Europe roadtrip in CV with baby

[mummysept22]

Hi all. I am due in Sept and would love to road trip for 4-6 weeks around France/Italy whilst on Mat Leave. Probably April/May next year. Am I crazy? Is this realistic and has anyone done this before/got any tips? TIA 😃

Could be fabulous IF you have a baby who is generally easy going and sleeps well. If you get the non sleeping non easy going sort (I did) it would be hellish. Wait and see.

Go for it.
Remember Medication etc with all copies of prescriptions.
Have back up plan as above could you find a place to stay if required?

You won't be safe to drive most of the time with a newborn, due to lack of sleep.

Also it's not fair on a baby to spend hours and hours in the car.

Plan a different adventure?

We had something similar planned for my first mat leave but car+airbnbs around Spain for a couple of months but Covid happened so we didn't go. I think it sounds great, my only concern would be how hot would a CV get (but I know nothing about CV's...!).

Go for it!

@WaterBottle123 thanks for the reply. Baby will be 8 months old and I will be with my husband so would share the driving. Don't plan on spending too long in the van at once! We would take our time and explore!!

@Funf thanks for the reply!! What do you mean by a place to stay if needed? Xx

@pearandsausage awww that's so rubbish, sorry your plans got scuppered! Hope you manage to go at some point!!! X

@pearandsausage and we would go very early spring March-April and we have aircon so hopefully wouldn't be too hot 😊

Have you had kids before? If so your certainly very brave and hung ho. If not I’d really reconsider. Believe me your going to want your rest where you can take it, not have to drive x amount of miles by whenever.

It's doable. It would be easiest if you breastfeed as no need to worry about getting or making formula (not impossible if you don't though)

I agree it might be worth planning a few hotel stays / longer Airbnb stays in case you get cabin fever in the CV.

Really though you can't plan or make a final choice until baby is about 6 months. Then you'll know more what your baby is like and how much they'd facilitate this.

maybe doable - but I can't imagine doing that during my mat leave - and I had a very easy mat leave and baby.

but as someone said above, you don't get a moment to yourself all day/all night with a baby so can't imagine then needing to drive somewhere - that doesn't sound like a fun holiday to me

Now my daughter is 3 I would consider it though

@mummysept22

We were both still completely sleep deprived when baby was 8 months. Their sleep at that age can be horrible. Especially if taking loads of random car naps and sleeping 🛌 in strange places. Honestly, do it when baby is older, all 8 month olds want to do is crawl, they loath cars.

Pay attention to the heat in those months. I'm in North Italy and it's already over 30 degrees, 36 predicted for the weekend. I've known April to hit the 30s too.

Thanks for all your comments. Lots to think about 😄 xx

I think travelling with babies is easy on the whole and when they are small they need very little stuff .Going in a CV where you can stop whenever you feel like it sounds ideal.Have a lovely time.

You'll be fine! Just plan out some stopping places for a week or so at a time and it'll be good. I'd recommend the koodi pop up cot for you as you can zip the baby in which helps in a small space, and definitely get a fan.

@Isonthecase ohhh great tip! I'll check it out thank you!!! Xx

Definitely at 8 months. Just plan for short driving distances. You may not get as far as you’d really like but shorter journeys will be better at that age. Make the most of the time, being off together, doing stuff in term time. I’ve just gone back to work after 8!! years and we’ve had some brilliant adventures in that time. Enjoy every second OP.

I couldn't have coped with this. DH and I drove to the Alps when DC1 was 4 months old, and later was pressured into doing something similar when DC2 was 12 months old. Actually the journey was bearable but only because I knew it would end in a few days. Trying to entertain a grumpy baby in a car seat is not an activity I would ever willingly undertake again. I found it heartbreaking when o knew they just want to be held and comforted, but you're on a fast road and cannot take them out of the carseat.

For myself I wouldnt have wanted to sleep in a CV with a baby but I so like an easy life. I'd want a proper place to bath a hot sticky baby. Space for the baby to crawl safely. Facilities to wash clothes and make food. A decent bed to sleep in for myself and DH.

Having said that I know someone who went backpacking in Asia with a baby on their mat leave so if you can put up with some discomfort... maybe you could make a road trip work!

Success of the trip will depend on the baby and how they sleep/eat etc. also how you are as parents. If you are pretty relaxed then it should be fine! If you are anxious it could be very stressful. You won't know until the baby arrives so don't firm up any plans until later. Your baby will have vaccinations due at set times (2,3 and 4 months, then one year) so you will need to make sure you are around for them. Also bear in mind that you will have to carry them everywhere or use a pushchair, which may limit your activities a bit.

We took LO camping at 10months. I imagine a caravan would be way easier. You need to be prepared, organised and be blessed with a relatively easy baby. But it's totally doable.

We used one of those spikes you tether dogs to and baby reins when we were cooking or otherwise busy. Kept her in one place for 20mins or so as long as toys were in reach.

You need to consider how long the baby would be in a carseat. Carseats are very enclosed and babies get hot in there, even with aircon. Some babies hate car travel and cry the entire journey, whether it was ten minutes or an hour (dd2 - some stressful trips with her!)

If you have a non EU passport bear in mind you can only be in the EU for max 90 days out of every 180. This equates to about 3 months in then 3 months out before you can go back again.

Fucking Brexit.

There are some really good points about the carseat here which reminded me of something! We had planned to do this for a second mat leave (first the train was fine if a faff but you have more stuff for 2). I found a lay flat carseat which could clip in to the buggy and didn't have such strict limitations on time in it which meant we would have been able to limit drives to a few hours at night while the baby slept and transfer them when we arrived. I think Jane may even have done lay flat bassinets you can put them down to sleep in so you don't even need to transfer, just unstrap.

Unfortunately our plans were scunnered by covid but I'd definitely give it a go. Would probably drive and b+b rather than campervan though as I wouldn't want to go without hot showers so long 😂