safari dress up costume

Safari Costumes

80+ coolest diy safari costumes you can make for halloween.

Go on a African Safari adventure without leaving your chair! The fierce and majestic animal costumes featured here will astound and amaze you. The love that went into these stunning homemade Safari costumes resulted in truly captivating designs.

Trek across the Serengeti and stare into the eyes of proud lions, gigantic elephants and striking zebras. Not all wild animals have to be so fierce when it comes to costuming. For instance, you will also find happy hippos, sweet cobras and baby lions.

In addition, you will also find fantastic instructions on making adorable monkeys and how to create impressive height on a giraffe costume.

If you are looking for a sexier costume idea, you will find plenty of inspiration here. Some examples are sexy leopards and sultry snakes.

So get in touch with nature and check out these incredible homemade Safari costumes for your wildest Halloween!

Coolest Lion in Cage Costume

Grrr. There is a very scary lion in this cage! Do not feed! Lion will attack! This costume was for Zoo Day at my school. Materials: BIG cardboard box Tubes that are used on large paper rolls (talk to any store that carried large paper rolls) Orange boa Orange, black, and yellow paint Ivy Computer … Read more

Coolest Female Zebra Costume

Hi! My name is Alanna Kendall and ever since I can remember I’ve been obsessed with Halloween… well obsessed with getting dressed up and costumes actually. To date my homemade zebra costume has been my favorite. I truly enjoyed putting it together and being a Zebra at the Annual NYC Halloween Parade and going clubbing … Read more

Coolest Homemade Zebra Costume

I was looking for an adult zebra costume that was cute, semi-flattering and did not fall into the “sexy zebra” category – I’m not sure when Halloween turned into such a “sexy” holiday… My mama (who sews) helped me make this costume the afternoon of Halloween and it turned out great! (She does however suggest … Read more

Cool Homemade Tiger Costume

I printed off a tiger pattern for my Homemade Tiger Costume, went out and bought orange, yellow, white and black face paint. My sister and I are both artists, so I drew out the design on a small drawing of me and let my sister paint me. The white was sponged on first, then the … Read more

Coolest Hippo Costume

I love all the creative costumes on this site! Of all things, my son asked me to make a hippo costume for him last year. I couldn’t convince him to be a ghost. :) When I couldn’t find any hippo patterns, I used a Simplicity BIRD pattern 3663 and modified it to make a hippo … Read more

Coolest Lion Costume

Luke is an 8 month old living in Wichita, KS. He has been crawling for 2 months now, and has quite the cute growl…..that was the inspiration for this costume! His mommy made him a lion costume, complete with faux fur body suit, tail and mane. The feet were reinforced with quilting batting to make … Read more

Beautiful Homemade Zebra Halloween Costume Idea

This year I had a Homemade Zebra Halloween Costume Idea! After making my peacock costume last year, a solely black and white costume would be super different. I started by painting my entire body white with Ben Nye white matte makeup (my friend helped get my back). Then, we painted my forearms and legs (under … Read more

Cool Zoo Keeper and Peacock Couple Costume

For the Peacock costume, I will start with the top and work down. For the headpiece, I sewed together 4 fascinator hat bases in blue satin to form a dome shape. This “hat” was them covered in swirled pipe cleaners. I made the corona feathers by painting shish kebob skewers white, then glueing feathers on … Read more

Vibrant African Elephant Costume

My 11-year-old girl has loved elephants since she was a toddler. Her room is decorated in African elephants. I decided to make her an elephant costume using vibrant African print material. The most time-consuming part of this costume was cutting strips of fabric and sewing them together before cutting out the pattern (McCall’s 6809 vintage). … Read more

Autumn Yarn Homemade Lion Costume

This is my twelve year-old girl dressed in her autumn yarn homemade lion costume. She wanted to be a cute lion instead of a realistic fur lion. Homemade Lion Costume Instructions I used tie died fleece for the head and body. I enlarged a vintage mask pattern for the head. She wanted a really BIG … Read more

Dog Eaten by Rattlesnake Costume

My dog is a great guy. Mason is mellow and will put up with anything. I knew I wanted to take advantage of that in the costume. I’ve always loved animals. When I was a kid there was never a Halloween when I wasn’t dressed in one of my mom’s hand-sewn animal costumes, so it … Read more

Jungle Love Couple Costume: Zebra and Safari Tour Guide

First off found these pj’s than from there the ideas came to mind, and started looking for the rest of the accessories. Best part was my daughter wanting to paint my face and boy did she have fun but the freakiest part and funniest on my end was i was going into character as she … Read more

Moscow Sky Lights Up With Strange Glow After Explosion at Electrical Substation: Reports

N ew footage has emerged showing bright flashes lighting up the night sky in southern Moscow during the early morning hours of November 22.

Knewz.com has learned that there was an explosion at an electrical substation on the outskirts of Russia's capital city followed by an alleged power outage in "several" homes.

Video snippets, shared on Russian news channels like ASTRA , captured a series of flashes that caused the sky to change color. Smoke could also be seen rising from a building.

Corroborating the video, several Russian Telegram accounts reported an explosion near the south of Moscow and a subsequent fire at the Lyublino electrical substation, southeast of central Moscow, per Newsweek .

The local authorities from the area have since confirmed that an explosion occurred in the village of Molokovo, but they reassured the public that all vital facilities were operating as normal.

Russian outlet MSK1.ru reported the blaze at the substation and noted “several” power outages.

The town of Lytkarino, located to the southeast of Moscow, was one of the affected areas, as reported by the independent outlet, Meduza .

Additional power failures were reported in the southern Domodedovo section of the city. However, electricity was later restored to these areas.

One local resident speculated that a drone may have been responsible for the explosion, but additional sources are yet to support this theory.

Newsweek reported that messages on the ASTRA Telegram account run by independent Russian journalists showed residents near the substation panicking. One concerned Russian called it a "nightmare."

The incident follows an attack by Russia on a power station in southwestern Ukraine that left 2,000 people without electricity .

Knewz.com reported previously:

“ Russian forces launched a total of 38 Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones during the later hours of November 17 and 18.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that 29 of these drones were shot down [...].

One civilian was injured as a result of the attack that targeted energy infrastructure in the southwestern Odesa Oblast.”

The assault came after repeated warnings by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia would try to cripple its power grid as winter approaches.

Ukraine's leader warned that if Russia resorted to attacking its power utilities, it would respond in kind.

Ukraine has conducted numerous long-range aerial drone strikes on Moscow since May 2023.

Most recently on November 20, it was reported that one such incursion was intercepted close to the city, per Kyiv Post .

Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed this and elaborated that the region's air defense systems intercepted the unmanned craft over the city of Elektrostal to the east of Moscow, as well as another over the Bogorodsky district, northeast of central Moscow.

The details of the recently surfaced video footage have yet to be independently verified.

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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road trip at night with baby

Road trip with a baby: the essential guide including tips and packing list.

• Post author: Lovicarious
• Post published: November 19, 2022
• Post category: Traveling with Kids

The thought of traveling with a newborn can sound intimidating, especially when it involves spending long hours inside a small enclosed vehicle. How do I calm my baby during a road trip? What should I pack? From travel tips to packing essentials, this guide covers everything you need to know on how to road trip with a baby from newborn to 24 months.

My family grew up taking 12-hour road trips from Washington DC to Chicago every Christmas. That time spent in the car as a family created some of the best childhood memories for me. I enjoyed singing in the car with my sister, raiding the cooler for snacks, stopping at different travel stations, and sleeping in “quirky” hotels .    Road trips were an enjoyable experience for me, and I don’t doubt that there was a lot of planning that happened before we ever hit the road. Now as a parent, I want to continue the same tradition of spending quality time together as a family, traveling, exploring, and seeking out adventure. By the time our son was 10 months old, we had already driven well over 6,000 miles.

We have learned quite a bit when it comes to taking a road trip with a baby. We are here now to answer your questions in the hopes that you will be prepared to plan a successful road trip journey of your own.

*Disclaimer: Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.*

What Should I pack for a road trip with my baby?

Your questions answered:.

How much time should I allocate for a road trip with my baby?

This really depends on a few factors including your child’s age, temperament, and ultimately how many times you need to stop. Babies move through stages quickly and with each stage comes a shift in their sleep/wake cycles, their attention spans, and their needs.

When our son was between 3-5 months old, his threshold was about 3 hours before he would need a break from the car seat. During that 3 hour-period he would nap and play with the soft toys dangling from his car seat. After that, he was bored, hungry, and ready for a diaper change. This cycle dictated our need to stop every 3 hours.

By 12 months, our son was only taking 2 naps a day so we needed to find a way to entertain him in his car seat for longer. In our case, the 3-hour threshold before boredom set in stayed about the same. (We were lucky.) Some 12-month babies might not be able to sit in a car for 3 hours straight, necessitating more frequent stops.

On average I would advise at least doubling the time it normally takes to arrive at your destination. If your baby is sleeping through the night and you are able to drive while they sleep then this would shorten that time frame. If you are driving through the day and are expecting more frequent stops, it might mean tripling your drive time. The key to remember is to let go of expectations, practice patience, and enjoy the ride. You’ll arrive at your destination eventually.

How do I change my baby’s diaper on a road trip?

Our son’s first out-of-home diaper change (excluding the hospital of course) was on a flat slab of rock. We took him hiking at one month old and changed his diaper on the mountain summit. That was the first of many mountain tops that would be graced with his bare little hiney. I tell that story to say that you can change your baby’s diaper pretty much anywhere as long as they have a clean surface to lay on.

Before ever leaving our home, we typically pack the trunk of our vehicle keeping in mind that we may need to perform a diaper change at some point along the journey. If it is not possible to leave one side of the trunk clear, we pack in a way that the items are easily moveable to quickly accommodate a changing mat or blanket. This flat space is usually the best location in a vehicle for changing a baby’s diaper while on a road trip.

Alternatively, a backseat or passenger seat also works. If you happen to be stopping at a restaurant or rest stop, most locations do have changing tables in their restrooms. The quality and cleanliness of public restrooms are not always reliable so I would strongly advise always using a portable changing mat if possible.

How do I prevent my baby from crying in the car?

It’s every new parent’s dream to discover the secret to preventing a baby from crying in the car, on an airplane, or any other enclosed space. If you can prevent your child from crying in the first place, an unlikely yet ideal situation, it will be a much easier car ride for everyone. Believe it or not, there are a few things you can do to help prevent or at least stave off the inevitable cry session for a bit longer.

Drive while the baby is sleeping .

The easiest way to plan a road trip with a baby is to drive at night while your baby is fast asleep. If that is not possible, try to drive during nap times. You can take advantage of wake hours for meals, exploration, and even spontaneous roadside attractions . While this may increase the duration of the car ride, you will be enriching your road trip with various activities and irreplaceable moments of family bonding. Furthermore, working with instead of against your baby’s regular sleep schedule, will result in an easier transition when you arrive at your final destination.

Take timely breaks .

Your baby is staring at the backseat of a car for hours so of course, they will get a little antsy. Take breaks every 2 to 3 hours for your child to eat and stretch those little limbs. Find a playground along your route or simply set a blanket down in a patch of grass. 

Sit in the backseat.

Toys are entertaining for a time, but nothing can replace the joy and contentment of seeing a familiar face. Babies are fascinated by faces at this age and derive great excitement from simple activities such as imitating facial expressions and playing peek-a-boo. Even if they are too young to interact in that way, your simple presence can often be enough to make a baby feel safe and secure.

My baby won’t stop crying. What do I do?

If prevention is no longer an option and your baby is already crying in their car seat, what do I do next?

There are a number of reasons why babies cry, but they typically fall under one of three reasons. They are uncomfortable, they want your attention, or they simply do not like the physical restraint of being confined to a car seat.

With this in mind, if your newborn is crying in their car seat the first thing that you should do is check to see if there is an obvious cause. Do they have a wet diaper? Has it been a while since their last meal or break from the car? Is it too hot or cold in their car seat? Is the sun in their eyes? Are the seatbelt straps too tight? Are they sitting on a toy or sock? If none of these questions seem to resolve the problem, then you can try to pacify a crying infant with one of the following methods.

Give the baby a pacifier.

Pacifiers are called that for a reason. They provide temporary relief to babies who enjoy the sucking motion as it reminds them of being in the womb.  Some studies show that the act of sucking a pacifier can help to lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. We highly recommend using a pacifier clip as they are prone to popping out, dropping behind car seats, and otherwise getting lost.

Use the “baby shusher”.

We swear by this miracle sound machine. The Baby Shusher uses a rhythmic “shhh” to imitate the same cadence and sound of a parent soothing their child. If you have ever read the Happiest Baby on the Block, the “shhh” sound we make actually mimics the environment inside of the womb where babies hear all kinds of wooshing and swooshing sounds. This Baby Shusher worked best for our infant over other white noise sound machines. It is always one of our top travel tips for road-tripping with a baby.

If this didn’t work to prevent your child from crying, it might not help so much to soothe them once they are already crying. However, if you are still in the front seat, then I would certainly recommend moving to the backseat where your baby can see your beautiful comforting face. Try playing some peek-a-boo, playing with their toes, or engaging them in a crinkly toy, book, or song. Sometimes just letting them hold on to your finger is enough to calm them.

Give them snacks.

If your baby is old enough and used to eating solids, then you may consider giving them some soft snacks or a bottle during the drive. Always follow a few precautions when feeding a baby in the car: an adult should be sitting next to the baby to supervise, and avoid hard solids that might lead to choking. Some car seat-safe foods for babies include snack pouches and dissolvable rice-husk teethers. We provide some recommendations in the road trip packing list below.

Babies grow fast. Their needs and preferences seem to change just as fast. Here are some baby road trip essentials to keep your little one up to 18 months happy, comfortable, and entertained. Toddlers will require a different list of road trip essentials that are geared more toward their level of maturity and development. This list of travel toys for toddlers highlights all of the best toys to keep a toddler entertained during travel.

Road Tripping with a Baby: Packing List

Entertainment.

• Dangling car seat toys – For newborns and infants, dangling car seats are essential entertainment. They might not have developed their grip strength or coordination yet to be able to grab other toys and rattles. Similar to a crib mobile, safely attached dangling car seat toys can capture a baby’s attention, while also helping them to develop spacial awareness. We recommend Baby Links and the interactive Hug & Tug Caterpillar which is appropriate for both infants and older babies.
• Teething toys and rattles . Teethers help to soothe babies’ gums when their teeth begin to come in. Like rattles, teethers provide a safe form of entertainment in the car while helping baby to improve their fine motor skills, group strength, and spatial awareness.
• Books – Babies like to chew, rip, and crumple books. With this in mind, it is best to pick up a selection of books that will stand the test against curious babies. Soft crinkly books like Peek-a-Boo Forest by Lamaze and Taggies are durable, washable, and engaging with flaps and tabs. Cardboard books are not indestructible, but they will serve their purpose and last you through many road trips with a baby. Our son was always the most engaged in learning books like First Numbers and First Words by Priddy.
• Favorite stuffed animal – Stuffed animals are great travel toys for children at any age. Children can begin forming a bond with their toys at a young age so it is important to bring their “best friend” along for the car ride and journey.
• Random items around the car – If all else fails there are many things that you likely have in the car that would keep a baby entertained for example an empty water bottle or a box of tissues. Just make sure that anything you give to your baby is safe: no small detachable parts that can pose a choking or suffocation risk.

Food and Drink

• Milk and Bottle . If you are nursing exclusively, that eliminates a large portion of your packing needs! If you are not nursing, make sure to pack formula or milk (babies 12 months and older), along with a bottle or two. If you prefer to pack one bottle only,  XYZ make kits for cleaning baby bottles on the go.
• Snacks and pouches. A baby’s capacity to chew and digest certain foods evolves over time, so always reference the age recommendations on a food label. Up until 6 months, babies will pretty much be fine with just milk/formula. After you begin to introduce solids, prepacked baby food and snacks become an essential road trip item. Rice husks and yogurt melts are excellent road trip snacks. They dissolve quickly, don’t leave many crumbs, and our son loves them! For a more substantial meal, we find that pouches are more convenient than the more traditional glass jars. If baby is a bit older or if you are pulling over for a roadside picnic, other road trip foods for babies include yogurt, sliced soft fruit, and graham crackers. Our son is partial to breakfast bars, peanut butter Bamba puffs and Pirate’s Booty.
• Snack cups . The more proactive you are in keeping the car seat free of crumbs, the easier it will be to clean and when it comes to babies every last bit helps. Using snack cups like the Munchkin Snack Catcher helps your little one to slow down the process of palming all their goldfish in one gulp. It also reduces the number of crumbs spilled into the car seat and the floorboard below.
• Bib. If your baby is eating milk and purees exclusively, a cloth bib works just fine. If your baby has moved on to eating more crumbly solids like crackers and fruit slices, I would highly recommend using a silicone bib with a catcher. The Mushie silicone bib is easily washable which is ideal for travel, and the pocket catches most crumbs making clean up a much easier process.
• Diapers.   Diapers are an obvious item for your baby road trip checklist. Consider overnight diapers if you plan to drive through the night while your baby sleeps. The added material and increased absorbency will help to reduce leaks and keep baby dry.
• Wipes. Wipes are essential for diaper changes, but they can also be used to clean faces, little fingers, and sticky surfaces. Pro tip: Wipe dispenser is almost empty? Keep the dispenser and fill it with toilet paper or ribbon. Babies love pulling things out of boxes and containers. This do-it-yourself baby toy will entertain your child for hours.
• Diaper rash cream. Did you know that diaper rash cream is used not only to treat, but also to prevent diaper rash? If your baby will be spending long stretches of time in a car seat, it is wise to apply diaper rash cream as a preventative measure against rash and discomfort.
• Portable changing pad – Using a portable changing station provides a more comfortable changing for the baby. It also provides an extra layer of safety when doing a diaper change in a public restroom.
• Extra changes of clothing. You don’t want to be left unprepared when the inevitable blowout or spit-up happens. We recommend packing at least 2 extra changes of clothing.
• Swaddle/ burp cloth. Swaddles are a bit universal and reduce the need for packing additional items. Although you wouldn’t swaddle a baby before placing him in a car seat, they do serve as great burp cloths and blankets. After arriving at your destination, you can then of course use the swaddle as intended…to wrap your baby like an adorable burrito bundle.
• Baby Tylenol. There are many baby medications on the market, but really the only medication we have ever needed was baby Tylenol. Teething can bring about bouts of pain and fever. Baby Tylenol is a fever reducer that can help assuage your child’s discomfort. Always contact your pediatrician before administering to your child.

Supplies for momma

• Breast pump. Depending on a number of factors (your milk production level, how much baby is drinking, etc) you may need to pump while on the road. While the manual breast pump is tried and true, the Elvie is a newer brand that many swear by. They make a wearable rechargeable breast pump that can be inserted into a nursing bra. It is discreet and portable making it possible to pump almost anywhere including at restaurants, in the office, and during a long car ride. Speaking from experience, make sure you have access to a pump! You do not want to get stuck in a situation where your body is telling you to empty the milk, but your baby isn’t hungry and you do not have a pump around. Women who have to delay pumping or nursing risk painful breast engorgement which can lead to medical problems and a reduction in milk supply.
• Nursing Cover . It is likely that you may end up nursing your child in a busy parking lot. While I have nursed my son in a parking lot without a cover, I did receive some unwanted prolonged glances from individuals passing by my window. If this is something that makes you feel uncomfortable, it may be wise to pack a nursing cover just in case. I recommend the Bebe au Lait nursing cover with it’s peek-a-boo hole. It allows me to keep an eye on my son, but also provides him with some nice airflow.
• Water. It is important for mothers to stay hydrated when nursing.

Additional items that make for a more comfortable trip

• Portable blanket. A soft clean surface is a great item to bring along when traveling with an infant. If you are stopping by a travel plaza, gas station, or rest area there is usually a nice grassy area somewhere nearby. This is a great opportunity to unbuckle your little one, and let them have some fresh air. Lay a soft blanket in the grass and allow your baby some time to roll around, stretch their legs, and enjoy the change of scenery. We recommend the Rumpl blanket that compresses into a convenient bag perfect for traveling and road trips.
• Car seat fan. When a baby is in their rear-facing car seat they don’t always have the same pleasure of cool air circulating around their bodies. This combined with warm sunrays peeking through the window can make a car seat pretty toast. It is a good idea to bring along a portable fan that clips onto the car seat to ensure that your child is cool and comfortable.
• Car seat liner. If you have a 10-hour drive ahead of you, you do not want to deal with a wet soiled car seat. A waterproof liner provides protection from wet bathing suits, diaper leaks, and other accidents.
• Backseat organizer to keep essentials close at hand. As you can see, there are many things to bring on a road trip if you want to ensure a smooth journey. You can be saved from headaches and stress in the long run if you are able to keep toys and baby essentials organized. A backseat organizer is helpful for keeping anything you or your baby might need close at hand.

Now that you have your questions answered and your car packed, the last step is to check out our top list of road trip with baby tips .

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Tips for Driving Overnight With a Baby or Toddler

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Driving overnight with a baby may sound daunting, (or traveling with a baby at all) but our firstborn was 6 months old when we made our first 12-hour road trip.

Since he typically slept about 12-hours at night and slept really well in his infant car seat, it made sense for us to drive overnight.

It was a risk, but it was wildly successful. We arrived at our beach rental (5 minutes from my parent’s house) and my parents were readily available and willing to scoop up their grandson so we could nap.

Since then, we have made many, many road trips.

We’ve experimented with both driving overnight and during the day. Some trips have been wildly successful; others have not. We also added twins to our family, so we have experience with multiple children.

A family road trip can be tricky and it can make or break your vacation, just being real.

When driving with kids, especially babies and toddlers, is it better to drive overnight or during the day? It all depends on several things, so I’ll break it down for you, along with tips for a successful road trip with toddlers.

Driving overnight with a toddler is drastically different than driving overnight with a baby.

* Post contains affiliate links.

Benefits of Driving Overnight With a Baby

Here are the primary perks of traveling overnight with a baby. Every child is a little different, but these are generally the benefits in our experience!

Sleep Schedules Aren’t Disrupted

When driving overnight with a baby or a toddler, they won’t have the issue of sleeping all day in the car and then being up all night long ready to party.

It’s Quiet

This is my favorite part of driving overnight. My kids don’t fuss about being bored because they are SLEEPING.

It’s Faster

Not only do we hit less traffic, but fewer stops are required. Since we typically don’t eat meals in the middle of the night, there is no need to stop and eat.

Driving overnight sounds great, doesn’t it? It doesn’t always work though. Here are some things to consider.

Want to fly instead of drive? Read –> Tips for Flying With Toddlers

Driving Overnight With a Baby or Toddler Works If:

Someone can watch your children when you arrive.

If the answer to this is no, then you shouldn’t even consider it, unless you can enjoy your vacation on zero sleep.

My husband and I take turns napping in the car and then take a 4-5 hour nap around 6:00 AM when we arrive.

We then are refreshed enough to enjoy the afternoon, go to bed early, and we are good to go! This has worked for us because when we travel we are visiting family.

Your Kids Will Sleep in the Car

This is a tricky one because sometimes you just don’t know if your children will sleep in the car or not.

Our most recent trip, our twins were 2 and Theo was 4. They will usually fall asleep in the car if they’re absolutely exhausted, so we thought it wouldn’t be a problem.

They would eventually fall asleep. Well, we have a DVD player in our van that we had never used.

Josie and Margo were 2 (and 4 months) and had been rear-facing in their car seats. We thought it would be a good idea to turn them around so they could watch movies before they fell asleep.

That. Was. A. Terrible. Idea.

Forward-facing car seats aren’t as reclined as rear-facing ones, plus it was a completely new thing to them. They did NOT want to fall asleep.

Around midnight (MIDNIGHT!!!) they were both screaming so loud, I thought I was going to go insane.

Theo was crying because they were being so loud, and we pulled over and turned their stinking car seats back around. After that, they fell asleep fairly quickly.

Age and Personality of Children

I really think that personality and age have a factor in your kids sleeping in the car.

We made the trip when Theo was 2.5 and the twins were 6 months old, and Theo slept like a champ.

When we did it when the girls were 2.5, it was our most disastrous trip ever.

They are much less easy-going than Theo is and did their best to boycott sleep.

They traveled just fine for our big move when they were 20 months old, so I think driving through the night with a toddler is a mix of personality and age.

Tips for Driving Overnight With Children

• Wear your kids out that day! Have them skip nap time and veg in front of the T.V. if they’re too cranky. On our last trip, I would have done that except that my husband had to work until the afternoon and we needed nap time to pack up our van.
• Have an early dinner and then hit the road.
• Stop to use the bathroom and change diapers/into pajamas right around bedtime. We pack pajamas in our diaper bag so they’re all ready to go.
• Turn on a travel sound machine (a white noise app on your phone will also work, but then you can’t use your phone.) You want to keep the white noise going the entire night. It will cover up the difference in lack of road noise when you stop and any talking in the front seat.
• Make sure to turn the interior lights of your vehicle off. They will turn on when you open your door at gas station stops and wake your children up!
• Take breaks between you and your driving partner and if you feel like you can sleep, then SLEEP. My husband and I always get tired and want to sleep at the exact same time.

Tips for Driving During the Day With Children

My kids honestly aren’t entertained by any sort of in-car activity.

Coloring books are OK but don’t keep them entertained for too long. They drop their crayons and then whine for me to get them and mama just cannot handle it.

We basically just feed them and let them watch movies. I do try to hold them off with movies as long as possible. Usually, I will see if they take a nap and play movies after. There’s a little bit of whining that way, but then it’s quiet while they sleep!

• Give them all the snacks
• Movies or tablets
• Bring coloring books (these are great for toddlers and younger children ( these are great for toddlers and younger children ) and books
• Bring a travel potty if your toddlers are potty training or recently potty trained
• Have them wear shoes that are easy to get on and off so they can take them off in the car
• New toys: If your children like to play with little character figures, it’s a good time to bust out a new toy
• Separate them: This goes for day OR night time travel. We usually have our kids 3 across in our Honda Odyssey. When we take road trips, we put Theo in the back and leave a space between Josie and Margo. This way they can’t grab snacks or books or bother each other.

The Number One Most Important Tip For Traveling With Kids, Either During the Day or Overnight:

Don’t make the mistake that we did.

Have a puke bucket readily available.

On our last trip, for the return drive, we decided to leave around naptime and get home around 1:00 AM.

We could nap when the kids napped the next day and not be total zombies from driving overnight.

An hour into our trip, the kids were all sound asleep and Ben and I made the mistake of high-fiving each other over how great our plan was.

Then, Josie started throwing up in her sleep.

Yep. That happened.

Theo got sick next and we ended up having to stop at a hotel for the night, only about 4 hours into our 12-hour drive.

Let me tell you. The worst possible scenario when traveling with a little one is for them to throw-up in your vehicle. I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but IT WAS TERRIBLE.

I hope this gives you a bit of an idea of whether you should drive overnight or during the day with your children with tips for each way. Happy traveling!

The ladies of the Babywise Friendly Blogging Network are all blogging today on different topics of travel! Check out each post via the link below.

