5 Steps for a Successful Road Trip With Baby

June 19, 2018 /

Maybe you’re just driving to see Grandma several hours away, or maybe you’re like us and planning to drive cross-country with three babies in tow (see why in my Road Tripping 101) – either way you’re covered with my five best tips for driving long distance with baby.

 

Step 1:  Know your limits and plan your route. Unless your baby is super human they will not spend eight hour stretches in the car without a break – who would? So plan your route, but don’t set a schedule or if you must don’t over-schedule. I always try to keep a couple options for each segment of our trip (best about an hourish apart if possible) so we have plenty of places we CAN stop if we are ready. If not we just drive on by and maybe try next time. We book hotels and check out local spots on the go, day by day wherever we end up. (This became much easier to do now that we have smart phones – on our first road trip pre-kids we did not & I’m not entirely sure how we survived).

The OG Trip Map

 

Step 2: Pack a changing station. For our last road trip we had our SUV and were able to pack our changing pad in the trunk so whenever one of the babies needed a change we could pull over wherever. No yucky gas station bathrooms, no having to drag everyone out of the car if someone was still sleeping. If you can’t fit a changing pad a towel also works perfectly. Easy Peasy trunk changes. Plus throw it in a poop bag or trash can and we’re back on the road!

Step 3: Drive during nap time! On the last trip our babies were on two naps a day so it was super easy to get in the car about an hour before morning nap, drive until they woke up and stop for a hike, park, lunch, museum etc. Then hit the road for afternoon nap and stop for dinner or for the night when they woke up. This is where having different stops came in handy – if they slept longer or shorter we just went with their flow.

Step 4: Car toys for when you just have to drive a little further or there’s traffic. Our kids HATE traffic and sometimes there’s just no getting out of it so this is where having special toys they could use in their seats really came in handy. Plus lots of singing because all babies love music.

Step 5: Enjoy the new experiences you and your family will gain seeing all walks of life across the country or wherever you are road tripping to! Take the road less traveled – get out there and see what there is to see in the cities and in the wilderness. Never be afraid of an adventure with your little one because that’s all it will ever be – one great big adventure.

 

 

 

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