour circuit, which starts and ends in Duluth, Minnesota, is worth keeping in mind. Meandering north on MN-61 with this itinerary, you will enjoy prime views of Lake Superior and towns like Grand Marais, as well as Grand Portage State Park, home to waterfalls, hiking trails, and opportunities to learn about the Ojibwe community who occupy the land today. Once back in Duluth, enjoy a beer at Canal Park Brewing Company before checking into the waterfront Canal Park Lodge nearby.

• The AFAR Guide to Minnesota

Wind your way through colorful foliage in New Hampshire.

Photo by Shutterstock

17. Kancamagus Highway: A Quintessential New England Drive

Yes, you can take a road trip in New England at any time of the year , but this region shows off its best colors in the fall, when locals and tourists alike head out into the country to view the changing colors of the trees. Join other admirers of fall foliage on this popular, 34.5-mile road trip along New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway, colloquially known as the “Kanc,” for picturesque ponds, hiking trails, and scenic overlooks.

• Plan Your Fall Getaway With This Peak Foliage Prediction Map

Ogunquit is home to the small, postcard-perfect harbor of Perkins Cove.

Photo courtesy of QualityHD / Shutterstock

18. Maine’s “Lobster Trail”: Travel Route 1 Along the Coast

Traveling Route 1, affectionately known as “the lobster trail,” along Maine’s jagged coastline is an exercise in indulgence. Sample lobster dishes in all forms—buttered, steamed, on a roll, or even in a decadent mac-and-cheese.

The trip starts in the quaint small town of Ogunquit , with its rare (for the area) 3.5 miles of white-sand beach. Make your first lobster of the journey count, steamed with a side of drawn butter at Barnacle Billy’s in picturesque Perkins Cove harbor. Stop at Big Daddy’s for a cone on your way to the shipbuilding center—and summer home of George H. W. Bush—Kennebunkport. Stay at the recently redesigned 150-year-old classic White Barn Inn , and consider a sailing trip for an afternoon. With lobsters cooked in ocean water, the legendary lobster roll at the Clam Shack is a must.

• 8 Scenic East Coast Road Trips to Take This Year

Throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont region, innovative restaurants, shops, and restaurants like Leah & Louise in Charlotte, above, are creating a buzz.

Photo by Peter Taylor Photography

19. Raleigh to Charlotte: A 4-Day Trip Through North Carolina’s Reinvented Core

North Carolina’s Piedmont region extends from the coastal plain to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and includes farmland and rolling wooded hills, especially on the 1-40 stretch near Hillsborough. Starting in Raleigh, drive the short distances to Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte to see how these cities are innovating through art, food, and a celebration of the past. Take your time—four days should do—to experience downtown arts districts, James Beard Award–winning restaurants, and civil rights museums that speak truths. Plan your trip

• A Road Trip Through North Carolina’s Reinvented Core

Scenic South Walton is part of the Emerald Coast of Florida.

20. Scenic Highway 30A: A Sunday Drive Through South Walton, Florida

Florida is full of places to cruise with the top down, but it’s hard to beat a Sunday (or any day) drive along Scenic Highway 30A through northwest Florida, home to a postcard-perfect stretch of seaside towns known as South Walton.

The roughly 28-mile route through South Walton County kisses the coast for nearly all its length, taking you through gorgeous residential Gulf-front communities like Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, and Blue Mountain Beach . Roll down the windows and let the emerald-hued views in.

Pull over to explore, too—maybe to admire the New Urbanism architecture in Alys Beach or to swim in the clear waters at Grayton Beach State Park . (The beach here has been lauded among the best in the world.)

• The full itinerary: The Florida Road Trip You’ve Been Missing

Stand-up paddleboarding is just one way to enjoy a Florida Keys sunset.

Shutterstock

21. The Florida Keys: An Island-Hopping Getaway

For a sunny road trip itinerary in Florida, skip Miami and head farther south. Beginning in Key Largo and ending in Key West, the Florida Keys Scenic Highway is often overlooked for more well-known routes up north, but it is well worth going out of your way to experience.

As the name suggests, this route is very scenic, so plan to spend at least a few days exploring it and numerous stops along the way. Some highlights include driving across the impressive Overseas Highway, stopping to admire art in the town of Islamorada, and enjoying the historic sites, food, and (of course) beaches in the city of Key West.

• The full itinerary: How to Road Trip in the Lesser-Known Florida Keys

Sun Studio in Memphis was the site of the famous Million Dollar recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.

Photo by f11photo on Shutterstock

22. Memphis to Bristol, Tennessee: A Music-Driven Adventure

If you have about a week to spare and a deep appreciation for music, take a road trip from one side of Tennessee to the other, starting in Memphis and ending in Bristol. The eastbound trip spans genres, including rock ( Graceland ), blues ( Beale Street) and, of course, country (did you really go to Tennessee if you didn’t go to Dollywood ?). Nashville serves as the halfway point on your journey—so consider penciling in an extra 48 hours to fully explore the state capital’s greatest hits.

• The full itinerary: 5 Great American Road Trips For Music Fans

The stunning coastline near Cueva del Indio has been the backdrop of star-studded films.

Photo by Alexsf.gr/Shutterstock

23. Arecibo to Condado, Puerto Rico: A Lesser-Known Side of a Well-Loved Island

In the minds of many, trips to Puerto Rico bring images of stunning beaches , delicious foods , and maybe a bioluminescent bay or two . But there’s plenty of history to be found here, too, as Puerto Rico was home to an Indigenous population known as the Taino, a heritage many Puerto Ricans embrace. That history can be explored via a road trip. Starting in the northern town of Arecibo, travel south to Ponce, then back north to Condado—along the way you’ll encounter petroglyphs, Indigenous sites, and breathtaking natural spots.