Chronicles of a Babywise Mom:   Four Best Tips for Traveling with Four Kids

The Journey of Parenthood: How to Successfully Travel with an Infant 

Team Cartwright: How To Teach Your Kids About the World Without Leaving Home

Mama’s Organized Chaos: Practice These Everyday and Your Child Will Travel With Ease

Christine Keys: How To Help Toddlers That Get Car Sick 

P.S. Make sure you’re following me on social media to keep up with our family and all the twin cuteness! I am on Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest !

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adree | The Keele Deal

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

These are all such great road trip tips. Last year we did several road trips and about half of them, we did through the night. It's so nice to drive while the kids sleep and there is no traffic. Gret reminder to make sure the lights won't turn on when you open the door.

Thursday 23rd of January 2020

I'm so glad it was helpful for you! I am such a big fan of driving overnight, but 2 of my kids aren't great at sleeping in the car, so it doesn't work for us as well as it used to!

The Essential Packing List for a Road Trip With a Baby

If you’re like me and a first-time parent, it is daunting to go on your first road trip with a baby. What to pack, what to bring, the mental checklist runs on.

Our first road trip was from Sacramento to Los Angeles with our 8-week-old. Now home, I want to share what we brought on the trip to help make it go smoothly.

We booked a six-night trip that was split across two hotels and around a 5.5-hour drive each way. I spent probably too much time thinking about what to bring. But I would much rather be prepared and it certainly helped calm my nerves.

Now back home, I can say the trip was much easier than it felt in my head. The prep work definitely paid off and having a game plan was helpful. We thought about where we wanted to stop and made sure our car was set up for the stops to feed and change. More on that below.

So here’s my essential packing list for a road trip with a baby. It’s everything we brought for the car drive and what you may consider bringing on yours.

Essential Packing List for a Road Trip With a Baby

Travel tips for the road trip, time budget.

We chose to stop every 2.5-3 hours to give the baby a break from the car seat, feed, and change. These longer stops took around 45 minutes to an hour. Then we had the occasional one-off stop for a quick feed or change.

I would recommend the essentials being within hand’s reach and setting up a diaper changing area. We didn’t want to use public bathrooms so we changed her in the front seat of the car.

If you’re headed on a longer trip, try to time it with one of the longer naps. I know our baby sleeps longest in the morning and after the middle of the night feed. So we left at 5 am promptly after her feed. We got a really nice long stretch before having to stop.

Flexibility

Sometimes you may have to stop in the most random places or even only after being on the road for 15 minutes, roll with it!

Always double-check your car seat. Map out where you want to stop, it is super helpful.

What to Keep in the Front of the Car

Diapering station.

• Several diapers + wipes
• Butt cream (we used this one since we were going for 3-hour stretches)
• Changing pads. For the changing pad, I bought these puppy puddle-proof liners to protect our car seats underneath our Gathre changing pad .
• Plastic bags for dirty diapers or soiled clothes.

Feeding Essentials

• Burp cloths and lots of them. I had a single bag just of burp cloths for the trip.
• Haakaa if breastfeeding (super helpful if you get engorged/overfull on the trip)
• Any other feeding essentials like bottles + formula

Other Essentials

• Portable sound machine — we use this all the time in the car.
• Nasal bulb suctioner in case you need to suction.
• Blankets — we keep two in the car.
• Outfit changes for you and baby. At least 2 for baby.
• Sun shades for car windows — these block UVA
• Safety mirror to see baby
• First aid kit + one towel
• Toys or books for baby for entertainment (see my toddler travel essential gear list for our favorites!)
• Diaper Bag: I kept ours up front stocked with our normal go-to’s. I love our Caraa Diaper Bag .
• Snacks and water

Everything Else to Pack

How much you pack is dependent on what gear you choose to travel with. Since we were road-tripping and using our SUV, we packed what would be most convenient for the trip.

I’ll share what we packed for gear and some alternatives to consider.

• Car seat ( Cybex Cloud G ) + Mios 2 Stroller . These connect together as one travel system. (rain gear for carseat and a stretchy car seat cover — great for protecting baby from curious eyes!)
• Baby Bjorn Bouncer — loved having another spot to put baby in our hotel room.
• We have the Guava Pack & Play which is what I pack every time
• The Slumber pod — a black-out tent for naps and fits over most pack & plays. Wouldn’t travel without it.
• Artipoppe Baby Carrier — this was amazing to have on the trip, it’s one of our most used baby items.

Sleep Essentials

Whatever you may use to get baby down at night. For us that is:

• Swaddle (brought 2 in case one was soiled) or sleep sack
• Hatch Sound Machine – we use it as a nightlight, could use the portable sound machine instead. Certainly wasn’t necessary but we had the room.
• VAVA Baby monitor . You don’t need any internet for this to work.
• 2-3 outfits a day – we live for bodysuits and kimono-style onesies.
• Sweaters and outerwear
• Sleep sacks or pajamas
• Socks, shoes, beanies, and sun hat

Hygiene + Medical + Diapering

• Laundry detergent — we did a bit of hand-washing
• Baby Shampoo + Soap and brush
• Thermometer and infant medications
• Rash Cream and body ointment
• Diapers, wipes, and changing pad
• Baby brush and nail clippers if a longer trip
• Nasal aspirator and saline drops
• Burp cloths — these muslin ones are our favorite
• Formula, bottles , cleaning brush
• Fork and spoon set and suction plates
• Breastfeeding: cover , disposable nursing pads , Haakkaa , breast pump if needed

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Ps — are you booking a trip soon use my booking checklist.

These are the sites I use most to book my own trips. Using the links below is a great way to support Bon Traveler’s travel journalism at no extra cost to you . If you need help organizing your itinerary, get my free travel itinerary template here .

1. Book Your Flights

Use Skyscanner to find the best flights. It searches 100s of airlines and websites across the globe to ensure you’re not missing out on any route options or deals.

2. Book Your Accommodations

Use Booking.com for hotels and guest houses. They have the biggest inventory and consistently offer the best rates.

3. Book Your Tours & Experiences

Use Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours and experiences. They are my favorite tour search engines. I always check both as their inventory varies depending on the destination.

4. Book Your Car

Use Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com to find the best car rental deals. I recommend comparing rental agency reviews on Google to ensure you are booking with the best company in that destination, as the reviews are often more accurate than the car rental search engines.

5. Don’t Forget Airport Lounge Access

Get a Priority Pass membership to gain access to 1,400+ VIP lounges and airport experiences worldwide. The Priority Pass app is the first thing I check when I have a layover. I’ve been a member for over a decade, and having a comfortable place to relax before and between flights makes air travel so much more enjoyable.

6. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

I never leave the country without travel insurance. It provides comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong (ie. illness, injury, theft, and cancelations, etc.). I use it frequently for my travels to stay protected.

My favorite companies that offer the best coverage and rates are:

• World Nomads (best for all-around)
• Safety Wing (best for frequent travelers)

Xx, Jessica

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Here in July 2023 and found your list very helpful as we prepare for our first mini road trip with our 2 month old – thank you!

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10 Tips for Road Tripping With an Infant

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Road trips with an infant can be stressful, but they don’t have to be, and the truth is a car ride with a baby is often less stressful than getting on a plane. You can stop your own vehicle for an emergency bathroom break or to move around a restless toddler. And if your baby does throw a tantrum, you can focus your attention on their needs instead of worrying about other passengers.

Whether you're hitting the road to visit the grandparents or heading to a vacation destination geared toward families with infants , you may be surprised at some of the simple things you can do to keep your little one calm and quiet during your trip. Whether you’ll be on the road for five hours or five days, these 10 tips will help your vacation go as smoothly as possible.

While one person is driving, have another sit in the back with the baby. Having that caretaker in the back seat can help address issues as they arise—preparing bottles, wiping up, curing boredom with some old-fashioned “peek-a-boo”—which can help minimize stops and avoid total meltdowns.

It's an old bit of wisdom, but "sleep when the baby sleeps" is solid advice during a road trip with kids . When the baby is sleeping, the person in the back should try to rest, too, so they can be refreshed enough to take over driving when the driver gets fatigued.

Manage Expectations

Any number of things can go wrong on a road trip—a flat tire, bad weather, food poisoning—but those hiccups become exponentially more stressful with a young (likely screaming) infant in tow. Accepting that going in and maintaining a sense of humor about the situation can go a long way to help ease the tension. After all, the difference between a fiasco and an adventure can be as simple as your state of mind.

One way to make light of unpleasant situations is to make a game out of them. For example, put together Baby Road Trip BINGO cards where spaces are filled in with any and all potential disasters—think "blow out in the car seat" or tiny victories like "finished a whole podcast." That way, even bad situations turn into wins.  

Drive at Night

It’s a bit uncomfortable for the parents, but then again, so is a screaming child with no exit in sight. Driving at night means your baby will spend more time sleeping and less time awake and hungry, bored, or needing changes. You’ll be able to drive for longer stretches without needing breaks. 

A great way to maximize drive time is to schedule your departure so that it coincides with bedtime. Go through your whole routine (bath, pajamas, bedtime song—whatever your nightly ritual entails), but put the baby down to sleep in the car seat instead of the crib or bassinet. Drive as long as you're comfortable—or for as long as the baby is sleeping—but be sure to switch drivers, caffeinate, and rest when needed to avoid driving drowsy. 

Plan Frequent Breaks

You might be able to go six hours without using the bathroom or needing to eat, but the baby likely can't. Plan for stops every one to three hours during the day and three to six hours at night to change diapers, stretch legs, eat, and change sweaty or spit-up clothes as needed.

To avoid unnecessary stops, make a checklist of items that you go through during every break so you don’t forget anything, such as changing the baby’s diaper or clothes, using the restroom (for those not in diapers), and refreshing essential supplies. 

Skip the Scenic Route

While scenic overlooks and long stretches of the open road might seem like the very things that make a road trip worthwhile, they can also make it difficult to find help or reprieve when you need it. Choose a route in advance that has frequent access to food, 24-hour gas stations, restrooms, and service areas.

Even better, plot out some pit-stops in advance —including some potential hotels if you think you might need a real rest—so you can pull over when necessary.

Keep Supplies Nearby

You might have a giant suitcase with everything you need to survive traveling with an infant for an extended period of time, but that's not what you want to be digging through at 65 mph while a baby is screaming in your ear, or while parked at a dodgy rest stop in the middle of the night.

Keep a kit within easy reach so you don’t have to unbuckle your seat belt to retrieve any critical items, and fill the bag with small amounts of necessities (you can always refill as you go). You could pack all of these items into a medium-sized backpack or tote bag:

• A portable changing pad with two or three diapers
• A packet of wipes
• Pre-portioned bottles of formula or breast milk in a small cooler bag
• Two or three small but versatile toys
• Infant Tylenol or ibuprofen
• A baby forehead thermometer
• A small portable sound machine
• An extra blanket

In addition to the baby kit, be sure there's one for the adults, too. That could include mobile chargers for your electronic devices, a tablet or e-reader, high-protein/easy-to-eat snacks, sleep aids, sleep mask, a small pillow, earphones, and earplugs. You might also want to bring along a car sun shade to help your little one nap.

Brush up on Baby Massage Techniques

Babies can get stiff and uncomfortable after sitting for hours in their seats, just like adults. Read up on some infant massage techniques that you can modify to use either while driving (if you’re on backseat duty) and during stops. Gently massaging legs and feet, in particular, can often help calm a fussy baby long enough to get you to a good stopping place where they can stretch out their legs in earnest.

Sing Simple Camp Songs

When it comes to fussy infants stuck in car seats, be prepared with a variety of tools at your disposal. Singing songs can often be more effective than the radio at helping to put a baby to sleep, calming them when they’re fussy, and entertaining them when they’re bored. Try to pick songs with simple melodies, but where verses can be added or improvised as with many nursery rhymes or typical camp songs. Taking turns inventing new lyrics can help break up the monotony for parents, too.

Take Precautions

With or without an infant, standard prep and safety precautions should be followed. Make sure you have a spare tire, car jack, and tire iron that are ready to go, especially if you're driving through sparsely populated areas where the nearest mechanic could be several miles away. It's not fun waiting hours for a tow truck to arrive and even less so when you have a baby on board.

While packing the car, be sure not to obstruct the driver’s view, including in the rearview mirror. And always take steps to pull over to well-lit areas when stopping at night.

Admit Defeat

If you’re tired, if you’re frustrated, if everyone in the car (including and especially your baby) can’t take another second on the road, then stop. It’s okay.

Find a place to rest and give yourself a few minutes or hours to regroup. Most hotels will take bookings any time of day and many provide cribs in the room upon request. Take a nap in a real bed or freshen up with a hot shower and a meal at a sit-down restaurant. Giving yourself and your baby a chance to reset can help make the rest of the ride go more smoothly.  

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Road Trip with Baby: Essential Travel Packing List & Tips

Written by Becca

Updated on March 8th, 2024

How do you take a road trip with a baby for the first time? Check out my essential travel packing list for everything your infant needs during a trip.

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Table of contents

• Feeding & Nursing
• Clothes & accessories
• Grooming & medicine
• Transport: strollering, driving, car seat and carrying
• Learn more about road trips for babies!

Traveling with an infant is incredibly daunting when you first decide to take a short trip with your baby. How will you set up a safe place for sleeping? How will you pack enough to cover every possible situation? How many bottles is enough?

We took three trips between our baby being three and six months, and having a standard packing list gave us peace of mind. We borrowed suggestions from friends and family, and put together the best of all the recommendations.

In this packing list, you’re welcome to switch around the quantities of all items based on how long your trip is. Also, note that this list was for three road trips and not for flying. Nothing we brought was specific to TSA-approved sizes and our luggage wasn’t optimized for a flight.

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Here’s the list of road trip items we took, many of which are the best baby products for travel .

The below list is based on a three-day two-night trip during which I’m nursing and giving a few bottles here and there. Of course, you have your own methods of feeding your infant during the trip , and no two parents nor babies are alike in this regard. For all the clothing recommendations (along with sleep sacks, bibs, etc.), I liberally pack an extra in case there are “accidents.”

Ready for our road trip baby packing list? Here it goes.

If you are flying with your infant, check out this list of crucial tips for taking a flight with your baby!

Feeding & Nursing

Whether you’re nursing or exclusively bottle feeding, there are some essentials to consider.

• Bottles : We like Comotomo and Lansinoh .
• Bottle brush & stand : This OXO stand has been great.
• Pacifiers (2) : Check out Avent and the Avent + animal !
• Burp cloths (3-4) : We like aden & anais .
• Bibs (3-4) : aden & anais make great bibs as well.
• Vitamin D drops : We have these .
• + flanges (6)
• + duckbill valves (6)
• + tubing (2)
• + backflow protectors (2)
• 6 Spectra milk bottles and tops : Check them out .
• Milk cooler with ice pack : We have this one , and it fits most standard 5oz bottles.
• Frozen milk (1 bag) : We use the Lansinoh storage bags . I bring frozen milk on our way when we leave home, so that it survives the car ride in the cooler.

Our strategy for bottles is to have enough for feeding, storage and a few extra. When they are empty, we clean them right away and cycle through them like that. We also put Vitamin D drops in each bottle for feeding, so we’ll always have a few storage bottles ready to dish out.

Also the bottle supplies that I mention are optimized for 5oz bottles. You might need slightly different supplies for the bigger 8oz bottles.

For babies eating solids

• Jars or pouches of baby food (however many your child consumes)
• High chair : Take a look at this clip-on high chair . A foldable travel high chair also works!
• Booster seat : Try this one from OXO .
• Spoons/utensils : We’ve had the best luck with these spoons .
• Silicone bibs : Check these out and pick from lots of different colors.
• More wipes !: We like these water wipes .

We make our own baby food, and our baby eats whatever we have in the house! For convenience, I can see how the pouches could be a quick and easy solution to have food on the go. You can put out only as much as you need and use your own spoon, then save the rest for minimal clean up.

Sometimes at home, we keep our daughter sitting up right and hold her to give her some food. So the clip-on high chairs and booster seats are only necessary when independent solid eating is more of a thing.

More diapers are better than fewer, especially if you’ll be in a remote location like we were when we went up to the northwestern Catskills to stay in a country house. There wasn’t a Walmart for MILES! Luckily, I learned from our trip the month before that I should pack diapers like they’re going out of style, and we survived plenty fine.

I had already corrected all my former mistakes when we went away to Litchfield County, CT , when our daughter was 7 months, and came home with a heap of diapers to spare.

One thing I like to have on hand is little plastic throw-away baggies for diapers when disposing of them in a hotel or Airbnb. I save the ones we use as produce bags at the supermarket and then load up my diaper bag with those. They are so handy. If you’re looking for something more compact for storing (or already have a dog) these dog #2 storage bags might also work.

• Diapers : Find your brand and size on Amazon . For a three-day trip, I took 30 diapers.
• Wipes : We use these water wipes .
• Diaper balm : We like diaper balm with a lid , to prevent accidental spills.
• Little garbage bags for diapers
• Changing pad : This one is great for most babies.

For the diapers, it’s best if you leave them in the original packaging to help save on space. We found that bringing loose diapers takes up more room in our already cramped bags.

Our diaper bag has a changing pad that never leaves our bag. When we travel, we change our daughter with the pad on the floor. This is a good practice in case there’s an accident. We are not prepared to scrub any carpets while away!

It’s also likely that you may have these items in your diaper bag. It would be a good idea to make sure you have extra / a spare set for a makeshift changing station at your accommodation.

Clothes & accessories

When we went upstate to Livingston Manor for three days, I almost laughed: we came home with exactly one diaper left in the diaper bag and our daughter’s luggage combined. ONE!

This was because we went through quite a few changes of clothes, if you know what I mean. And if there are overnight accidents, you may have a soiled sleep sack or swaddle.

In addition to the extra outfits I leave in the diaper bag, I was happy with the number of backup clothes and pajamas I had packed, as we almost went through everything. In my guide to how to visit NYC with a baby , I discuss the importance of bringing clothing layers for changes in weather.

• Zippy pajamas (3-4) : We’ve had good luck with Carters brand PJs .
• Outdoor blankets (1) : For colder months, try this type of blanket .
• Daytime outfits (with spares) : These Carter onsies and pants are great staples!
• Booties or socks : You can never have too many socks .
• Sun hat : Hats work great for keeping the sun out of your baby’s eyes.
• Headbands or hair bow clips : So cute !

We’ve liked bringing plenty of headbands and hair bows for times when we’ve wanted our daughter to look cute in a photo.

Grooming & medicine

For babies with hair, you might want to consider packing a comb or brush. For us, we do a quick hair combing at bedtime as part of the routine.

For all other medicine and health products, it’s up to you. We haven’t had to use any of the medicines while away from home, but you truly never know what can happen and what you’ll want to have in your back pocket if your child is soon to be teething, comes down with some congestion or is having bouts with gas pains.

• Frida nail file & clipper : The Frida Baby Grooming Kit has everything you need.
• Hair comb or brush : We like this comb because it has an extra fine side.
• Medicine for unexpected scenarios : ( Acetominaphen , gas drops , Snotsucker )
• Thermometer : We got this digital one .
• Rattle toys, teether toys : Our baby LOVES these teethers .

A tip from my cousin, an expert mom of two, is to bring along “identifying docs” for your child, even when your baby doesn’t have an official ID or baby passport yet, like an immunization report or other medical record (even a physical photocopy of baby’s birth certificate would be a “better-safe-than-sorry” thing to have!).

Transport: strollering, driving, car seat and carrying

We have become UPPAbaby people and we are super happy with the choice to buy into the UPPAbaby ecosystem of strollers and car seats. We picked up the Minu stroller for traveling purposes and it has saved a ton of trunk space when compared to the larger and sturdier UPPAbaby Vista stroller we keep at home.

For unexpected weather or bugginess in summer locations, opt for bringing both the rain cover and the insect net covers for your car seat or rumble seat.

• UPPAbaby Minu travel stroller : We’re happy with ours and it saves trunk space. Check it out or read our UPPAbaby Minu review here!
• UPPAbaby Mesa car seat : Check prices on Amazon for this sturdy car seat.
• UPPAbaby stroller parent console : Ours lives on our stroller, even when folded. Check it out .
• UPPAbaby Mesa rain cover and bug screen cover : The rain shield and bug screen have been helpful!
• UPPAbaby car window shields : Help keep the sun out of your baby’s eyes. Check it out .
• Baby Safety Car Mirror : We have one of these in our car at home, and if you will be renting a car at your destination, be sure to bring along your own baby car mirror .
• A baby carrier you love : If you have car space to spare, opt for a strong baby carrier like the Baby Tula Explore Carrier . If you’re short on space, go the route of an ultralightweight carrier like Baby Tula Carrier Lite ; for more ideas, see my list of the best baby carriers for travel .

While our daughter doesn’t exactly love the Pack ‘n Play, it’s a fact of life when you leave home for travel. The first trip we took with her when she was 13 weeks was when we used the bassinet from our UPPAbaby Vista stroller ! That way, she wasn’t sleeping in a foreign environment.

With the Pack ‘n Play, we make sure the mattress cover is clean before we leave home, and we bring a backup sheet in case it gets soiled. Another hack has been the blackout cover, which simulates darkness for the baby if you’re in a place with lots of windows or no dark curtains. It also gives the baby their own sense of space if you’re all in one hotel room, like we say in our guide to staying in a hotel with your baby .

• BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light : This travel crib is so easy to set up and take apart, and it’s tons lighter than a Graco Pack ‘n Play. Check it out or read our review .
• Pack ‘n Play sheet with spare sheet : This one should work great!
• Pack ‘n Play blackout cover : We have this one .
• SlumberPod : This is a blackout tent to use during travel! It goes over an entire travel crib and parents swear by it.
• Baby monitor : We’ve been happy with our monitor . You don’t need Wi-Fi, so it’s easy to set up anywhere.
• Audio baby monitor : If you want as a backup, or alternative to video, you can check out the audio-only options.
• HALO & Nested Bean sleep sacks (2) : We love our HALO , and we’ve been using the Nested Bean as a backup.
• Hatch Rest+ sound machine : We like the Rest+ because it has an easy charging base.
• Amazon Basics portable suction cup blackout curtains : These curtains help to darken a room so your little one sleeps longer!

We feel a little silly bringing the Hatch because it’s such a big sound machine. The backup battery has actually been a huge help because we once lost power and we’re glad we still had some white noise going. Something like this might be a better option.

Plus, we use a portable travel sound machine (you can also get it on Amazon ) on our stroller or with our a travel-friendly baby carrier while taking walks, to help create some familiar and consistent white noise It works out great, whether on the road or at home.

Learn more about road trips for babies!

From our experience, here are some of the things that we’ve learned that have been helpful in making everyone happy during the adventure.

And as a heads up, you can check our the rest of our articles on traveling with a baby to learn everything you can, as well as our list of the best essential road trip accessories for everyone in the car.

What to expect on your first trip with a baby

I actually kind of expected the worst, in traveling with a baby. How would naps work? Would we have to stop for feeding? How would our child sleep at night, the first time away from home?

This all felt kind of crazy, but we knew we had to take the plunge if we ever wanted to introduce our daughter into our world of travel.

Our first trip with her was at 13 weeks. I was largely doing okay, three-ish months postpartum, and we were finally comfortable with the world of being parents. Also, I don’t want to sugarcoat this at all: our baby was far from sleeping through the night, and as my best friend put it, “If you’re going to be sleep deprived and doing night feeds, why not at least be away from home on a vacation?”

While New Hampshire at the end of winter is far from tropical and didn’t involve any skiing or snowy sports for us, it’s where my extended family gets together every year in mid-March. I didn’t want to be left out, so we took our tiny newborn along (easier said than done).

Here’s a few tips for what to expect and how things really went, that time, and the two times we went up to the Catskills when our child was 5 months and then 6 months. While both trips were very different from each other, we decided to risk it (again!) by going up to Litchfield County, CT , when she was 7 months old as well!

Naps and sleeping tips for road trips

On the way up to New Hampshire and down from New Hampshire, our baby took some of her best naps of the month in the car. Her naps were a total grab bag and we never know what to expect, especially if we were going to be in the car for more than two hours. We were graced with some two-hour naps during the five-hour drive, and when we stopped for bathrooms, I fed her in the rest area or in the front seat of the car.

When we went to Nova Scotia, we planned a day trip excursions from Halifax and timed our planning with the baby’s three-nap schedule.

Keeping your baby entertained during the car ride

When she wasn’t napping, one of us sat in the back and tried to entertain her with toys and a book. It’s hard to say if it worked. During our road trips with her two and three months later, we both sat up front and if she needed consoling, I’d reach my arm back to hold a pacifier in her mouth. We had her teether beads and a fruit teether attached by a pacifier clip in her car seat.

I recommend having some toys or teethers, depending on your baby’s age, attached to the car seat straps so they don’t get lost or dropped during the ride.

Feeding during car rides

Most babies eat every 1.5-2 hours in the first few months of life, and ours certainly did. Even at five and six months, she likes to eat every two hours if she can. Some babies are on an every-three-hours feeding schedule by this point, but that’s not something that worked for us. Much of this experience inspired me to write about how to feed a baby during travels .

If a baby is hungry during a car ride, you’ll know. It’ll be chaos. If our child cried, we turned up the music, held a pacifier in her mouth and sang her favorite lullaby on repeat. Being a parent is far from glamorous!

During some stops, we gave her a full feed, depending on when she had last eaten. I did this in rest area cafeteria booths, the front seat of our car in a Trader Joe’s parking lot In Connecticut and in a Panera off the highway, most recently. I think a good tip is to get comfortable feeding your baby at the right time, and the place is less important.

The importance of the diaper bag

Just like when you go out for the day, having a robust diaper bag is crucial during a road trip. And I mean “two spare outfits” level of robust. We have been using Nike’s diaper backpack and it’s good for travel. Check out more photos at my Nike Diaper Bag review .

On our most recent trip with our baby when she was six months, there was a diaper blowout just as we hit our first stop, and I wound up doing an entire outfit and diaper change on a picnic table in a covered pavilion as it began to rain. Good thing we had weather-appropriate attire in a packing cube in the diaper bag, along with enough wipes and diapers and of course, hand sanitizer.

Other things I keep in the diaper bag are my new nursing cover, a small Hakka pump, a disassembled Medela hand pump, spare Medela milk vials, a changing pad and a spare light blanket for miscellaneous use. I suggest keeping your diaper bag contents constant so that if something is missing, you can figure it out.

I use the same diaper bag contents on a regular trip to the supermarket, as well as a trip up to the countryside.

As a secondary diaper bag for when I’m just getting out of the car at a rest area, or going somewhere with only the carrier and not a full stroller setup, I’m into the Kibou fanny pack diaper bag .

It’s also crucial for a diaper change on a plane , for the next time you fly.

For a limited time: Join the list for 15% off your first order + get free shipping on orders $75+!

Shop the deal

This cute belt bag is the most minimalist (and chic) diaper bag. I review the Kibou to talk about all the features.

It has a fold-out changing pad, and in the main compartment I can fit diapers, diaper cream, a pacifier, my phone and a slim wallet. Plus, it has a waterproof zippered wipes pocket on the inner side, which is so handy and cool.

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Tips for a Road Trip With a Baby: How to Survive the Long Drive

Setting off on a road trip with your little one? I know – it sounds like a mission. Trying to figure out nap times, packing enough but not too many toys, dealing with sudden mood swings (and that’s just from the parents!) – it’s enough to give anyone a slight headache. “Will my baby be okay? How on earth am I going to keep them calm? Did I pack enough diapers?” These questions whirling around in your head are perfectly normal, and I’m here to help with my tips for a road trip with a baby.

