Girl holding two walkie talkies

Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips

Suppose you have ever traveled in a group and lost cell phone coverage, you will need to flag down your travel mates to pass on some much-needed information. Then the best solution is in the form of walkie-talkies.

The best walkie-talkie for road trips will offer you and your family a long battery life with rechargeable batteries, options for multiple users, a decent range, hand-free capabilities, and emergency notifications at a reasonable price.

Walkie-talkies are also handy and fun to give your kids more freedom should you stop for the night at a campground. And due to their convenience and affordability walkie talkies are gaining popularity for multi-group road trippers.

Why You Might Want A Road Trip Walkie Talkie

Walkie-talkie mostly brings back memories from childhood trips, camps, and games. Walkie-talkies are not just nostalgic; they are also a great communication tool used to promote outdoor activities, protect your family’s privacy, and learn a fun lingo.

Here are some more reasons why you should get the best walkie-talkie for car convoys:

Makes communication easier

Walkie-talkies are great for car convoys with multiple vehicles. It eliminates the hustle of making phone calls, relying on group chats, and trying to know who is in which vehicle. Walkie-talkies will enable you to send the message you want to all the cars, and they will be received simultaneously by all involved in the trip.

It helps make kids independent.

Walkie-talkies will help your kids branch out and gain independence as well. If you are a parent who is not ready to gift your kid an expensive pocket computer, then a walkie-talkie is excellent. It will allow you to communicate and keep in touch as a group without having to pay for a phone or data plan.

It is much quicker to get your kid’s attention as it involves a few beeps.

It is a great option where there is no cell phone coverage.

When planning a trip to the mountains, one thought that lingers is the poor cell phone coverage. Walkie-talkies are great as they operate on radio frequencies, therefore will help you keep in touch no matter how remote you are. Thanks to the radio frequency walkie talkies help retain your family’s privacy.

They feature emergency capabilities.

Walkie-talkies allow you to send out an SOS signal. Others have the feature of sending out emergency weather signals to help you better plan where you are headed.

They promote outdoor activities.

When you are out exploring as a group, walkie-talkies are a great necessity as they will help you keep in touch with each other. They help ensure that everyone is safe and accounted for when they detour.

How Road Trip Walkie Talkies Work

If you wonder whether walkie-talkies work on road trips, the answer is YES. These handheld portable radios that use radio waves to communicate wirelessly on a single frequency band are also called two-way radios for vehicles.

They are battery-powered and contain a transmitter that doubles as a receiver, an antenna for receiving and sending radio waves. They also have a loudspeaker that functions as a microphone as well.

To receive “a call,” you need to push the “push to talk” button. For you to communicate, you must first ensure that you are sharing the same channel/ frequency band and that your handset is set to receive.

Your microphone/ loudspeaker should be set to the loudspeaker. And when no one is speaking, your walkie-talkie will be broadcasting the sound of static like a detuned radio. To speak, you push the talk button, and when you finish passing your message, you say “over.”

With a walkie-talkie, only one person can talk at a time.

5 Best Walkie Talkie For Road Trip

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Best Walkie Talkie For Road Trips: Motorola T100 Talkabout Radio

Motorola T100 Talkabout Radio, 2 Pack

The Motorola T100 talk-about radio comes with all the features you need from a walkie-talkie for car trips. It is a set of two units weighing four ounces and measuring 1.1 x 1.91 x 5.22 inches.

It includes 22 channel options, a 16-mile range, and an 18-hour battery life. It also communicates with both FRS/GMRS radios of any brand name. It also offers an auto squelch with a low battery alert.

Possible Cons

  • Only has a 0.5-mile range in neighborhoods
  • Doesn’t feature privacy codes

Best Walkie Talkie For Road Trips: Midland 50 Channel Waterproof GMRS Two-Way Radio

Midland 50 Channel Waterproof GMRS Two-Way Radio - Long Range Walkie Talkie with 142 Privacy Codes, SOS Siren, and NOAA Weather Alerts and Weather Scan (Black/Silver, Pair Pack)

The Midland 50 channel waterproof is the best car-car walkie-talkie for road trips. It features a 50 Gmrs channel, is water-resistant, and includes NOAA weather scans and alerts.

With many channel options, it can use alkaline or rechargeable batteries. It also features a mic headset that is ideal for hiking or driving.

