I think for me one of the nicest parts about having a car available is that it takes some of the pressure to pack EVERYTHING we might possibly need. If I forget toothpaste, no biggy, we can run to Target. My packing list is now much shorter because I don't have to pack the "just in case" stuff because I don't have to worry about not having a way to get to a store. Last trip DD's curling iron broke, we avoided a major catastrophe by being able to run to Target 