Over the years, I’ve taken my kids on so many road trips, I’ve lost count. Short weekend jaunts, epic cross-country adventures, you name it. And you know what? Every single one was a learning curve. Sometimes, it felt more like a rollercoaster than a curve, but that’s parenting for you. I’ve had my share of forgotten essentials and messy surprises, but each hiccup has helped me perfect my road trip routine.

Don’t worry – by the end of this blog post, you’ll be a lot more confident about hitting the road with your little partner in crime. You’ll know what to expect, what to pack, and how to handle those inevitable bumps along the way. I’ve done all the hard yards, the late-night packing, and the frantic roadside diaper changes. Now, you get to benefit from my road-tested wisdom and plan a trip that’s all about the fun stuff.

Table of Contents

Road Tripping With an Infant FAQs

I know how different it is to take your kids with you on a long drive compared to a fun and spontaneous road trip as a couple . Especially if you’re taking a baby with you. And if it’s your first trip as a family, you’d be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed and nervous . 

Jumping in the car to explore the country can be such a fantastic memory-making experience. Plus, showing your kids (even the teeny tiny ones) magical places is part of what all parents dream of doing. 

So to calm your worries and help you plan a fabulous vacation, I’ve gathered some of the most frequently asked questions and answered them as best I could. 

Have another question? Or a tip for new parents about to hit the road? Let us all know in the comments, and keep the support going!

What to Expect When Traveling With a Baby

The question most parents would love to be able to answer with a crystal ball; I promise, even if you have a few hiccups on the road, at the end of the day, the memories will be worth it. 

A road trip with a baby under 12 months isn’t the nightmare that some may make it seem, as long as you prep properly . Your baby has their usual routine, space, and expectations in their daily life—all of which go away once you put them in the car for an extended period of time. 

You definitely should expect them to be a little fussy , possibly get bored, and very likely make a bit of a mess . With a few important steps, you can ensure the ride is pleasant for the baby and parents. You want to make fun family memories , which means enjoying the journey just as much as the destination .

I’ve been using Roadtrippers for years to help me plan out my trips and find fun stops along the way. Use my code “BTR5QTP” for $5 off when you sign up!

What is The Best Age to Road Trip With a Baby?

This depends on your baby, of course. Generally, it’s best to start planning your family road trip only once your baby is about three months old. Between three and six months , babies are in their developmental stage and will begin to gain more head and neck control. 

This means they can sit in a car seat and be comfortable for slightly extended periods. They’re also typically on better sleeping schedules at this age, allowing you to plan accordingly. 

You can entertain your baby between three and six months with bright, colorful, and noisy toys. They’re interested in the world around them but not yet crawling or walking , so they won’t be too antsy to get out of their seat for the whole ride.

Also taking Fido? Here are some tips for a road trip with a dog .

How Often Do You Have to Stop With a Baby on a Road Trip?

When you’re planning a road trip with a baby, your stops will need to be planned around their routine . You’ll likely need to stop for feeding, diaper changes, and as they get fussy . You may find that a stop is needed as they wake up from a nap or before they fall asleep. 

On average, I would say plan for a stop every two to four hours . Try not to go longer than this, for the whole family’s sake. Although, if you’re driving overnight and your baby sleeps through, you may be able to extend this a bit. 

The shorter driving times when you’re traveling with a baby may just give you the perfect excuse to stay over in more small towns. Driving four hours and then retiring for the night at a quaint hotel or BnB only adds to the entire road-tripping experience is one of my best tips for a road trip with a baby.

How Do You Occupy a Baby in a Car?

Unlike older kids, babies are not going to be interested in games of I Spy or a traveling trivia quiz . So how do you keep them busy for the ±four hour stretches of driving?

One way is to play music in the car — not the latest pop songs, but nursery rhymes and calming tunes. Sing along and make it a fun time for the baby. Give them a rattle to play with as well, as this will help stimulate them. This is ideal when on a road trip with a baby and toddler, as it can entertain both of them at the same time (I used this trick many times on drives).

You can also set up a sort of mobile in the car, with animals and colorful toys for them to look at and grab. If their heads can’t reach the windows, give them a plastic handheld mirror or position a mirror to help them see the fun sights outside. 

If all else fails, chatting with your baby is normally always a winner. Play peek-a-boo , describe your journey, and tell them where you’re going. Even if they don’t seem to understand it all, your attention and the sound of your voice are often enough to keep them engaged. 

Make sure to reserve your rental car ahead of time! I love using Discover Cars for my trips.

Can You Give a Baby a Bottle While Driving?

The short answer is no. 

It might be perfectly fine to have your older kids snacking while driving, but the risks are too high for an infant. You shouldn’t have a baby drinking from a bottle without your attention being fully focused on both the baby and the bottle . 

Even if you are breastfeeding, it’s not safe to do so while the car is moving . So it’s best to plan your stops according to the baby’s feeding schedule . 

How Do You Calm a Crying Baby on a Road Trip?

There’s always a reason why your baby is crying. First, check that they’re not uncomfortably hot, cold, or perhaps have a dirty diaper . It’s also good to check that they’re not hungry . 

If their basic needs are met, and they are still crying, they may just not be enjoying the drive as much. Try playing soothing music, talking to them, or giving them a toy to distract them . If none of that works, then it may be best for everyone to stop the car at the next safe spot, get out, and cuddle the baby until they are calm again . 

Are Car Seats Uncomfortable for Babies?

As long as your car seat is properly installed and has all of the right cushioning, it should be comfortable enough for your baby to sit in during a drive. Sitting in one for too long for a more extended, cross-country drive with a baby can become uncomfortable . 

Staying in one position for extended periods of time will agitate anyone, and babies are no different. There are a few ways you can ease this discomfort until you stop, though:

• Keep the car’s temperature pleasant. 
• Give the baby a little extra cushioning where you can. 
• Distract them with toys and excitement. 

How Long Should a Baby Be in a Car Seat on a Trip?

Even though babies can’t walk around yet, they still need to stretch during road trips . If you’re doing longer newborn travel by car, you should aim to take them out of the car seat every two hours or so (a very important tip for a road trip with a baby). 

If your perfectly planned road trip falls within the three- to six-month sweet spot, then two to four hours is fine . Be sure that when you’re stopping, you’re taking the baby out of their car seat and letting their bodies stretch in different positions for a bit. 

What Do I Do If My Baby Hates the Car Seat?

So, your baby cannot stand when you put them in a car seat — are your dreams of a family road trip over? Not necessarily. 

First, I would check with a doctor if anything makes the baby hate sitting in the car seat. If there are no medical concerns, then it may just be personal preference. You can slowly introduce long road trips with a baby and make the experience more pleasant. Both my kids hated drives at first, but they got used to it the more I traveled with them.

Don’t begin right off the bat with a 15-hour trip from LA to Lake Tahoe ; begin with an hour-long drive and gradually increase the time and distance . Doing this will allow you to test out a few soothing options and hopefully find one that works. Driving while the baby sleeps is also an option. 

What Should I Pack for a Baby on a Road Trip?

You can read my full family road trip packing list for a more detailed list , but here are a few essential items to include that are important road trip with baby tips: 

• Extra diapers — Pack a little more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to be overprepared with a little one than scramble to find a grocery store while on the road. 
• Wipes and rash cream — These should be with your diapers, but again, pack a little more than you think you need in case of emergencies. 
• Extra sets of clothing — This is standard when going anywhere with kids and babies. Make sure you have extra clothes for messes as well as enough clothing for all kinds of weather. 
• Their favorite blanket — Keep babies comfy and soothed with whatever blankie they would use at home. This will help them sleep better in the car and may keep the tears away on the drive. 
• A few fun toys — There isn’t much space in the car, so you want to make sure that the toys you bring along will entertain the baby for long periods. Choose colorful toys, squishy ones, and even ones that make a bit of noise — just remember, you don’t want to have a distracted driver. 
• Bibs and utensils — Quick meals on the side of the road or at a gas station may be necessary. Pack in any mealtime essentials so you’re not left in the lurch if you need to make an emergency dinner stop. 
• Sippy cups and bottles — Ensure you have enough of these with you so that even if you can’t wash them out for a few hours, there’s still a clean one to use until you reach your hotel. 
• First aid kit — Always keep a car first aid kit on you. Include things like pain syrup for little ones, bandaids, and any medication your baby usually takes. Also, bring sanitizer, mosquito repellant, and a thermometer. 
• Baby car rier — Pit stops and impromptu hikes will be much easier and more enjoyable if you can comfortably carry the baby around. 
• Milk and snacks — While you can find food along your route, you definitely want to pack some easy-to-eat snacks and enough milk to avoid a hangry baby. 
• Bin bags — You’re going to want to keep the car clutter-free and as clean as possible. This will eliminate frustration, help you quickly find what you need, and make the drive more enjoyable. Keep plastic bags to throw trash in and discard them as soon as possible once you’ve stopped. 

What Food to Carry for Babies While Traveling?

We’ve mentioned packing in food and snacks, but what else can you take that won’t make too much mess or require any prepping? Some great options to keep in the car for emergency snacking include:

• Extra milk and/or water – I always warn parents against packing juices for road trips because they’re sticky and can get everywhere if spilled. Pack milk for the ride if your baby is too young for water. 
• Sipping yogurt – Driving may take away the baby’s appetite. Sipping yogurt is easy to eat in the car, will fill them up a bit, and often tastes good enough to entice them to eat. 
• Finger foo ds – Beef jerky, cheese puffs, finger sandwiches. These are all ideal for packing into a lunchbox in the car and handing over if your little one starts to complain about tummy grumbles. 
• Pre-packaged & single-serve baby food pouches – What you don’t want to do is try and handle large amounts of anything to dish anything out in the car. It might be a little more work, but getting pre-packaged snacks before you set off makes eating and sharing easier on the drive. 
• Pre-cut fruit – Cut up apple slices, pears, or oranges, as these will be a fun, sweet (but healthy) snack to keep the little mouths busy for a while. 

Read more in my post with 101 road trip snacks for kids .

How Do You Pack Baby Milk for Travel?

If the baby is still exclusively on milk or only just starting on solids, you’ll want to bring quite a bit of this with you on your road trip with an infant. Keeping it fresh is important; no one wants to drive for hours with a car smelling like spoiled milk. 

If you’re pumping breastmilk to take with you, keep it frozen before you leave . Then when you pack the car, put the milk into a well-insulated cooler box to stay cool and frozen during the drive. If you’re packing formula , pre-pack servings in either bottles or secure containers/bags is an easy way to do it. Then have a flask or bottled water to mix it up.

Sterilize your bottles before you pack them and again when you stop at your nightly accommodation. 

My Top Tips for Long-Distance Driving With a Baby

If this is your very first road trip with a baby, just remember that it can only get easier from here. I’ve found that getting the kids used to traveling and being on the road from an early age means it becomes a splendid experience as they get older. 

Besides keeping the car organized (and booking any accommodations you’re going to need well in advance), here are some other things I’ve found helpful when taking a 0- to 12-month-old on a road trip. 

Check the Car Seat Before You Go

Most importantly, ensure that your car seat is safe , follows regulati ons , and is properly installed. 

A car window safety shade is another must-add for a baby’s comfort and safety. Having the sun pelting down on their faces is a sure way to end up with a miserable baby. 

Plan Your Route Carefully

Know where you’re going (as well as possible detours in case of roadworks, etc.) and how long you have between each possible stop. Know where you can stop to walk, where you can get gas, and where there are shops to top up on essentials . 

This will give you a bit more control over how long to keep baby busy, when nap time should be, and where you can get out and stretch your legs if needed. You can also plan any activities along the way. 

Make a Note of Doctors and Hospitals Along Your Route

While planning your trip, keep a log of hospitals, emergency doctors, and medical care units in each town and city you’ll be passing through . Hopefully, you won’t need to use this list when going on a long drive with a baby, but if you have a feverish kid or an unfortunate accident, it’s better to know where to go. 

And on that note, be sure to keep important medical records on you while driving . From vaccination cards to allergies, bring anything that may be important in the event of an emergency. 

Keep Essential Travel Items Packed in The Front of The Car

You don’t want to take up too much leg room, but you also don’t want to have to stop the car just to reach a pacifier. Before you pack the car, separate items for the drive from things you’ll only need when you stop or reach your destination . 

On the other hand, don’t put items that you won’t need while driving in the front of the car. Keep extra clothes, bulky toys, and similar non-essentials in the boot instead. 

Stick to Routine as Much as Possible

This may seem harder once you’re actually on the road, but if you can keep to regular nap times and feeding times , it will help your baby stay regulated and feel secure. Similarly, taking some of their personal items with you to put into hotel rooms can help them feel at home. 

Get your free road trip packing list here!

Have Someone in the Back Seat

If you can, have one adult in the back seat with the baby if there’s a need for snacks or a quick drink. If you’re stopping often enough for food and drink, having an adult sitting at the back might still be helpful to talk to and entertain the baby . 

Of course, if older siblings take up space in the back seat, try to get them to play nicely with and speak to the baby. 

Look After Yourself Too

Just as it’s important to remember everything needed for the baby, it’s equally important for parents to stay happy and comfortable on long drives . Not only is it good for the parent driving, but it’ll also help keep the car’s atmosphere pleasant and calm . 

Stop when you are feeling uncomfortable, too. Pack in a few of your own favorite snacks. If the baby is fast asleep, take the time to play some of the music you used to play on long drives. You can’t take adequate care of your baby unless you also care for yourself.

Again, these tips for a road trip with a baby are from my real-life experiences, so I hope you feel more confident to plan that drive you’ve been putting off!

Marissa Pedersen

Marissa is a passionate road trip enthusiast who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada via car and continues to go on new trips every year to explore more of the country. Her love of road tripping has given her a unique perspective on the best routes, hidden gems, and must-see attractions along the way.

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A guide to road tripping with a baby, in 9 highway-tested steps

The back seat is your new best friend.

The “poop-tastrophe” at the Canadian border — as one of her children coined it — still haunts Nasreen Stump. And then there was the carsickness episode in a rental car in Seattle.

“We’ve put a lot of miles in with a lot of kids, and had a lot of unfortunate experiences along the way,” said Stump, a mother of four in Texas who writes for the family travel site TravelingMom.com .

In the greater journey of parenting, road trips have it all: discovery, boredom, tears, joy, gear galore and so many bodily fluids. As the holidays approach — and as road trips have become a covid-era alternative for families who want to avoid flying — we asked experts like Stump what strategies they deployed for limiting chaos while traveling with babies and toddlers.

As a relatively new mom, I could have used the advice at this time last year. Since then — through seven round-trip drives between D.C., Florida and Pennsylvania, mostly to stay with family who helped care for our baby — I’ve learned some of my own tricks.

The following nine tips are lessons only a parent with some miles under their belt could deliver.

Should you travel with kids during the pandemic? Consider these 6 trip scenarios.

Get your car checked before you leave

Need an oil change, tire replacement or air-conditioner check? Get that done before heading out. When there’s a fussy baby on your lap and all your bags are strapped to the roof, an auto repair shop is the last place you want to end up.

It’s also a good idea, Stump writes , to find a technician who can make sure your baby’s car seat is properly installed before taking off. She recommends checking with fire departments, ambulance services or hospitals to see if a technician can take a look.

Digitize your packing list

Handwritten packing lists are fine. But if you want to get fancy about it, create a spreadsheet so every computer-using person in the family can contribute and easily update your must-have list. Bonus: it’s easy to copy the basics and customize for future trips.

In making the list, think about everything your baby needs, eats, drinks, uses and wears over the course of a day. Figure out how long you can go without doing laundry or a grocery store run, and pack what you’ll need for that time (plus a little extra). Keep the crucial stuff accessible in the car to avoid frantically unpacking a suitcase for extra clothes or diapers.

You may think you can buy just about anything on the road. But Colleen Lanin, a mother of two and founder of TravelMamas.com , says a middle-of-the-night emergency could test your resourcefulness. If the kid spikes a fever at 3 a.m., you don’t want to search for a 24-hour pharmacy.

“Have that stash of your medicines ready,” she said.

And don’t forget a bag with extra personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer.

Can you still cancel a flight at the last minute? Your holiday travel questions, answered.

Throw the ETA out the window

Google Maps says you’ll arrive in six hours? What a fun fantasy! Your GPS is not the boss of the baby.

American Academy of Pediatrics spokeswoman Dina DiMaggio, a doctor at Pediatric Associates of NYC and at NYU Langone Health, recommends stopping every two to three hours for feeding, diaper changing and taking a break from the car seat.

Dirty diapers or meltdowns might require more frequent stops, so patience is key.

Lanin suggests mapping out pit stops in advance, and being realistic about how much time they’ll add to your trip.

“Babies and toddlers are not great at being stuck in the same place for hours and hours on end,” she said.

Timing the drive to avoid traffic is also a good idea, Stump said. Ever sat in a traffic jam with a screaming baby? It’s not great!

How to travel with your pet this holiday season

Join baby in the back seat

DiMaggio, a co-author of ​" The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers ,” does not recommend allowing babies to sleep in a car seat for too long, especially if no one is watching them. She said one parent should ride in the back, putting them in position to anticipate diaper stops, help naps along, and offer snacks or drinks — not to mention provide entertainment and a steady stream of distractions.

Stump recommends bath toys and books for road trips because they can be inexpensive and “really easy to sanitize.”

Make your car a rest stop

Maybe some parents with an unvaccinated, too-young-to-mask baby feel comfortable strolling into a rest stop, sitting in the food court and using a diaper changing station in the restroom. My family is not.

Many of our nursing sessions and diaper changes took place in the back seat of the car. We took advantage of drive-through or curbside pickup for meals, or food delivery services at Airbnb stays. Mobile ordering at Starbucks let us order breakfast and packaged lunches in advance and then run in to pick it up quickly without having to wait in line.

Keep the baby’s schedule consistent

If the kid naps every three hours, try to maintain that timeline in the car. If white noise is helpful, bring a portable machine or use an app. Do they have a favorite bedtime song or book or cuddly toy? Keep those handy.

Driving at night while the baby is sleeping might work for some parents — and we’ve done it many times — but we found we prefer to quit traveling closer to the baby’s dinnertime so everyone can eat, wind down and rest. For us, this means breaking up a long trip into a few days.

How my wife and I have traveled with our kid, from 12 weeks old to toddler

Know your lodging needs

Maybe you can get by with a standard hotel room. Bless you. Once our baby started an established bedtime routine, we needed something with more space — and, frankly, walls. In our case, extended-stay brands checked many boxes: they’re pet-friendly, offer separated spaces and include a fridge. When we can afford it, we look for vacation rentals so we can avoid crowds and easily load and unload the car.

Stump is a fan of Hilton’s Home2 Suites because they offer a curtain to separate the bed from the couch, and the rentals have “really long counters” that are particularly useful. She warns that parents with babies should not assume every hotel will have some kind of portable crib.

“They should call ahead multiple times or travel with something for the baby to sleep in, just in case,” she said.

Prepare for a mess (or two)

Both Stump and Lanin offered the same one-word advice: “buckets.”

“Have you seen how babies and toddlers throw up?” Lanin said. “They don’t aim.”

A good receptacle is important for kids who get queasy from carsickness or the stomach flu. Stump likes a collapsible beach bucket because it folds up flat for easy storage.

After Stump’s “poop-tastrophe,” when her family was returning from Montreal , she added layers of protection to the car. That includes waterproof covers that are meant for babies to wear over cloth diapers and replacement covers for an infant seat.

“Never again on a road trip without backups on those things,” she said.

Always, always check the fridge

My toughest lesson came on an otherwise stress-free morning. I congratulated myself on being ready to check out of the hotel early — with two dogs and a 7-month-old — on the final leg of a trip home to D.C. from Florida.

Two hours later, I was weeping as we drove north on Interstate 95, realizing in horror that I forgot to open the refrigerator for the one thing I couldn’t easily replace: 36 ounces of breast milk that I’d spent hours pumping over the past few days.

When I frantically called the hotel, I was told the room had been cleaned and any perishable items tossed. I vowed then and there to never leave a room without triple checking the fridge. Due to parental brain fog, I promptly forgot this vow on a trip a couple months later. But — in an endorsement for the shared packing list — my husband remembered before we left the parking lot.

More travel tips

Vacation planning: Start with a strategy to maximize days off by taking PTO around holidays. Experts recommend taking multiple short trips for peak happiness . Want to take an ambitious trip? Here are 12 destinations to try this year — without crowds.

Cheap flights: Follow our best advice for scoring low airfare , including setting flight price alerts and subscribing to deal newsletters. If you’re set on an expensive getaway, here’s a plan to save up without straining your credit limit.

Airport chaos: We’ve got advice for every scenario , from canceled flights to lost luggage . Stuck at the rental car counter? These tips can speed up the process. And following these 52 rules of flying should make the experience better for everyone.

Expert advice: Our By The Way Concierge solves readers’ dilemmas , including whether it’s okay to ditch a partner at security, or what happens if you get caught flying with weed . Submit your question here . Or you could look to the gurus: Lonely Planet and Rick Steves .

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

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All the Gear That Helped Me Survive a 3,000-Mile Road Trip With a Baby

My husband and I recently completed a two-nation, eight-state, 3,000-mile road trip from Minneapolis to the East Coast and back via Canada. Because we’re masochists, we brought our 11-month-old son along for the ride.

Not that it was an entirely masochistic endeavor. Despite Julian’s first flight being a total disaster, we felt confident planning a cross-country journey because he’d joined us for shorter, several-day road trips since he was 6 weeks old. We kinda knew what worked: syncing long driving stretches to his morning and afternoon naps. And what didn’t: riding in the back seat with him, which just gave our budding Oscar nominee a captive audience. We mapped the route accordingly, building in enough overnight stays that we wouldn’t need to drive more than four to six hours per day and planning breaks every 90 minutes or so to eat, pee, and stretch our legs at curious roadside attractions like Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland , the world’s biggest and creepiest Christmas store.

Casual adherents to baby-led weaning, we fed Julian whenever he was hungry and kept the mood in our Mazda CX-5 upbeat with El Reino Infantil and Daddy Yankee’s “Rompe” on repeat. (Don’t knock it till you try it.) It’s absolutely worth noting that I don’t breastfeed or pump , which makes traveling with a small tyrant about 2,000 times easier. Furthermore, Julian doesn’t get carsick — I know from friends of puke-prone kids just how paralyzing that is for would-be road trippers. (FWIW, two out of two parents recommended Dramamine for Kids , which is safe for ages 2 and up; a third with an up-chucker under 1 vouched for the long-sleeved smocks from Bumkins, noting gravely, “I can’t stop her from projectile vomiting on the backseat, but at least I can keep her shirt clean.”)

Although we still made rookie mistakes in those 2.5 weeks — did you know babies hate idling in traffic? Never again will we drive through Chicago instead of around it — we also carried a few products that saved us serious grief. In addition to a trustworthy car seat (the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is aces when paired with a piddle-proof liner ) and a good travel crib (we’re Camp Guava Lotus , despite having to YouTube instructions every time we fold it up), what follows are some of our less expected essentials for hitting the road with a BOB (that’s “baby on board” for those of you who still have lives).

Eating on the road

Before I discovered this stackable snack organizer, I was jamming random crumb-filled Ziplocs in Julian’s diaper bag. The snacks would get crushed beyond recognition, and I was wasting a ton of plastic. The modular design of this twist-off container keeps me in check: I replenish the snacks regularly, they hold their shape, and food — especially fruit — stays fresher longer. Each compartment holds up to eight ounces, and the hooked lid can be hung off strollers and totes. Julian hasn’t figured out how to open it himself yet, but he lights up whenever he glimpses his neon tower of treats — its mere existence makes it an antidote for backseat meltdowns.

Julian has been teething since he was 4 months old but didn’t pop his first tooth until two weeks ago. At home, he enjoys gumming these vaguely fruity styrofoam teething biscuits from Happy Baby, but we learned the hard way that they make an icky-sticky mess when ground into the fabric of a car seat. So somewhere between Philadelphia and Cleveland, we gave these tomato-flavored puffy sticks a whirl and haven’t looked back. They’re baked, not fried, and made with certified-organic corn meal, rice, quinoa, tomato, carrot, and rosemary, meaning they check all the feel-good boxes while still tasting awesome. (Not gonna lie, I eat a third of every bag I open for Julian.) More importantly: no gunk! The sticks are easy for Julian to hold, so he feeds himself, and they magically melt the second they touch his tongue.

It doesn’t matter how divey a roadside diner is, my husband and I would never leave a mess for a server to clean up. Julian, on the other hand, is at that unreasonable age when the only way he knows how to eat is Jackson Pollock style. We travel with a thousand million baby wipes for this reason, but this placemat came in handy when dining at restaurants on our road trip. Made of supple, food-safe silicone, it’s available in an array of cute prints (ramen, sushi, anthropomorphic avocados) and takes up minimal room in his baby bag. We park Julian in a high chair , spread out the placemat like a picnic blanket, and wait for the chaos to rain down. When he’s satisfied with his edible work of art, we roll it up like a taquito and take it to the bathroom for a quick rinse under the faucet. The mat doesn’t catch everything, but it’s that much less food we have to wipe up while apologizing profusely to the waitstaff.

Sometimes dining in a restaurant with a baby isn’t worth the hassle/public humiliation. When we needed to eat in a hotel room or Airbnb, we used this two-in-one, infant-feeding seat we found at the resale chain Kid to Kid . For babies 6 months and up, it works like a compact high chair with an attached tray. For toddlers up to 33 pounds, you remove the tray and it acts as a booster seat at a table. On our road trip, we used the safety straps to secure the seat to an array of chairs, making feeding time so much easier. At first, I worried that the hard plastic design would suck up too much space in the car, but it’s surprisingly compact when folded down, fitting on the floor behind the passenger seat. It’s also easier to clean than the fabric versions.

Changing on the road

When Julian was around 8 months old, I fell for some Instagram momfluencer clucking about her beloved Caraa baby tote . The bag is useful from an organizational standpoint, but it’s the size of a clown car and throws my back out of whack when fully loaded. And I certainly didn’t want to lug it around when I was bolting into a rest stop for a quick diaper change. That’s where this roll-up changing pad came in. It slips over my wrist like a clutch and fits everything we need and nothing we don’t to get our son cleaned up: baby wipes, disposable bags (see below), Aquaphor, and fresh diapers (truth: overnight swaddlers are the MVPs of long car trips). It also has a built-in memory-foam pillow, providing a clean, padded surface for nasty restroom counters and floors (or, in a pinch, the trunk of our car).

At home, we rely on an Ubbi steel diaper pail to keep our baby’s stank under control. On the road, there’s no such option. Considering many hotels did away with daily housekeeping services during the pandemic, it was even more important that we find an interim solution to soiled nappies. Enter this pocket-size, disposable diaper-bag dispenser from Munchkin. It comes with 72 baking-soda-infused bags from Arm & Hammer, and let me tell you: These bags are big enough to hold the heaviest pee-soaked diaper and deodorized enough to block noxious smells the minute they’re tied off. They even have a faint lavender scent, which is about as pleasant as a bag designed to hold baby poop gets. We now keep a roll tucked in our changing pad, another in the diaper bag, and a third in our glove compartment — just in case.