• The full itinerary: A Puerto Rico Road Trip That Puts Indigenous Culture First

Additional road trip planning resources Picking the route for your road trip is only one part of your planning. From what snacks to pack to which podcasts to listen to, these additional resources will help you prepare for your next adventure:

• Best road trip snacks
• Road trip planning apps
• Podcasts and audiobooks to download
• What to pack for a road trip

This article originally appeared online in August 2020. It was most recently updated on April 4, 2024, to include current information. Additional reporting by Jessie Beck, Erika Owen, Ray Rogers, Terry Ward, and Sheryl Nance-Nash.

Our editors carefully select every product we recommend. We may earn a commission from these links. Learn more

The 20 Must-Have Road Trip Essentials

By: Tim Huber Published: Aug 24, 2023

When it comes to travel, it’s often less about the destination itself and more about the journey to arriving there, and this is especially true with road trips. And one way to maximize the comfort, entrainment, organization, and overall enjoyment of your time out on  the open road  is to be equipped with the right gear. With this grand American tradition existing since the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System after World War II, manufacturers have had decades to develop equipment catering to the unique wants and needs of those traveling by motor vehicle, which you can now benefit from if you’re planning on hitting the road.

While this has resulted in some great gear over the years, it’s also given way to an incredibly oversaturated market, rife with outdated offerings and inferior imitation products. So, to ensure you gear-up with the right equipment and get your travel firing on all cylinders, we’ve rounded up today’s best purpose-built gear for road trips and touring, as well as a few other quality pieces of kit that just happen to lend themselves particularly well to on the  road travel  to bring you this guide to the best road trip essentials.

The Best Road Trip Essentials Breakdown

Best Water Storage

Scepter Military Style Water Container

Best Car Blanket

Matador Pocket Blanket

Best Tumbler

Stanley The Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler

Best Road Atlas

Rand McNally 2023 Road Atlas

Best Mobile Coffee Maker

Aeropress Go Travel Coffee Press

Best Road Trip Snack

Stemple Creek Ranch Beef Jerky 3-Pack

Best Cook Set

Sea to Summit DeltaLight Camp Set 2.2

Best First Aid Kit

Adventure Medical Kits Smart Travel FAK

Best Roof Rack

Yakima EasyTop Car Rack

Best Road Trip Pants

prAna Hybridizer Joggers

Best CB Radio

Cobra HHRT50 Road Trip CB Radio

Best Cabin Storage

Smittybilt GEAR Front Seat Cover

Best Jump Starter

Stanley J5C09 Portable Jump Starter

Best Headlamp

Petzl Swift RL Headlamp

Best Top Carrier

Rightline Gear Sport 3 Car Top Carrier

Best Multi-Tool

Leatherman Surge Multi-Tool

Best Sunglasses

Persol PO3225S Sunglasses

Best Action/Dash Camera

GoPro HERO11 Black + Accessories Bundle

Best GPS Nav Unit

Garmin DriveSmart 76

Best Car Fridge

LionCooler Mini Solar Powered Car Fridge

How we chose our roadtrip essentials.

Packing for a road trip can be a bit tricky, as your route, stops, destination, and even the season and time of year will also massively impact the type of gear that you should be bringing. With that said, there are a few road trip gear staples that are solid choices no matter where you platoon traveling. Below, we’ll briefly outline some of the most important traits to consider when purchasing road trip essentials. 

Size & Weight: No matter what type of gear you’re considering, you should always consider the size and weight of any item. This is particularly important considering that cars have limited storage space, and excessively heavy gear will not only impact vehicle performance, but will also hinder fuel economy. 

Function & Utility: Any item brought on a road trip should possess a clear function or utility. With that said, due to the limited space offered by cars, we always recommend seeking out items that serve more than one function — such as a jump starter with a built-in power bank and flashlight. 

Versatility: When purchasing a piece of gear for a road trip, it’s always wise to consider possible second and even third uses for an item, as a general air of versatility will generally increase the overall value and bang for your buck of any product.

Convenience & Preparedness: More specifically, pieces of gear brought on road trips should all tick at least one of two boxes in the form of convenience and/or preparedness. No matter the item, if it doesn’t bolster either of these two areas, it probably isn’t worth bringing along. 

Durability & Materials: No matter what you’re shopping for, the materials used to craft any product will play a monumental role in its overall quality and durability, making a piece of gear’s construction and materials an essential area to review when acquiring gear before hitting the open road. 

Why It Made The Cut

• A rugged 5-gallon vessel for potable water with a rugged high-density polyethylene construction & spill-proof spout.

Best Water Storage: It’s always advised to travel with extra water, should you get stuck roadside for a prolonged period on a scorching summer day (or should you need to top off a radiator or clean a cut). This particular military-inspired, jerry can-style vessel stores five gallons and, in addition to being clearly labeled for potable water, is adorned in a light blue finish for the purpose of being easier to distinguish from traditional red gasoline fuel cells. Weighing only 3.6lbs when empty, this item’s high-density polyethylene construction (and spill-proof spout) make it ideal for strapping to an external rack or jerry can holder, though with a compact 13.3″ x 7.3″ x 18.3″ footprint, it can also easily be stashed away in the trunk or behind a seat.

Construction: HDPE Volume: 5 Gallons

• A pocketable sub-4oz waterproof PU-coated nylon blanket that opens up to a 63” x 44” form.

Best Car Blanket: When you’ve been driving through the night, or have just had a long day out on the road and need to catch a few Z’s, it’s inevitable that you’ll probably wind up catching some shuteye at a rest-stop. And few items will help you recharge your batteries better — or more importantly, more comfortably — than a blanket, and this highly compact item from Matador is the perfect throw for car travel. Fitting into an included pouch that you can fit in the palm of your hand and expanding to 63” L x 44” W when opened, this puncture-resistant  camp-style blanket  is made from a fully waterproof PU-coated nylon. Weighing under 4oz, it also features weighted corners and integrated corner stakes, should you get the urge to pull over for a roadside picnic.

Primary Construction: PU-Coated Nylon Unpacked Size: 63” x 44” Weight: 3.8oz

• A dishwasher-safe doubled-walled tumbler with an included straw that’s made from recycled 18/8 stainless steel.

