To think that driving 10hrs overnight with toddler is a good idea?!

[MintGreenLife]

DS is 21 months and we are going away for 10 days in the UK. To drive it’s 10hrs and we were thinking of driving overnight. He doesn’t go to bed until 9pm, so we would probably leave around 8pm, keep him entertained for the first hour, then hopefully he will go to sleep. Imagine we would arrive around 7am with a couple loo/coffee stops, and this would be his usual wakeup time. We will share the driving and one of us will be in the back with him at all times.

Are we mad to do this? Has anyone got any experience of this? We are going on holiday with family, so they will be able to help with DS the next day while we catch up on a bit of sleep. Also can’t find any info, but the 2hr in the car seat rule must not apply once they are toddlers??

The alternative is leave the house at 6am, 2hr drive, bus to airport, 2hrs in the airport, 1.5hr flight, 2.5hr drive out the other side. I just feel like that’ll be so much more stressful, and DS isn’t a good sleeper, so all that sitting still will most likely result in a terrible night first night of our hols.

What would you do?!

I'd just drive in the day with 2-3 stops. I drove a lot with mine at that age without issues

Is it actually safe for them to be in a car seat all that time?

I often drive from Folkestone to Toulouse in one day however, I would not do a drive like that in the UK at anytime because the traffic, the roads and the general attitude of drivers in the UK is very poor compared to France.

We have done a car holiday to Europe with three kids, aged 1, 3 and 5 at the time. Was fine, but we actually travelled during the day and split the journey with an overnight. They didn't sleep wonderfully in a hotel but we got about six hours which was enough to be safe to drive and they were tired enough to sleep in the car for long stretches.

I think it’s a great idea!

Take in turns driving for 2/3 hours whilst the other naps do you’ll both have a couple of hours sleep and won’t be as exhausted the next day.

I’d also take an iPad and power bank in case DS does wake up.

If you stop at a service station you can decide whether to take in turns and let DS sleep or wake him up and stretch his legs.

I’d also take him to the park just before you go to burn off his energy.

One of you can have a lie in and the other can have a nap when DS is at the park to get some extra sleep in too.

Really? It's always been the opposite for me and it's well known that the french drivers are very aggressive 😂

Anyhow, I wouldn't drive all night and be up all day with the toddler the next day. I would drive during the day and split it with frequent breaks and finally when arrived at the destination, I will crash to sleep with my toddler and wake up rested. I can't imagine anything worse than being up all night crippled in a car only to arrive and carry on during the day to parenting.

Although my DH just told me more deaths in France on the road so not sure why I suppose I drive on the autoroute which are very well maintained and sparse of cars for long stretches . I find the drive from York to Folkestone very tiring in comparison. My personal experience. With toddlers we always had regular stops and breaks.

My lot loved it. Into pyjamas at the ferry/Eurotunnel, then off to sleep through France, waking up in Switzerland or Germany for a service station breakfast and carrying on from there.

We’re probably going to stop now as they’re finding it harder to sleep and settle as they get bigger. But it worked brilliantly while they were small.

Helped that we had childcare at the end of the journey and that both of us can cope on little sleep for a night without much adverse affect.

We did this at Easter to visit family on the south coast of England, traveling from Scotland with our then 21 month old and 5 year old. I've always preferred driving the long distance overnight anyway, and feel it's definitely so much easier with the kids. We set off at 7pm (the kids's normal bedtime), drove all night with two quick stops at service stations, arrived about 5:30am, then took it in turns for naps as needed throughout the first day.

The kids slept beautifully between stops, and as long as you're prepared to be a bit tired for the first day, it's totally fine. I much prefer driving on almost deserted roads than driving during the day when you're more likely to get stuck in endless traffic jams or slow moving traffic with a restless screaming toddler which is my idea of hell (and actually happened to us on the way back as we needed to drive during the day and it was awful!).

Anything with a toddler for 10 hours fills me with dread now! Sometimes I wonder how we got through the toddler years! Well me anyway. My toddlers were car sick especially during hay fever season when snotty noses made them want to puke 🤢. Maybe a night break midway would help OP. We always stay in Folkestone overnight and get up really early the next day for the 12 to 14 hour drive to Toulouse from Calais.

Would he not transfer asleep?

I was lucky that although ds was also a poor sleeper in new environments if he fell asleep in the car he'd transfer to a bed soundo🤣🤣

That’s true I was use to working nights my DH wasn’t however, at 50 I wouldn’t feel up to a long night drive now. You just have to judge how you and your DH are and if you do it take regular breaks. One year we had to stop and grab an hour nap at a service station because we were literally falling asleep. I did call a sleep at the wheel once when I was touring America with a friend and it was so scary just managed to save myself from veering into big massive tree trunks.

Call is fall

This is how everyone did it in my immigrant community as a child. The drive to Poland takes roughly 10-12hrs. Those with young kids always did it overnight.

It’s a great idea! We travelled regularly from Calais to S France overnight! Worked a treat! Just be safe and take turns driving. Obviously drivers mustn’t get too tired. And be prepared to pull over and admit defeat if you feel it’s too much. We always managed fine when we were young though.

We used to do this all the time when my kids were small as we lived a long distance from my family . It's heaven when they finally do fall asleep , but tiring .

Oh yeah we always had the two dogs in the back as well .

My parents used to get us in car at 5 am pud & sleeping bags to drive to France, stopped around 2ish & dad slept. Was back in 70s & had caravan but worked well.

Ive done it baby was ok. I was tired but doable

Flight option sounds fine. Yes it’s bitty but that’s a good thing because he won’t get bored!

However, we have done many long drives e.g. London to South of France or the Alps with our DC. On the last 2 trips DS was 18 months and then just turned 2. We always do daytime. Ipad, snacks, run around the service station play area, burger king for lunch, nap, more snacks, dummy all day even though it’s usually restricted to bedtime and it’s absolutely fine, in fact they seem to enjoy it!

What you’re proposing- look after a toddler all day, stay up all night driving, look after the toddler again the next day sounds surviving on a few naps sounds at better hellishly exhausting and at worse downright dangerous.

Driving in the dead of the night is exhausting and there's a risk of falling asleep at the wheel. I'd say definitely break up the journey and stay overnight somewhere. Can you go all the way by train?

Keeping a sleeping under 3 in the car overnight is a positional asphyxia risk. I wouldn’t risk it.

This is how my parents would take me and my brother on holiday when we were younger. My dad drove at 8pm, he would stop around 3am so he could sleep for an hour or 2 then we would carry on driving while me and my brother were still sleeping.

Sounds a dreadful idea....surely you would then be driving 10hours after a full day and no nights sleep?? That sounds dangerous to me.Plus no toddler should be stuck in a carseat for 10hours solid....I'd be suprised if they didn't wake up during the journey anyway due to being less comfortable, or there being more noise/lights.

We recently visited Scotland, which was around 10hours away.We broke the journey half way there and back overnight.Longest stint was just under 5 hours, the others around 4.
Our two girls aged 1&6 coped brilliantly with that.

Definitely do plan B....maybe abit more faffing about but at least you'll all be safe.

@TeenLifeMum this is actually a very good idea, as then at least not the entire drive is done during a time when we would all be asleep.

@Okki glad to know some people are on the same page! Just seems like a less stressful option to me x