Bathing on the road

Bathing a baby in a hotel, motel, or Airbnb is always a dicey prospect. If the bathtub or shower isn’t immaculate enough to sit in while shaving my legs, I don’t want my kiddo splashing around in there — and no way am I schlepping a free-standing baby tub on a 3,000-mile road trip. By 11 months, however, Julian was too big-boned and squirmy for sink baths. Our road trip solution: micellar water, the same quick fix I use at home when I’m too lazy to wash my face. Mustela’s hypoallergenic avocado- and aloe vera–infused cleansing water is specifically formulated for babies. I put a few squirts on a cotton pad or washcloth and go to town, wiping down Baby Boy’s face, neck, body, and diaper area. It’s a fine stand-in for a bath because it requires no water and smells soapy-fresh with a hint of spring flowers. I use it on Julian’s hair, too, as it’s very good at taming a cowlick without matting down his baby-fine locks.

Sleeping on the road

For me, the most anxiety-inducing part of this road trip wasn’t the driving bit; it was the prospect of our melodramatic offspring having a nuclear meltdown in a hotel with whisper-thin walls. (At least when he screams bloody murder in a car, nobody suffers but us.) I know a lot of parents use SlumberPods to create blackout sleeping conditions for their babies, but those seem awfully bulky when packing space is at a premium. To emulate Julian’s nighttime routine on the road, we aimed to check in for the night by 7 p.m. Airbnb rentals were ideal because we could set up his Pack ’n’ Play in a separate room, but when we had to make do with a studio-style hotel room, we’d stick his travel crib in a dark closet or bathroom, switch on a white-noise app, and plug in his rotating night-light projector — the same kind we use in his nursery back home. The Moredig is small and portable and, depending on the filter you select, turns any ceiling into a galaxy of slow-churning moons and stars or a colorful aquarium teeming with fish. We still had to sneak around all mouselike behind closed doors, but the light show provided a familiar enough distraction that Julian usually drifted off to sleep after ten or 15 minutes.

Julian is a pretty good road tripper, all things considered. On the rare occasion that he acted a fool in a restaurant, hotel, or bumper-to-bumper traffic, and no amount of tomato sticks or Daddy Yankee jams could snap him out of a tantrum, we called into play our final line of defense: Infant+, a.k.a. hypnotherapy for babies. Despite the tsk-tsking of the anti-smartphone crowd, we’ve used this app since Julian was able to turn over. Its pleasant piano music and high-contrast black, white, and red animations of simple shapes like stars and circles grab a baby’s attention like André Leon Talley at an Amish barn raising. It’s repetitive but incredibly soothing — a Sandman for the 21st century.

Playing on the road

This stupid-simple rolling car meets all the demands of helicopter parents: no electronics, sustainably made with rubberwood and nontoxic paints, yada yada yada. But here’s what I really love about this toy : It’s quiet . No blinking, buzzing, drive-you-bananas, jibber-jabbering tomfoolery to disturb other hotel guests or make you contemplate a forever walk into the ocean. It rolls like Mario Andretti on hardwood floors, tile, and low-pile carpeting, and when Julian inevitably mic drops it, it doesn’t clatter quite as loudly as its plastic and metal brethren. Its diminutive size also makes it easy for Julian’s clumsy baby paws to grasp. Although his ability to play with this toy when strapped into a car seat is limited, he takes pleasure in simply holding it, bending its articulated body this way and that and spinning its wheels with his chubby little fingers. We’ve even brought the quiet car on plane rides, grateful for the brief diversion it provides during takeoff and landing.

Car trips are tough on a baby. They’re long and boring, and I’m sure it’s very lonely in the backseat when all your people are riding shotgun. One thing that alleviated some of Julian’s restlessness was this alpaca that we mistakenly named Llama. The important thing here is not what type of camelid Llama is, but that he’s a floppy, raglike creature that wears a placid expression on his face. Like every animal in the Slumberkins’ lineup , he’s designed to teach children how to cope with big feelings. Llama the Alpaca’s particular superpower is absorbing stress and anxiety, which seems apropos for a baby on a 3,000-mile road trip. Julian loves to chatter at his friend, squeeze and strangle him, gnaw his ears, chuck him across the backseat, and then cry until I undo my seatbelt and fish him back. Their relationship is a one-sided emotional rollercoaster, but every dumping session ends the same way — with Julian passed out in the car seat, his Llama slumped in his lap and us enjoying the silence.

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Best Tips for a Road Trip with a Baby or Toddler

If you are planning a road trip with a baby, you might feel a little overwhelmed and nervous – but don’t be! Traveling with a baby is often much easier than with bigger kids.

You need to make sure you are prepared, but babies sleep a lot and that makes driving long distances easier than when you have a toddler who won’t sleep and wants you to sing “Wheels on the bus” over and over and over and over…

If you are preparing for a road trip with a toddler in tow, we have you covered as well! The packing list will be different, but we have some awesome tips on how to make the best of a family road trip no matter the age of your kids.

We’ve done our first week-long road trip to when Dylan was just 4 weeks olds – to Puglia in Italy . Holden went on his first multi-day road trip at 4 weeks as well, but he embarked on adventures around the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico . We later continued road-tripping with the kids when they were 6 months old when we went to explore Pacific Northwest , we took Dylan around Utah when he was a toddler, and many other shorter or longer escapades.

First things first… Be Reasonable With Your Itinerary!

If you’re the type of parent who lives on schedules, you’ll need to adjust your expectations when it comes to baby car travel. It’s safe to say that even if you can drive across the country in a day or two, your baby will not do it.

Infants can only take so many hours in a moving vehicle no matter how calm, and even if they would you shouldn’t leave a baby in their infant car seat for more than a couple of hours at a time – I explained it further in this post.

You might need more frequent stops to reach your destination and sometimes things go wrong. When both kids were freaking out in a car for over an hour being done with driving we decided to pull over to a roadside motel and give them a break instead of letting them scream for 2 more hours to our final stop.

Some places are more kid-friendly for a road trip than others. For example, we had no issues driving in France or Switzerland, because every single rest stop had a small playground where kids could burn some energy off. In the US, these don’t exist almost at all so we had to scroll Google Maps and find some playgrounds in the nearest towns where we could pull over.

As tempting as it is to reach your destination as soon as possible, you’ll need to keep your baby’s needs in mind as well as your own sanity. 

In our case, we know the absolute maximum driving time a day is 5 hours.

Go for a trial drive

What is the longest drive you have done with your child? Before heading out on a long road trip I would recommend going on a shorter, trial run with your child.

My younger son went through a phase as a newborn where he would scream in the car nonstop. We needed two people to put him into his car seat… And this wasn’t even the worst, because I know of babies who would scream to the point of throwing up.

Going on a road trip during this phase would have been a disaster, so just because your mom-friends might think road trips are a great idea it might not work for you at a given stage!

You are going to feel more confident and will be much better prepared if you have some idea of how your child travels in the car for longer than a grocery run.

Leave during nap/sleeping times

When you schedule your departure time, consider what time you will arrive and when your child usually takes their nap/s and goes to bed.

If you are only driving for a couple of hours, plan to leave right before a nap. You can load the car and have everything ready, feed your baby and they will hopefully sleep the entire drive or most of it.

With older children, this still works. I have a four-year-old who I know will undoubtedly crash if he is in the car long enough. We always plan to leave late morning/early afternoon so that by the time he gets tired of driving and falls asleep, he wakes up no later than 2:00pm so she will sleep at night. If I were to leave late in the afternoon, he would sleep until 5:00 or 6:00pm and getting her to bed would be a complete nightmare.

Conversely, when we have gone on long road trips, we have left later in the evening so the kids spend a couple of hours awake, happily playing with their special car toys or reading car books and when they start to get over being in the car they fall asleep and sleep the rest of the trip. When we arrive at our destination, we carry them to their waiting beds where they usually transfer without issue.

Regardless of whether you plan on driving at night or during the day, get the removable window shades. Otherwise, your child might be screaming that the sun is in their face.

This only works if you can do so safely. Driving through the night can be hard and your family’s safety is always of the utmost importance. Always use your judgment and knowledge of your family when making these kinds of choices.

And for your own sake – get yourself a binky leash . You won’t want to look under the seats for pacifiers or toys that your baby threw all the time.

Get in the backseat for playtime with baby

While this tip goes out of the window if you have twins, or two kiddos, with just one baby it’s a good idea for an adult to sit in the backseat.

When traveling with another adult, it helps if one grown-up can ride in the backseat for at least a portion of the trip. Use your time on the road to bond with your baby and entertain them. We used to drive with Dylan around the Dolomites that way all the time!

And speaking of traveling with multiple kids: separate the kids!

If you happen to take a road trip with two toddlers, baby and toddler, separate the kids. Ever seen those photos of parents putting cardboard in between the seats? It’s for a good reason!

One of the biggest challenges is fighting kids in the back seat and sometimes when you’re on a highway you can’t just stop! Sti them as far away from each other as you can or separate them with a bag in between.

Stock Up on Necessities

One item I would never leave on any car trip without is a mirror that allows you to see your baby. This is not only extremely convenient but also a matter of safety for me. If you’re feeling extra fancy, now they also sell monitors vs mirrors.

When you are at home you have all the essentials at your fingertips to handle diaper blowouts and spit-ups galore. However, when you are on the road you won’t have a sink, washer and dryer and endless clothes to replace the soiled ones.

I would recommend buying a car seat cover . It comes with two which I appreciate. Hopefully, you won’t need two – but you just never know what your child will throw at you! It might be a diaper blowout or a freshly potty-trained toddler who isn’t able to fully hold.

Stay Organized

There are so many things to bring when in the car a huge step for a successful trip is staying organized. This is my absolute favorite way to stay organized in the car. The pockets are so thoughtfully made that they can be used in different ways. I love that the top pocket can be used to hold a tablet.

I also love this collapsible organizer . It collapses which is very convenient. I like the pockets on the outside and the dividers inside. I like to use it to bring all the essentials I know I will need – breast pump and parts, food for the drive, extra clothes and blankets, bottles, etc. it keeps everything in one place and I can easily take everything in and out of the car.

I also keep a trash can in the car to hold all the trash that inevitably accumulates on a road trip. It also helps keep clutter minimalized so you can find the things you need in a pinch.

Feeding while Driving

Make sure when planning your drive, you account for the feeding of your baby. You want to ensure if you will have to stop to feed your baby there is a safe and convenient place to stop along your route.

If you are breastfeeding, make sure to pack a portable breast pump and that you have a converter so you can charge it in the car.

It can be easier to bottle feed on road trips, so make sure to have enough bottles to last the drive and then pump to replace what my baby has had to drink.

I love this cooler to keep bottles of milk in. It has an ice pack that perfectly holds bottles so can keep milk cold and safe from spills. I also absolutely love this formula holder for the on-the-go. You can fill it with a formula for 3 bottles to make making bottles a breeze. I fill multiple bottles up with very warm water so by the time I need them I have filtered, fresh warm water all ready to go with the addition of the formula.

You’ll also want to make sure and bring a sippy cup for the car ride. This Munchkin sippy cup is my favorite because it is no spill and has a lid to keep the straw sanitary when not in use. The weighted straw also enables the child to be able to drink from any angle.

If you’re a baby or toddler eat, snacks are essential. Pack pieces of fruits, crunchies, rice waffles, or anything that is portable and can’t melt, makes stains, or requires refrigerating.

Entertainment on the Drive for Babies

Now for the fun part! Keeping your children entertained.

I had one of these colorful and fun toys on my babies’ car seats and strollers all the time. An attachable clip is a must! They are so fun for babies to look at and try and grab.

My absolute favorite things to have in the car for my kids are books! I will usually buy books for my kids before a car trip, so they are new and exciting.

My favorite road trip books are board books with flaps and sounds. These entertain my kids better than anything else.

For babies and toddlers, I love soft busy books like this . It’s like their first busy board .

Entertainment on the Drive for Toddlers

Toddlers need much more than babies, because their brains can’t stop spinning. They want to be entertained all the time. A baby might be able to occupy themselves with a book for a few hours, but your toddler most likely won’t.

We love Seek and Find books for car trips.

Another favorite are these Water WOW! Coloring books. They are fun to color on, but they aren’t messy and there aren’t a bunch of crayons/markers to keep track of.

Drawing is a fun car ride activity, but it can get really overwhelming trying to bring coloring books, paper and markers/crayons, which is why I like this option best. Even with a tray things fall off and then you have a yelling child who must use green crayon now no matter what.

I also love Melissa and Doug products for car trips! This wooden animal board puzzle is one of my absolute favorites for cars. I love how the pieces have homes behind doors for storage, so there aren’t a bunch of parts I am trying to keep track of.  I also love this locks and latches board to keep young inquisitive minds busy.

While toys are fun in the car, I have found they take up more room, get dropped, and are easily lost which is why for road trips I prefer books and tablets.

Even if you don’t allow your children to watch television or movies at home, you may want to consider bending the rules for road trips with toddlers for your own sanity.

You can also let your child play on a tablet or watch a movie on a tablet as long as it has a good protective case .

For Rest Stops…

As we’ve mentioned before, it’s best to pack several bibs in your travel bag for easy access while traveling.  Not the material one, something you can just rinse in the water like Munchkin.

If your baby can sit up with support, a  travel high chair  can make indoor dining much easier.  These fold up when not in use and can easily be stored in the trunk of your vehicle. 

One item I like to bring when traveling is child-sized cutlery . Most places do not have child cutlery and if you’ve ever given a toddler a regular fork you will understand why this is on my list.

If you will be staying at a hotel, make sure you call the hotel and let them know you have an infant/child. They will usually put you in a more isolated part of the hotel which is really helpful if your baby is screaming in the middle of the night, and you are concerned about bothering other guests.

You will also want to ask if they have a pack n play for you to use. Most hotels do, which is nice to have one less thing to pack. If they do not – you will want to bring your own.

While the prospect of a road trip with your little one may be overwhelming – it really can be amazing! I have learned these tips the hard way over the years and many, many road trips. My family has made the best memories going on trips together and I know you can too!

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Road Trip With A Baby: Tips To Help Parents Survive

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Your First Road Trip with a Baby

Planning to take a road trip with a baby can feel overwhelming. And if this is your first time traveling with your new baby you may be extra nervous about what is ahead. You are not alone! Every parent has to make their first road trip with a baby, and we’ve all survived. But there are lots of things I’ve learned along the journey of parenting and travel with a baby. Do you want to find out how to make the road trip more bearable for you and your baby?

Push through to overcome your initial fears of traveling with a baby. It is actually easier to travel with an infant before they start crawling or walking. So plan to take that first road trip with a baby sooner rather than later. Planning, being prepared, and giving yourself some grace if not everything is “perfect” will help you take on this new challenge.

Being flexible and having a sense of humor will help when you take a road trip with a baby. The special memories you make, and the family time together, far outweighs any extra effort it will take to travel with a baby.

In this post about surviving a road trip with a baby, we will cover when to travel, what to pack, how to check your baby car seat, nursing on a road trip. Plus road trip snacks, how to avoid motion sickness, what to include in a car clean-up kit, changing a diaper in the car, the best baby travel toys , and more. To learn practical tips about how to survive your road trip with a baby then keep reading.

Top 15 Tips to Survive a Road Trip with a Baby

Traveling with a baby requires flexibility. Be prepared for unexpected surprises along the way. You never know when you may get stuck in traffic, or have to deal with baby puke or poop during your road trip. Try to handle any unexpected changes with grace and a sense of humor. Your baby can sense how you’re feeling. The calmer you can remain, the better this is for everyone!

From my many years of travelling with little ones, these are my top tips to help you survive a road trip with a baby.

1. Avoid travel on peak days

If you are traveling with a baby to visit family around the holidays then avoid driving before and after a holiday, when the road is busier. Many people prefer to be at their destination to enjoy the holiday and want to avoid traveling on an actual holiday. Peak travel days in the US include the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, December 23rd and January 2nd. Consider driving on an actual holiday, or at night, when the roads will be quieter. Since your baby won’t know what day it is you may want to postpone your celebration with the family to a different day and take advantage of being on the road with less traffic. Trust me, there’s no much worse than being stuck in stand-still traffic with a screaming baby!

2. Give yourself extra time and plan regular breaks

Everything with a baby takes longer than expected. Give yourself a buffer and allow for extra time in your journey. Plan to take regular breaks so you can get baby out of the car seat and give him/her time to move and stretch out. If the weather is warm and dry then bring a large picnic blanket and find a spot to spread it out on the grass. This allows the baby to crawl or layout in a soft, clean area.

You will need to stop to nurse or feed the baby and change a diaper every few hours. Plus, you never know when your baby is going to spit up or have a blow out that needs to be dealt with right away. All these things take time, so roll with it and don’t try to rush and stick to a deadline. You will feel more relaxed when you’re not pressed for time. Certainly, when Mama is more relaxed then Baby feels more relaxed too!

3. Travel while baby sleeps 

Babies will typically sleep a lot. This is good news for traveling parents and one of the benefits of taking a road trip with a baby before they get older and are more active. Plan to do as much driving as possible while your baby is asleep. Then take breaks when your baby is scheduled to eat or will need a diaper change.

4. Dress comfortably for a Road Trip with a Baby

When traveling you and your baby want to be as comfortable as possible. I always opt for jeggings or yoga pants. And I bring coordinating changes of clothes for baby, so that if she only messes up the pants then I don’t always need to change the whole outfit. Remember to bring pajamas for your baby in the diaper bag, then if you’re going to arrive at night then you can have baby dressed and ready for bed. For more comfy clothing ideas for the whole family check out our post about how to  Simplify a Road Trip with Kids .

5. Pack light and only bring the essentials

The only essentials you really need when you take a road trip with a baby.

• a  diaper bag  with diapers (one diaper for every 2 hours of travel, and buy more at your destination)
• baby wipes, a changing mat, and tissues
• burp cloths, blankets, and  bibs  (which are easier to change than a whole outfit)
• changes of clothes for you and baby, including pajamas
• pacifier with clip , and  teethers
• baby carrier (I love the  Ergobaby Carrier 360  or  BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Free ) so your hands are free during rest stops and at your destination
• a light-weight travel  stroller  
• formula/bottles/sippy cups
• a  nursing cover  
• diaper cream  (3oz or less, if flying, use just in case you can’t change baby right away)
• plastic bags (to carry wet/messy items)
• snacks (e.g. cheerios in a  snack catcher cup , rice cakes etc.)
• comfort item or toy for sleeping
• books/small toys (see baby travel toys for more details)
• ID for you and baby if you’re driving across borders (check out our post about how to apply for your child’s passport )

I also recommend bringing a baby travel kit to keep in your diaper bag which includes: a  thermometer , Tylenol (for fever), Ibuprofen (for pain), band-aids, and any prescription medication.

For a detailed list of all the items you may consider taking check out our Road Trip With A Baby Packing List which you can DOWNLOAD our FREE Road Trip Survival Bundle.

6. Rent or borrow baby gear at your destination 

On a road trip with a baby it’s not always possible, or worth the hassle, to drag all that baby gear with you. If you’re tight on space in the car then you may consider renting or borrowing bulky baby gear at your destination. These items include a crib or  pack and play , highchair,  Bumbo  seat, play mat, baby swing or bouncy seat.

When you’re visiting family then keep in mind that you might be able to borrow baby gear from your sister, cousin, or even Grandma may keep baby items at her house.

If you’re visiting a new location then research a local company where you can rent baby gear by the day or by the week.

If you’re traveling within the US then check out  BabyQuip  or Baby’s Away , which both offer baby supply rentals. And keep in mind that you can buy diapers when you arrive at your destination. You don’t need to carry a week’s worth of diapers in your car (unless you have space)!  

7. How to check your baby car seat

Before taking a road trip with a baby check that you have installed the car seat correctly. For any new parent installation of the infant car seat can be a real headache. Most parents worry about whether it’s done right. My advice – take advantage of a car seat safety technician. Check with your local fire department, ambulance service, or hospital to see if there is a car seat tech on staff.

You can also use the National Child Passenger Safety website to search for a technician in your area. You can feel more confident going on your first road trip with a baby if you know that your car seat is installed correctly in your vehicle.

Parenting Tip: Before embarking on a long road trip with a baby for the first time get your child used to the car seat. Strap your baby into the 5-point harness and take some shorter local rides in the car. This will help get the baby used to the car seat and the motion of riding in the car.

8. Nursing during a road trip with a baby

If you are breastfeeding your baby then save time by pumping while driving. A breast pump car adapter in the lighter plug-in is ideal for nursing mothers while traveling on a road trip with a baby. Remember to bring a breastmilk cooler bag and ice packs to store your pumped breastmilk.

It is important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated while you are nursing, especially during travel. Being hydrated will positively affect your overall mood and energy level on a road trip. Practice good nursing habits to avoid mastitis. Don’t go too long between feedings, or pumping, just to get in the miles. A road trip with a baby is the last place you want to end up with an infection or breast issue.

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9. Consider riding in the back seat

If you are taking a road trip with a baby and traveling as the passenger, then be prepared to ride in the back seat. When you are on the road there is only so much you can do turned around and trying to reach your baby from the passenger seat.

It will depend if you have other children in the car and if there is a spare seat available for you next to your baby. But consider riding in the back seat so you can easily reach and tend to your baby’s needs. Whether it’s entertaining your baby, picking up dropped toys or a pacifier, or giving your child a snack. Sometimes being able to see or touch you will help your baby to be calm. And they will ride better in the car.

10. Bring snacks for the whole family

If your baby is 6 months or older and starting to each solid foods then considering bringing plenty of snacks. My all-time favorite is this  snack catcher cup . I would fill with cheerios or rice cakes, so my baby could hold it and feed themselves. Also, bring road trip snacks for the rest of the family for when someone gets hungry. Therefore if the baby is sleeping then you can press on and not have to stop immediately for food. Keep the road trip snacks easily accessible in your car.

Click here to download our Family Road Trip Survival Bundle with a printable Road Trip Snacks List. This will give you ideas of the best kid-friendly snacks to pack. These are our family favorites which we know your kids will love.

11. How to avoid motion sickness in the car

Before and during a road trip pay attention to what your baby is eating. Keep food and drinks bland to prevent motion sickness. If motion sickness becomes a regular occurrence for your child (like it did for mine), then be aware of how your child was acting before they got sick. With a baby, it is hard to teach them to recognize the signs of motion sickness. Therefore, help create mental cues for you by making a note of any unusual behavior that occurs before they get sick.

Our youngest daughter has struggled with motion sickness since she was a baby. I started to notice how she would begin to whine uncharacteristically when she started feeling sick. Read this post where I share everything I have learned about avoiding motion sickness in the car.

12. Be prepared to clean up messes 

Whether it’s pee, poop, blood or puke, or just snacks that get spilled. It’s inevitable that there will be a mess in the car when you take a family road trip with a baby. From many miles of road trips with kids, I have developed the Essential Car Clean-up Kit. I ALWAYS keep these supplies within easy reach in the car. Don’t get caught off guard. You will be incredibly thankful you have these items if you need them. When you’re pulled over on the side of the highway trying to clean-up your baby, then being prepared to clean up messes will help ease a stressful situation.

The Essential Car Clean-up Kit for a road trip with a baby includes:

• Paper Towels
• Hand Sanitizer
• Kleenex Tissues
• Towels (hand towel and bath towel size)
• Disinfecting Spray / Wipes
• Kids ‘N’ Pets Odor Remover Spray
• Travel First Aid Kit

13. How to change a diaper in the car

It is inevitable that you will need to change a diaper during a road trip with a baby. If this is your first road trip with a baby then mastering diaper changes on-the-go can feel overwhelming. You have two options for diaper changes on a road trip. Firstly, going into a rest area, gas station, restaurant, or store. Secondly, consider bringing a changing mat and changing the diaper in your car.

There are pros and cons to each option. For the most part, I am weary of all the germs in public restrooms, especially on the baby changing tables. I often preferred to change my babies in the car where it felt more “clean”. Our typical road trip routine was to stop and nurse the baby while Daddy took a break from driving, went to the bathroom, and stretched his legs. I’d use a waterproof changing mat to do the diaper change in the front passenger seat of the car. Then hand off the baby to Daddy while I headed inside to dispose of the dirty diaper, use the bathroom, and wash my hands.

Make sure to keep a fresh diaper and wipes within easy reach. And have a disposable diaper bag dispenser as a place to put the dirty diaper. Consider using a diaper rash cream or ointment to seal out wetness and protect your baby’s bottom from diaper rash as they sit in the car seat for an extended amount of time.

14. The best travel toys for a baby road trip

A baby’s attention span is short. It’s a good idea to pack a selection of travel toys for a baby (see also, ‘ How to Pack Formula For Air Travel ‘). Having different travel activities for your child to switch between will make the family road trip more bearable for you and your child! It’s important to adjust your expectation of what will happen during a road trip with a baby. It will be quite different than traveling before you had kids. If your baby is awake then the job of a new parent is to entertain that tiny human until you reach your destination!

What are the best travel toys for a baby? Bring a selection of small hardback baby books and interactive books for your road trip with a baby. Other great travel activities for a baby include toys that are multi-sensory, stacking rings, link rings, an activity cube, rattles, and clips. Our most favorite baby travel toy is Sophie la giraffe , have you seen her? Bring a surprise toy or something new and exciting that you can introduce mid-journey. See our review of the best travel toys for a baby or go here to purchase baby travel toys .

15. Break up your journey with an overnight stop

Depending on the distance of your road trip, and the length of time you have available to travel, you may consider breaking up your journey with an overnight stop. Taking a road trip with a baby can be exhausting for the entire family! That includes parents and the baby!

If you break up your journey with an overnight stop at a hotel, then make sure you take an overnight bag. Bring changes of clothes for the whole family, plus toothbrushes and basic toiletries. Pack the bag in a place that is easy to access in the trunk. It is far simpler to unload one small bag for the night than to unpack the entire vehicle with everyone’s suitcases. We love to book a hotel with a swimming pool. If so, don’t forget the swimsuits, baby swim float , and swim diapers.

Before your next Road Trip with a Baby

Download our Family Road Trip Survival Bundle. It includes our popular Road Trip With A Baby Packing List, Family Road Trip Checklist, and Road Trip Snacks List. These will help simplify your family road trip.

I hope these practical tips will help you survive your road trip with a baby. At the end of the day being prepared will help you feel more confident, but traveling with a baby requires flexibility. I know you can do it!

And remember, let’s BE Family so you can enjoy the journey.

Until next time,  💕Ruth

For more about family travel check out these posts: How to Pack Your Car for a Family Road Trip Essential Family Road Trip Checklist Travel with a Baby stress-free Best Travel Toys for a Baby

BE Family Products Inc., or (BE Family Travel) participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Using any of the links on this website does NOT cost you anything but does help us continue to create content on this blog. Thank you so much for your support and for partnering with us. Let’s BE Family.

Ruth Hutchins grew up in England and now lives in North Carolina with her husband, Doug, and their two young daughters. They always loved to travel, but once having children everything changed because family travel is more complicated. Traveling with a baby may feel overwhelming to new parents. Travel with a toddler can really test your patience, and traveling with kids can lead to utter chaos. However, travel with your little ones doesn’t have to be that stressful or exhausting. On the BE Family Travel blog Ruth shares her parenting wins, and even epic failures about traveling with kids. She provides resources to help you feel empowered to plan a family vacation and travel with your children.