Best Tumbler: Stopping off for refreshments has always been a part of the American road trip tradition, and this 30oz mug from Stanley is designed to enhance that experience. Offered in an enormous slew of different color options, the mug features a three-position screw-down lid with a built-in reusable straw, supplemented by a regular pour spout. Dishwasher safe, the mug boasts stainless steel, double-walled,  vacuum-insulated construction , enabling it to keep your hot drinks hot or cold drinks cold for hundreds of miles in-between fill-ups. The bottom third of the mug’s diameter is also reduced, enabling it to fit in most cupholders.

Primary Construction: Recycled 18/8 Stainless Steel Volume: 30oz Weight: 1.1lbs

• The latest edition of Rand McNally’s expansive North American road atlas that contains over 350 cities and 25 national parks.

Best Road Atlas: With the rise of  smartphones  and GPS, cartography and traditional printed maps are increasingly going the way of the dodo. And while this makes sense, we’d still argue that it’s well worth the investment to arm yourself with a proper printed map if you plan on doing any extended touring. Should your phone break, die, or simply not have service, this 144-page road atlas is the most up-to-date iteration, and includes an enormous array of easy-to-read maps, including that of 350 cities and more than two dozen US National Parks, as well as detailed maps of each individual US state and a robust highway network map. This spiral-bound road-guide also boasts an unabridged index and contact information for construction information and weather conditions.

Size: 10.875″ x 15.375″ National Parks: 25 Cities: 350

• A super compact and super easy-to-use mobile coffee press with an 8oz capacity.

Best Mobile Coffee Maker: Traditionally, spending time exploring the country’s highway network has meant being at the mercy of whatever gas station coffee happens to be available on hand, though the AeroPress changes that, enabling its user to brew up 1-3 fresh cups off hot coffee in around a minute’s time (or cold brew coffee is approximately two minutes). The entire setup breaks down and neatly fits inside the system’s  coffee mug , including the travel filter case, which can hold 20 of the 350 free paper micro-filters that come free with the kit. Incredibly compact and lightweight, this on-the-go coffee system also lends itself incredibly well to backpacking or camping.

Primary Construction: Polypropylene & Food-Grade Silicone Liquid Capacity: 8oz Weight: 11.5oz

• A three-pack of gourmet jerky made by a 4th-generation California ranch using only 4 ingredients in total.

Best Road Trip Snack: While part of the fun of a road trip comes from stopping off at gas stations and truck stops in random flyover towns to stock up on snacks, it’s never a bad idea to bringing along a few basic sustenance staples like trail mix or beef jerky. Available here in packs of 3 or six, the Stemple Creek Ranch Beef Jerky is a gourmet snack made by a fourth-generation ranch in Tomales, California, and is comprised of only 4 ingredients — three of which are salt, pepper, and pasture-raised grass-fed beef. You may have noticed this jerky is markedly more expensive than your average gas station jerky, though you really do get what you pay for here, as the taste and overall quality of Stemple Creek Ranch’s dry jerky really is next-level. 

Origin: California Included Packs: 3 Meat: Grass-Fed Pasture-Raised Beef

• An all-in-one prep and eating camp set comprised of a pair of bows, insulated mugs, and cutlery sets.

Best Cook Set: Whether you’re exploring the backwoods or the backroads, a proper camp mess set is an essential piece of gear to possess on any adventure, road trips included. This two-person dinnerware set includes a pair of cups, bowls, and two cutlery sets. Microwave and dishwasher safe and BPA free, the set is made from lightweight glass-reinforced polypropylene, neoprene, and EU food-grade silicone. And, like the AeroPress, this entire set is of the nestling variety, conveniently breaking down and fitting inside itself before slipping into an included nylon storage pouch. Furthermore, the whole thing is designed to fit inside Sea to Summit’s 2.7L Alpha and Sigma camp pots, should you also be in need of camp kitchenware, too.

Primary Construction: Glass-Reinforced Polypropylene & Food-Grade Silicone Weight: 14.4oz Included Items: 2 bowls; 2 insulated mugs; & 2 cutlery sets

• A robust 69-item FAK that tips the scales at just over 1lb.

Best First Aid Kit: The very nature of road trips often means spending time on remote and desolate roadways, and anytime that you’re a considerable distance from trained medical intervention, it’s best to bring along a  solid first aid kit . Designed to treat a diverse area of potential injuries often sustained while traveling, this kit from leading FAK brand, Adventure Medical Kits contains a plethora of medications and basic medical supplies — all neatly organized in a zippered, trifold nylon case. Just as important is this kit’s included “Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine” booklet, teaching how to perform impromptu procedures and treatments while in the field.

Weight: 1.0625lbs Intended Group Size: 1 – 7 People Included Items: 69

• A soft rooftop storage system that can accommodate up to 80lbs of gear while weighing only 4.5lbs.

Best Roof Rack: Offering the utility and protection of a regular rooftop cargo rack without any of the hassle, commitment, or modifications involved with utilizing, Yakima’s aptly-named EasyTop is a universal system that transforms the top of your car or SUV into a soft rack that’s capable of supporting up to 80lbs of goods and gear, be that bags, kayaks, canoes, snowboards, skis, surfboards, or whatever else you’ve got. Able to be installed in a matter of minutes, the EasyTop also comes with a pair of heavy-duty straps and tie-down ropes.

Weight: 4.5lbs Gear Capacity: 80lbs Straps & Tie-Down Ropes: Included

• An insanely comfortable pair of hybrid jogger pants with stretch & moisture-wicking properties.

Best Road Trip Pants: Finding clothing that’s conducive to road trip applications primarily comes down to comfort, and while you could opt for a loungewear-based getup, there’s something less-than-dignified about rolling up midday  in sweatpants . Enter: Prana’s Hybridizer jogger, a pair of relaxed-fitting, draw-string pants that offer pajama-comparable comfort levels in a more presentable (yet still decidedly casual) package. Made of a moisture-wicking, quick-drying, stretchy, breathable, and lightweight performance fabric, these pants also lend themselves particularly well to outdoor recreational activities in between stints behind the wheel, with a zippered pocket for keeping crucial items secure while on the trail, and elastic leg openings that can be rolled up to beat the heat or water crossings.

