Road trips with a baby, any tips?

[oliil4l]

We’ve done quite a few family road trips over the years, but I can imagine it’s a different story with a baby. I’m curious how people manage the journey around naps and feeds without having to stop every five minutes. Do you plan your stops in advance or just see how things go on the day? Any little things that made travelling by car with a baby easier would be lovely to hear.

Travel when they are sleeping

as they get older - sleeping or eating

mine loved music
the wheels on the bus is still a family joke these days. Standard quiz question - how many times can you listen to it driving London to Perth ?

How old is the child? It's only safe for a short time for them to be in a car seat in a 24hour period (can't remember how long), because it compresses their spine and restricts their breathing.

We stopped doing this kind of holiday. yes travel to a destination with lots of stops, no to a multi location road trip type holiday.

Absolutely no road trip holidays. Just not fair on any child. My dc weren’t sleepyheads and 2 hours was about it for a journey. Who wants to travel all day with a baby in a rear facing seat in the back seat? Poor child.

2 hours is the maximum time you can keep a baby in a car seat. I wouldn't do any journeys longer than that and even with a 2hr journey for our last holiday we did a lengthy stop. The way home we went to an RSPB reserve and I kept her in arms. Didn't want her in car seat then push chair

Haha, I imagine the parents know all the words by the end of the journey too.

Thanks for mentioning this, I’ll definitely keep it in mind when planning longer journeys.

I still shudder when I think of the drive back from Devon to SE London where DD, 10 months, slept just 45 minutes. It was hell on earth.

I also wouldn't want to re-pack everything on a regular basis.

Road trips can be great when your child is 5+ and you stop at exciting places on a regular basis. For the UK our National Trust membership and the English Heritage we also had some years, were great. Plenty of good stops to let off steam and a good tea room and toilets.

We did longer drives to Germany and found interesting places away from the main attractions. But it eats in the actual holiday itself for me so we don't do it a lot.

@ByLilacMember Isn’t thst illegal? Not using a car seat? Surely that’s unsafe in an accident?

I think @ByLilacMember meant she didn’t put her baby in a pushchair at the RSPB reserve.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads Ah! I thought she meant in the car!! I see babies unsupported in baby slings all
the time. I like a nice flat pram!