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Road trip with a baby: 10 essential survival tips + packing list.

How to plan successful long drives traveling with an infant

The prospect of a long road trip with a baby can fill even the most experienced traveling parents with anxiety. We know; we’ve been there!  There are just so many extra items that are needed for baby car travel and don’t forget those ill-timed diaper blowouts while you’re inconveniently between stops.

We’ve put our own traveling experiences to work for you by compiling ` 10 Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby to help make your journey as stress-free as possible. You’ll also find a helpful list of baby road-tripping gear at the end to make packing a breeze.

This post is part of our family road-tripping and best baby travel advice series

If your child is a little bit older, then pop on over and read all our best toddler road trip travel advice here.

10 Tips For Road-Tripping With A Baby

Before we dive into traveling tips for baby’s first road trip, we’d like to emphasize the importance of having a suitable rear-facing car seat for your baby .  Please check to make sure it has not expired, and if you are traveling to another country, it’s best to look up child safety laws for the area you’re driving to. 

1. Get as Much Practice as Possible

You may have heard horror stories of families embarking on a long drive with their baby only to turn around because their little one dissolved into hysterics. We have experienced a fair amount of crying while traveling ourselves, and the best solution we’ve found to this has simply been to get your baby used to being in their car seat. 

We know that getting out and about with your baby is easier said than done, especially if you have more than one child.  Even a few trips to pick up groceries or going to the park will help your little one realize that being in a car seat is not the end of the world. 

Once that is going well, perhaps plan a day trip to a park or location an hour or two away.  By increasing your baby’s time in their car seat incrementally, you’re decreasing the chances of constant crying when you’re committed to a longer trip.

2. Be Reasonable With Your Itinerary

If you thrive on making schedules and sticking to them, you’ll need to adjust your expectations when it comes to baby car travel. As tempting as it is to reach your destination as soon as possible, as new parents, you’ll need to keep your baby’s needs and your own sanity in mind when planning your first family road trip. 

Even the most well-traveled infant can only spend so many hours in a moving car (and you shouldn’t leave a baby in their infant car seat for more than a couple of hours at a time). When taking on long car journeys, build in plenty of pit stops for the whole family.

You also wanted to make sure that you are taking care of yourself and your partner.  Sleepless nights and babies often go hand-in-hand. If you’re already running on fumes, avoid trying to drive for more than five to six hours a day or through the night. Your family’s safety is the most important thing.

We’ve always found it helps to time the long stretches for what would be your baby’s normal nap time – but “normal” doesn’t always apply when traveling with a baby! If you have older children to consider too, you may have multiple napping schedules to consider, and there is no ‘best time.’

3. Bring Pumping Supplies or Extra Formula

Whether you’re a breastfeeding mum or you’re feeding your little one with baby formula , you’ll need to pack extra feeding supplies when on the road with an infant. Bringing along ready-to-feed formula can be a lifesaver during travel, as mixing formula on the go can prove to be a hassle, especially on extended journeys.

In the event that you either aren’t able to pull over and nurse your baby or that they are sleeping soundly in their car seat at feeding time, you’ll probably want to bring a travel breast pump along with you.

This can be one of the bulkiest items to pack, and you’ll need to remember to bring extra batteries or have a charging cord that plugs into your car’s adapter (naturally, this is if you’re the passenger, not the driver!).

I can’t say enough good things about the Spectra breast pump . The latest model even has a rechargeable battery. A car adapter is also available for additional purchase. The Spectra is powerful and easy to clean, both of which are pluses when traveling.

Additional recommended supplies for feeding on the move:

• Nursing Cover
• Milk Storage Bags
• Insulated Bottle Cooler
• Travel Bottle Warmer
• Milk Bottles
• Cleaning Kit

You can find our complete guide to breastfeeding on the go here, as well as our complete guide to bottle feeding on the go .

4. Car Seat Additions

In some ways, babies are both easier and more difficult to entertain than toddlers .  Your newborn won’t be screaming because you took their tablet away from them, but they may scream because of a dirty diaper, they’re hungry, or they’re tired of being in their car seat.  Yes, taking a baby on the road can be a different animal altogether.

Babies are sometimes easier in the sense that they can be distracted by much simpler items, such as favorite toys that rattle or make noise, or merely seeing their own reflection in a mirror. 

We suggest a toy strip that attaches to the handles of your baby’s car seat.  This ensures they will have a variety of engaging travel toys that can’t be thrown on the floor (A toy tether is also an excellent way to avoid this scenario!).

Some of our favorite baby road trip toys

We also recommend having a car seat mirror when you’re on a long trip with your baby so that you can keep tabs on how they’re doing.  It’s always helpful to know when your baby is napping, as this can help determine whether or not you can squeeze in another hour of driving.  A mirror can also alert you to those unfortunate milk spit-ups that will more than likely result in an extra pit stop.

Some babies will go through phases of simply not settling in the back seat. Particularly if they are the only one in the back, a quick way to a happy baby may be simply having another adult or family member sit with your infant to entertain them in their car seat.

5. Pack a Travel Bag

You’ll want to have some of the essentials within arm’s reach in your vehicle, which is why you’ll need an extra travel bag inside the car, aside from your suitcases in the trunk. 

Your regular diaper bag can be perfectly suitable for this, or you can simply pack an extra tote.

Here are some helpful items to stock your car baby bag with:

• Travel changing pad
• Extra diapers
• Diaper Cream
• Healthy Snacks
• Hand sanitizer
• Burp cloths
• Plastic bags (for dirty diapers)
• A change of clothes (for baby and for you!)
• Ziploc bags or wash bags (for dirty clothes)
• Extra pacifiers (if needed)
• First Aid Kit

We’ve found that it’s always helpful to have a small selection of baby’s favorite toys for when we would have to stop and eat while traveling. 

These could be brought into the restaurant and swapped out, and sanitizing wipes certainly came in handy when those toys inevitably hit the floor. Bibs also became a necessity, as they helped protect our baby’s clothes from spit-ups in the car. 

• You’ll find our complete baby travel checklist here .

6. Expect a Few Diaper Blowouts

Ah, diaper blowouts.  These are a fact of parenting life, and traveling with a newborn by car practically guarantees that a few will occur between Point A and Point B – we’ve learned the hard way! 

While there’s nothing you can do to prevent blowouts, you can minimize the cleanup, thereby reducing your own stress in these situations.

We absolutely recommend a car seat liner .  Many are universal, but you should also be able to find one that fits your specific car seat.  Car seat liners can be wiped clean and are machine washable, and they prevent anything from soaking into the actual car seat (you’ll use these right through the toilet training stage up to the pre-school years).

Baby car travel also dictates the necessity of packing backup clothing, and onesies are extremely convenient.  We advise packing 2-3 onesies in your travel bag to cover all of your bases – it’ll save you needing to dig them out of suitcases on the side of the road for those emergency diaper changes.

7. Prepare for Frequent Stops

Taking baby on the road goes hand-in-hand with stopping. Frequently.  It’s just a fact of life, and if you accept it at the onset of your road trip, this will probably reduce the chances you’ll be cranky about it later. 

Babies simply require extra handling, whether it be an unanticipated nursing or feeding stop, milk-spit-up-fiasco, or the dreaded diaper blowout.  It’s best just to buck up, pull over, and take care of business.

It’s also a good idea to bring along your stroller .  This really is an essential road-tripping item, as you’ll need to stretch your legs as well as transport your baby to and from your hotel room or take in some trails during a rest stop. 

8. For Mom – Take Care of YOU

This article may be about road trips with a baby, but we’re going to take a moment and focus on you, Mom.  It can be tempting to put your needs last, as it so often seems to be a part of being a mother.  However, your own well-being is directly linked to the health and happiness of your little one, and it’s important to remember this.

For one, don’t be afraid to speak up if you’re exhausted.  Letting your partner or spouse take the wheel while you’re on the road is an excellent way to catch up on any sleep you may have missed the night before.  Even a half-hour of added sleep can do wonders, as we’re sure you know!

If you’re a nursing mom , you’ll also want to make sure that you’re staying hydrated.  You’ve already adopted the mindset that stops will be more frequent, so if that means a few extra trips to the bathroom, so be it.  Don’t sacrifice your own health because it may be temporarily inconvenient for others.

9. Pack A Few Travel Dining Essentials

Car travel with a baby means that you’ll be stopping along the way to eat, which means you’ll need to pack a few travel dining essentials.  If your baby can sit up with support, a travel high chair can make indoor dining much easier.  These fold up when not in use and can easily be stored in the trunk of your vehicle. 

As we’ve mentioned before, it’s best to pack several bibs in your travel bag for easy access while travelling.  We’re big fans of these silicone bibs , as they can be easily wiped clean for repeated use on your journey. Don’t forget surface wipes before sitting at a table and for wiping little hands that will want to touch EVERYTHING before serving up baby food!

10. Prepare for Hotel Stays

Staying in a hotel with your baby usually means that you’ll get much less sleep than normal, but we have some tips to make these experiences less tiring for everyone involved.

• Ask for a corner room.  These are often quieter and farther away from elevators.  Many hotels will work to accommodate families with infants, and you should not be afraid to speak up.  The worst they can tell you is that they don’t have any available. 
• If financially possible, spring for a suite room.  These generally have a separate space (such as a common living room area) where you can place your baby’s travel cot. 
• Bring a portable baby travel bassinet , not a bulky pack n’ play.  While useful, pack n’ plays can take up space in your vehicle that you’ll need for other items. Most hotels offer some sort of travel crib, but that doesn’t guarantee that the mattress will be lined or as thick as your baby is used to. A travel bassinet can be placed in the crib and provide all that your baby needs for a restful night’s sleep.

Baby Road Trip Essentials – Gear You’ll Need

We’ve mentioned several pieces of essential gear to prepare for a successful road trip with your infant or baby. To help you pack, here is a convenient list for your reference (you can also head straight to our Amazon store , where we set out all our favourite baby travel essential items)

• Travel Breast Pump
• Car Adapter
• Toy Teether
• Silicone Bibs
• Car Seat Liner
• Travel diaper change kit
• Travel High Chair
• Travel Bassinet

 What about when you arrive at your destination? Download our complete baby packing list when you sign up for our newsletter here – never forget an essential item again traveling with a baby!

Final thoughts on taking baby on the road

Remember, it’s all about setting realistic expectations. Give yourself plenty of time, pack well, rest frequently, and go easy on yourself if things don’t go exactly to plan! Traveling with a newborn may not be your best road trip, but it IS achievable with a little thought and planning. Safe Travels!

More Top Travel Tips With A Baby

Before you leave home with a baby in tow, firstly pop over to our Best Baby Travel Advice homepage. We cover a huge range of baby travel topics here including:

• How to Handle Baby’s First Flight – from booking the tickets to getting on the plane and surviving mid-air meltdowns, here’s how baby air travel works.
• Hiking with a Baby – babies can make great travel companions in the early days – here’s how to get yourself set up for a successful baby hike.
• Essentials Camping with a Baby – undoubtedly, tots do come with a lot of stuff! Here are the essential baby items we always recommend you take on a baby camping trip & hitting the trails.
• Bringing Baby to the Beach – Top tips for when you’re out in the sun and the surf to keep baby safe and make sure its a fun day for all of you.
• Baby Travel Essentials – the most important things for baby we never leave home without.

You can find all of our family travel product reviews here

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2 thoughts on “ Road Trip With A Baby: 10 Essential Survival Tips + Packing List! ”

I’m also bring my electric breast pump just in case!

great tip for newbie parents

Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby ( 0 – 12 Months) – A Complete Guide for First-Time Parents

Who says you cannot travel with a baby? Yes, it is different, but it is totally doable! One of the best ways to start traveling as a new family is by going on a road trip with a baby.

After one year of road trips with our son, we have learned a lot. From short 2-hour road trips to a 2-week long road trip – we have experienced the best and the worst parts of road tripping with a baby. 

Through personal tried and true experience, I have created this guide of “How to Road Trip with a Baby” to help new parents navigate their way as easily as possible. My guide includes product recommendations, expectations at different months of age, and 12 essential tips for road tripping with a baby.  

Full disclaimer: I am not a children’s practitioner, nurse, or expert. This guide and tips are purely from personal experience and fellow traveling parents. If you have any medical or health concerns, please seek advice from your pediatrician. 

Furthermore, This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on the link you will have the option to purchase a product at no extra cost to you, but I would receive a small commission. I want to thank everyone for following and supporting us on all of “Our Sweet Adventures.” 

12 Essential Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby

First and foremost, EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT!

Yes, I believe my guide can help first-time parents navigate their way to a successful road trip with a baby. However, what has worked for other parents and us, may not always work for you. Some tips may work, some may not – you will not know until you hit the road and go through trial and error.

We have found these 12 essential tips to be the most helpful during our road trips with a baby. Whether you are taking a road trip with a newborn, a 12-month-old, or any age in between – these tips can be helpful for any stage.

The Trifecta Checklist

Of all the tips for road tripping with a baby, this one is KEY! We call it the “trifecta checklist.” So what does that mean? Sleep, diaper, food.

If our son was crying, the first thing that helped us was to check for a diaper, see if he was hungry, and find out the last time he slept.

Nine times out of ten (especially before our son was 6-months-old), he would cry for one of those three reasons. He would immediately stop crying once we figured out if he needed a diaper change, a bottle, or sleep.

Moreover, the “trifecta checklist” is a great tip for traveling with a baby , period.

Plan For Several Stops

This brings me to my next tip – you will need to plan for several stops when road tripping with a baby. This is important and inevitable. Depending on your baby and their stage in life, you may need to plan a stop every 1 -3 hours.

Why? Because you need to give your baby breaks. The best way to take breaks is by incorporating fun activities, tours, or stops at cute little towns. As a family who loves to hike, we plan our stops around hiking places.

You also want to be prepared to carve out a couple of hours on your road trip for diaper changes, breastfeeding, and walks. Honestly, these stops are so healthy because a nice break is beneficial for both the parents and child when the baby gets fussy.

Plan for Itinerary Changes

With that said, you can also expect to change your itinerary. Going on a road trip with a baby is not always easy. You may get behind schedule. That is OKAY!

I recommend setting a goal for Plan A, knowing you most likely will end up with Plan B. This could mean taking an activity (or two) out of the day, going to a drive-thru instead of dining inside, taking the highway instead of a more scenic route, etc.

If planning road trips is daunting for you. Do not worry! There are awesome apps for road tripping planning that can help you.

Find Patience!

I am probably one of the most impatient people in the universe, but I had to find the patience to succeed when road tripping with a baby.

As you may have already gathered from my previous tips, a typical 2-hour road trip may take up to 4 hours. So take deep breaths, and remember it’s about the journey and the memories you create with your family. It is not a race to the finish line or, in this case, the destination.

Once you can find patience, your road trip with a baby will be so much more enjoyable.

Plan Driving Around Naps

If possible, plan the driving around your baby’s sleep schedule. We always try our best to drive 30 minutes before our son’s scheduled nap.

If you do not already keep track of your baby’s sleep schedule, now would be the time to start. Our favorite baby app is Huckleberry because it keeps track of sleep, feedings, medicine, and more.

Another tip for road tripping with a baby and their naps – pack a swaddle blanket with patterns and keep it in the car. We use swaddle blankets for three things. Of course, we use it to wrap our son, but we also use it for two road trip tips.

We place the swaddle blanket over the car seat to help provide more shade and a quiet space for our son to sleep while on the road. We also use it to keep our son calm and engaged by looking at the patterns. He would always stare and try to touch the patterns on the swaddle blanket.

Be Prepared to Pack MORE Than Ever!

My goodness, I think we had a full-sized suitcase packed to the top just for our son. From the 2 – 3 clothes per day to diapers, baby wipes, towels, and everything else – our son had more stuff than the two of us combined.

Not to mention, the car seat, the stroller, the pack-n-play… everything will quickly add up. So if you are renting a vehicle for the road trip, I suggest an SUV.

Pack the Car with Easy Access 

What is a road trip without snacks, right? I think this tip works for any road trip – make the snack bag easily accessible. More importantly, when road tripping with a baby, you want to make sure all the essentials are also easily accessible.

Whether that means a cooler with baby bottles, a bag of toys, or a diaper bag, you want to make sure you can easily reach these items.

Pack Extra Batteries

Today, so many of the best ways to keep a baby happy and calm require batteries. Therefore, you do not want to forget to pack extra batteries.

Before your road trip, check all electronics that require batteries and either replace them with new batteries or pack extra batteries for them.

Stretch and Massage Baby

Just like adults, a baby’s body and muscles will get stiff and sore after sitting in a car seat for long periods of time. So it is recommended to massage and stretch your baby when you take breaks or at night in your accommodations.

The benefits of massaging and stretching your baby are significant. It can help calm a fussy baby, ease tummy troubles, boost muscle development, and most importantly, soothe babies to sleep.

Baby Wipes are like Gold 

One of the most important things I have learned as a parent is that baby wipes are gold! We use baby wipes for EVERYTHING!

We use baby wipes to change diapers, clean spills in the car, wipe dirty hands, clean hard surfaces or utensils, and more. With that said, at least two stacks of baby wipes are essential when road tripping with a baby.

New Toys or Rotate Toys

Something we learned from the Montesorri Method is rotating toys. We do this at home and find it useful for road tripping with a baby.

Before a road trip, we will remove a few of our son’s favorite toys. Then when we are on the road trip, we reintroduce the toys (one at a time) so that the toys are “new,” exciting, and engaging. Of course, you can also buy new toys for a road trip.

It is essential to give the baby only one toy to focus on at a time. This way, when they get bored with one toy, there is a new one to play with because, let’s be honest, babies LOVE NEW things!

Music Matters!

Okay, this tip is from personal experience. I am not sure of any scientific research to prove this works, but it does for us – and I hope it does for you too.

During my pregnancy, I listened to this one trance album that I found calming and peaceful while I worked. Adam read that the music I listened to during pregnancy is what the baby would find relaxing after birth. It turns out it worked at least 80% of the time for us.

On our road trips, we would listen to this one trance album on repeat until our son was fast asleep. I swear it made our son calm and fall asleep almost every time.

Now, fast forward to when our son was 9 – 12 months old – things changed. Children’s music that we listened to at home helped our son stay calm during road trips. It was not music to our ears like our favorite trance album, but it kept our son happy, relaxed, and quiet – and that IS music to our ears.

So , music that is familiar with the baby at home will most certainly help put the baby at ease during road trips. You can also use a portable sound machine or play white noise from the car speakers.

How to Feed a Baby on a Road Trip

Whether you breastfeed your baby, bottle feed your baby, or are in the stage of providing snacks/solid foods – here are a few simple tips for feeding a baby on a road trip.

Breastfeeding a Baby on a Road Trip

First and foremost, do not breastfeed your baby in a moving car. This is very dangerous in the event of a car accident. Therefore, allow extra time to stop the vehicle and breastfeed your baby. If possible, utilize this time for restroom breaks, to get gas, food, etc.

If you pump, pack a breast pump car charger , breastmilk storage bags , spare parts, and a cooler to store pumped breastmilk. Moreover, continue to practice good nursing hygiene and habits as if you were at home.

Bottle Feeding a Baby on a Road Trip

Whether it’s breastmilk or formula, you want to pack a cooler to bottle feed your baby on the road.

Make sure you pack enough bottled water and formula powder (if you use formula). To help with space, I recommend pouring a small amount of water into the baby bottles and adding the formula when needed.

Furthermore, a formula dispenser can come in handy in the car. Then store a large container of formula in a suitcase.

Feeding Snacks to a Baby on a Road Trip

Once your baby can eat solid foods and/or pureed food, it can make feeding on the road a lot easier. I recommend packing snacks/food that your baby is familiar with, will enjoy, and is easy to eat on the go.

A few snacks that are easy to eat on the road are the squeezable veggie and fruit pouches , yogurt pouches , and Cheerios.

How to Change a Baby on a Road Trip

Honestly, sometimes there is no easy or right way to change a baby on the road. Through trial and error, find what works best for you!

For us, we have stopped at gas stations, rest stops, and have even needed to pull over on the side of the road to change our son. If a changing table in a bathroom is not available, we utilize our car. Moreover, a travel changing mat has been the key to our success because we can use it on any hard surface.

What to Pack for a Road Trip with a Baby

Believe me when I say you will probably pack your entire nursery when you road trip with a baby. Babies need soooo much! So do not feel like you packed “too much” because you will probably use everything.

Here are a few essential items to pack when road tripping with a baby.

• A car seat, obviously
• Pack n Play for sleeping
• Stroller (if you find you will need/use it)
• Plenty of diapers (if you run out, you can always buy more at a store)
• Plenty of baby wipes (again, if you run out, you can always buy more at a store)
• Portable changing mat
• First aid kit
• Baby Tyenol and Benadryl (approved by your pediatrician)
• 3 sets of clothes per day
• Swaddle blankets and/or sleep sacks
• Batteries for any toys
• Portable white noise machine
• Baby bottles
• Travel sterlizing bags for bottles
• Bottle soap and brushes
• Travel high chair

How Long Can You Go on a Road Trip with a Baby?

There is no exact number of hours that you can road trip with a baby, but it is highly recommended to give your baby plenty of breaks. Just like adults, our bodies can only take sitting in a car for so long. So imagine how a baby feels.

From personal experience, when our son was 2 – 4 months old, we could only go on 3-hour road trips. From 5 to 12 months old, we have only been able to drive up 8 hours a day. When we would drive 8 hours, the day would get divided into several stops at different cities. So really, it was two, 4-hour drives in one day and even then we had to break that up at times.

To figure out what is best for you and your family, I would practice around your city first, especially if you have been nesting for the first few weeks/months. Start with a short 30 minute to one-hour drive.

Then gradually work towards a 2 – 3 hour day trip. Eventually, you will learn your baby’s road trip habits to plan for a weekend getaway with a 4-5 hour road trip.

Road Trip with a Baby ( 1 – 4 Months)

The first few months of going on a road trip with a baby are the easiest and the toughest because everyone is still learning their roles. On one hand, a baby sleeps the most at this stage, so driving through naps is easier. On the other hand, this might be the most challenging stage because, as first-time parents, we are all just trying to survive, right?

Moreover, I recommend waiting at least two weeks before going on a road trip with a baby because the first few weeks as a parent are the hardest!

Additionally, I went with my pediatrician’s recommendation and waited for our son to receive his vaccines at 2 months before we traveled outside of our city. I would always consult with your pediatrician and do what is best for you and your family.

After we figured out the amount of time we could drive without stopping, this was the easiest and best time to road trip with a baby. Our son would sleep for the majority of the time. We would engage him with black and white toys and books when he wasn’t sleeping.

Here are a few products that I highly recommend for road tripping with a baby between 1 – 4 months old.

Road Trip with a Baby ( 5 – 8 Months)

At this stage in life, if your baby is becoming mobile, independent, and napping less – road tripping with a baby might become a little more complicated. Mainly because you may need to help entertain your baby.

In our experience, once our son became mobile and napped less, we had to entertain him more on road trips. It would require one person to always sit in the backseat to play with him. It also meant stopping more frequently to keep him active and happy.

Furthermore, rotating toys will become essential during this stage because of the developmental leaps. A baby will want to be constantly engaged and challenged. At 5 months, a baby should also start seeing colors well.

Therefore, I recommend these colorful toys for road tripping with a baby between 5 – 8 months old.

Road Trip with a Baby ( 9 – 12 Months)

Road tripping with a baby at 9 – 12 months old may or may not be the most challenging time. It could be the hardest if your baby is mobile, enjoys being active, and just doesn’t like car rides – period. If you’ve been road tripping with your baby for several months, it might just go as smoothly as one could hope.

For us, it was hard, but not that bad. Our son had grown used to traveling and taking road trips. So he would be okay for 3 – 4 hours at a time. Granted, we made an epic 2-week road trip through West Texas and New Mexico. Therefore, we had plenty of overnight stays in fun towns such as Fort Davis and San Angelo with fun activities to keep everyone entertained.

The best way to road trip with a baby between 9 – 12 months old is to keep the baby active and entertained by exciting roadside attractions and pit stop destinations. Let your baby be mobile, and your road trip just might be the most enjoyable family vacation you could ever imagine!

We mostly entertained our son with activities at different destinations along our journey, but here are a few products that I also recommend for road tripping with a baby between 9 – 12 months old.

And that’s a wrap! I hope you have found my guide on road tripping with a baby helpful and insightful. Like all parents, I wish I had all the answers, but my knowledge and experience are all I have. I hope it is enough to help you and your family have successful road trips for many years to come!

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Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Friday 15th of December 2023

Mind blowing article! I have a 1+ years old baby boy.So this blog will be very helpful for us and every guide is very important for newly parents. Thanks for sharing.

oursweetadventures

Tuesday 26th of December 2023

Aww thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad to hear you found my guide helpful! :)

Katherine Hurt

Sunday 19th of March 2023

Since my baby is 8 months old and we live in San Diego, I appreciate all of your advice. We are preparing to drive to San Francisco so that our baby can meet the family. Many people advised us to travel after the baby has gone to sleep. Then I came across your essay, which has been a huge assistance to us with all of our issues. Many thanks

Aww thank you. I’m glad my post has been helpful to you. I know some say to drive at night when the baby is sleeping, but that never appealed to us. And every baby is different! If you can, I would try a day trip to get some experience. We now have twin babies and the same has applied with them. We drive an hourish before nap and they are out for at least 2 hrs. And have learned that they really can’t do more than 5 hours without getting out of the car for a break. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Tuesday 7th of June 2022

Thank you for all the tips; my baby is 9 months we live in San Diego and are planning to drive to San Francisco so our baby can meet the family. A lot of people told us drive at night when the baby is sleeping. Then I found your article and help us a lot with all our concerns. Thank you

Wednesday 8th of June 2022

Hi Emma, thank you for your comment. That makes me so happy to hear you found my guide helpful. I hope my tips help you for your family road trip!

25 Top Tips For Surviving A Road Trip With Baby

The thought of leaving the house with a baby can be overwhelming, especially if you are planning to go on a road trip with a baby.  While it isn’t easy, it is doable and can be enjoyable.

Taking an infant on a road trip requires way more planning and prep than expected, but you will soon have it down to an art.  We have compiled a list of our top tips and tricks for a road trip with a baby.

 Packing  Tips For Taking Road Trip With  A Baby

Packing For Baby

The rule of thumb when packing is to pack for the baby first. Why you ask?! Because if it comes down to you taking that extra pair of shoes (which you will never wear) or packing an extra pack of diapers, diapers win.

It is amazing how much crap you can part with when you need to make room for baby’s things.  Trust me they may be tiny, but they take up a lot of room in the suitcase and car.

You will soon find that you can wear one pair of jeans multiple times, mix and match shirts, and live off of two pairs of shoes.

Be sure to stock up the diaper bag for the road trip.  Make it easily accessible, so you don’t have to rummage through a suitcase for a new pack of wipes.

Pack For The Unexpected

You need to be ready for whatever the road may throw at you because it can be brutal at times. Here are some scenarios that will be sure to leave your mind racing in the middle of the night.

