Top items you take on driving holidays?

[OneFootInTheDave]

Going to Ireland for 2.5w in summer hols. We’ll be driving our car and using ferries to/from.

We’ll be doing a lot of coast / beach / place of interest hopping and staying across 3 s/c holiday lets, traveling south to north.

What are your top / must have / really useful items? I’m thinking of these as potentials:
> Canvas / waterproof roof ‘rack’.
> Decent big thermos for tea on the road.
> Pop-up beach tent thing.
> V long wind break for beaches.

What other items would make my life easier!

Kids are 12 and 8y.

Wetsuits for everyone. The beaches are beautiful but the sea is cold!

Very good shout!

Good cool box (Yeti Roadie) and ice packs, corkscrew, bottle opener.
Spare Car Keys, kept with partner, not left in car.
Torch
Glass breaker (easily accessed by driver and or passenger)
Hi-viz jackets for each occupant kept in each door pocket
Flashing Warning Lights
Fire extinguisher

I didn't think I would ever need any of the last four, until I was involved in a major incident on a Motorway, and wished I had....

Small brush for sweeping out crumbs, sand etc. that will inevitably end up on car seats and be annoying !

Oh no, so sorry that happened to you. Very good shouts, we should definitely get these items!

Portable car jump start kit (about £30 on eBay, can also be used as phone power bank) & portable tyre inflater. Both will fit under the front seat & both have been very useful for me, coming back from a day out somewhere & the car not starting or a flat is hideous. At least you can sort yourself out to get to the next place without waiting many hours for the aa/rac

Do you have a spare wheel, if so do you also have a jack, wheel spanner and pump - do they work?

And bin bags for collecting up all the inevitable crap that accumulates !

Container of entertainment for the dc.

Uno cards (we have lots of card games -phase 10, dobble, top trumps etc, good for all ages)
Travel monopoly or scrabble
Cool for kids colouring in books and decent pencils + sharpener
I spy books. These are GREAT and you can get so many different types. One each of each type, or several to play together.
A kite - don't bother with the cheapo fits in a tiny bag type, get a basic one with poles, hours of fun!
Car sweets - boiled sweets or mints
Picnic cutlery as pp suggested for car picnics
Euro travel insurance and breakdown cover are absolutely essential

I also take a jump pack, it has started many stranded cars... had a cheapo one, but it died quite quickly, so I bought a NOCO one, which seems to be the brand leader.

Also have a toll transponder, for driving in Europe, worth it just for watching the locals faces as you zoom through the gate!

Car door bins.

Decathlon - sell sun umbrellas that fold down small (60cm - but open 160cm on beach)

cool bag - with spare drinks and snacks in incase of deals at ferries or on roads.

lots of €1-2 coins in car for when you need to pay for parking, random other things and card isn’t accepted