Regardless of occasion, a gift basket for a road trip can make things a lot easier to individuals, groups, or families who love to road trip.

What follows are some ideas for gift basket items to give to those who road trip. Or you could just as easily put these on a shopping list, or in your 'go-kit' for those impulsive road-trip moments:

Maps for road trips

If you don't have an insurance agent giving you a new road atlas every year (thanks Terry at State Farm), you might want to buy a new road atlas, or at least a regional or state map. In fact, you might be able to get a few freebie maps at state rest areas.

Travel mug

You may not be a tree-hugger, but having your own resusable travel mug is far less wasteful than styrofoam (ew... that's evil stuff, right?), and still better than paper cups cover with wax. Travel mugs for road trips will keep your hot drinks hot and your cool drinks cool, longer...

Sunglasses & clip for visor

Even a cheapo pair of sunglasses can make a roadtrip more enjoyable. The glare of even an overcast day can lead to eye strain and headaches. No fun. The sunglasses clip for the visor is a real convenience too.

Hotel Coupons

Whether they're printed from online, or whether they're those free booklet type coupons found at rest-areas, interstate convenience stores and restaurants, or truck stops. Nobody minds saving a few bucks at a hotel if they were going to stay there anyway.

Tire Gauge

Dad always used to tell me to check my tire pressure and oil each time I fueled up. Well, on a short (or long) road trip you fuel up more often than your normal routine. Giving someone a tire gauge just in case they (or their kids) lost or broke their previous one could help them save time and make their fueling stop more enjoyable.

Travel Games

Even a car full of adults can enjoy travel games. But for roadtrips with kids, a gift basket of age appropriate road games can make mom and dad VERY appreciative. Plus, if the parents don't give the travel games out until a road trip, then the kids aren't thinking of them as "the same games we've had for driving around town."

Recorded music on CD

It's easy to find someone a bargain CD these days. If you're into digital music downloads (and they are too), perhaps a gift card to iTunes, Amazon.com or Napster?

Car Air Freshener

Simple enough. Sometimes things stink.

Roll of quarters for the Toll Booths

A little more pricey, but a great gift nonetheless. Who like to be approaching a toll booth and think "Oh my gosh! Where's my wallet? Did I even think to bring cash or coins?"

Hand Sanitizer and Handy Wipes

Messes and germs happen on road trips. And anytime the kids need a potty break, they likely won't wash their hands to your satisfaction (unless you've trained them as well as you think). Spill happen too, even with snacks, so wipes are helpful more often that you expect.

Conclusion

Hopefully this list will give you some good ideas for putting together a road trip gift basket for your friends (or selves) who are setting out to pursue their latest road trip idea. (Whether a long trip ideas, or a short trip ideas.)