• The baby having a meltdown and the nearest exit is 20 miles away?
• The car has broken down in the freezing cold and no one is around?
• Stuck in terrible traffic or road construction?
• The air conditioner goes out in the middle of your drive in death valley!?
• Baby gets a sudden case of diarrhea and destroys the car seat?

Pack as if one or all of these things might happen.   We were stuck in traffic for three hours on our way to Gatlinburg with a baby screaming for food about an hour in. We would have been in trouble if I haven’t packed plenty of Similac Read to Feed.

Having ways to keep the baby warm, cool, fed, and healthy are the most imperative things to pack.

Be sure to have these Road Trip Essentials before hitting the road!

Pack A Size Up

Be sure to pack clothes in the next size up because babies miraculously grow overnight when traveling. Having an assortment of clothes for all sorts of weather should be in your suitcase. Even if you are going to a tropical destination the nights can get chilly.

Determine Baby’s Sleeping Situation Prior To Arrival

Are you bringing a pack ‘n’ play? Does the hotel provide a crib? These are questions that need to be answered before you pack your first onesie.  There are many hotels that have pack ‘n’ plays and cribs that you can reserve.  They are usually always on a first-come, first-serve basis so call early.

We opted to go with the Jetsetter Travel Pack N Play. It is smaller than a traditional pack n play so it takes up less room in the car.  It also fits in a full-size suitcase, so it was perfect when flying!

Are you planning on flying? Be sure to read our Tips For Flying With A Baby .   Remember airlines will often charge you to fly your pack n play while the stroller and car seat fly free.  Pack N plays can also take up a significant amount of room in the car, so other options like a portable bassinet or sleeper might be a better fit for your family.

Packing More Baby Gear!!!

Just after you have finished sitting on your suitcase to get it zipped you remember that you need to pack a stroller!  I would recommend bringing an easy lightweight collapsible stroller, and not the massive jogging stroller that could run ten pedestrians over.

Check out this list of great Must-have Items for Traveling with a Baby .

Portable High Chair

We now pack a portable high chair for our daughter since she has started to self-feed for her meals.  We love this high chair because it stands tall and reaches the table. It makes her feel like she is taking part in the meal.  It folds up like a normal folding chair and is easy to transport and store.

Activity Bouncer

The other piece of baby gear we got was a portable activity bouncer.   This will also fit in a full-size suitcase, however, we did not use it as much as we anticipated. It was useful to have a place that she could bounce around in and to allow us to get a few things done. Each baby is different and mine got bored about 10 minutes each time. However, if your activity bouncer at home is life then this might be worth the investment and worth taking up precious space in the car.

If you are flying, put your stroller in a stroller bag. Then fill the stroller bag with other things like blankets or a portable high chair. I have yet to see anyone open a stroller bag or car seat bag to check its contents. Don’t be too crazy though, otherwise, you might ruin a good thing for all of us!

Tips For Being On A Road Trip With Baby

The beauty of a road trip with a baby is there is not a set time you have to be somewhere.  There is no hassle of dragging all your belongings through security with a screaming infant in your arms either.

You can make as many stops as needed en route to your destination, which trust me, you will make many. We have taken our daughter on a road trip every month since she was one month old. Each month it changes a little with what they will need and what to expect.

Tips Before You Leave On A Road Trip With Baby

• Expect to leave an hour later than you expected. It is good to set goals, but don’t get disappointed when you are not pulling out of your drive at 7 a.m. on the nose.  You know that baby is going to either poop, eat, or both right as you are getting ready to leave.
• Trying to have as much of the car packed the night before will help you hit the road easier.
• Feed baby right before you leave, if you can.  Since most babies eat when they want this can be hard to predict. Give it the old college try before hitting the road otherwise, you might be feeding baby before you hit the city limits!
• BABY DRY DIAPERS ARE AMAZING! They will hold more urine than most regular diapers keep the baby dry! Also, slather on a nice layer of butt cream before leaving.

Tips While On The Road With Baby

• Prepare to change baby in the passenger seat of the car. Babies know that they need to have a complete blowout when there is no changing table in insight. If the next stop is a nasty gas station that you will likely catch Ebola from the bathroom in, a baby will for sure need changed.  Bring a few plastic bags along to put dirty clothes and diapers in.
• Account for an hour to two hours worth of stops for every five hours you need to travel.  Don’t worry this does decrease as they get older.  During a road trip with our  4 months old baby, a five-hour trip to Gatlinburg took us 7 hours.  Stopping to feed, change and stretch can add up fast.
• Stop and get out of the car for at least a half-hour minimum.  This is a great time to grab a bite to eat, get the baby out of the car seat, and stretch.  Think about how you like to stretch, so do they! Try to find a place that you can put a blanket down so they can kick and crawl if able.

Traveling At Night With A Baby

Traveling at night can be a great option depending on the baby and you.  However, there are a few things to consider.

• Are you too tired from lack of sleep to travel at night? Don’t forget, the baby will be awake and ready to go just like any normal day once you arrive. If you are going to need ten venti extra shot macchiatos to get through breakfast you might want to skip the night drive.
• Will it throw the baby off their routine and make for a hellish few days?
• Will the baby be scared sitting in the dark? If so you may want to consider bringing a flashlight.

BRING ALL THE TOYS

Well, maybe not ALL the toys, but a lot.  If you have the options to ride in the back of the car with your little one it might be beneficial for a few hours. It will help keep your baby entertained and happy.

If you plan on settling down to be your child’s personal clown for a good portion of the trip so you better have a good arsenal of things to do.

Our Favorite Travel Toys And Games For Babies

• Books, Books, and Books.  I recommend at least four different ones. I love the touch and feel books and indestructible books. The indestructible books are a personal favorite because they don’t take up much room as they are very thin.
• Peek a boo! Keep a blanket nearby and/or a fun toy to play with the baby.
• Sing songs with the baby.  Toddler music on Pandora is a great station to sing familiar songs to the baby. There are tons of kid’s music and nursery rhymes CD’s you can buy as well.
• Utilize things in the diaper bag. Touch and feel with wipes, diapers, clothes, etc makes for a fun distraction.
• A good nom.  Teethers of any kind will always be well received.
• Bring two rattles. One for you to shake and one for the baby to explore/shake.  Instruments are always fun to incorporate with sing-a-longs.

More Great Things To Do While On A Long Car Ride With A Baby

• Make a tent with a blanket to cover the baby and play peek a boo. Another tip is to make sure you have sunshades for the car!  Nothing is worse than when make shifting tent becomes a necessity because the sun is in the baby’s face.
• One of my favorites go-to toys is the fisher price activity puzzle. Not only is each piece its own toy, but then you have the fun of putting pieces in the right spot and taking them out.
• Mirror fun! Babies love mirrors, especially mirrors with fun friends hanging from them.

 More Tips and Tricks For Taking A Road Trip With Baby

A few more housekeeping items to help you on the road.

• Place an emergency car maintenance kit in your car just in case of an unexpected breakdown.
• Pump on the go!  If you need to pump be sure to get the travel adapter for your pump so you can pump on the road! Be sure to pack your ice pack and a little cooler to keep the milk cold! Discover more tips and ideas while breastfeeding and pumping while traveling here .
• Bring a road atlas as backup insurance in case your GPS goes out. Getting lost with a baby in the car should not be a thing.
• Make sure the car road-trip-ready. Plenty of gas, oil changed, the air in the tires, spare tire ready to go. Little things to give you peace of mind while you are on the road.
• Snacks for you and your travel companions!  Also a couple of bottles of water or wine….just kidding….or am I?!

Need a few more road trip tips?  Check out these tips by Travel With A Plan ,  To Master The Family Road Trip.

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Hotel tips for traveling with a toddler , 10 snacks that are perfect for a road trip , 7 tips for traveling with a young toddler , tip for traveling with milk , tips and tricks for a road trip with baby.

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Jurrien Collins

This is probably the most detailed article written about road trips with kids that I have ever read. And, I have read a lot of such articles. By the way, origami can be a great toy to keep them busy when you don’t want them disturbing you. On top of that, frisbee is an also a great toy for the break time, and it doesn’t require much space as well.

staleghani48

Thank you so much for your kind words. I have never tried origami before but we most definitely will in the future! We are always on the hunt for new and entertaining ideas while on the road!

15 Insanely Easy Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby

Thinking about road tripping with a baby? No worries! Let the good times roll with these simple tips and hacks for making the most of your time on the road, honed from thousands of miles spent with our own two boys.

Before our son, Noe, was born, Lori and I made a pact not to let a baby change the basic essence of the unconventional life that we had built together and enjoyed over many years.

At the same time, we had enough friends and family with kids around us to know that our lives would change in many unavoidable ways and there would be limitations on the amount of spontaneity and flexibility we would have.

But change is truly the only constant in life, and living a nomadic lifestyle for our entire adult lives has instilled a love and appreciation of change, bordering on a sort of fanaticism. Regardless, change—by its very nature—is never comfortable, or rarely easy.

Prior to our adventures road tripping with a baby, we road tripped as a couple often. In the two years we’ve had Noe, we’ve road tripped often. The frequency hasn’t changed one bit. But the way we road trip has changed forever.

It’s an understatement to say we’ve made mistakes since the first time we started road tripping with a baby (and traveling with a baby in general)—we’ve made lots. And we’ll continue to make lots. But we always try and learn something from them.

Here’s what we’ve learned (so far) from our countless adventures road tripping with a baby and young toddler.

These tips are for road tripping with a baby (i.e. infants and very young toddlers, birth to walking). Once the babe goes mobile (12-18 mos.) it’s a whole other ballgame. Look out for a Toddler post in the future!

Top Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby

1 | Be Prepared!

Yes, our number one tip for road tripping with a baby is BE PREPARED!

Sounds simple, but it’s easy to drop the ball when you’re mental road trip prep list has suddenly tripled. Gas? Check. Phone charger? Check. Diapers? Check. Snacks? Uh oh…

Pack travel essentials for the day (or days) ahead, but always have emergency snacks, toys, etc. stowed in a convenient place, just in case.

Being prepared also means having your route planned out ahead of time. I love winging it on the road as much as anyone, letting the wind carry my soul like a bird on the wing…

But not with a baby. You couldn’t pay me enough.

Take the number of snacks you think you’ll need for the entire family and double it. No, triple it.

Same with diapers. Think that baby’s going to play for hours with that cool new toy that s/he’s been playing with…for hours at home? Think again. Bring extras.

Babies are like ninjas, masters at defying all expectations and always keeping the adversary guessing.

When road tripping with a baby… Always. Be. Prepared.

2 | Make Road Time Coincide with Nap Time (and Night Time)

This is the single most important tip in this post. If you take anything away from here, take this.

So, why is it my number two? ‘CAUSE I JUST THOUGHT OF IT. You think this is a high school term paper or something? Damn.

When executed properly, it’s almost like you’re road-trippin’ pre-kid…for a while, at least.

The true masters of the craft can make it happen with two or more kids. We’re not quite there yet, but I’ve heard tales of parents possessing the gift and making their car their dojo.

Depending on his age (and how far over to the Dark Side he had ventured), Noe napped anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours on a trip.

When he was still taking a morning and afternoon nap, we’d even get two 1-2-hour naps out of him in a day.

And traveling at night? As long as he was fed and it was past his usual bed time, we generally wouldn’t hear a single peep. Priceless.

3 | Avoid Heavy Traffic & City Driving

Based on our experience, stopping and going can be a parent’s worst enemy when road tripping with a baby.

This may seem obvious if the baby’s trying to get some shut eye, but even during waking hours, it just seems to mess with a baby’s mental state. 

I’m sure there are studies out there that explain this phenomenon (or maybe not…), but I sure can’t.

If you find yourself suffering from this, either because your baby (like ours) prefers inertia, or your city’s traffic is akin to a medieval torture device the size of Rhode Island, adding an extra hour to the drive to take secondary roads and avoid traffic was much preferable for us.

If you know you are going to run into traffic, try and make it coincide with awake time—avoid nap time and breastfeeding time at all costs.

4 | Music Can Be Magic

Our kid loves music in the car (who doesn’t on a road trip?).

It generally doesn’t matter what type of music (though he definitely has his preferences), but a little music goes a long way when road tripping with a baby.

When Noe was younger, a noise machine app on our phone helped to drown out our conversation up front and send baby off to dreamland quicker.

We like the RelaxMelodies app in the car, though we use a portable sound machine at night time , which we love.

5 | Bumpy is Better on a Baby Road Trip

We were surprised to discover the difference between long stretches on U.S. Interstate Highways and less-maintained secondary roads.

The feeling of movement, bounce, and rough roads always made Noe happier. Silky smooth and straight-as-an-arrow freeways were often a recipe for disaster.

Older babies dig the scenery of secondary roads too!

6 | Made in the Shade

It gets hot here in Laos, particularly riding in a car. And when we’re back in the States, our visit seems to coincide with the hottest time of year there, too.

Adults don’t like to have the sun on them for hours on a long trip, and neither do babies. We’re able to mitigate this to an extent by placing the rear-facing carseat in the middle of the back seat, but even that’s sometimes not enough.

One or two safety shades like these  work wonders, are way more convenient (and safer) than stuffing a towel in the window, and you don’t have to worry about them becoming a flying projectile like the older retractable car shades.

7 | Anticipate Feeding Times

It can be absolutely hellish trying to drive with a screaming baby in the back. Nine times out of ten for us, the crying and screaming would be related to hunger.

Nothing’s worse than being stuck in traffic, or on a rural road in the middle of nowhere with no good place to pull off to do a feeding. Also, when Noe was young, breastfeeding could take up to an hour.

I’m all for taking breaks on a road trip to eat, enjoy the scenery, or stretch the legs, but the last thing I want to do is hang out at a rest area or on the side of a rural highway for an hour when we could be getting miles behind us.

We found that, for us, the solution was surprisingly simple. When baby was still breastfeeding, we would do our best to align his feeding time with our feeding time. Once he was on the bottle and/or eating solids, it was even easier, as one of us could sit in the back seat and feed him while we’re rolling down the road.

Just a warning with bottles—setting a timer 20 minutes before baby’s usual feeding time allowed us to make sure the bottle was out of the cooler and warm enough for baby to take when he did get hungry.

8 | One-Diaper Per Road-Hour Rule

We first discovered this while traveling on flight after flight with Noe, but it’s equally applicable to the road, particularly in warmer climates.

Baby’s out of his/her element, maybe eating different foods than usual, on a different schedule, or simply adjusting to the new environment. For our kid, that often meant more frequent full diapers.

In reality, he’s rarely gone through one per hour, but there have been times when he has, and on those trips, it paid to be prepared.

As an added bonus, an extra diaper makes for a great diaper cover to contain a blowout until you reach the next pitstop.

Nothing will ruin your first experience road tripping with a baby faster than coming up short in the diaper department!

9 | A Carseat Protector (aka “Piddle Pad”) is a Parent’s Best Friend

Speaking of blowouts…

Having a dependable piddle pad (…yep…that’s what they’re really called…) is a must for any length of trip in a car.

We love our carseat , but it’s a royal pain in the butt to wash. A good carseat cover will catch and contain all but the very worst that your baby’s backside can hurl at you, and it’s much easier to clean (or throw in a plastic bag on a long travel day) than most carseats.

10 | Gallon Zip Lock Bags To the Rescue

Many of us feel car sick from time to time, but babies seem to get sick with surprising frequency. Fortunately, this hasn’t been a big problem with Noe, but we have many friends who have had issues (some, every time they go on a long trip).

The worst is getting caught unprepared on this one. And let’s face it, when baby’s really young (and facing backwards), it can be impossible to know stuff’s headed north until it’s too late.

If you do make it in time, gallon zip lock bags work a million times better than a grocery store bag. Best of all, you can zip it up until the next pitstop.

11 | Take Lots of [Short] Breaks!

Want the absolute best advice for road tripping with a baby? Don’t forget to stop!

Even as an infant, our son seemed to get cabin fever even after just an hour of being in the car.

Pre-baby, Lori and I didn’t make it a point to stop much on road trips, particularly when doing a lot of Interstate highway driving. Since baby, however, we’ve grown to appreciate the value of taking short breaks every hour or so.

It generally only took 5-10 minutes of being out of the car to buy us another hour.

Besides, if you’re the driver, the experts say you should be taking driving breaks about every two hours anyway, for health and safety reasons, so it’s not that much of a stretch to double that.

12 | Less is More when Road Tripping with a Baby

It wasn’t uncommon to pull 8-10 hour days on road trips before having a baby. Nowadays, with the wee one, we try not to do more than 4-6 hours on the road per day, if we can help it.

Breaks every hour or so only get you so far, and their effectiveness seems to wane as the day goes on.

If we’re traveling more than a few hundred miles away from home, and it’s not absolutely necessary to reach our destination in one day, breaking up the trip over multiple days makes for an infinitely happier car.

13 | Center is Stellar

Studies, including this one published in Pediatrics , show for children newborn to 3 years old, sitting in the center rear seat is 43% safer than sitting on either side of the back seat.

We of all people know it’s not always feasible to put baby in the middle (heck, here in Laos, we’re lucky to even have a carseat, and can’t always use it when we want to).

Now, with Lori noticeably pregnant, it’s not realistic for her to have to climb in to get our two-year-old in and out of a center-positioned seat. For this reason, our kid’s seat is currently behind the passenger seat.

And with two kids in carseats? In most cases, I guess both kids are just going to have to be 43% less safe than their center-seated only-child counterparts (and y’all know those kids are going to lord it over their friends for the rest of their lives).

So, besides safety, why is center preferable?

Well, it’s preferable for us for a couple reasons, but mainly so that the passenger (to an extent) can tend to various needs of the screaming hellion without throwing out their back (and without putting baby on the road-side in case of getting baby in and out on a busy road).

As I mentioned earlier, it also keeps the sun off baby during the heat of the day.

14 | Keep Your Car Clean!

We generally prefer a clean car for our own sanity. But there are other reasons why keeping a clean car makes road trips more manageable.

For one, it limits the number of random (baby-unfriendly) objects laying around that baby could grab, like a shank, can of mace, or anything from a Taco Bell menu, to name a few.

Baby’s can have a surprisingly long functional reach, and it’s constantly getting longer and more functional by the day!

Two, keeping the car clean and clutter free cuts down on the number of potentially life-threatening flying projectiles (particularly if your car has a rear deck (aka rear dash, aka parcel shelf).

It’s extra important not to store anything potentially hazardous up there if you’re using a rear-facing child seat.

Mark my word, nothing will ruin your time road tripping with a baby quicker than a trip to the emergency room from hitting the brakes for the neighbor’s crazy dog.

15 | Our Favorite Toys For Road tripping with a Baby

So far, we’ve had a lot of fun talking about everything from nap time to music, to cleaning up after unspeakable things being done to your once pristine rear upholstery.

In the end, we all know that a great road trip with a baby comes down to one thing:

…and toys.

Now, a toy for this age group doesn’t have to be remotely fancy. And, you really, really don’t need a tablet or other electronic gadget.

Young infants will stare at and physically inspect just about anything for a good amount of time, so long as they aren’t hungry, poopy, or tired, and…the thing they’re playing with is A-W-E-S-O-M-E. And, of course, A-W-E-S-O-M-E is 100% in the eye of the beholder (i.e. your baby).

For a long time, Noe thought that way about his crunchy Firefly . The thing was amazing. Then, it was his crinkly books . Then, his crinkly paper. As he got older, his tastes evolved to include an appreciation of art (i.e. stickers, paper, and crayons), and even home decor (i.e. his blanky).

And when all of the above fails? That can only mean one thing… Show Me the Monkey ! The secret weapon of many a road trip with our baby.

Have you gone road tripping with a baby?

What was your experience? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.

2 thoughts on “15 Insanely Easy Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby”

Love these very realistic tips for travelling with a baby! Long road trips are one of my favourite times with my son, especially when he was a baby, as he would fall asleep for hours 🙂

Awesome, Esther! Yeah, we miss those days too. At least our youngest still does ?

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Road Trips , Tips & Tricks · October 31, 2023

Traveling with a Newborn Baby Road Trip Tips (2023)

You’re new parents getting ready to take the baby’s first road trip. A lot of questions can come up, and there can certainly be some nerves. But don’t worry! After a (LONG) recent road trip, I’ve compiled a list of the best traveling with a newborn baby road trip tips to make it a success!

When we took a family road trip for the first time, our baby was 8 weeks old. I was unsure what to expect on our journey from Colorado to Lincoln, Nebraska , and then from Nebraska to our final destination of Northern Minnesota—and then back home! We had a few 10-hour days in the car, but it was well worth it to see family and friends, explore, and get our baby used to being on the go. I definitely understand being a bit skeptical of the whole situation, but let’s answer a quick question before we get into the tips:

When can my newborn baby go on a road trip?

You’re the mom (or dad!) Your newborn can go on a road trip with you whenever you feel ready to take them! As long as you are prepared to keep them safe and ensure they don’t spend more than 3 hours in their car seat at a time, go for it! I am a strong believer that starting early is key to getting them used to it when they are older. And honestly, newborns sleep a majority of the time anyway—take advantage!

Traveling with a Newborn Baby Road Trip Tips

This post does include affiliate links that will amount to no extra charge to you.

Before Your Trip Baby Road Trip Tips

It all starts well before you even leave. Here is where to start when it comes to a successful road trip with a newborn:

1. Use the Car Seat A LOT

First things first when it comes to a long road trip…get your baby used to the car seat. In the weeks leading up to your trip, get in the car every single day. Even if it’s just a quick run to the grocery store, it will help them get used to being buckled in, the feeling of a moving car, and falling asleep in their seat. Plus, you’re going to be able to tell if car sickness affects them or not.

We use the MESA V2 Infant Car Seat and I swear by it. Our baby loves it and has no problem falling asleep and staying comfortable. We use the entire travel system and it makes things such a breeze. My family calls it “The Cadillac” and I think it’s worth the price.

2. Set Your Expectations

One of the most important things is to set your expectations. Your drive time will increase. Google Maps estimated arrival time will not be accurate. Not everything will go as planned. And that’s okay. You’re going to have a much better experience if you go into it accepting that and rolling with the punches.

For us, we added 15-30 minutes to every hour of travel. For example, an 8-hour drive will take us at least 10 hours with the extra stops.

3. Don’t Plan Stops

I’ve seen the opposite as a tip, but strongly believe it’s best not to plan your stops. You have no idea how this is going to go. Stop when the baby needs to stop. And avoid it when they don’t. Unfortunately, that may mean having to pee for a while (don’t wake the baby!), but hey, welcome to parenthood. Your baby might sleep in longer stretches and you want to use those couple of hours to gain ground. The babies make the rules and planning when and where to stop sounds like a great way to add frustration when it doesn’t line up properly.

4. Pack the Car the Night Before

It’s a good idea to get as much done the night before as possible. Pack everything you can, leaving space for what you can’t pack until the day you leave (like milk), and it’s one less thing you need to do in the morning. It’s already going to be stressful so do it when you have plenty of time to be smart and efficient vs. throwing everything into the car while you’re trying to leave the driveway. That takes us to…

5. Pack STRATEGICALLY

There is a right way to pack the vehicle and doing so will help immensely during your travels. Assuming you have a trunk area, a middle row, and the driver plus passenger seat, here is what I recommend:

• Trunk: Everything you will NOT (or at least should not) need during your drive. Suitcases full of clothes, the stroller, the travel crib, etc. The key here is Tetris; make it all fit together! It may take a few tries.
• Middle Row: The child’s car seat, obviously. And then what you WILL need during your travels while keeping one seat for an adult open. Milk cooler(s), tote bags with diapers, wipes, rags, pacifiers, and any personal items. Make sure to utilize the floor space (coolers are best here in case of any leaks.)
• Passenger Seat: Extras. Personal backpacks Snacks. Plastic bag for trash. Basically, the leftovers.

The middle row is the most important. As you pack, make sure what you’re going to need frequently has the easiest access so you are not rifling through all of your belongings and making a huge mess on the road.

6. Charge EVERYTHING

Phones. Breast pumps. Bottle warmers. Toys. Make sure everything is at a full charge when you’re ready to leave. And have a cord in the car for easy charging on the go.

During Your Trip Baby Road Trip Tips

You are planned and packed. Here are newborn baby road trip tips for when you’re actually on the move:

7. Sit in the Back Seat

As mentioned, have someone in the back seat so it’s easy to keep a happy baby. You don’t want to pull over because the pacifier fell out, the sun is in their eyes, or their onesie is bunched up in their face. Plus, your baby will likely be much more content if they can see you.

8. Leave Early in the Morning

When is the best time to actually leave? After they wake up to start the day and right before the next nap time. If they wake up at 5 AM, get them fed, changed, ready, into their seat, and hit the road. A little extra coffee is going to be worth it. Hopefully, the car lulls them back to sleep and you get a solid 2-3 hour stretch of drive time right away in the morning. If you wait, you risk everyone being ready to go except the sleeping baby. No one wants to wake them up and you’re losing out on crucial drive time!

9. Avoid Night-Time Driving

Plus, the earlier you get going, the more hours of daylight you have to take advantage of. Night driving sucks. Night driving with a baby sucks even more. You don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark for diapers and milk. Plus, everyone is exhausted—you have a newborn! Long days in the car are better than long nights.

10. Dress the Baby Super Comfortably

Nobody wants to spend a long drive stuck in uncomfortable clothes. Make sure your car journeys include a super comfy baby. Try something super soft with built-in feet (don’t mess around with tiny socks) and a double zipper to make diaper changes even easier.

11. Rest Stops vs. Gas Stations vs. Off-Ramps

Where are the best places to make pit stops? Well, it depends on what you need. After our first trip on the road with our newborn, here’s what I found to be the best:

• Rest Stop: Someone (not the baby) needs to pee—BAD. Do your best to hit a rest stop. It’s easy in and out without turns. Fingers crossed, the baby stays asleep.
• Gas Station: Someone needs to pee, and/or you need gas (duh), food, oil, a charger, etc. Gas stations are the answer when you have multiple things to handle.
• Off-Ramps: The baby is hungry. If this is it, just get off at the next ramp and find a safe place to park. A few items below will make sure you’re set up for success—and avoid nasty gas station bathrooms. Plus, you avoid crying while waiting for the next gas station.

In my personal experience, the off-ramps were the easiest!

12. Take a Walk, If Needed

A little bit of fresh air works wonders for babies. Have easy access to your stroller so you can take a quick walk during your travels—even if it’s just 10 minutes.

What to Bring Baby Road Trip Tips

Babies do NOT travel light. How such a little human can have so much stuff is beyond me. But, stay organized and it will be fine. Here is everything to bring to make your life easier:

13. Portable Breast Pump

Nothing, and I mean nothing, stops the need to pump! And it’s a hell of a lot easier to get it done with a portable breast pump. I use the Elvie and SWEAR by it. It’s expensive, and there are cheaper options, but I do think it’s worth it. If you’d rather use your regular pump, just make sure it’s charged (there are adapters for car charging as well) and that you have the space for it.

NOTE: Don’t forget extra storage bottles. These are my favorites —they even let you note which day and time it’s from.

I don’t like pumping (does anyone?), but the good news is, it sort of passes the time when you have to do it in the car. Setting it up, pumping, cleaning it, storing it. Before you know it, an hour has gone by!

