After spending most of our honeymoon crammed in to a desperately slow Kia Picanto, which could only make it up a slight gradient if the air con was turned off, I’m no stranger to the joys of a road trip. We covered about 1000 km of coastal roads, mountainous ridges and desert terrain in two weeks and watched the scenery change from beachy vistas to barren rocky land as we made our way through South Africa. We both have tonnes of memories from that trip but the ones made cruising along the garden route are some of the most vivid.

Thanks to all the amazing suggestions on my recent holiday post we’ve finally booked a break in Sardinia next month. Katie S sparked the idea when mentioning Corsica as a potential location. When we realised flight times didn’t fit with our schedule we were drawn in by Sardinia’s proximity to it’s French cousin. Our trip will start in the south with a short break in Cagliari and will take us to Cala Gonone to take in the downright gorgeous beaches. From there we’ll head to the north east town on Santa Teresa Gallura to catch a boat across to Corsica before ending the trip in the vineyards near to Alghero.

Unlike the ten hour days we spent in the car in SA our jaunts hopefully aren’t going to be more than a few hours. However the good girl scout in me wants to be prepared so the travelling becomes an enjoyable part of the holiday rather than a chore. There’s a few things I have on my list so far and I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Playlist

I read a recommendation somewhere the other day to have about 30 playlists. Well it’s going to be quiet in our car as so far I’ve got about four. Don’t playlists take a long time to compile too? I think those four took me about two hours to pull together so any Spotify lists you can recommend I should follow would be fabulous.

Portable Charger for Phone

Somehow I’ve got to power the iPhone to play all these tunes. I’ve heard good things about the Mophie which holds several charges but it’s not a cheap bit of kit. I was quite taken after seeing my friend’s Juice Weekender the other day which can charge an iPhone 6 four times.

Camera

I’ve been promised stunning scenery so I’m sure I’ll be putting my Olympus Pen to good use. One thing I could really do with is a new leather strap and have my eye on this Etsy one.

GPS/ Map

Before I visit any city I usually download a google map of the area so I don’t have to use data when I get there. However on the road we’re going to need something to keep us on track. In the suitcase goes the sat nav.

Hand Sanitiser and Toilet Roll

Wherever you are in the world, the roll dispenser seems to be lacking loo paper so I find it’s always best to pack your own and some hand sanitiser to boot. On the subject of toilets, who knew there were so many different types of flush? This article was an eye opener!

First Aid

While most of my lotions and potions will be in my case I think I’ll get something similar to these clear pouches from M&S to stash various toiletries including a mini first aid kit and talc for dusting off wet sand before climbing back in the car.

Cushion

Perfect for the plane as well as a long car journey, I have a blow up cushion I bought from the pound shop a few years ago. I tend to ignore my husband when he refers to it as a neck brace.

Packing Cubes or Tote Bag

We’re staying two nights in town so no doubt we’ll be unpacking the car, however when we’ve just got a one night stopover we usually just pack a tote bag with the essentials so we don’t have to lug all the cases out. I have a new found love of packing cubes which serve a similar purpose too.

Food and Drink

I don’t need to go into much detail about this but there’s nothing more volatile than a hangry driver or passenger. I think I might keep an eye out for a cool bag to keep the drinks and snacks from heating up. This Kate Spade ‘break the ice’ tote is a whole heap of fun but no doubt I’ll get one for a few quid instead.

Guide Book and Planner

I usually get a guide book for every destination I visit and make notes as I go. My Paris guide is covered in scrawl and post-it notes from internet recommendations I’ve read. We’re both hoping for a bit of spontaneity on this trip, after all it’s always nice to go off the beaten track once in a while but I’d still like to see a few of haunts I’ve researched so far. How cute is this foil print bug notebook to jot down places to go?

So will I be able to actually take any clothes on this trip as it’s going to be one hell of a tightly packed case to bring along all this garb. What are your essentials for longer car journeys and what can’t you live without when you’re behind the wheel?