11 tips I’ve picked up from multiple long drives with our baby.
What to pack, car organization, managing meals on the go, and why you need a laundry basket…
If you’re planning a trip and are hoping to plan a successful road trip with baby, you may be feeling somewhat anxious about the journey. This is especially true if it’s your first time heading off on a long drive with your infant. Let’s be real. Sitting in the car for hours upon end isn’t fun for grown-ups, but we understand that it’s a means to an end. If only you could explain this to your infant, am I right!?
But alas, you cannot reason with your infant (oh, if only). So, if you’d like to avoid or at least minimize the chances that your baby is in the backseat screeching at the top of their lungs on your next road trip as a family, I’ve got some tips for you. Some of which I learned the hard way.
Before the age of one, our infant has traveled across Canada, to Mexico, and to the United States on multiple occasions. I apply these methods to long and short car trips to maximize our chances of having a successful journey!
Our family has done a lot of traveling during the first year of Lucas’ life (you can also read my advice about flying with baby in my other blog post, The Best Way to Travel with a Baby). Before the age of one, our infant has traveled across Canada, to Mexico, and to the United States on multiple occasions. Our long drives to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which is a day and a half long haul for us from Kingston, Ontario, can be credited with teaching me a thing or two about taking a road trip with a baby.
But regardless of whether you’re driving 3 hours with a 3-month-old, or taking a two-day long road trip with an 8-month-old baby, the advice is the same. I have applied these methods to both long and short car trips with baby to maximize our chances of having a successful journey.
Check out this video from our most recent trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. A 1.5 day trip from our home.
Keep Access to Baby Easy
Placement of the car seat during a long drive is key. You want to be able to easily talk to baby and hand them things without stopping the car. We like to install our seat behind the driver so that the passenger can turn around and hand the baby toys and chat. As the driver obviously can’t really do more than just drive the vehicle (nor do you want them to of course) placing baby’s seat diagonally across from the passenger makes it easy to access baby without making multiple stops and impacting the total length of your trip.
Create a Container of Toys
This goes hand in hand with the car seat placement. I have a plastic dollar store tub kicking around the house that I use as my car bucket of toys during road trips with baby. It’s not huge, but it’s sizable enough to fit many of his favourite toys while not taking up too much space in the car. Again, we are strategic with where we place the toy bucket so that the passenger can hand baby different toys or grab one to play along. Usually, it sits on the floor behind the driver in our SUV (so in front of the car seat). That way the passenger can reach down for a toy and hand it to baby.
Now it goes without saying that you shouldn’t be giving baby very large or cumbersome toys in the car. For one, this can’t be comfortable to play with while strapped to a car seat. But more importantly, you don’t want a larger toy to somehow injure baby in case of an accident. I usually choose various teething toys, tiny books, foam blocks, little rattles, and small characters (you can find all of my baby essentials in the STRUCKBLOG Shop). Lucas also loves a plush toy or two, as well as a blanket. You can, of course, bring along larger toys that baby can play with at a rest stop or at your destination, but keep access to car-appropriate toys top of mind during the drive.
Bring Along a Laundry Basket
You may be wondering why you need a laundry basket in the car during your family road trip, but it isn’t for your dirty underwear! A regular plastic laundry basket is great for keeping loose items together but still easily accessible. The laundry basket is a catch-all, it’s where we toss in-car snacks, an outdoor blanket, my camera bag, that kind of thing. It houses any random stuff we accumulate along the way. I also pack things for Lucas that I like to keep handy. Baby food, snacks, clothing, bibs, bottles, and the diaper bag. That way when we stop for a break at a restaurant or rest stop I can grab everything I need for a meal or an impromptu picnic and stuff it in the bag.
The laundry basket is perfect for loose items you want to keep accessible but together. Makes it easy to move everything from one place to another.
The basket also proves useful if things get really hairy and you need to sit in the backseat with baby. On one of our most recent family road trips, we hit some unexpected terrible traffic. Of course, this occurred during the last leg of our trip and Lucas was just about done with all the driving. Let me tell you, he was not coy about making his displeasure known. So, we quickly tossed the basket into the passenger’s seat, leaving space empty in the back beside Lucas. The last few hours of bumper to bumper traffic were less painful because we were able to shuffle things around in a snap and keep baby entertained.