14. Breast Pump Cleaning Wipes

One of my FAVORITE items. Easy-to-use wipes to clean your pump parts so you don’t need to worry about stopping to rinse and clean them. These wipes work like a charm! (I keep a pack in the car at all times.)

15. Breastmilk Cooler Bag

The most important thing, right!? Make sure you have plenty of cold milk no matter if you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding—or both! We have this cooler which perfectly fits six short Dr. Brown’s bottles and comes with ice packs. It has a nice strap, and an extra storage compartment (for pump parts, empty bottles, etc.), and we had no trouble with leaks. Highly recommend.

16. Portable Bottle Warmer

You have a hungy, crying baby in the car and the baby’s needs come first, right? Well, this portable bottle warmer makes everyone happy and is one of the baby road trip ESSENTIALS if you’re bottle feeding. In just a few minutes you can have a warm bottle ready without even getting out of the car. It includes multiple adapters for popular bottles and it holds a good charge.

BONUS: This is perfect in your hotel room, at bars and restaurants, really anywhere you go! I’d buy this ten times over.

17. Car Seat Liner or Burp Cloths

Don’t learn the hard way what happens when there’s a blowout. They do sell car seat liners, but a burp cloth layer should do the trick as well to keep the car seat in tip-top condition!

18. Changing Pads

They are fed and now it’s time for a diaper change. As mentioned above, I find all of this to be easiest when you just pull off onto the side of an off-ramp. And if you do that, a Snuggle Nest Lounger is the perfect changing pad. It folds up for easy storage and once you open it, place it on the backseat and you have the perfect (and clean!) changing station. Stash some diapers and wipes in it and you’re set!

While you can surely use this if you change a diaper in the rest stop or gas station, I also have this smaller roll-up one that stores in a diaper bag. I love to lie down anywhere the baby is being changed.

19. Extra Baby Blankets

Don’t let the sun ruin your baby’s car trip sleep! Purchase window shades if you prefer, but we just threw a blanket over her car seat. Plus, we had one to cover her. And another in case one got dirty!

20. New Toys

When traveling a long way, add a few new toys to the mix! This makes more sense when the baby gets a little bit older. But a newborn may be entertained by new or favorite toys hanging off their car seat handle. Whatever buys you some good, not-crying time!

21. White Noise Machine

Does your baby use a sound machine when they sleep at home? Well, it’s a great idea to take it on the road as well. This is my favorite portable one.

22. Totes to Stay Organized!

The best way to store everything for easy access is totes that fit perfectly in the car and help you keep everything together in one place. You can pack a diaper bag but then you’re just digging through it, what you need is at the bottom, and items are coming out, not going back in…it just ends up being more work than it’s worth. Totes allow you to see where everything is at once. Can’t recommend this one enough for diaper changes and the other one for breastpumping items—which also comes with a mini cooler.

23. Extra Everything

When driving long distances, take a little bit extra of everything. Clothes, diapers, wipes, toys. Either use a tote or a backpack that you know is full of extras. You might need to dig through it, but if everything goes smoothly, you won’t. It’s just a peace of mind thing!

24. Ziplock and Plastic Bags

When you have the whole family in the car, garbage is going to pile up. Be ready for it with a few plastic bags so it’s easy to keep trash together and throw it away in a gas station parking lot. Don’t forget a Ziplock or two as well—they will keep the smell of a dirty diaper locked inside if there’s nowhere to throw it right away!

25. Cleaning Wipes and Stain Remover

While we’re on the clean train, bring some generic cleaning wipes for spills. And this is a great stain remover if the baby spits up or poops on their clothes. (Or you get pizza sauce on your white shirt.)

A long car ride with a newborn can be, well, long! Keep yourself entertained with some of your favorite snacks. Plus, they are much needed when you get hungry but don’t want to stop because the baby is sleeping!

27. Handheld Car Vacuum

This thing is awesome! And perfect for a road trip when you are bound to have a mess or two. Easily suck up crumbs and dirt to keep your vehicle as clean as possible.

28. Lastly, Patience…

Your road trip will not be like it was pre-baby. There will be more frequent stops, your travel time will increase, there will be extra time spent at gas stations than you’re used to, and you may be in for a long trip. But don’t worry, it’s all worth it when you get to the destination!

There is all of the general advice for baby car travel that will hopefully help you as first-time parents and ensure you have the best road trip with your new baby. Good luck!

Baby car travel is definitely different than doing it with young children, and even older children! As we go through life with our baby, I’ll be sure to post more of the best tips.

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40 Practical & Encouraging Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Home » Blog » Family Travel » 40 Practical & Encouraging Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Adventuring with a little one can be overwhelming, but these practical tips for traveling with a baby will make it feel much more manageable. After reading this article, you’ll feel encouraged and confident to start planning your dream family vacation.

After taking all types of different trips with our daughter in her first year – from National Parks to European Christmas Markets to traveling Scotland by campervan (and so much more!) – we have learned so much about traveling with a baby. 

Why keep all these tips to ourselves when we can share them with you ?!

We know how overwhelming it can be , especially when other people tell you how hard it is traveling with kids. 

But you know what? It can also be amazing, too. 

Traveling with your little one will full your cup, create lifelong memories, and will open your eyes to a totally different way of looking at taking trips. 

While traveling with a baby certainly looks different and requires more flexibility and planning , we’re still able to do some pretty epic things. And you can too (if that’s what you want).

Traveling with our daughter has truly been life changing, and we can’t wait for you to experience this magic, too. 

Guide to traveling with a baby

• Our story: Read about our travel-style and our background so you understand our approach to traveling with a baby.
• Top tips: Wanna get to the good stuff right away? Jump right down to our top tips for traveling with a baby! 

This article is full of practical tips, gear that is actually worth packing, and encouraging advice that will help you feel prepared and confident about traveling with a baby.

We’ll also be discussing some helpful mindsets about traveling with a baby that can transform how you think about it. 

Whether you’re an experienced parent or you’re dreaming of someday traveling with a baby, we’ve got tips and advice that will help you feel confident to plan the family trip of your dreams!

As full-time travel bloggers , traveling is one of our biggest passions, and it’s also both of our jobs. So when we found out we were expecting, we knew that travel wouldn’t just stop for us once the baby arrived (like many people warned). 

We’ve known for a long time that we’d want to start a family, eventually . So over the years, we (almost subconsciously) took note of all the people we saw traveling with their kids.

• On our 4-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu , there was a family with 4 kids, the youngest of whom was 8 years old.
• In Thailand , we saw countless families living nomadically or traveling with kids of all ages.
• We met a family on the west coast USA, living out of their campervan with two little boys (before it was common!).

We stored up all these acquaintances as “evidence” that traveling with a baby is not only possible, but it can still be adventurous .

We saw it as inspiration and started to dream of all the adventures we could take our little one on. Together, we dreamed about how we could open their eyes to the endless beauty and kindness around the world. And we talked about how traveling with a child would create core memories and forge a bond between us that we just couldn’t replicate at home.

We were excited about this new chapter, and confident we could forge our own path despite what anyone said.

That mindset came in handy because soon after announcing we were expecting a baby, we got a mixed bag of responses:

• “Can’t wait to hear all your advice for traveling with kids!”
• “You’re definitely going to be slowing down and traveling less now.”
• “Travel while your baby is young, because as soon as they can walk, traveling will be over!”

The good, the bad, the well-meaning… we got it all.

We expected people to say how difficult it would be . And if I’m completely honest, those “you won’t be able to travel anymore” comments encouraged us to prove to ourselves that we could in fact travel with a baby. And thrive while doing it.

The truth is, we were prepared for people to tell us we couldn’t travel with a baby. Remember, we had stored up all that “proof” that we weren’t the only ones with these dreams. 

Thinking about taking an adventure with your little one?

Be sure to download our  complete packing list for traveling with a baby !  It’s packed with good suggestions and advice for what has personally worked for us on our travels with a baby.

Whether you’re getting ready for your first ever trip with a baby, or you’re a parenting pro just looking for a few extra tips, we hope this baby travel packing list will serve you well!

Why trust our advice about traveling with a baby?

For years, whenever we saw people traveling with kids, we’d look at each other and say, “Wow, that’s badass. Someday I want that to be us.”

And now we’re doing it which feels both surreal and like we’ve been training for this for years. Because we kind of have.

Prior to having a baby, we traveled to more than 50 countries together and built a business around the travel industry. So travel is something we are not only passionate about, but it’s something we feel very comfortable with.

We made it a point to bring our daughter on some epic trips during her first year of life. And we have so many more family trips planned for the future!

In Juniper’s first year of life, she:

• took 19 flights
• traveled to 9 countries 
• visited 14 US states
• explored 4 US National Parks
• went on 2 overnight backcountry camping trips
• lived in a campervan for 4 months

Juniper went on countless hikes, slept in many different places around the world, and made more friends than any other other 1-year-old we know!

She is growing into a very adaptable little human, and we feel so lucky for all of the memories we have already created together.

If you, too, want to travel with a little one, we’re here to share all of the things that have worked for us along the way. 

We hope you take the advice that resonates with you and feel empowered to plan and execute your dream family trips!

Why are you here?

I imagine you’re here because you want to know more about traveling with a baby. Ding, ding, ding!!!

Okay, that was obvious. But the rest is a little harder to determine…

• Perhaps you are already a parent , and you want to start adventuring more with your little one but you don’t know where to start.
• Maybe you already travel with your baby a lot , but you’re constantly seeking new tips and advice. Everything helps, right?! 
• If you are expecting, be sure to check out our list of the best babymoon destinations !
• Or perhaps you aren’t even sure you want to be a parent , and you’re trying to figure out how much, exactly, having a baby would impact your lifestyle and dreams.

You might be feeling excited about the prospect of traveling with a baby. Or confused about how to even get started. 

Maybe you’re skeptical about the whole idea of traveling with a little one. Or you’re feeling defeated after being told many times that traveling with a baby is hard, and you’re just looking for some encouragement.

Feel all the feels. They are all valid.

Wherever you’re coming from and whatever you’re feeling, my hope is that you’ll be able to find some nuggets in this article that will speak to you .

Everyone’s journey is different 

In this article, we’re sharing tips for traveling with a baby that have worked for us. 

That last part of the sentence is important: These are the things that have worked for us , personally. 

I will say that we have been privileged that we haven’t had to deal with any major health issues. Our daughter is (for the most part) very easygoing and adaptable. Some of this we can attribute to things we have practiced and experiences that we have exposed her to. But I also know that some of this is pure luck.

Everyone’s parenting journey is different. And every child is different. 

You know your child and your comfort level better than anyone. Plus, we all have different priorities and goals and dreams and lifestyles. (Remember, traveling is a big part of our job, so things may look different for you.)

Pick and choose the tips that will work for you. Ignore the ones that won’t.

Psst! After reading through all our tips for traveling with a little one, be sure to read my personal note at the bottom of this article.

Our best tips for traveling with a baby

Let’s dive into the things that have worked for us.

Scroll through them all (there are 40!), or jump to the sections that are most important to you:

• BUILD CONFIDENCE: Feel confident about traveling with a baby
• PLANNING: Planning your trip
• TRAVEL TIPS: Tips for while you’re on your trip

Good to know: Most of these tips are geared toward babies and toddlers (aka under 2 years old). As our daughter grows and our experiences change, we will continue creating resources based on our personal experiences.

1. Start small with “mini adventures”

One of my biggest pieces of advice is to start small. And start early.

In my last weeks of pregnancy, we got out a calendar and made “mini goals” for each week after the baby was born.

They went something like this:

• 1 week old: Go to your favorite coffee shop
• 2 weeks old: Go on a long(ish) walk (we went snowshoeing because it was winter!)
• 3 weeks old: Go to a brewery or event in town 
• 4 weeks old: Spend the night away (we booked a cabin in the woods)

More ideas:

• Mini road trip
• Go to a friend’s house for dinner
• Book a staycation in your own town or a nearby city
• Find a nearby soaking pool (with water temperatures safe for a baby)
• Picnic in a nearby park

Everyone will have different comfort levels, but do what feels good to you.

Having these “mini adventures” on our calendar brought some much-needed structure to our weeks after having a baby. And obviously we knew we could cancel if it didn’t feel right at that time. 

These little adventures gave us the confidence to slowly make the excursions bigger , so that we weren’t completely overwhelmed when it came time to board our first international flight.

Note: Even if your little one isn’t a newborn anymore, it’s never too late to schedule some “mini adventures” on your calendar. Base the excursions on the skills you want to practice and the type of trips you want to take.

2. Practice “baby skills” on the go

This kind of ties in with the “mini adventures” above, but make sure that you’re practicing some skills on the go:

• changing diapers in new environments
• napping on the go
• feeding (whether nursing or bottle feeding)

Trust me when I say you won’t want the first time you change your baby’s diaper outside of your house to be at the start of a trip. 

Make a point to breastfeed or bottle feed on a walk near your house.

Change a diaper in the coffee shop bathroom instead of waiting until you get home.

It will feel uncomfortable at first. But since you’re close to home, you can always go back and start fresh another day if things don’t go as planned.

Doing this time and time again will make you feel more confident and know what to expect. Plus, it will help your little one get used to environments other than your house.

3. Master the art of napping on the go

Black out curtains, a humidifier, and a bassinet that rocks babe to sleep are great, but we personally knew that we’d be in lots of situations where these wouldn’t be available.

So we were proactive about practicing napping in different situations from the time Juniper was very young . 

At home, we had an ideal sleep environment in her room, but we also practiced napping in the living room, in a travel sleeper, and while wearing her in a carrier so she could be adaptable.

Once we felt comfy with it, we practiced napping around town, and eventually on mini trips.

She quickly mastered sleeping just about anywhere:

• her stroller
• in a baby carrier
• in our arms
• in quiet places
• and noisy ones too

Being able to have her sleep in different environments has been a game-changer for us (especially in the earlier months!). It allowed us to get out of the house and not worry about being home at an exact time.

It also made the prospect of traveling with a baby seem so much more attainable when we were newbie parents.

One item that has been helpful for napping on the go:

• Travel sound machine (if you forget this, there are apps and Spotify channels with white noise)

4. Refine your diaper bag

These “mini adventures” I keep talking about will help you realize what you need in many different situations, and what items never get used. 

Take note of these things and keep repacking your diaper bag until you have it down.

AKA you have all the essentials (and remember to restock the items that get used up, like diapers and wipes!) and none of the bulk .

5. Put the essentials in a fanny pack diaper bag

Your full-sized diaper bag will come in handy for bringing all the necessities on your trip, so don’t leave it at home. But there will be many times where you won’t want to lug a big backpack around all day .

Wandering historic cobblestone streets of European cities or walking beach trails on a humid island or a hike in the mountains will all be so much more enjoyable without your full-sized diaper bag.

Pack the essentials – diapers, wipes, diaper cream, a binky, medications, small snacks, etc. – into a fanny pack. You can also include any of your personal necessities for the day (chapstick, credit cards and cash, keys, etc.)

I have this fanny pack that is actually made for this purpose (there’s a wet wipes pocket), but you could use any medium to large size fanny pack ( like this one ). Usually, I just string it over the handle of our stroller so I don’t have to actually wear it. This way, we’re prepared but aren’t bringing the bulk!

Psst! This diaper bag fanny is much cuter than mine, but it’s 3 times the price.

6. Don’t buy all the things

As soon as you get pregnant, it’ll feel like you are constantly being bombarded with ads for all this “essential baby travel gear”. 

Plus, there are all these bloggers and influencers who share all the gear that they use (myself included).

And holy cow, it’s overwhelming.

There is just so much stuff out there and it can feel like you need it all. 

Spoiler alert: You DON’T.

It’s hard to know what will really make your life easier and what isn’t worth the money or space. 

Here’s the best way to really get a feel for what baby gear you need:

• Take those “mini adventures”! I sound like a broken record at this point, but they are truly a low-risk way to find out what items you really need.
• Find a handful of voices you resonate with and trust (a friend, a family member, a blogger/influencer). See what items they recommend and see if it sounds like something you definitely need.

Psst! One way to save money is to search for items on Facebook Marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group. Many first-time parents end up with duplicate items or are keen to sell baby gear after it’s lightly used (since many things won’t be necessary as they grow older). We got so many baby items and nursery furniture this way (and we’ve sold/given a bunch of things away on these platforms too!).

7. Create routines that can be recreated anywhere

While you’re at home, try to create routines that you can recreate anywhere. 

Maybe there’s a certain book you read to signify bed time. Or a song before naps. Or the routine of brushing hair and teeth.

These routines are simple and don’t require much, so you can give your little one the cues they look for even when you’re far from home.

8. Pick and choose the advice you follow

As a new parent, it can be really scary even thinking about traveling with a baby for the first time. And it’s even scarier when people you know (and trust) tell you how hard it will be, or how that part of your life is over.

First things first: Tune those people out.

Take the advice that resonates with you, and ignore the rest. 

Our personal experience:

I remember when I was pregnant I kept hearing how hard parenting was. The advice came from people who meant well – and who were probably right in many ways – but it made me feel nervous and unequipped. 

In the midst of all the warnings, one of Ben’s cousins talked about how much fun being a parent was. She went on and on about how, “ yes, it’s work, but it is also the best thing ever!”

In that moment, I remember finally feeling excited rather than scared.

So I decided I would focus on the advice that lifted me up rather than the words that brought anxiety.

Now as Juniper is getting older, we get similar well-meaning advice from people who say things like, “Traveling when they’re this age is easy. Just wait until she is walking. Then, your work is cut out for you!”

The “just wait until ” advice doesn’t sit well with me. So now I just ignore it.

Take the advice that makes you feel encouraged, and leave the rest. 

Yes, that applies to this list . 

The tips we’re sharing are things that worked for us . If something doesn’t sit well with you, ignore it and listen to the pieces of advice that feel right.

Everyone’s parenting journey is different. You’re in charge of yours. Nobody else.

9. Work on your mindset

Read the sentence below and internalize it: 

People have kids in every country of the world. 

Unless you’re going to a really remote region or an active war zone, bringing your child on a trip isn’t anything unheard of. Other people have brought their children to the destination you’re dreaming about, so why can’t you?

If traveling with your child is important to you, you can make it happen.

10. Adjust your expectations

Traveling with our baby has been one of the most empowering and rewarding things we’ve ever done. 

But it has also included moments of exhaustion and frustration .

Like many people, we probably don’t share enough of those moments publicly on social media . (Although I’m trying to work on that!)

I truly think that for most people, traveling with a baby will be a wonderful experience as long as you have realistic expectations…

Think about what travel looked like before kids and what it will look like now. Consider what will be the biggest changes. 

This will help ensure your expectations are realistic and set you up for having amazing experiences with less frustration.

These are some of the differences for us:

• Don’t worry too much though, the flight is just a small part of the journey and we have some tips for flying with a baby that will help a ton!
• Traveling with a baby means we usually need to move more slowly , and we are able to do less each day than we would without a baby. 
• Sometimes we need to cancel plans or turn around from a hike early because our daughter just isn’t having a great day. We’ve found we need to be a lot more flexible and be prepared for some plans to just not work out.
• Good news: We’ve got practical tips for choosing accommodation with a baby ! 
• We can’t just pop into a bar for a late-night drink if we feel like it. And there are plenty of cool bucket list activities that just don’t allow children . (Aka no more scuba diving together for a while!) Still working through my FOMO with this, but there are still plenty of epic things we can do, so I’m trying to focus on that.

11. Think about your why

Between logistics and packing, traveling with a baby requires a whole different level of planning. And it can get overwhelming. Especially when you have family or friends who aren’t all that encouraging. 

When you start to get frustrated or overwhelmed, think about why you want to travel with your baby.

Is it to feel like yourself again and pursue a hobby you love?

Is it to create memories as a family? 

Is it to show your child the world and see it through their eyes?

All of the above?

Focusing on the why will make the process – frustrations and all! – much more bearable. 

Here are some examples of why you might want to travel with a baby:

• It fills your cup.
• It shows your child to prioritize things that make them happy.
• It shows them the world is so much bigger than your community.
• It gives them the opportunity to meet and interact with people different from themselves.
• It teaches them flexibility.
• It creates lifelong memories.
• It may introduce them to a forever hobby or skill.
• It teaches them to cherish experiences over things.
• You can grow and bond as a family.
• You can push your comfort levels together.

And here’s one more that I’ll add to the list:

• It’s easier than you think. (Hopefully this article helps make it feel more doable!)

Write your “whys” on post-it notes and stick them around your house. Journal about it. Set your phone screen to be a picture that motivates you.

Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of why you want to make traveling with a baby a priority.

12 Talk about what makes you nervous with your travel partner

Still have some nerves?

That’s totally normal. In fact, I’d be a little worried if you didn’t have anything that you were nervous about.

It can really help to talk out these feelings with your partner. 

Maybe you just need them to listen to you and validate your concerns. Or perhaps walking through the scenarios that you’re most uncomfortable with together and discussing what you’d do in each situation will make you feel more prepared.

Whatever the case, getting your worries out in the open will help ensure you’re both on the same page and there for each other.

13. Don’t stress too much about the flight

The flight is just one (tiny) fraction of your trip. And in many cases, it will not be nearly as bad as you’re making it out to be in your head. 

Think of it this way: Most people on flights have headphones in (watching movies or listening to music) and won’t even notice if your baby is being fussy. 

That realization made me feel a lot better before taking our first flight with a baby! (Hopefully it helps you, too.)

We took 19 flights (legs) with our daughter before she turned one, and we gathered all our top advice and created an entire guide full of tips for flying with a baby that should help ease your nerves and make you feel confident about boarding that plane!

In short: Don’t let your nerves about the flight prevent you from going!

14. Start with a trip that’s within your comfort zone

Just like we recommend starting with “mini adventures” near home so you can build your confidence, make your first trip with a baby one that is within your comfort zone.

Maybe this means you return to a place you’ve already been to.

Or maybe this means you travel to a country where English is the native language (or widely spoken), so you don’t have to worry about language barriers.

Make the actual trip one that doesn’t stress you out or push your boundaries too much. This way, you can focus on getting the hang of this whole t raveling with a baby thang so that you can plan bigger, bolder trips for the future.

15. Pack as light as possible

This is honestly a tough one because I truly think it comes down to finding a balance between packing light and making sure you have all the essentials (many of which are really freaking bulky).

We’ve got lots of advice on the best gear for traveling with a baby , but in general, less is more.  Make sure the items you’re bringing are going to be used and won’t just be dead weight.

And truly, bring as few toys as possible. You will thank me when you’re traveling around with ease because you ditched half the toys you thought you needed.

Psst! Want to know what baby gear we personally recommend? We’ve gotcha covered with our favorite baby travel gear.

16. Remember: you can get diapers everywhere in the world

Personally, I don’t stress too much about diapers because you can buy them everywhere in the world. 

Bring plenty of diapers for the plane and to get you through the first several days of your trip. But if you’re going to be gone for a couple weeks (or more!), don’t stress too much about packing the perfect amount. 

Just about every grocery store or convenience store should have diapers and wipes available.

If you’re having trouble finding them in your destination, ask the hotel staff to point you in the right direction.

17. Choose your accommodation wisely

Something I’ve learned is that the type of accommodation we book with a kid is much more specific than when it was just the two of us .

There are a lot of other factors to consider, and what might have been a perfectly good hotel for you will be a disaster with a babe.

Lemme tell ya, we’ve learned the hard way what doesn’t work well anymore now that we travel with a baby.

There have been a few very uncomfortable stays and even an Airbnb that we left (already paid for) because it just didn’t work with a baby.

Psst! Read our tips for choosing a hotel with baby so you don’t make the same mistakes!

18. Book places with pack ‘n plays when possible

If it’s an option, try to book hotels and Airbnbs that have a travel crib for your baby. 

Many hotels and many Airbnbs offer this, so keeping it in mind when you’re making your reservations is key. This means you won’t have to travel with your own, which is a huge space saver.

Their booking details will usually disclose if they have a crib available. If you don’t see anything about a crib, it doesn’t hurt to ask. We once asked an Airbnb host if she had a crib available, and she decided to buy one so that she could offer it to future guests.

If you’re not finding any good accommodations with cribs available don’t stress too much. It’s definitely possible to bring your own.

The Guava Lotus pack ‘n play is undoubtedly the best travel one on the market. Trust me, I spent a lot of time comparing, and it’s the smallest, most durable, and made without toxic materials. So if you’re looking at buying one for travel, the Guava Lotus is what you want. (This is the one we personally have.)

Even though it is compact, it is still bulky and another item to lug around. So if you can get away with not having to pack it, that’s a big win.

Our personal experience

During our 3-week European Christmas Market Trip, we stayed at 8 different hotels/Airbnbs, and all but one had a crib available, so we decided not to bring our own. We are comfortable with co-sleeping, so we did this on the nights that we did not have a crib available. 

However, there are some destinations where finding accommodation with cribs is much more difficult. For example, we’re currently planning a trip where we’re mostly staying at Airbnbs and none offer pack ‘n play, so we will be bringing our own.

19. You can rent things on vacation… (but you might not want to)

Lately I’ve seen a lot of articles and social media posts about renting baby items on vacation through platforms like BabyQuip .

In theory, it’s a great idea, and can be really useful in some situations . There’s a lot to be said for not having to lug around bulky gear, after all. 

Examples of items you can rent: 

• high chair if you plan on eating lots of meals at the accommodation
• bassinet or pack-and-play when your hotel does not offer this option
• car seat when it is significantly cheaper than going with one through the rental car company
• hiking baby carrier (if you have a big hike planned for on your trip)
• beach toys if you are doing an ocean vacation but don’t have or want to pack the gear
• so much more!

But here’s my word of caution…

These rentals can add up quickly , and before you know it, you might be spending hundreds of dollars. (Especially if you’re on a longer trip.)

The prices vary depending on what products you’re looking for and where you’ll be traveling, so calculate the total cost to help you determine whether this would be worthwhile service for you or not.

20. Invest in a compact stroller

One of our most-loved travel items is our compact stroller. It is one of the things we’d strongly suggest buying specifically for travel.

On our first international trip with Juniper, we lugged our normal stroller. This stroller was a hand-me-down from a friend and we love it for at home. But we quickly learned that it was an absolute beast to transport.

It was very heavy and still took up quite a bit of space even when it was collapsed.

After that trip, we bought a stroller that was made for travel . It folds up small to be able to easily fit in the overhead compartment on planes, making it a breeze for travel. 

We personally love our Colugo stroller (and have brought it all over the US and the world!) and would highly recommend it as a durable and affordable travel stroller.

21. …and a solid baby carrier

Having a solid travel stroller is great, but there are places and activities where a carrier is far superior.

Here are just a couple of things to consider:

Stroller is better when:

• it’s hot out and you don’t want to baby wear
• the sidewalks are well-maintained and the streets are flat

Carrier is better when:

• you’re in a crowded place
• the sidewalks are not well-maintained (or the streets are cobblestone)
• you’ll be getting in and out of public transportation

We’ve had a lot of baby carriers, and we both agree that the Ergobaby Omni 360 is the best all-around baby carrier. It’s pricy, but lasts for a long time and is good in a variety of situations. Plus, it works for both of us to carry her, even though we have very different bodies!

22. Consider traveling in a campervan

We’re biased and this certainly won’t be for everyone, but we’ve found campervan travel to be wonderful with a baby , especially when Juniper was really young.

