8 Holiday Road Trip Tips for Traveling with an Infant

It’s totally normal not to want to leave the house in those first couple months after having a baby, but there are times when it just can’t be avoided.  And that’s exactly the situation we found ourselves in last year.  It was Christmas time, Everett was just over 2 months old, and we needed to travel up to our parents in Georgia and South Carolina.  The massive amount of stuff required for 3 kids for 2 full weeks away from home prohibited us from flying, not to mention the presents that we were towing along for both of our families.  Reluctantly, we decided that we would drive.  And so it started, our holiday road trip with an infant.

Spanning just over 600 miles (one way), our trip included an infant, a toddler, a pre-schooler, and our dog.  Needless to say, it was a pretty full SUV and a very eventful trip.  But over the course of those 600 miles I did learn a lot, and there are things that I would definitely do differently if we ever had to do it again.  Since we’re heading into the biggest travel weekend of the year, I figured that this is the perfect opportunity to share my road trip tips for traveling with an infant…just in case you find yourself driving to your holiday destination this year!

Be prepared to stop.  A lot.  There’s no way around it, you will stop more on this trip than any other.  With our older kids we can drive about 150 miles, or approximately 2 – 2 1/2 hours between stops, but at just 2 months old, Everett couldn’t make it that far.  Sometimes he’d nap and we’d get a good 2-3 hour stretch, and other times we would stop and then have to stop again 30 minutes later.  Be prepared to stop often and build the time for these extra stops into your estimated arrival time if you have people waiting on you at your destination.  Better yet, don’t give them a time, just say morning, afternoon, or evening when asked for your arrival time.

But be careful where you stop.  When you have a crying baby in the car, your first instinct is to pull over, but please, please be smart about how you do it.  Do not pull over on the side of the highway if you can possibly avoid it.  If I could only tell you the number of cases I get per year where people pull over on the side of the highway and get hit you’d be astounded.  And construction zones make it 10 times worse.  If possible, find the next exit and pull over.  And if the next exit looks desolate, skip it and try the next one.  We learned this one the hard way when we stopped at the first exit we saw (for a potty break) only to find out there were absolutely no facilities for over 10 miles off the exit.  If we had driven less than 5 more miles on the highway we would have run right into a little city, complete with lots of hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.

Don’t forget the music.  Before you leave the house on your road trip, download (or make a cd of) Christmas carols, lullabies, white noise, or whatever your child likes.  Keep that music handy for those times where you are searching for a place to pull over.  Often this change in atmosphere will catch your baby’s attention for just long enough for you to find a safe place to stop.

Adjust to the weather along the way.  We started our holiday road trip in 80 degree weather and ended it in 30 degree weather – that’s quite a difference!  If you’re driving from cooler climates to warmer climates, be sure to dress your baby in layers.  And if driving from warmer to cooler climates, be sure to keep blankets and coats handy for when you need to stop.

Remember car seat safety.  Before you go bundling up your baby, think about car seat safety.  Avoid bulky coat, snowsuits, or car seat add ons like (like foot muffs).  Instead, carry blankets and layer your baby’s clothing.  For a great post about winter car seat safety, check out this post from Beyond Mommying.

Also, remember that the chest strap is just that, a chest strap!  Make sure that your child is safely buckled in with the chest strap at armpit level.  Before you leave would also be a great time to have your car seat checked to make sure it’s installed correctly.

Keep everything in arms reach.  Before you pack the car, think about everything you need in an average day with your infant (diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, burp cloths, blankets, outfits) and squeeze as much of it as you can into diaper bag.  Once your car has been fully packed, place the diaper bag in a place that is accessible from your seat.  The last thing you want is to have to unpack your car halfway to your destination because it’s in another bag, was packed under something, or is in a part of the car you can’t access while driving.  To make things extra easy while your in route, pre-measure formula and the water in your bottles.  Also, plan for a diaper change ever other hour that your going to be on the road and make sure you have several extra outfits handy.

Pack the car carefully.  This one isn’t really specific to traveling with an infant, but just something to keep in mind.  Crime is all too prevalent during the holiday season.  When packing your car, make sure to conceal your items – especially gifts and high price electronic items.  If traveling in an SUV where the contents of your trunk may be exposed, cover it with a dark sheet or blanket.  And if you’re going to be stopping overnight, be sure that these items can be taken from the car easily in addition to your overnight bags.

Ride in the back when possible.  No need to ride in the backseat with your child for the entire trip, but it can really help out a couple hours into the trip.  As someone who gets nauseous easily, this one is hard for me, but it makes a world of difference.  Plus a little playtime with mom/dad and a favorite toy could mean a longer nap later.

Have you traveled with a little baby during the holiday season?  Have tips you want to share?  Leave me a comment letting me know!