Summer is the time for road trips, but proper planning is essential for smooth traveling that goes off without a hitch!

Here are five of the best travel road trip hacks for making your weekend trips, cross-country getaways, and day trip adventures run smoothly. 

Make sure you prepare some music beforehand.

For the first couple hours you can get away with the radio, but when the signals start to change and the only thing you can find is the same pop song over and over again or a whole lot of country, you know you will want something else to listen to. But rather than just relying on the shuffle feature on your iPod, why not create a playlist that fits the mood of your trip? Set the perfect soundtrack for your adventure.

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Pack water and snacks.

This is kind of a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how you can completely under-pack the amounts of snacks and water you may need. Create a checklist the night before of everything you’ll need, and make sure there are at least two bottles of water for each person in your car, as well as enough snacks in different varieties, from savory to sweet. Everyone will appreciate it when you pull out a wide selection of nibbles. 

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Come up with some road trip games ahead of time.

Road trip games get you chatting with your car company and can be a fun way to exercise your mind (and keep you awake on the long drive!). Try playing the alphabet game, where you look for each letter of the alphabet in order through signs on the road. Seems easy, but wait until you get to “J.” Or play I-spy, seeing if your car mates can spy the same things around you that you can. 

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Don’t forget a movie screening device!

This is especially useful if you have kids or people that tend to get restless. If you’re on a five-hour road trip, it can get long, and there's only so much talking and entertaining you can do. Sometimes the best thing to do is to plug in a movie and have your kids or your friends occupy themselves for a couple hours. Make sure you download everything on your device before you leave and have a couple movies to choose from, depending on how long your road trip is.

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Stop by local attractions on the way.

Yes, this may take your road trip a little bit longer, but it’s about the journey just as much as the destination, right? Before you leave, look up some interesting local attractions and stop to explore them along your way. Everyone will appreciate the opportunity to get out of the car and stretch their legs. Plus, they can add to their travel list. And this idea also works great with restaurants! Rather than stopping to eat at the local rest stop or fast-food chain, figure out some local eateries and enjoy an amazing meal at the best diner in town. 

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Looking for easy road trips within a few hours of D.C.? Check out these driveable destinations. 

And if you want even more ideas, Richmond and Baltimore are only an hour or so away from D.C., and make for a great weekend getaway. 

What are your best road trip hacks? Share with us in the comments below!