Primary Construction: Spandex-Infused Polyester Moisture Wicking: Yes Stretch: Yes

• A 40-channel car-specific CB radio that comes with an included magnetic-mounting roof antenna.

Best CB Radio: While smartphone technology has rapidly evolved over the last decade, those who spend more time on the US highway system than anyone else: truckers, tend to still rely on the use of a traditional citizen band (or CB) radio. Powered via a car’s cigarette lighter, this modern take on the CB packs an omnidirectional microphone and a high-efficiency weatherproof antenna that affords the Cobra offering a range of up to four miles. And, in addition to 10 NOAA weather channels, this CB also boasts a 40 channel range, as well as the ability to simultaneously monitor two channels at once.

Channels: 40 Antena Mounting: Magnetic

• A military-style MOLLE & PALS storage system that’s sold with 7 included Velcro-mounting pouches.

Best Cabin Storage: Without the right organizational gear, your road trip storage setup will likely consist of haphazardly stuffing your belongings in the glove compartment or center console, or simply tossing stuff in the back seat. For those seeking a bit more order in their organizing, Smittybilt’s seat cover is a fantastic option, transforming the bare surface behind your seat with well-over a square foot (14” H x 11” W) of MOLLE webbing. Available in stealth black or coyote color options, this  military-inspired item  is constructed from hardwearing 600D polyester and features a polyvinyl chloride liner, and includes several buckle and/or zipper-secured, MOLLE-compatible pouches and Velcro sections to accommodate patches.

Primary Construction: 600D Polyester Included Pouches: 7

• A mobile jump starter with 1,000 peak amps and a built-in LED flashlight and 120-PSI air compressor.

Best Jump Starter: Equipped with a battery that boasts 1,000 peak amps and 500 instant starting amps, this standalone device is able to jumpstart a vehicle’s dead battery via its powder-coated clamps, or it can juice up mobile devices or whatever other electronics through its 12V outlet and USB port. Backed by a one year manufacturer’s warranty, this Stanley offering also packs a 120PSI air compressor for inflating flat tires (or sleeping pads, rafts, etc). There’re also LED battery level indicator lights, a reverse polarity alarm, and a 270-degree pivoting LED spotlight for guiding your way through tasks in the dark.

Peak Amps: 1,000 Max PSI: 120

• An IPX4-rated headlamp with 900 lumens and up to six hours of burn time.

Best Headlamp: Whether setting up camp, preparing food, or just rifling through a bag for gear, when the sun goes down, being armed with a quality light source is absolutely essential, and one of our favorite late-model offerings in this space is Petzl’s Swift RL  LED headlamp . Boasting multiple light modes, the Swift RL is extremely potent, putting out an impressive 900 lumens. The headlight’s Lithium-ion battery is recharged via micro-USB, affords up to six hours of burn time, and has its remaining life displayed through a five-level LED light meter. The elastic adjustable headband wraps around the back of its wearer’s skull, separating into a two-piece loop that cradles the head and provides a secure yet comfortable fit.

Weight: 3.5oz Max Lumens: 900 IP Rating: IPX4

• An oversized rooftop storage containers with a semi-rigid structure and rugged materials.

Best Top Carrier: Traveling long distances in a car tightly packed with luggage and supplies is extremely uncomfortable, which is why we’d recommend opting for a supplementary  rooftop cargo  vessel, especially if you plan on traveling with several friends or family members. This item from Sightline boasts nearly 600-liters of storage space and was designed to sit on the roof of a van or SUV, with or without a roof rack. Largely impervious to the elements, this top carrier is made from a rugged blend of waterproof, UV-protected PVC semi-coated mesh XT and Hydrotuff fabric, and has a urethane-coated zipper with an overhanging protective flap, as well as welded seams. This product has also been designed with aerodynamics in mind, and as such won’t catch the wind and reduce fuel efficiency, and it can be folded up and stowed away when not being used.

Primary Construction: Waterproof PVC Gear Capacity: 31,104 cu in Weight: 8.625lbs

• A 21-function,USA-made multi-tool that weighs just 12.5oz and spans only 4.5” when closed.

Best Multi-Tool: The open road can be wildly unpredictable, which is why it’s so imported to always be as prepared as possible, with the right gear on hand to get you out of a jam if needed. And one highly-versatile and extremely travel-friendly item that offers loads of utility is a multitool, like this Leatherman Surge. Constructed from hardwearing 420HC stainless steel, the Surge is armed with 21 built-in tools, including regular and needle nose pliers, wire cutters, stripper, and crimper, regular and serrated knives, scissors, bit driver, diamond-coated file, and a bottle opener, just to name a few. Sold in a nylon sheath and backed by a generous quarter-century warranty, this particular version of this  Leatherman Multitool  comes is a limited edition model with black tools and silver housing.

Number Of Tools: 21 Blade Steel: 420HC Weight: 12.5oz

• A high-end pair of Italian driving glasses constructed around an acetate frame.

Best Sunglasses: A quality pair of  driving sunglasses  is another absolute must-have staple for any road trip. These beautiful, Italian Persol glasses offer a solid mix of utility and style, with acetate frames — offered in black or light or dark brown — housing a pair of wide 0.56mm lens — available in green, brown, or light blue. This classic design is complemented by a decorative silver hinge arrangement, with metal accent “arrows” wrapping around to the front of the glasses. And, with a two-year international warranty, you can rest easy knowing Persol will replace them should something happen. Regardless as to what model or color you opt for, this is one purchase that your eyes will thank you.

Origin: Italy Frame Material: Acetate Lens Width: 56mm

• The latest & greatest action camera & accessories bundle from the market leader in the space.

