Road-Trip Travel Tips
Travelling with kids can feel intimidating. I remember packing for our trip to Vancouver Island and I had ZERO expectations for the kids. I figured they would cry the entire way, and so would I…lol. I am here to report that although there were some tears, it was not the extreme amounts I thought there would be.
If you are road-tripping, I recommend leaving first thing after your little one wakes for the day and traveling during awake hours. But Bailey, wouldn’t traveling overnight make for a smoother and less stressful travel experience for everyone? Not necessarily.
There are a couple reasons why:
Night-time sleep is by FAR the most restorative sleep. While you child may sleep well for a long period of time in their carseat at night, they will wake up cranky and overtired. Think of yourself trying to sleep on an airplane…it’s miserable. Napping in the car is a much better alternative than expecting your child to sleep overnight with their neck kinked awkwardly. Movement-induced sleep is proven to be not as restorative as stationary sleep - which is another reason why napping your child in the car is a way better alternative.
It’s also safer for YOU! Night-time driving can lead to compromised vision, driver fatigue, and a higher incidence of accidents. The safest way to travel is during the day after you’ve all gotten a full night’s rest.
You can help break up the trip by stopping every few hours (ideally during your child’s awake windows) to get out of the car, stretch, walk around, change diapers, and get some activity. Look up a park or a zoo to hit up on your way!
If possible, I would also plan to split your travel days up as much as you can. While driving to Vancouver Island, we stopped 3 times. Our longest travel day was the last one as we had to drive from Kamloops to the ferry terminal, ride the ferry, and then drive to our Airbnb in Nanaimo. Each travel day was filled with something fun. We went to spray parks, regular parks, petting zoos, malls, and more. I even convinced Nathan to ride on a motorized animal in an outlet mall we went to. Priceless. Lol.
Something that can also be helpful, is to have one parent sit in the back seat with the children; helping keep the kids busy and distracted. And though it is not safe to attach anything to your child’s car seat, be sure to bring lots of distracting toys, music, and snacks to keep your little ones occupied while driving long stretches. When Georgia was fussy (she was only 2 months old), we would look up a newborn sensory video on Youtube and played that for her and she was mesmerized. You do what you have to.
The most helpful item for our road-trip was this…
Black Ipad holder that attached to the back of the seat. This meant Drake had his hands free to eat all of the snacks. Here is an Amazon link for the exact one we used.
We are a screen-time family for sure, but there’s something about watching a movie on an iPad that hits different. Drake was obsessed. He was the best little traveler. Georgia also did fantastic in her carseat for such a long trip. Our expectations were blown out of the water with how amazing these little kiddos did.
One thing I want you to remember when traveling with kids by road or by air - have LOW LOW LOW expectations. They are just as curious and adventurous as you are, and being in a new place in very stimulating. Being in the SAME place (carseat) is super boring. Give them the benefit of the doubt, lots of breaks, and a whole lot of love. Most importantly, once you get to your destination, HAVE FUN!
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Bailey