Possible Cons

  • The Midland 50 has a shorter battery life than a similar walkie-talkie at about 11 hours
  • Requires a license for some situations.

Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips: Retevis RT628 Walkie-Talkies for Kids

Retevis RT628 Walkie Talkies for Kids,Toys for 5-13 Year Old Boys Girls,Key Lock,Crystal Voice, Easy to Use,Long Range Walky Talky for Camping Hiking(Red,2 Pack)

Are you looking for a walkie-talkie for driving that is simple enough that your kids can operate? The Retevis RT628 got you! Your adventurous kids will love their walkie-talkies that has a compact, lightweight design and come in multiple color options.

It also can use handsfree, durable, and locks channels so you can not accidentally change the radio settings.

Possible Cons

  • Require three batteries per device
  • You have to purchase batteries separately as they are not included with your purchase.

Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips: Retevis RT22 Walkie Talkies

Retevis RT22 Walkie Talkies Rechargeable Hands Free 2 Way Radios Two-Way Radio(6 Pack) with 6 Way Multi Gang Charger

If you are looking for the best walkie-talkie for road trips, it would be the Retevis RT22. It comes in a set of six with six multi-gang chargers. Each walkie is black and requires a lithium-ion battery included with the purchase.

With the capability of tolerating temperatures ranging from 20-50 degrees celsius, it is also water-resistant. It also features a channel lock, an emergency alarm, and a belt clip and is easy to carry and operate.

This is an excellent option for a group traveling in convo.

Possible Cons

  • You do not have the option to use alkaline batteries with this walkie talkie

Best Walkie Talkies For Road Trips: Motorola T200TP Talkabout Radio

Motorola T200TP Talkabout Radio, 3 Pack

The Motorola T200TP comes in a set of three and is simple and affordable. It is grey in color, wireless, and requires NiMH rechargeable batteries or four AA batteries included with the purchase.

With 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, it is easy for this device to find an available channel. It has excellent battery life and a low battery alert when used with alkaline batteries. It also can offer customized tones and is compatible with any radio device.

Possible Cons

  • The Motorola T200TP only features one color
  • Poor battery life as it drops to one bar fast

What To Look For In A Good Road Trip Walkie Talkie

Purchasing two-way radios for cars is much more complex than you might initially think. There is a variety of car walkie-talkies available from an array of manufacturers. BUT do not worry, for here is a list of things to consider when deciding on the best walkie-talkie to purchase.

Durability

If you are planning on using your walkie-talkie outdoors or in inclement weather, you need to get one that’s weatherproof, waterproof, and durable.

Overall purpose

Why do you need a walkie-talkie? Where do you plan on using it? Knowing how you plan to use your walkie-talkie will guide you on the right one to purchase.

Ease of use

Some walkie-talkies are complicated, while others are simple. Who will be using the walkie-talkies? Are they conversant with how radio works? Answering some of these questions might make you narrow down your search for a walkie-talkie.

Price

What budget range are you comfortable with? How many walkie-talkies do you need? These essential factors will help you determine what kind of radios to get for your car trip.

Size

The size of the walkie-talkie you need is a factor that you should consider. Do you need a pocket-friendly size or one that fits comfortably in a car compartment?

Range and frequency

Do you need a radio that covers an extensive or short-range? Knowing the coverage, you plan to use your walkie-talkie will help you figure out which device to purchase.

If your walkie-talkie is to cover a wide range of more than a few miles, then you will need a device that uses GMRS ( General Mobile Radio Service ), which requires a license.

Channels and private codes

How many channels do you need your walkie-talkie to feature? Do you have a walkie-talkie with the capability to have privacy codes on the channels? Getting the answers to the above question will steer you in the right direction while purchasing a walkie-talkie.

Battery life and charging

How long will you need your walkie-talkie to work before charging? Do you need a device that recharges or takes standard alkaline batteries?

Licensing

Do you need a license to operate your walkie-talkie? Do you want to use secure frequencies with minimal interruptions? Then you need to get a permit for GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service).

Have you considered using walkie-talkies for your next family road trip? We’d love to hear which ones you use or any more tips for road trip fun using your walkie-talkies!

Printable Road Trip Checklist

Never forget an important item again on your family road trip. We talk you through all the essential road trip items you’ll need – from comfort items to practical pieces of gear over here – or click below to grab a ready-to-go PDF checklist and get packing for your next family road trip.

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© Family Road Trip 2024

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