Best Action/Dash Camera: If you want to record your journey to share with friends and family, it really is hard to do better than the latest GoPro model: the HERO11 Black, which offers stellar video quality and resolution in a highly compact and ridiculously durable package. This offering is GoPro’s HERO11 Black + Accessories Bundle, which, in addition to the action camera itself, also includes a number of GoPro accessories a head strap, shorty grip, and a spare Enduro battery — an incredible value considering it’s only $50 over the camera’s MSRP. So, whether you’re looking to create a massive time-lapse of your journey or just document some fun stops along the way, this is almost certainly the camera you want to be using.

Weight: 5.4oz Max Resolution: 5.3K Max Photo Megapixels: 27.13MP Rear Display Size: 2.27”

• A state-of-the-art GPS nav unit with a 7” TFT touchscreen and a built-in 1080P dashcam with a 140° FOV.

Best GPS Nav Unit: The latest and greatest, most cutting-edge GPS unit from arguably the most reputable brand in the entire space, the Garmin DriveSmart 76 is a state-of-the-art driving GPS unit that boasts an impressive laundry list of features including 3D city and terrain mapping, a slew of preloaded maps, GPS and Galileo connectivity, automatic incident detection, forward-collision warnings, lane assist with junction view, voice-control compatibility, speed limit indicators, and connectivity to the Garmin Drive App. Best of all, despite its compact footprint, the back of this GPS unit’s 7” TFT display has been fitted with a built-in dash cam with a 140° FOV and the ability to record 1080P footage at up to 30FPS. 

Display: 6.95” TFT Camera Resolution: 1080P Weight: 9.56oz

• An app-connected, LCD display-equipped, solar-powered fridge & freezer made specifically for use in vehicles.

Best Car Fridge: Engineered specifically for use in vehicles, the LionCooler Mini Solar Powered Car Fridge is a small but powerful appliance that offers 190 quarts of storage space and a cooling range of between -4°F and -43℉. This smart ice chest can also bee connected to an app and controlled and monitored via a smartphone, plus the actual fridge itself comes with a large onboard battery that enables it to double as a mobile power bank. Rounding out this fridge and freezer combo is a touchscreen LCD display. This purpose-built car fridge is also offered without a battery for around $380. 

Cooling Range: -4°F to -43℉ Volume: 190qt Weight: 24.2lbs

The Best Motorcycle Road Trip Essentials

Two-wheelers more your speed? Then be sure to cruise on over to our guide to the best motorcycle road trip essentials for a curated selection of the latest and greatest essentials on the market.

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13 Road Trips To Take In The USA That Are Bucket-List Worthy

• Stunning coastal views and charming towns make the Pacific Coast Highway a bucket-list-worthy road trip in California. (100 characters)
• Route 66 is perfect for history buffs, connecting small towns and offering iconic landmarks along the way. (102 characters)
• The Great River Road, spanning 10 states, provides a scenic route along the Mississippi River for an ultimate bucket list road trip. (129 characters)

There's something inherently alluring about the open road. The wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and the freedom to explore new destinations and experiences. From adventures on the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest to the stunning vistas of the Southwest, the United States is home to some of the most iconic and breathtaking road trip routes in the world. This article lists some of the best bucket-list-worthy road trips to take in the USA for a memorable adventure. So, grab those keys, buckle up, and get ready for an experience of a lifetime on one of America's most scenic roads .

UPDATE: 2023/12/07 11:27 EST BY AARON SPRAY

Even More Great Road Trips To Take In The United States

The United States is famous for being one of the best places for road tripping. There are plenty of potential road trips to take all through the United States (and not only in the Lower 48). This list was expanded to include even more excellent road trip ideas to explore the nation.

Related: 10 Of The Most Scenic Byways In The U.S. (Perfect For A Road Trip)

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Staggering sheer drops and coastal views are what make this pacific coast adventure stand out.

The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most famous road trips in the US , stretching along the California coastline between Orange County and Mendocino County, covering a distance of approximately 655 miles. The highway is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world, offering breathtaking ocean views with stunning beaches, rugged cliffs, and charming coastal towns.

Some of the must-see spots along the Pacific Coast Highway include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Bixby Bridge, the Hearst Castle, the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Pfeiffer Beach, and McWay Falls. The drive also takes you through the spectacular Big Sur region, overlooking the coastline and the Santa Lucia Mountains.

• Length: 655 miles
• When To Go: September through October
• Bucket List Stop: Pfeiffer Beach to see the falls

Route 66, Illinois to California

Perfect for history buffs, route 66 tells stories of america's midwestern glory days.

Stretching from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica in California, covering a distance of approximately 2,448 miles, Route 66 is one of the most iconic highways in the US and offers plenty of places to visit along the way. The highway is a popular route for travelers, as it connects many small towns and rural areas in the Midwest and the Southwest.

Some of the must-see attractions and landmarks along the highway include the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri; the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas; the Grand Canyon in Arizona; and the Santa Monica Pier in California.

• Length: 2,448 miles
• When To Go: May and September
• Bucket List Stop: Blue Whale of Catoosa to add a quirky, famed landmark to the trip

Great River Road, Mississippi River

This route covers 10 states in total, making it an ultimate bucket list road trip.

The Great River Road is a national scenic byway that follows the course of the Mississippi River from its headwaters in northern Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. The road passes through 10 states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, and Louisiana, covering a distance of approximately 3,000 miles.

Some of the highlights of the Great River Road include the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri; the Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi; and the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. The road also passes through several national and state parks, such as Itasca State Park, Effigy Mounds National Monument, and Natchez Trace State Park.

• Length: 3,000 miles
• When To Go: During the fall months , September through November
• Bucket List Stop: The French Quarter in New Orleans for an authentic Crescent City experience

Related: 10 Bucket List Road Trips To Take In The US This Fall

Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina

Known for being the most scenic mountain road in the south, the blue ridge scenery is unparalleled.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic drive, spanning 469 miles through the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The road is among the best road trips US states have to offer, especially due to the fact it provides breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, rolling hills, valleys, and various opportunities for hiking, biking, picnicking, and wildlife watching.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most popular scenic drives, offering visitors a variety of attractions, including overlooks with panoramic views, hiking trails, picnic areas, and historic sites. Some of the most popular stops along the parkway include the Peaks of Otter, Linville Falls, Craggy Gardens, and the Linn Cove Viaduct.

