10 Christian Podcasts for Your Next Road Trip

There are many benefits of taking road trips compared to other travel options, like flying.

You are in control. You decide when to leave for the trip, how long you'll drive until you stop to rest overnight, what your itinerary will be, when you take rest stops, and whether you'll stop and check out that store, restaurant, or oddity you see on the side of the road.

You can change your mind. Book a hotel online and when you get there, it looks like the seedy motel in Psycho? You can cancel your reservation and head on down the road to better accommodations. By the same token, you may book a hotel in a neat area that you want to stay in a little longer and explore. It's your decision and you can change your mind about anything at any time.

You can explore the real world. Instead of seeing the world speeding down a track or looking down from a bird's-eye view, you can pause and enjoy the world around you. You're free to go off the beaten path and explore places like quaint, small towns or historical spots. You can also take advantage of local festivals, farmers' markets, and state parks.

You can pack anything you want. Compared to packing the minimum and having to pay for extra baggage, you can take all the bags you need on a road trip. However, make sure you always keep your car locked, make sure your car's anti-theft system is working, and enable a dash cam if you have one. Cars that look like they are overflowing with stuff stick out like a sore thumb to thieves. If your car has an Onstar subscription and it's active, make sure everything is up to date before you head out on the road so it's accessible without issues if needed.

Saving money. Even if you factor in wear and tear on your car, a road trip is still a cheaper way to travel. To make things even cheaper, travel with a group and split the gas and hotel room or you could camp overnight and skip the hotel room. You'll also save on food because you choose where you eat to stay within your budget. Instead of buying expensive snacks at a gas station, load up on healthier, cheaper snacks at a Walmart and keep them in a cooler.

Driving takes time. You may be on the road for twenty-four hours or more before you reach your destination. It's a slow way to go.

Having to do all the work. You have to do all the planning, prepping your car, and spending an enormous amount of time behind the wheel. If you can have multiple drivers to switch shifts, then do it. However, contact your auto insurance company to find out their procedure if someone else were driving your vehicle, and an accident occurred.

Finding parking. If you are going to be visiting some big cities, finding parking can be a nightmare. When going to a large city, plan to find the cheapest and safest places to park and leave your car.

It can be expensive. If you are the only one on your trip, things can add up and get expensive quickly. Make a budget, plan, and don't forget to factor in money for an emergency like if your car would break down. Call your car insurance ahead and make sure you have things like towing and roadside help in case you need it.

Wear and tear on your car. Besides considering a breakdown, you also need to think about wear and tear on your car. If you have a newer model, you may be okay, but if you have an older model, you may benefit more from renting a car. It may cost some extra money, but it will save you a lot of stress, and the car you're driving will have extra safety features and some fun bells and whistles that your car doesn't have. Once again, call your insurance company to clarify what would happen if you are in an accident in your rental. This will help with peace of mind and reduce stress as well.

Coming back home. You also need to remember that you will have to prepare yourself mentally to drive back home. To help break the monotony, try and plan a different route home than you took when you left.

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What is a road trip without entertainment? Choose a few Christian movies your children can stream on their tablets and that you can watch as a family. Make several Christian music playlists, including worship music, contemporary Christian music and kids' music. Like podcasts? Here are some great Christian podcasts to listen to from LifeAudio.

Bible Study Podcasts

Your Daily Bible Verse (Various Hosts)

This podcast dives deep into Scripture, examining different verses and finding the heart of the message in the word of God. Each podcast is short, so it's perfect for the busy times on your road trip.

How to Study the Bible (Nicole Unice)

Studying the Bible is an integral part of being a Christian, but sometimes it can be confusing, boring, and irrelevant. Host Nicole Unice seeks to help bring life back into your Bible reading by helping her listeners via her Alive Method of reading the Bible and helping them encounter God through the word. She also offers practical, clear maps for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture in her listeners' daily lives.

Culture and Current Events

The Cynthia Garrett Podcast (Cynthia Garret)

Cynthia explores the crossroads of politics and culture with a Christian perspective.

Family and Parenting

The Real Deal of Parenting (Regan Long and Abby Johnson)

These ladies talk about all things motherhood with a Christian perspective, including the everyday challenges of raising kids to high-profile issues.

Personal and Spiritual Growth

Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast (Bonnie Gray)

This podcast's goal is to refresh the soul with rest and sparking it with joy so that you can feel God's comfort and peace. Bonnie does this through scientific, Scripture based methods to help you restore calm and stress less.

The Enneagram of Personality (Chris Heuertz)

The Enneagram is a personality system that helps us explore who we are, why we get lost, and how we can find our way home back to God. If you aren't sure where you are on the Enneagram, tune in to find out.

Prayer and Devotional

The Crosswalk Devotional (Crosswalk Authors and Editors)

This podcast offers a daily devotional seven days a week, including wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to everyday life.

Sleep and Meditation

Your Nightly Prayer (Crosswalk)

This daily podcast from the folks at Crosswalk will help you end your day in conversation with God by providing a devotional and nightly prayer.

Abide Kids Bedtime Stories (Abide)

This is the perfect app for kids featuring Bible bedtime stories with gentle background music and noises to help your kiddos fall asleep fast after hours on the road.

Abide Sleep Meditation (Abide)

This podcast is perfect for adults to get the deep, restful sleep they need.

With some planning, packing accordingly, and choosing the perfect Christian entertainment, your next road trip is bound to be the best yet.

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Choose your destination and approximate route so you will know how long you'll be on the road and what snags or delays you may come across. You can use Google Maps or an app like Roadtrippers to get accurate details.

Determine the length of your vacation. Depending on how many days you'll be gone, your driving time will vary between 10 and 30 hours on average.

Create a budget. The budget should include accommodations, food, gas, and random expenses.

Plan activities, figure out where you will stay, and book appropriately. Research things you want to see or do and the cheapest places to stay, and then buy your tickets and make reservations.

Take your car in for a checkup. Make sure you have your garage or mechanic check tires, change the oil (if needed), look at hoses and check for leaks, make sure the A/C is working, top off fluids, etc.

Research the local area where you'll be staying. Get online and do some digging so you know things about the area, including areas you'll want to avoid.

Always stay flexible. Road trips are fun.

If you're not careful, it's easy to pack everything under the sun for your road trip. Here are the basic essentials that you will need.

-Your car registration.

-Your driver's license.

-Proof you have car insurance.

-Car document wallet. (This holds purchase agreements, buyer guides, warranty information, repair work orders, etc.)

-Owner's Manual

-Trunk Organizer and Cooler Bag

-Mount for your smartphone with wireless charging

-Charger for inside your car (to charge phones and electronics)

Comfort Essentials

-Travel water bottles/Coffee mugs

-Lumbar back support

-Car sunshade

-Sunglasses

Safety Essentials

-Travel/Health Insurance. Talk to your health insurance company about activities you want to partake in to make sure you're covered. If you are traveling abroad, travel insurance is something you will want to look into.

-Insurance for your contents (pricey gear, cameras, etc.)

-A spare tire

-Roadside Emergency Kit

-Lug Wrench

-Jack

-Tire Gauge

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