To drive from London to Inverness with 3 children?

[hibbledobble]

It's not quite as crazy as it sounds as we thought we would do several stops en route, doing the journey in maybe 3 legs. (Stopping eg in the Yorkshire dales and near glasgow). Am I crazy or is this achievable?

We are going to Inverness on holiday. Other travel options are sleeper train, regular train (8 hours long), and flying (90 minutes).

Dc are from newborn to 6 months.

Nomads take newborns on caravans across the Sahara and no one bats an eyelid. I think 12 hours with lots of Costa Coffee stops is manageable.

I would fly/do the sleeper train. We live further north of Inverness and have driven to the south coast for a holiday. The travel was a nightmare (8 month old)... we flew the next year. I would never do the drive again unless kids were 7+

Newborns can't be in carseats for longer than a certain period (can't remember exact period but it's not long)

Sorry typo. Newborn (but will be 4 months old when we travel) to 6 years

Challenging with the age group but perfectly doable

Tips are start as early (3am) as you can as the kids fall back asleep and you are half way by the time they wake and pack loads of snacks/ in car entertainment

We did north of Inverness to London a few years ago and back again :)

If you drive at night it might be ok? Leaving at 6pmish and driving7-8h?
I think it sounds like a nightmare if you would want to do it driving in the day!

Well I have driven to the Highlands from the South many times in one day with three children. We stopped regularly and let them play in the play area when old enough, or when babies, changed and fed them and they were fine. I can only remember one journey which was pretty awful, and that was only in the last hour or two when we had a screaming baby Had to get out of the car and walk around with him in the rain until he calmed down... it can be done.

Yep. Newborns can't be in car seats longer than 2 hours.

I think for the sake of my own sanity i would just fly. When you factor in petrol, coffee stops etc how much money will driving save You??

I don't think it's crazy. It would surely be easier to pack up the car and go than cart luggage plus three kids on the train or plane. I'm sure you'd be fine with lots of stops. Or could you do it mostly at night so they sleep?

Done it solo with a 2 year old and 4 year old, I did stop over night. It was fine. Audiobooks are your friend, or dvds if your kids aren't the pukey type.

My parents used to take 3 kids up every half term, we left very early to get through Birmingham before rush hour. A few stops on the way up. All good.

The sleeper train is quite fun though, as long as you know it's a bit shabby as the cabins haven't been upgraded so it's a bit retro. Doesn't run on Saturdays, so that might restrict you. The cabins are tiny too so luggage space is limited.

Avoid the central belt in Scotland motorways at rush hour as there's still a lot of roadworks going on, although the worst is over. I believe there's a lot on the M6 too if you're going that way.

Either drive overnight or plan to stay the night somewhere like Carlisle/Dumfries and leave early in the morning. It's more than halfway distance wise but the motorway stops after Stirling.

Usually I'd say fly but you'll need your car + car seats + many other things for the baby that will mean the car is convenient. Also lets you explore the highlands without having to hire a car.

I'd much prefer to drive than rail!!

I do that journey regularly. Leave no later than 5am is my top tip.

Not in one day I suggest.

I wouldn't. It will be long and dull.
Fly to edinburgh and hire a car or sleeper all the way.

Under one month it's 30 mins in a car seat 1-6 months it's two hours. I would fly.

Madness. I'd fly

We go from to Scotland frequently. We have found it easier to fly into Edinburgh and then hire a car from the airport. You still the adventure of the drive but a lot less driving.

We regularly drove from Scotland to south of england over to france etc with young kids of course it is doable, split up your journey cant imagine being stuck on a sleeper train with 3 small children

Flying will be extortionate won't it? The sleeper will no doubt be a nightmare with a baby. Driving would be my choice, but if you were to stop every two hours, how long would that have to be?

Actually if driving was a total pain in the ass, I'd just get the normal train to glas/edin, poss stay overnight there, then onwards next day

Nope, and nope again. I've driven 8 hours on my own from Cheshire to Drumnadrochit with the aid of redbull and that was bad enough. The narrow windy roads near Loch Lomand near the end when you are tired are not great. Would definitely not do that with a 4 month old. 4 month old is at risk of oxygen desaturation in a car seat for a length of time plus risk of spinal damage. Take the plane or at least 2 stops in a travel lodge.

Sleeper every time as far as I'm concerned (it's what I do with DS when I go to the rellies up in the Highlands). Only thing is - how old are your children? They are 2 person berths. Would your two oldest be old enough/responsible enough to share by themselves?

D'oh ignore the "how old are they..." - not old enough for it to be safe (getting out of berth in case of emergencies, also the upper bunk doesn't have a proper rail along it, just a leather strap at hip height on an adult - i.e. a small child could really easily fall out of it - I used to make DS sleep in the bottom bunk for this reason). I'd do it on a 4 berth couchette with kids that age, but not if you had to split the party up.

Out patents used to pile the five of us into the car and drive from the North of Scotland to the south of France every year from when I was 4 months old. We really loved it!