• Length: 469 miles
• When To Go: Mid-May through Mid-September
• Bucket List Stop: Shenandoah National Park to take in the beauty of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains

Discover the best stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway when planning a road trip adventure along this road.

Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

Seven mile bridge connects travelers to bahia honda state park, making it perfect for nature lovers.

The Overseas Highway is a 113-mile scenic road that connects mainland Florida with the Florida Keys , a chain of islands stretching southward into the Gulf of Mexico. The highway, which is easily among the best road trips in the US in terms of ocean scenery, offers stunning views of the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean - thereby also providing opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and wildlife watching en route.

Some of the highlights of the Overseas Highway include the Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda State Park, and the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, which features hundreds of colorful butterflies and exotic birds. Other popular stops along the highway include the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, the Dolphin Research Center, and the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, home to the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States.

• Length: 113 miles
• When To Go: Between January and April
• Bucket List Stop: Bahia Honda State Park to appreciate the untouched beauty of this Florida Keys landscape, and any spring season festivals

The Pacific Northwest

In stark contrast to other pacific roads, the northwest scenic byway offers dense woods, mountain views, and scenic waterways.

The Pacific Northwest Scenic Byway, also known as the Cascade Loop, is another one of the most beautiful road trips in the US. It's a 440-mile scenic route that winds through the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, offering stunning views of snow-capped peaks, rushing rivers, and lush forests, allowing travelers to enjoy various outdoor recreation and cultural exploration along the way.

The Scenic Byway is dotted with charming mountain towns such as Leavenworth, and Winthrop, offering a Wild West vibe with wooden sidewalks and historic buildings. Other highlights of the Pacific Northwest Scenic Byway include North Cascades National Park, Lake Chelan, Methow Valley, and the Columbia River Gorge, a stunning river canyon, a popular spot for hiking, rock climbing, and waterfall viewing.

• Length: 440 miles
• When To Go: During the spring or summer months
• Bucket List Stop: North Casades National park, where travelers can cross off bucket list hikes, wildflower viewing, and scenic waterfalls off their list

Related: A Road Trip To Remember: The 10 Most Scenic Drives For Your Spring Vacation In The U.S.

The Grand Circle, Southwest USA

This route takes travelers through scenic rocky canyons between utah, arizona, new mexico, colorado, and nevada.

The Grand Circle is a scenic route that takes visitors through some of the most iconic national parks and monuments in the American Southwest. The route includes the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, stretching over 1,400 miles of stunning desert landscapes, ancient ruins, and geological wonders.

The Grand Circle route typically starts and ends in Las Vegas, Nevada, passing through iconic national parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands, known for their towering red rock formations, stunning canyons, and unique geological features. Other highlights of the Grand Circle route include Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, and the Hoover Dam.

• Length: 1,400 miles
• When To Go: April to May, or September to early November
• Bucket List Stop: Monument Valley to explore hoodoos and other unique geological formations

The Great Lakes Circle Tour

Perfect for small town lovers and scenic lakeside views, this route promises all the beauty of the great lakes.

The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a scenic road trip taking visitors around the five Great Lakes. The route is approximately 6,500 miles long and passes through eight US states and the Canadian province of Ontario, allowing travelers to enjoy a variety of landscapes, from urban areas to small towns and rural countryside.

Along the way, visitors can explore national parks like Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, and Niagara Falls, with various historic lighthouses, beaches, and scenic overlooks. One of the highlights of the tour is the Great Lakes Seaway Trail and the St. Lawrence River, offering stunning views of the Thousand Islands, known for its charming waterfront towns.

• Length: 6,500 miles
• When To Go: During the summer months , between June and August
• Bucket List Stop: Niagara Falls for those who have never been, or Pictured Rocks for those who have

The Black Hills and Badlands, South Dakota

Early america can be seen on this route, in the form of several landmarks and even a former midwest mining town.

The Black Hills and Badlands route is a scenic driving route passing through some of the most iconic natural landmarks in South Dakota. The route covers approximately 150 miles, taking visitors through a variety of landscapes, including the rugged badlands, towering granite peaks, and pristine forests, including several iconic attractions, such as Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Badlands National Park.

Some other notable stops along the route include Custer State Park, Deadwood gold-mining town, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame, which celebrates the history and culture of motorcycle enthusiasts.

• Length: 150 miles
• Bucket List Stop: Badlands National park to witness some of the most famous landmarks in American history

Related: Hit The Road: 10 Unforgettable Adventures Await With These U.S. Road Trip Ideas

The Texas Hill Country

Small towns and country that span for miles exude the true charm of the texas hill country route, offering the best views in the state.

The Texas Hill Country route offers picturesque views of beautiful rolling hills and charming small towns of central Texas. The route is approximately 200 miles long, extending between Austin and San Antonio. The region is known for its stunning landscapes, historic sites, and unique cultural attractions. The road through Texas Hill Country takes visitors through several scenic small towns, such as Fredericksburg, Gruene, and Luckenbach. These are some of the best towns in the Texas Hill Country , each particularly known for its charming shops, restaurants, and live music venues.

One of the highlights of the route is the scenic drive along the winding roads of the Hill Country. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of the landscape from the many lookout points and scenic overlooks along the way.

• Length: 200 miles
• When To Go: During the months of April, May, and October
• Bucket List Stop: Fredericksburg, which is a bucket list destination for small town lovers

The Dalton Highway, Alaska

With this route being the only one that crosses the arctic circle, the dalton highway is the definition of "bucket list".

The Dalton Highway is the northernmost highway in the United States and the only road trip in this list that crosses the Arctic Circle. The Dalton Highway is an all-weather road but also incredibly remote and one that requires extensive planning (be prepared for breaking down in the remote Alaskan wilderness).

