Would you take your toddlers on a ten hour road trip?

[Downbadatthegym]

We have been invited (and accepted) to a wedding a ten hour drive away, we have looked into flights and trains since accepting and it would cost close to £1000 to do either so it’s a no go. It’s for my husbands family member so I have suggested he goes alone as I think 10 hours with a just turned two year old and a 3.4 year old is too much.
We have looked into a weeks holiday there but again a lot of money for somewhere with not great weather (we actually live in a holiday destination so would rather stay home for summer).
My husband is saying we just go for two nights but to me this is insane with children.
His point is a lot of his family haven’t met our children, his mother has only met our younger daughter once and his siblings have never met her.
Would anyone else consider doing this?

Can he drive with the bags and you fly with the children? That way you need only airfare for the 3 of you and no luggage costs.

Only if I could break the drive into chunks. So drive 5 hours, stay somewhere for the night, or ideally for two and then carry on. Could you cut the amount of time you stay at the destination so you can visit some nice places on the way up and back?

I’d definitely do it but take my time and turn the journey into part of the holiday experience. There are lots of tips online about snacks and boredom-busting activities and things online if you look for them. They might also sleep a fair amount. Break the journey up with small visits to places/coffee stops.

10 hours isn’t that far. I’d do it.

Would it be possible to drive overnight so that DC are asleep for most of it? Maybe sharing the driving so you both get some sleep?
Otherwise, I think maybe take the financial hit if you possibly can, it sounds important to DH. Although I'm wondering why his family members haven't visited you in the last few years.

No way. I did same last summer with my friends and it was quite tiring and mind numbing experience.

I would drive five hours and then overnight somewhere and the rest of the drive next day.

I’d do it but not for 2 days. A week - yes. I did longer drives with children that age.

Yeah book a travelodge for one night on the way down break up the journey. That's what we do.

We've done similar, but Ays, not UK, so long stretches! But, we turned it into a driving holiday. If you look, there's always interesting things to do & walks, playgrounds, etc. Its amazing what you find when you explore, and it breaks up the driving.

I wouldn't do it for a 2 day visit, but it sounds like you don't fancy staying longer.
My friend has driven to Austria every winter since her babies were born - they are 3 and 4 now. They do most of it overnight so the kids are asleep, snacks, iPads etc when needed. She finds it absolutely doable.

I would to see family. But I’d break up the journey with a stop after 6/7 hours. If you leave at 7am you’ll be able for early dinner and have done the biggest part of it to arrive for lunchtime the next day. Stay three nights and then maybe do the drive home in one. 4 nights away and plenty of time to spend with family.

Absolutely not.

Not unless our very lives depended on it!

In these circumstances I would try and make it work, it's a long way but if his family live there then I guess you'll have to do it sometime and the wedding is a good reason. As pp says, maybe try breaking up the journey with a stopover and/or leaving very early / late so they sleep for the first few hours.

Your DH should go of course. But stay home with the toddlers. I missed a couple of family weddings on my DH’s side when the kids were small and my DH had a nice time with his family and was grateful to me for holding the fort. He has returned the favour since.

If you've already accepted, it would be very poor form not to attend. If it's this summer, they will likely have paid for you already. I'd turn it into a holiday if possible, if not take your time with the drive, leave early nice long break somewhere fun.

DH is definitely going to the wedding.
We haven’t seen them simply because they aren’t that close, no big fall outs his mum calls every few weeks but they just don’t take the time to visit. My family are in a different country and my children know them better because I arrange flights way in advance to save money.
I will look at stops we can make to make it viable.
We did a five hour trip last year and it was a disaster the kids turned nocturnal for weeks after and screamed most of the journey maybe this year will be better!

As a child I did a lot of long car journeys. Often they would start in the middle of the night, well the middle of the night when you are 5 so it might not have been that late.

We travelled in PJs and stopped for breakfast when we woke up.

It will be a buffet type food so they won’t be losing much if we don’t go.

That's not really how weddings work. You obviously don't want to go, so don't go. But don't expect them or your DH to be happy about it. Next time look at logistics before accepting the invitation.

It is a long drive, but your DH wants his family to meet his DC, and that is reasonable. I think you need to suck it up

I would take them to see family. Especially as you are willing to do the journey to see your own family.

So you fly quite regularly with your DCs. Surely a drive is easier than that!

Absolutely I would do it. We used to do similar length journeys down to South of France when my kids were small. There were some tough moments but the kids remember those journeys fondly! And that was before iPads etc so we listened to the same few cds on repeat. Kids stories are great too

I find flying quite easy but we are active walking through the terminal etc, I’ve done it since the little one was six weeks so we have just adjusted to it as times gone on. My husband only sees my side once or twice a year so he isn’t constantly making the effort.
What do people do with children on long road trips? Do you put nappies on newly potty trained toddlers or stop v regularly?