Did you spot the string tied around our blue toy bucket? Sometimes the bucket itself becomes a toy when Lucas takes a ride inside!
Creating a bucket of toys is handy in the car & when you arrive at your destination. Keep smaller car-appropriate toys easy to reach & reserve larger ones for when you arrive.
Pack a Cooler
If you’re taking a road trip with baby, chances are you’re bringing along milk, food, or both. When Lucas was still really little and primarily nursing/drinking expressed breastmilk, we only needed to worry about keeping a few bottles cold. However, as he got older his food demands increased. When we ventured down south with a 6-month-old suddenly we needed a way to keep all that puree cold (especially since most of it was homemade). Now that he’s almost a year we’re taking along a whole lotta finger food and filling just about every Tupperware container we own!
Can you keep it simple and just order food and feed baby french fries? Sure you can. But if your kiddo is anything like Lucas, this can be hit or miss. When I have my own food, food that it from home and familiar to him (such as slices of cheese, watermelon, cucumber, etc) I know he’ll eat it. He may or may not like what we order for him, and it can get expensive to dine out for three meals a day. I pack a compartmentalized container along with the cooler and fill up with our food so Lucas can eat as we sit down at a restaurant (infants are not known to be patient).
Taking along a cooler allows you to pack food you know baby likes and have a place to store leftovers should you accumulate them from restaurants. Keep the cooler somewhere accessible (we usually pack it last into the trunk) so you can grab what you need during meal breaks.
The Diaper Bag Is Your New Purse
Seriously, I have little use for my purse during long drives with baby. I don’t head into a rest stop or restaurant with my purse as I don’t usually need anything in there, but that’s not the case for Lucas. He’s a baby, so he comes with lots of stuff! I use the diaper bag just like I would at home, keeping all of the changing essentials like diapers and wipes at the ready. But, I also use the diaper bag to bring along any food, milk, and feeding accessories I need for mealtime (bibs, cloths, bottles, etc). So ya, you can find me trotting into the nearest Denny’s Restaurant with a super stuffed diaper bag.
Other not so obvious things I like to store in the bag is a tiny bottle of dish soap, a sponge, and a kitchen towel. No, these are not regular items that live in my bag, but they sure do come in handy if I need to wash a bib or bottle in a bathroom sink before we get back on the road. You can also use these cleaning wipes which are appropriate for bottles (and even pump parts) and don’t need soap and water.
Add dishsoap, a cloth, & sponge to your diaper bag. You’ll be able to give bottles & bibs a quick wash when you stop for meals. Without access to soap & water you can use these awesome wipes.
If All Else Fails, Feed Them
When you’re at home you may have a rough or rigorous routine that dictates baby’s day. They may eat at set meal times at home, but when you’re on the road you need to be more flexible. I provide Lucas with milk and snacks far more frequently when we’re on a long drive than I would at home. Think of it this way, you’re asking a lot of them to be on the road for so long, best to keep that tummy happy. Even as an adult you may not notice that you’re hungry if you’re busy or engaged in something, but when you’re just sitting around, suddenly you’re starving!
Don’t worry about maintaining your sleep and feeding schedule when you’re taking a road trip with your infant, just allow them to eat and let them snack if it will help soothe them and pass the time. No, this won’t throw off your entire routine, it’s just temporary. You’ll get right back into the swing of things at your destination or when you’re back home. I find Lucas is more tolerant in the car and enjoys playing or looking out the window if he’s well fed. He’s also more likely to nod off and take a short or lengthy nap (at which point we thoroughly enjoy the peace and quiet).
When you’re packing, always think about what you need for baby’s wake time, eating, and sleep.
Pack for Eating & Sleeping
Since you already have wake time covered with your bucket of toys at the ready, think about what you’ll need to ensure baby can eat and sleep comfortably while in transit.
For mealtime, you can obviously use an available high chair at the restaurant, and you can also ask to borrow one during your hotel stay (many hotels will bring it to your room).
That being said, we always toss our Bumbo Multi Seat into the car when we’re heading off on a road trip. Why? Because it’s definitely come in handy when we stopped at rest stops and plopped it on a picnic bench or when the borrowed high chair just isn’t a good fit. Not to mention, we’ve stayed at rentals where they don’t have a high chair available. The Bumbo is something we use regularly at home (it’s really useful to strap him into when I need to get something done) so Lucas is comfortable and familiar with it.
