Is this too far for a day trip?

[FranklinTheCat]

We're planning a visit to MIL, who we've seen on an annual basis since DC was born, due to distance, lack of car (on both sides), location (rural area) and the fact that she is neither able nor willing to travel any distance to see us. I'll spare you the back story but trust me, there is one.

So the good news is we now have a car, which will make it easier to visit and to take her somewhere nice for lunch. We're due to visit in the near future. DP thinks we should do a day visit and accept being knackered. I am a bit concerned about this as I will be doing all the driving. Non-stop, it's potentially up to 3.5 hours each way, almost all motorways. Except we have a 3 year old so will have to stop (and to be honest, I would anyway for a break).

Is this insane? I worked it out last night and we would have to set off around 0700 to allow for a decent half hour break and to get to hers safely before midday. Then take her out for lunch somewhere nice but with a play area for DS, take her home, with a view to being back on the road between 1530 and 1600. Should be home around 2000/2030 depending on length of stop on the way back.

I'm now wondering whether we should go down the day before (Friday afternoon) and stay over somewhere, although it would obviously add to costs (we can't stay at the house).

My main concerns are whether I will be tired on the return journey as it's further than I've driven before in one day (have done 2hrs 40 in one go, and a journey that was two hours each way but am relatively new to long distance driving) and also whether DS will be all right in the car. He's not normally bad and can cope with a couple of hours, though gets bored (but that's been with just me and DP will be there) - but we haven't done a journey like this before.

Would you do it, or would you book the Premier Inn?!

@DoNotBlame - you've hit the nail on the head - absolutely right. He hasn't got a clue. He has a licence but is effectively a non-driver in that he has no independent driving experience (yet, long story). Although interestingly, he has vetoed Cornwall for the summer holiday as "it's too far for DS in the car" - without twigging that his suggestion is the equivalent of driving to Cornwall.

...and time your DP stepped up and shared responsibility for the driving. If he's got a licence then he needs to build up experience and confidence. The only way to do that is to drive,maybe with a couple of booster lessons.

God no.

Definitely doable if it was just you and your Dp. Adding a bored 3 year old could make it a much longer trip but I have driven more than that with a 3 and 1 year old.

Don't do it.

I once did London to Blackpool, day at the pleasure beach and back again the same day.

Left at 7am, got there about 11am, left at around 7-7.30pm and got home at about 2am. Got up for work the next day too (8am start). I think I was delirious by the time I got to work.

Never again. I will always get a hotel if I go on a trip like that again.

If your DP needs experience driving (I was a really nervous driver to start with), I would suggest getting him to drive between two service stations on the motorway. We did that and as my confidence grew, I'd skip a services and gradually built up experience and confidence. DH was very patient

It's a long way witheven if you share the driving though, because it's a long time to be cooped up in the car. You want your DC on top form when visiting family!!

Do an overnight stay. I drive those hours on a daily basis, and I don't have to manage a small child or in-law. I'm still knackered.

My rule is anything more than 2 hours and I stay over. I find driving really tiring and that is enough for me in one go.

I remember getting completely flamed on here once about a 7 hour round trip with a 3 year old. Apparently everyone except me then felt the trip was entirely reasonable.
Glad you got a different set of responses.

We are doing similar this weekend, Travelling down Friday lunchtime, staying over then day trip out Saturday and driving back Saturday night. It can be done in a day but is awful, and we also have a 3 year old who would not tolerate it.

I've done that distance. Spent the day at location with friends and family. Exhausted the children. Then set off at 9pm in evening, so they could sleep on way home. We were home just before midnight. It was exhausting but doable. I had 10 hour break between drives and lots of snacks in car.

200 miles will take more than 3 hours.

Definitely stay overnight.

I would rather not drive all that way there and back in one day as the only driver.

Take 2 days over it and book a hotel nearby and do other stuff if you just want to keep the actual MIL visit short.

A cheap premier inn/travellodge will be so much better - they often have rooms from £30

Another one saying book hotel
I’ve got to drive that distance on Friday. We are staying at our caravan overnight to lop an hour off the journey and the same on theway home, three days later

No way would ido a 7 hour trip in one day

I've done a trip of similar length and time.

The 1st time is knackering but after that it was fine

We did it all through my childhood, to visit grandparents who moved away. Tbh it generally wasn't fun. My mum doesn't drive so my dad always drove both ways. He often fell asleep in the chair while we were there!

Thanks all - the decision is made. DP hasn't driven since he passed his test (some years ago, we didn't have a car then) and is due to start refresher lessons soon. But I do prefer to drive as I feel really sick as a passenger and minioning for DS on a journey like that would wipe me out!

Oh, and as I inferred, there is a back story with MIL. Will spare you the details but the bottom line is that a short and sweet visit works best overall - although now we have the car, it might be an option next time to stay nearby for a few days and take her out each day. But I will save my tales of MIL for another thread. She's very entertaining in small doses but oh boy, there are tales.

Stay in a hotel, perhaps afterwards, somewhere you'd like to spend a few hours the next day but not too near to MIL.