The Dalton Highway runs from Fairbanks (the main city in Interior Alaska) and ends at Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay (near the Arctic Ocean).

• Length: 414 miles
• When To Go: June to mid-July , when the highway is usually dry
• Bucket List Stop: Finger Mountain Wayside, which also has an interpretive half-mile hiking trail for those seeking more scenic overlooks

Hawaii Big Island Circuit Drive

While hawaii might seem out of the way, the big island circuit drive is worth the flight to see active volcanoes and stunning coastal landscape views.

The Big Island of Hawaii is by far the largest island in the Hawaiian Island Chain and is home to some of the world's most active volcanoes and some of the most stunning landscapes. One of the epic drives to consider is to drive around the Big Island. The two main roads on the Big Island are Highways 11 and 19 and taken together they create one big loop around the whole island.

• Length: 300 miles
• When To Go: During the months of April, May, August, September, and October
• Bucket List Stop: Pepe'ekeo Scenic Drive is at the start of Highway 19, just north of Hilo

Seattle To Fairbanks North American Drive

It wouldn't be a bucket list trip if it didn't have a unique route, and the drive from seattle to washington and fairbanks, alaska, also brings travelers through canada.

This suggested road trip from Seattle in Washington to Fairbanks in Alaska is the only American road trip to also pass through Canada. This is a mammoth 2,150-mile road trip passing through some of the remotest landscapes of North America (including British Columbia and the Yukon Territory). Alternatively, to keep it an all-American 'road trip', consider taking the Alaska Marine Highway - a ferry network that is part of the American highway system that bypasses Canada.

• Length: 2,150 miles
• When To Go: During summer months, preferably early June and July
• Bucket List Stop: While Fairbanks is the ultimate bucket list stop, saving some time to explore Canada can also add a unique aspect to this road trip

• Entertainment

Top Gear: “The Perfect Road Trip” is out now

Seven days, more than 1,000 miles, 20 cars, two boats, a motorbike and one dream…The Perfect Road Trip. Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond choose their transport for each leg of a pilgrimage from Venice, Italy to Pau in France – home to a legendary street circuit and the origins of Grand Prix racing. Their dream drives include the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Mercedes SLS Black and Aston Martin Vanquish. Then it’s time to turn up the heat even more with a Top Gear race… and the worst forfeit in television history.

Top Gear – The Perfect Road Trip is out now, available from Amazon on DVD http://amzn.to/19qgbYE and on Blu-Ray http://amzn.to/1bKGk7y

Wheeler Dealers: S10 E12 – Cadillac Coupe de Ville

Update on top gear series 21 and the “christmas special”, related posts, top gear series 26 returns sunday february 17th, new trailer for top gear series 26, chris harris crashes his porsche gt3 touring, two random guys are joining top gear next year, the rc toybota returns – will it sink, top gear’s future in doubt after matt leblanc quits, leave a comment cancel reply.

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The 9 best travel pants for women: joggers, plus-size & more.

Look and feel stylish from the gate to check-in and everywhere in between.

The Best Travel Pants for Women

Courtesy of Maurices

The Maurices Traveler Pull On Pant is U.S. News Travel's best budget pick for women's travel pants.

Comfort when traveling is key – so a great pair of travel pants is a must. Whether you're on a plane, a cruise or a road trip , you want something that looks good and moves with you. U.S. News & World Report has compiled a list of pants for any travel occasion, with stylish yet comfortable options that can be worn in transit and easily go from day to night.

Best Overall: Athleta Brooklyn Heights Jogger

• Jump to features and expert insights ↓

Best Budget: Maurices Traveler Pull On Pant

Best joggers: aviator nation 5 stripe sweatpants, best leggings: lululemon align high-rise mini-flared pant, best jeans: aviator best travel jeans – boyfriend, best wrinkle-resistant: vuori villa wideleg, best plus-size: wondery outdoors everyday pants, best for cold weather: rei co-op sahara lined pants – women's, best for warm weather: kühl freeflex roll-up pant.

(Note: Prices and availability were accurate at the time of publication; they may fluctuate due to supply chain issues or other factors.)

Size range: 0 to 24

What sets the pants apart: Not only are these ankle-length pants wrinkle-resistant, making them ideal for any type of travel, but they're also flattering on a variety of body types, with regular, tall and petite sizes available. These stretchy, tapered pants by Athleta feature pockets with zippers and a zippered ankle. They are made with a recycled polyester Featherweight Stretch fabric that is light and flexible, for all-day comfort on long flights or while dashing around to see the sights on your next vacation. These pants are available in several shades, including black and berry rose.

Travelers appreciate: "I love the versatility of these travel pants," says Amanda Norcross , content and SEO strategist for travel at U.S. News. "Not only can they be dressed up or down, but they're also lightweight and comfortable." She recommends wearing them with white sneakers or sandals for a casual (and comfortable) look on the plane, and dressing them up with Chelsea boots or flats when the occasion calls for it.

Price: $99 or less Shop now: Athleta

Size range: XS to XXL for regular sizes; 0X to 4X for plus sizes

What sets the pants apart: For a budget-friendly option, the Traveler Pull On Pant by Maurices fits the bill. These pants are casual with a drawstring, pull-on waist and two front zippered pockets. Whether you want to relax in the airport lounge or do some laps around the cruise ship deck, these versatile, affordable pants are made with soft, stretchy polyester and spandex fabric to keep you comfortable. These pants, which come only in black, are available in three lengths (short, regular and long) but meant to be worn at the ankle.

Travelers appreciate: Frequent traveler Kristin McClement says, "For a chic yet comfortable look, my go-to is a sleek pull-on pant or jogger. I want to look put together while being on the move. Maurices Traveler Pull On Pant is perfect for those long travel days."

