Roadtrippers Holiday Gift Guide 2018: The Road Trip Essentials

We all have that one person on our holiday shopping list who has been everywhere and seemingly has everything. You know, that person who you can’t just buy something off Amazon Prime for because they already have it or won’t use it. But even the most hardened road warrior on your nice-list deserves something more thoughtful than a gift card. Here’s our guide to gifts that keep on giving.

America the Beautiful Passes

Planning to make 2019 the year you cross America’s most iconic national parks off the bucket list? Or maybe your New Year’s resolution is to get outside more? Either way, a National Parks Annual Pass is an incredible gift. $80 gets you access to more than 2,000 sites across the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the USDA Forest Service, among others.

Considering that the entrance fee for most National Parks is around $30 per vehicle, it’s not hard to make the Annual Pass worth it… and that’s not even counting the national seashores, national historical parks, military parks, monuments, and more that you’ll be able to get into for free.

Up to 100 percent of the proceeds of the pass can go back to developing facilities at these sites, so it’s a gift you can feel good about, too.

Peasy toll road subscription

If Santa had to deal with toll roads on Christmas night, he would be a whole lot less holly and jolly. Luckily, he has flying reindeer—but the rest of us are still stuck juggling cash and cards, remembering to load money into accounts, or keeping track of assorted passes and transponders to avoid fines when traveling.

There’s one truly easy solution to dealing with the country’s toll system, and it’s called Peasy. For $30 per year (they have a $10 off deal right now), you get absolute peace of mind when it comes to basically any toll road you might hit on your travels. All you have to do is snap a photo of your license plate and hook a credit card up to your account. Now you’re free to drive right on through most cashless toll lanes and bridges (check Peasy’s coverage map for more details).

Peasy will ensure that tolls get paid on time, without you needing to mail anything. It’s guaranteed to make your trip back home to see the family at least a bit less stressful. It also makes the perfect gift for that friend who’s constantly itching to hit the road.

Mighway RV rental

A top-of-the-line, brand-spanking-new RV is a holiday gift guaranteed to impress… and break the bank. A more reasonably priced alternative is Mighway, the Airbnb of RVs. It’s the perfect way for anyone new to the RV lifestyle to dip their toes in the water, especially since Mighway offers some really excellent built-in benefits, like 24/7 roadside assistance, free miles and hours on generators, liability insurance, and more.

And since you won’t have to worry about any of that stuff, you’ll be free to truly relax and enjoy your travels, wherever the road may take you. Right now, Mighway is offering $100 gift cards to anyone who books before December 20, so if you like free money and traveling in style, you’ll want to take advantage ASAP.

Roadtrippers membership

We may be tooting our own horn, but here at Roadtrippers, we’re always looking for ways to improve our own product. This is why we’ve launched Roadtrippers, an annual membership that allows you to take planning and road tripping to the next level. Bonus: Memberships are 40% off until December 14 using discount code 40flashsale. 

Members get access to the very best of Roadtrippers—including offline maps for when you want to explore an area with limited connectivity, the ability to add a whopping 150 waypoints to a trip, and live traffic, just to name a few. You’ll also be the first to hear about awesome exclusive deals. And the best part is that we’re always working to think up and add more features to Roadtrippers, so stay tuned.

AAA membership

AAA is a good ol’ fashioned lifesaver for anyone with a vehicle, but even more so for avid roadtrippers. Plans start at $68 and cover pretty much any roadside mishap. Flat tires, dead batteries, jump starts, out of gas, keys locked inside, stuck in a ditch—AAA can handle it. They even offer services like travel agents and “Trip Interruption Expense Reimbursement,” in case a breakdown seriously interrupts your trip.

Don’t forget to take ample advantage of the discounts a AAA membership gets you on food, shopping, and tickets to popular attractions you might hit up while on the road, either. With several membership plans to choose from, there are plenty of ways to reward anyone on your list for being extra nice this year.

Good Sam Club membership

Peace of mind is a valuable gift. For an RV owner, that comes in the form of a membership to Good Sam Club. It’s like AAA, but for your RV. If having a flat tire or dead battery on a car is a massive inconvenience, on an RV it can really ruin your day. Knowing that you have RV Mobile Mechanic Dispatch and unlimited distance towing is ridiculously reassuring. There are several tiers providing various levels of coverage so you can find the perfect plan for that special RV owner in your life.

This gift guide consists of independently useful products that we truly believe benefit today’s avid road traveler, hand-picked by our editorial team. While some of the companies listed here are current or future Roadtrippers partners, they have not paid to be a part of this list. Current Roadtrippers partners include Mighway and Peasy.