Managing baby’s sleep while traveling isn’t much different. Many hotels will lend you a crib to use during your stay, but it’s comforting to have your own travel crib in tow. They often won’t provide a travel crib fitted sheet, so you may want to pack one. We have stayed at rental properties where a crib wasn’t available, but it didn’t matter as we had our Pack n’ Play.
Similarly, driving with baby can be unpredictable. If you’re making a pit stop overnight only to get back on the road the next morning, having your own crib lends flexibility. During one of our trips, we decided to tack on a few more hours to our drive that day because things were going well. Although we had made arrangments for a crib at our original hotel, we didn’t worry about rearranging this because we had everything we needed stowed away with us.
Pack a Family Overnight Bag
This obviously only applies if you are making a stop overnight to catch some zzz’s, but packing one bag for all of you to use for the night makes things much easier. Baby’s have so much stuff as it is, you want to keep what you’re lugging up to your hotel room to a minimum. I know, packing this bag can be no easy feat, but try to think about the activities rather than all the things you need to check off the packing list.
Throw in what everyone needs clothing-wise, what baby needs for meals (bottles, milk), the nighttime routine (think bathtime and bedtime story), and sleep (travel crib, blankie, white noise machine, travel blackout curtains). Oh and don’t forget a few toys and things to keep baby amused in the morning. You’ll probably all be up about the same time if you’re sharing the same room, so baby may have to play independently while the rest of you are getting ready to hit the road again.
Be Strategic About Accommodations
Whether it’s the room we’re in for our overnight pit stop, or where we’re staying at our final destination, there are a few key things I look for in accommodations. For just one night, you’re probably smart to save a few bucks and share a room. No, it’s not the most luxurious stay to have the whole family in one room, but after driving all day it really doesn’t matter. All you’re going to need the space for is washing up and going to bed. You’re not spending much time there so there’s no need to waste your money on anything fancy.
But make sure your accommodations have a fridge and a bathtub. We personally like to stay at Residence Inn properties as they always have a kitchen with a full-size fridge. In the instance that the particular location doesn’t have a bathtub for Lucas’ bedtime routine, we just use the kitchen sink (they’re usually huge and he thinks it’s kinda fun). If we’re staying somewhere for more than one night, I always prefer accommodations with a kitchen (fridge, dishwasher), laundry, tub, and separate room for baby. These conveniences just make vacationing with a baby so much easier and enjoyable for everyone.
I’ll Bring the Wine
Maybe you’re not a wine drinker, but pack some of whatever it is that you do drink. You’ll be so happy you did when you stop for the night or when you finally arrive wherever you’re going. You’ll be able to pour yourself a glass immediately! No better reward for getting through a long-haul drive with an infant.
During pit stops overnight, my husband and I have been known to sequester ourselves after a long driving day with a glass of wine in the bathroom of our shared hotel room with a sleeping baby (it’s now a running family joke). That time we hit two-hour traffic? You know I was thinking about that wine. Is it comical to be drinking wine out of glasses on the edge of the bathtub? Sure it is. But, who cares, we celebrate a successful day of road tripping with a bottle of vino!
Leave Early (like, really early)
We’re usually up and on the road somewhere around 4-5am. I know, it’s so early, but it’s a strategic move. It’s basically a guarantee that Lucas will sleep for hours at this time of day. We’re able to get a large chunk of driving out of the way while we’re feeling refreshed with few cars are on the road. We do this when we initially leave and again after our overnight pit stop because it works really well! It also allows us to get to wherever we’re going by a decent hour so baby’s nighttime routine and bedtime aren’t impacted too drastically.
Leave when it’s still dark out, when baby would normally still be asleep for the night. It’s the best way to get a chunk of driving out of the way with ease.
Have you ventured on a long drive with your baby? Maybe with a whole gaggle of kiddos? Kudos to you! Comment below with your tips and advice for the parenting community. What have you learned works for long stretches in the car with kids?
Interested in more baby-content? Keep baby busy in independent play by Creating a Loose Parts and Sensory Play Basket, and don’t forget to check out this post if you or someone you know is flying with baby (it’s even got my downloadable packing list). Lastly, if you’re a new mama or shopping for baby shower gifts, read all about my Newborn to Infant Baby Essentials, and why you need them.
Anna
Shop my Baby & Toddler Essentials