Price: $39.90 or less Shop now: Maurices

Courtesy of Aviator Nation

Size range: XS to XL

What sets the pants apart: These sweatpants are buttery soft – you won't want to take them off. During manufacturing, they go through a breaking-down process that makes them feel worn in. Five stripes down the legs give these joggers a hip, retro vibe that travelers love. Hand-sewn in Los Angeles, these sweatpants and their stripes are available in more than 20 color variations.

Travelers appreciate: "I absolutely love traveling in AV sweats! They're so chic and cozy, which is especially important when the plane is freezing cold," says frequent traveler Brianna Holochuck. "On a long flight, they never dig into my waist when I'm sitting for hours and they're stylish enough to look like I'm not wearing my PJs to the airport – even though they're as comfortable as my pajamas."

Price: $156 or less Shop now: Aviator Nation | Nordstrom | Revolve

Size range: 0 to 20

What sets the pants apart: If you love clothing that is made for being on the move – such as lugging suitcases around or racing to catch your flight – you'll love these high-waisted, form-fitting leggings from lululemon. Designed for comfort, the brand's lightweight Nulu fabric feels like a second skin, and the added Lycra means they will stretch and move with you. The leggings are breathable and sweat-wicking, and you can choose from five colors, ranging from blue to gray. The pant length options are 28 or 32 inches.

Travelers appreciate: Shellee Howard, CEO of College Ready, always packs her lululemon Align pants when traveling the globe. "My Align pants are the first thing I pack when going on a long flight," Howard says. "They are perfect from takeoff to college tours and I can dress them up with a cute sweater or down with an oversized sweatshirt. I have a pair in my carry-on at all times!"

Price: $118 or less Shop now: lululemon

Courtesy of Aviator

Size range: 24- to 36-inch waist

What sets the pants apart: These relaxed-fit jeans – made from Tencel, cotton and spandex – are just right for women on the go. They are roomy and feel worn in, with a mid-rise waist, straight leg and just enough stretch. These jeans also dry faster than cotton jeans. Not only do they feel good, but they also look chic with a faded stonewash and custom distressing. Keep your keys and cash safe with hidden zippered back pockets. If your size is too long for you, you can get them hemmed for free by Aviator. The jeans are made in the U.S., with free shipping and returns for U.S.-based purchases.

Travelers appreciate: Women who've purchased these pants have commented that they are comfortable to wear while traveling and don't feel confining.

Price: $145 or less Shop now: Aviator

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What sets the pants apart: This stylish Vuori pant, with an ultra-wide leg, allows you to move freely while jet-setting. It can easily go from day to night with a relaxed fit made from a silky soft, moisture-wicking recycled material that has four-way stretch and an elastic waistband. The wrinkle-resistant fabric means you can take a long-haul flight and not worry about it looking wrinkled on arrival, or pack it in your suitcase and not have to iron it when you're ready to go out. Wear it with sneakers or heels to go from casual to dressy. These pants come in neutral shades of black or pistachio green.

Travelers appreciate: Reviewers praise the versatility and lightweight fabric, though some say the material is thinner than they expected.

Price: $118 or less Shop now: Vuori

Courtesy of Wondery Outdoors

Size range: XXS to 6XL

What sets the pants apart: Wondery Outdoors creates clothing designed for women, by women, that encourages an active, outdoor lifestyle. The brand is also size-inclusive and promotes diversity. The straight-leg Everyday Pants have a comfortable elastic waistband, an adjustable belt, two front pockets and two back pockets. They have a mid-rise fit and are made with a cotton-spandex blend that provides a comfortable stretch. A unique feature is the gear loops: one metal D-ring in the front and two cloth ones in the back, which makes these pants especially ideal for hiking and adventure travel. The Everyday Pants are available in 11 sizes, including five plus sizes, and two colors – emerald and black.

Travelers appreciate: Jenny Willden, managing editor of Outdoor Sports Guide, always packs these pants when she hits the road. "I love how they masquerade as regular pants but with durable fabric that makes them ready for adventure," Willden says. "The built-in belt provides a better fit and they look stylish whether I'm heading on a hike or to the airport."

Price: $92 or less Shop now: Wondery Outdoors

Courtesy of REI

Size range: 0 to 16

What sets the pants apart: When you're on a winter trip , you don't want to step out into freezing weather without being prepared. For cold weather gear, these lined pants – which are designed to endure temperatures of 20 to 60 degrees – are a great option. The polyester micro tricot lining keeps wearers warm and wicks away moisture. The nylon and spandex fabric adds breathability, abrasion resistance, 50 UPF sun protection and water repellence. A zippered back pocket as well as hand and thigh pockets can keep your small items safe. Choose from black or stone blue color options.

Travelers appreciate: Reviewers comment that they appreciate the warmth and moisture wicking, saying these pants work well in various chilly weather conditions.

Price: $84.95 or less Shop now: REI

Size range: 0 to 16; inseam ranges from 30 to 34 inches

What sets the pants apart: Not only do these KÜHL pants look cool, but they will also help keep you cool in hot weather around the globe. These full-length pant legs can be rolled up when you get hot and secured in place with a snap. The quick-drying Freeflex fabric provides comfort and stretch while also offering moisture management, water resistance and sun protection of UPF 50+. The pockets on the back and thighs have hidden snap closures. These pants are so versatile that you might want to keep an extra pair in your carry-on bag , just in case your luggage gets lost. These relaxed-fit pants come in nearly a dozen colors, including twilight blue and antique gold.

Travelers appreciate: Travelers ranging from casual explorers to seasoned adventurers praise these pants for being lightweight and quick-drying.

Price: $99 or less Shop now: KÜHL

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Sharael Kolberg is a U.S. News & World Report contributor. As a full-time travel writer, she spends a fair bit of time in airports and cars, as well as on cruise ships and airplanes. She always wants to be comfortable while traveling but still look presentable and stylish upon arrival. Her favorite travel pants include the Athleta Endless Pant and the Vuori Villa Wideleg ; for more casual road trips, she loves the Aviator Nation 5 Stripe Sweatpants . To curate this list of best travel pants for women, she used her own experience and research skills.

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