Road Trip Essentials: The Ultimate Road Trip Planning & Packing List Road trips have always been a popular way to travel in the United States. Especially with epic bucket list routes like Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway, and the Natchez Trace. The ability to load up the car with all your road trip essentials and hit the road to anywhere is such a great feeling. In the last decade, affordable flights brought travelers to more faraway destinations. But ever since 2020 threw a curveball to the travel industry, with the need for social distancing and sticking closer to home, road trips are gaining popularity again.