We had everything we needed with us at all times, and we could pull over at any minute to cook a meal, change a diaper in the comfort of our own van, or just hang out in our own private space.

In Juniper’s first year we:

• spent 4 months living and traveling in our own campervan that we built from scratch
• we rented a campervan in Scotland for a 2-week road trip (spoiler alert: it was amazing!)
• plus, we rented a campervan in Ireland for 1 week too!

If you’re renting, you’ll really want to look at the space to figure out if it will work for your family. Most campervan rental companies will be happy to help you choose. We also have a whole list of USA Campervan Rental Companies you can choose from that we personally recommend.

Traveling in a campervan with a little one certainly requires a different mindset, and I wouldn’t recommend it as your first trip with a baby if you’ve never experienced vanlife before . But I think camping can be very special with a little one and a unique way to see a destination.

And don’t leave home without our VanLife Baby Gear Checklist . These are the things we always pack in our van that make our lives so much easier and keep our baby happy.

23. Get a baby passport ASAP

If you plan on traveling internationally with your little one in their first year, we’d recommend getting the process rolling shortly after they are born so you are sure it’ll arrive in time. We applied for Juniper’s passport when she was just 3 weeks old, so it really isn’t ever too early.

This is actually very easy to obtain and we have a whole guide to getting a baby passport . 

Good to know: If you have Global Entry and want to continue using it, you will also need to apply for this for your baby. We learned the hard way when we were turned away at Global Entry. “Interview” time slots fill up very quickly, so schedule this as soon as you get the passport.

24. Get travel insurance 

Hopefully I don’t have to explain why here, but we get travel insurance for every trip we take.

Now that we have a baby, it feels even more important to be properly covered.

Need advice on how to go about getting the best policy for your situation? We’ve gotcha covered in this guide to choosing travel insurance .

25. Get an eSIM on international trips

If you are traveling internationally, it’s super helpful to be able to connect to cell service immediately upon landing.

This can be essential if you need to contact your transport or hotel. 

We love eSIMs because you don’t have to search for a physical SIM card (a hassle) and you don’t have to pay crazy international coverage fees from your home phone service.

Our favorite eSIM is Airalo .

Psst! We have an entire guide to how to get an eSIM here . 

26. Renting a car is usually a great idea

We love using public transportation on our travels, but having a rental car is a lot more convenient when you’re traveling with a baby.

You won’t need to carry around your car seat or luggage, and you can go at your own pace, making stops as frequently as you need. Plus, you won’t have to run so you don’t miss that train! (We’ve all been there.)

When in doubt, make it a road trip. And be sure to check out our tried and true 5-step plan for making your road trip a success !

Want some road trip ideas?

Here are our favorite road trips in the world:

• Iceland Road Trip
• Scotland Road Trip
• New Zealand Road Trip
• Australia Road Trip
• Yucatan Peninsula Road Trip
• Costa Rica Road Trip
• Banff to Jasper Road Trip
• European Christmas Market Road Trip
• Oregon Road Trip
• Oregon Coast Road Trip
• Utah Road Trip
• Idaho Road Trip
• Washington Road Trip
• Colorado Road Trip
• New England (fall foliage!) Road Trip

27. Include family in your trips

Again, this is a tip that may not apply to everyone, but you may want to consider including family in your travel planning.

This could be an opportunity for them to create special memories with your little one, and who knows – maybe they’ll give you the gift of a “date night” while they watch baby !

You could either plan a trip together (hint: book a big Airbnb for the most comfortable stay!), or plan a trip to visit friends or family who live somewhere you’d like to explore.

We’ve been lucky enough to take trips with both Ben’s family and mine, and we’re excited to plan more extended family vacations in the future.

28. Move around less

If you’re used to moving around from place to place rather quickly on your trips, you may want to slow it down a bit (or a lot!) when you add a baby into the mix. 

You’ll be able to cover much less in one day, and you’ll need to consider what you’ll do during nap times and when babe needs to go to sleep at night.

You certainly don’t need to stay in one place the entire time (though that’s not a bad idea); but trust me when I say you don’t want to move to a new place every single night .

Our rule of thumb is we aim to stay in places at least 2 nights on trips, but 3-4 nights per place is ideal , in our opinion. 

(An exception to this is when we’re staying at an airport hotel the night before a flight, we only book one night.)

Psst! Read our tips for how to choose the best accommodation for traveling with a baby !

29. Get to major attractions early

Take advantage of your little one’s early wake up call (sleeping in on vacation is something I dearly miss!) and when possible, get to those popular sights before the crowds get there .

Not only will you have a better experience without all the people around, but there will be less commotion and sensory overload for babe. Plus, without all sorts of people around you may feel less self-conscious if your kiddo starts to get fussy.

30. Plan on early dinners (sometimes)

Not gonna lie, I’m a huge fan of late dinners. I like the buzzy atmosphere and I don’t usually get hungry until later in the evening.

But alas, there are many cases where it makes a lot of sense to do an earlier dinner when you’re traveling with a baby.

Popular restaurants tend to be a lot more family-friendly before the dinner rush really begins. That might mean making a 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. reservation . If you’re like me, you might be rolling your eyes, but getting there earlier means you won’t have to worry about disturbing the late-night dinner crowd with a baby that is overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds.

We don’t always stick to early dinners, but when we know a place is popular or on the fancier side (or if it’s a weekend night), we do like to go before the real dinner rush (aka sensory overload!) begins .

31. Take advantage of room service (or takeout & delivery!)

Pre-baby, this was never something I’d do, but having dinner in your hotel or Airbnb can be really convenient (especially after a long day of exploring!).

We’ve gotten takeout/delivery a handful of times on trips and either have dinner as a family, or eat once our daughter has gone to sleep. It’s can be such a treat.

Money-saving tip: If you book accommodation with a kitchen, plan on cooking at least a couple of nights during your trip.

32. Cook some of your baby’s favorite meals

When possible, I like booking accommodation with a kitchen or kitchenette so I have more control over what our daughter is eating.

We love having her try new foods on our travels, and overall she is a pretty great eater. But we’re not always able to get to a restaurant when she starts getting hungry. It’s nice to be able to whip up some easy and wholesome meals we know she likes at our Airbnb so we can carry them with us throughout the day.

Below are a few meals and snacks that have worked well for us. I specifically chose dishes that use few ingredients that are easy to find in most places around the world, as well as dishes that don’t require complex cooking equipment.

If your baby is eating solids, use these ideas or create your own list of their favorite foods that you can easily replicate on your travels. Use this list to determine what items you’ll need to pack from home.

Insider Tip: Bring reusable baggies ( like these or these ) to store food to easy eating on the go. You could even bring a small cooler so you can carry it with you during a day on the road.

Banana & egg pancakes 

Mash one ripe banana then add one egg. Mix until combined into a batter. Pour this in a skillet with oil (I prefer coconut oil), and cook on both sides, like a pancake.

I like to add a little nut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon if I have access.

Insider Tip: Pack nut butter packets like these to be able to easily add it to different meals.

Smashed avocado

Super simple! You can add tomatoes too if you want. Serve as is or with rice crackers.

Oatmeal 

I prefer to bring my own premade mix from home in a large silicone baggie . Then I can cook small amounts at a time on the road. All you need is hot water.

You can make it however you’d like, but this is a combo I like:

Quick-cooking oats + hemp + flax + powdered coconut milk + chia + cinnamon + freeze dried berries.

Once it’s prepared, you can add nut butter as well as fresh berries if you’d like.

Chia pudding

This is a nutritious meal that is good to make if you’ll be staying in one spot for a while.

A simple Google search will show you plenty of recipes, but I like chia + milk (almond, coconut, or oat are my preferred milks) + a little maple syrup. I usually add a bit of cinnamon if I have it.

I sometimes pack chia seeds from home if I think they’ll be hard to find.

Scrambled eggs 

This is another go-to as eggs are easy to find just about everywhere. 

Bulk it up by adding other veggies, a sweet potato or avocado.

Rice + beans + corn

This is another easy one using ingredients you can easily find in most places. I’d recommend this one if you’re staying in a place for a longer period of time, as you’ll definitely have a few days worth of leftovers.

Alternatively, order rice and beans as a side at a Mexican restaurant and keep it in a takeaway container to store.

Pasta, peas, & pesto

Whole grain noodles combined with frozen peas and pesto is a quick and easy meal and it saves well for leftovers. You can add cherry tomatoes too!

Roasted veggies

If your accommodation has an oven, simply bake some veggies. Sweet potato is a favorite of ours!

Insider Tip: When you’re in a pinch, look in the prepared food section of the grocery store. We’ve found premade guacamole, what bulgar and veggie salad, fruit medleys, and lots more that has worked for us no matter where in the world we are. Check the frozen aisle too. We’ve found frozen falafel (or veggie burgers) and frozen veggies with hummus is an easy meal.

33. Find out where you stand on sleep schedules

One of the most common questions people ask us is, “How do you stick to a sleep schedule while traveling with a baby.”

Our completely honest answer is: We don’t.

This may be somewhat controversial, but we realized early on that we didn’t want to be super rigid about bedtime while traveling. And we didn’t want to always need to go back to our accommodation for naptime.

This is something that has been gradually changing and adapting a bit as our daughter gets older and her needs change. But during her first year, we had a somewhat flexible bedtime and we did a lot of napping on the go. 

This doesn’t mean we were hitting the town until the wee hours, but we often gave ourselves a 1-2 hour window for getting back to the hotel and getting ready for bed. We got to know her cues pretty well and used them to inform our decisions. 

We also had worked on napping on the go so much that if she fell asleep while we were at dinner, we didn’t stress out. We’d enjoy our meal, head back to the hotel and transfer her into her sleeping space.

Important Note: Sleep schedules are one of the more personal topics when it comes to parenting. And we’re not saying our way is right for you. We’re simply sharing what has worked for us so you have somewhere to start.

34. Do your own research about co-sleeping

Personally, once we felt our daughter was old enough, we practiced co-sleeping every once in a while so that we could use it as a tool if needed. This has come in handy several times on trips.

Ideally, Juniper has her own sleeping space in a hotel. However, in the case that she is having a rough night, isn’t feeling well, or we’re staying in a tiny room, we can co-sleep comfortably and with peace of mind.

We’ve also used this as a tool in our campervan on occasion. She has her own crib in our van, but if she wakes up in the middle of the night, we feel comfortable bringing her into bed with us so she is comforted.

Important note: Co-sleeping is another controversial topic. Do your own research and see how you feel so you can make an informed decision for your family.

35. Help your babe adjust to different time zones

If you’ll be crossing time zones, here are 5 tips for helping your little one adjust easier:

Start shifting time zones at home

Before you leave for your trip, start to shift bedtime 1-2 hours to get closer to your destination’s time zone.

Start slow. A few weeks before the trip, make their bedtime 15 minutes later. Then 30. And so forth until you’ve shifted as much as you’d like.

This can help cut the adjustment time down once you get to your destination. 

Good to know: If you’re going to be changing time zones more than 2 hours, you likely won’t be able to fully adjust at home. But every little bit will help!

Maybe you don’t need to adjust at all

If it’s just 1-3 hours different from your home time zone, you may not even need to adjust at all. 

Let’s say you are traveling from Seattle to NYC. This means you will be 3 hours later than at home. 

Perhaps instead of a 7 p.m. bedtime, you allow your little one to stay on their normal schedule and go to bed at 10 p.m. (which will allow you to have extra time to explore the city in the evening). This will also mean later wake-ups which is always nice on vacation.

If this is just a short trip, this can work really well and will also cut down on the adjustment when you go back home.

While you’ll want to aim for the same amount of sleep they typically get at home, there’s no rule that says you have to abide by their normal bedtime hour.

Use daylight to your advantage

When trying to adjust to a new time zone, use outdoor activity and daylight to your advantage.

Your baby will realize this is daytime, and their body will start to adjust accordingly.

Expect jet lag to last one day per hour time change

There’s kind of a general rule that you should anticipate it takes 1 day per hour that you change time zones. 

So that means if you are going to be changing time zones by 5 hours, it will take roughly 5 days for you to feel “normal” and get over jet lag.

This rule is for both adults and babies, so use it as a gauge for your own travels.

Don’t plan anything big on the first day

If you will be shifting several time zones, we’d recommend keeping your first day (or two) relatively free. 

This will alleviate any pressure and will allow you and your little one to rest up after a long travel day.

Insider Tip: We like these homeopathic “No Jet Lag” pills when we’re traveling through many time zones. These are for parents (not babies), but being adjusted yourself definitely helps deal with helping your little one shift as well!

36. Book a family photo shoot

This is a fun one I wanted to throw in there just because!

Instead of booking a photoshoot at home (like many people do), connect with a local photographer on a trip for a photo session. 

On our European Christmas Market Trip, we booked this photo walk last minute, and were so happy we did. With a baby, it has become more difficult to get good pictures of ourselves. (If you know, you know!)

The pictures turned out amazing, and it was such a special souvenir from our trip. You will never regret having photos taken , after all!

We’re definitely going to continue this tradition in our future travels.

Want to do it yourself? Look on Airbnb Experiences . This is where we’ve found a lot of local photographers around the world. Some cities have more options than others, but it is becoming more and more common. Alternatively, you can try to find local photographers in the city you’re visiting on Instagram . Reach out to them in a DM or via their website to book a session during your trip.

37. Plan on some personal time

This might not be advice you take on your first trip with a baby or even on your fifth. But eventually, it might be something you and your partner want to consider.

What would it look like for each of you to be able to do one experience on your own while the other spent quality one-on-one time with your child ?

Maybe this would be something you used to do on trips in your pre-baby days, like going scuba diving or another adrenaline-fueled adventure. Or perhaps it would be a massage appointment to unwind.

I once did a hot air balloon flight next to Mount Rainier (babies aren’t allowed) while Ben and Juniper hung out in the campervan.

This might not appeal to everyone, but if you find yourself missing your old travel days, this might be just the thing you need!

38. You don’t need to limit yourself to only baby-centered activities

If you’re not keen on the typical baby-friendly trips or activities, like kiddie pools or zoos or chain restaurants, I’d like to pop in for a minute to remind you that travel with a baby can look however you’d like .

There’s no rule that says all your trips from here on out have to be at Disney or on kiddie-friendly cruises if that’s not your style. I know we didn’t like the idea of being relegated to only taking trips that were focused on babies from here on out.

We’ve found that while there are certainly some activities you just can’t do with a baby on vacation (scuba diving being the biggest thing we miss!), there’s a lot that you can do, even if it’s not marketed toward families.

Sometimes this means you’ll need to do more planning in advance, but in our experience it has been worth it to be able to continue traveling the way that feels best to us.

We usually research activities in our destination to determine which ones we personally really want to do. Then, unless it explicitly says children are not allowed, we think about what we’d need to do to make it work for us.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

• Some cocktail bars only allow minors until a certain time, so we will plan to go earlier .
• We pack lots of snacks and a good napping-on-the-go set up for walking tours or food tours (we’ve been on a bunch with her!).
• Sometimes we might have to take turns at an activity , like snorkeling or snowboarding, while the other watches Juniper.
• We might alter a hiking route to make it more doable with a little one.
• Often, we’ll go somewhere with the mindset that we’ll leave if Juniper isn’t doing well . More often than not, she surprises us with doing great.
• We still take public transport, but we’ll give ourselves plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B.

It kind of becomes a puzzle of: how can we still do this activity?

Don’t get me wrong – there are times we turn things down because it’s not worth it to us to make it work. But for the most part, we’ve still been able to do most of the things we really want to experience.

And we’ve been able to take some pretty epic trips that are focused on our interests (even though we have a baby):

• road trip around Scotland
• backcountry camping at Cracker Lake in Glacier National Park
• lived in our self-built campervan for 4 months
• Christmas Market hopping in Europe

As our daughter gets older and has her own interests, the way we plan trips will likely change, but up until this point, this is what has been working for us.

Overall, I’m honestly surprised by how much our trips now are similar to the things we’d be doing before having a baby.

39. Get ready for some really special interactions

Something I wasn’t prepared for before having a child is the sweet interactions it would bring to our travels.

We’ve had so many different types of encounters – from servers at restaurants falling in love with Juniper (see pictures below) to people offering to help out when she’s crabby (this has happened multiple times!).

The last photo in the set above was taken at a Venezuelan bakery in Mexico where I was eating by myself with Juniper while Ben had dental surgery. She was just the slightest bit fussy, and the two sweet women behind the counter insisted that they would cheer her up while I eat my food.

Juniper is quite the conversation starter (she loves waving at strangers!), and has brought a whole new level of sweetness to our travels.

I’m so excited to watch Juniper grow up and experience kindness from different people all over the world.

*Excuse me while I go wipe my tears.*

40. Go ahead and book those damn flights! 

Here’s my last piece of advice (for now!):

Just book it!

Don’t let the voices in your head (or your well-meaning neighbor!) scare you away. 

If traveling with a baby is something that’s important to you, I know you can do it. And I’ll be your cheerleader rooting you on!

The first big trip with a baby can be daunting, but I have a feeling you’ll realize it’s not as scary as you’re building it up in your head to be. 

And you’ll feel like such a badass for turning your dream into reality. 

You might even find yourself daydreaming about your next big family vacation, which will feel a lot more doable since you’ve already got one trip under your belt.

Personal note from Katie

I truly hope this article has been helpful to you and leaves you feeling encouraged about traveling with a baby and motivates you to start planning that dream trip. I also hope you’re able to take away some helpful nuggets that you can put into practice! 

I do just want to say that if you want more content on traveling with a baby, please let us know. 

I have been avoiding writing this article for a number of reasons (which I’ll go into below), but it was readers like you who encouraged me to ignore these thoughts and just write it anyway.

So why did I avoid writing this article?

Lemme spill the tea… 

1. Giving parenting advice always attracts negative comments. 

Anytime I share things we do as parents, there’s always someone to point out why they would do something differently. Or why traveling with kids in general is just selfish.

I’m only human, and negative messages and comments are not fun to deal with. So avoiding the whole “traveling with kids tips” felt like an easy way to avoid the negativity. 

2. Traveling with a baby is very different for every single person. 

Everyone parents differently and there’s no way I could create an article that would resonate with everyone. 

This was kind of keeping me frozen in place, asking myself, “How do I give all parents advice about traveling with kids?”

And then I realized I didn’t need to. I just needed to share what has worked for us. I hope you’ve read this article with that lens. 

Some of these suggestions may not work for you or your child. You know your situation best, so pick and choose the ideas and advice that feels good for you.

3. This isn’t a family travel blog.

We decided very early on that we didn’t want Two Wandering Soles to become only about traveling with kids as soon as we had a baby.

At its core, TWS will always be about responsible and adventurous travel . And we aim to share the best things to do in locations around the world, regardless of whether or not they’re family-friendly. 

That said, we’ve realized that we can create family travel content without that being the only thing we write about.

4. Honestly, I don’t feel like an expert at parenting.

We traveled to more than 50 countries before getting pregnant. 

We lived out of a backpack for years on end, and called many different countries “home” for an extended period of time.

We have years and years of experience, and very much consider ourselves experts in all things travel-related.

But the whole parenting thing is new to us. We have one daughter. And at the time of writing this article, she is just over a year old.

So there’s a part of me who kept delaying sharing our “baby travel tips” until I felt like more of an “expert” as a parent. 

But I’ve come to realize that parenting is something that we’re likely never going to feel like experts at . It is a continuous learning process, and as soon as we feel like we’re getting the hang of it, things change. 

I finally became okay with the idea of creating content about traveling with kids without feeling like an expert. Because with the exception of people whose profession is related to parenting, we’re all just doing what we feel is best for our children.

And that might be as “expert level” as you can get.

Want more advice for traveling with a baby?

• Our top tips for staying at a hotel or Airbnb with a baby
• Feel confident on your flight with these tips for flying with a baby !

Save these tips so you don’t lose them!

Pin this article so you can easily come back to it…

We want to hear from you!

We hope these tips for traveling with a baby are helpful!

What advice would you add? Any travel hacks that have helped you? What questions or concerns do you still have?

Note: Please be respectful with your comments. Remember, we are sharing tips that have personally worked for us .

Comments (10) on “ 40 Practical & Encouraging Tips for Traveling with a Baby ”

Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experiences in such an engaging and relatable way. You’ve truly inspired me to create unforgettable memories with my baby. Keep the amazing content coming! Greetings!

Insightful travel tips with baby! I loved how you addressed the importance of booster car seats and how they ensure safety while on the road. Your practical advice on traveling with little ones is invaluable, especially for parents like us. As we plan our family adventures, we’ll be sure to consider the booster seat recommendations you shared. Thanks for helping us make our trips safer and more enjoyable for our baby!

Traveling with a baby can be a challenge, but having a reliable travel cot is a game-changer. It provides comfort and security for your little one, ensuring they have a familiar place to sleep and play. Investing in a lightweight and safe travel cot is a must for any parent on the go. Thanks for highlighting its importance in your informative article! -Baby Train-

I feel like I could tear up after reading this – what an invaluable resource! Thank you!

I have been following you both for quite a while & have been trying to implement the tips you’ve shared over the last few months. My baby is 4.5 months old & she is so chill. Maybe it’s her personality, but I also think it’s the way we’ve done things..which has a lot to do with the tips you’ve shared! She can sleep wherever. I’ve practiced changing her & feeding her in different places & she’s been to our local museums & coffee shops more times than I can count. Though I still get nervous about things (like her getting fussy in public, etc), she really makes it pretty dang easy. We’re hoping to spend a couple of months in Europe this summer, so I’ll probably be re-reading it & studying it so I can prepare us as best as possible.

Thank you again. <3

My children are older and I am still terrified of travel, I am so inspired by seeing you travel with Juniper! I am going to start being more brave!

So happy to hear this resonates. I totally get being scared – I am too hehe! Starting with small adventures near home has been so good at building our confidence and hopefully it helps you too. Wishing your family lots of memories and adventures in the years ahead!

As always, you nailed it with your advice and tips…and your honesty. I love what my father-in-law says that parenting is flying by the seat of your pants. So true! And I am a big believer that when you become a parent, you go with your gut because no one knows your kid like you do!

Juniper will grow up with a worldly perspective…what a gift you and Ben are giving her. Travel makes me joyful, too. I like what you wrote about being a better mom when you are happy…so true!

Last year my 21-yr-old daughter was so inspired by my travel blogging that she asked to take some trips with me. So we did and it was special! There is nothing better in this world than when your adult kids want to spend time with you…and in the form of travel!

What a wonderful foundation of love, adventure and joy you are building for your sweet girl.

I know this article will help a lot of traveling parents…and any negative comments you get…tune those right out! YOU are doing it right! Happy travels with your cutie pie baby girl!

Thank you so much for your kind words, Rachel. It means a lot! I bet seeing your kids grow into adults is unlike anything you can describe. And how cool that you get to share a passion with her! Thank you again!

This is amazing and such timely advice! My husband and I are due to have our first baby in May and we have been going back-and-forth about what kind of travel we want to do when he comes. This article has given me so much more confidence about the things that we can do with him and has really helped me see what is possible with a baby. Thank you so much for this! Keep the baby content coming! Your style of travel is so similar to ours and I love to see what you have done with Juniper so far!

Thank you so much, Stef, for the kind words. Truly just brought a smile to my face. So happy to know it resonates with you. And CONGRATULATIONS on this new and beautiful chapter. Wishing your family all the best!

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We asked, you answered: Parent-approved tips on traveling with kids under 2

Becky Harlan

Last month, Life Kit asked parents to share their go-to advice for traveling with babies and toddlers under age 2 as part of an episode we did on the subject. Over 200 folks responded with tips they wish they'd known before taking a big trip with a little one.

Reading through these responses, it became clear there's no magic hack that works for every kid. Some parents swore by sticking to their kid's sleep schedule on a trip, others said their vacation was smoother when they let the usual routine go. Some sang the praises of the overnight flight (so their child would sleep on the plane), others said their child has never slept more than 10 minutes on a plane no matter the timing.

I flew to Japan with my baby. Here's the travel advice that helped me survive the trip

A few pieces of advice held true throughout. A hungry kid is an unpleasant kid, and children are messy. So packing lots of snacks, extra diapers and a change of clothes ranked high on the list of must-dos. Almost 40 of over 200 responses suggested packing extra outfits in your carry-on for your kid and for you. (If your charge spits up, throws up, blows out or spills it will also get on you!)

So here's a non-exhaustive, impossible-to-be-comprehensive, but-hopefully-still-helpful round-up of your top advice for traveling with little kids. These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

What to pack

A stroller that can be stored in the overhead bin. It's a game changer to not have to check clunky strollers at the gate or check-in counters. —Amy P.

A change of clothes for yourself. If the baby spits up or has a blowout, there's a high likelihood that the mess will end up on you too, especially if you're holding them. Also, be sure to bring a bag to put messy clothes in. Reusable waterproof bags are great and they keep the smell in! —Jenna Yount

Extra diapers. You think you will be fine but if something comes up it's not a good situation to be in. —Jeanna Limtiaco

Overnight diapers. Fewer diaper changes in transit makes everyone happier. —Samantha Warren

Snacks. Remember, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration allows for any size baby food [and baby or toddler beverage], so pack those pouches! —Clara W.

Meds you and your kids might need in flight. That includes chewable Tylenol, Imodium, Dramamine, Zofran, ginger chews, Band-Aids and alcohol wipes. —Paige Ellis

A dark-colored bath towel. It's a blanket, it's for tidying up, it's a tablecloth, it's a sun cover, it shields bottoms from hot slides, it dries off swings. It's a multi-tasking powerhouse. —Judith Heise

Consider what may make sense to buy, rent or borrow upon arrival. You don't need to stuff everything into your suitcase. Buy some of your diapers and snacks at your destination. See if you can borrow or rent large, bulky items like car seats or travel cribs from Facebook Marketplace or your hotel or Airbnb. —Jocelyn Newman

How to get through the flight

Get to your gate an hour before boarding. It gives you time to feed your child, change their diapers, have a cup of coffee and fill your water bottle. It can also help your kid let out their energy before they have to sit on the plane. —Shelly C.

Check the airport for family friendly spaces. Use nursing spaces or pods and family restrooms to reset as needed. Check lounges for nursing and play rooms. —Sara Conger

Take an early morning flight. Those are least likely to get delayed, which is important when traveling with kids. —Carina Ochoa

Parenthood Is A Shock To The System. These Tips Can Help You With The Transition

Board with your partner separately. If you're traveling with two caregivers, have one go on the plane first with all the stuff and do the gate-checking of the stroller while the other hangs back with the kids until the last minute. It gives kids more time to run around! —Andrea De Francesca

Get a plane seat for your kid. Even though many airlines allow kids under 2 to fly for free as a lap baby, if you can afford to get them their own seat, it is worth it. It is recommended for safety to have them in a car seat, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and the extra space for them to move around is nice. —Nicole Shelledy

Be ready for motion sickness. We were not prepared for how easily some little ones get motion sickness on an airplane. Have throw-up bags handy at all times. —Tiff Bankhurst

Prevent ear discomfort. Sucking during take off and landing may help relieve ear discomfort. My babies have flown with me from 4 weeks onward and never had a problem as long as they had a bottle or sippy cup or straw to suck on. —Shelly Ransom

Don't plan on them sleeping on the plane. It's great if they do, but if it doesn't happen, you'll be frustrated. —Colleen Mayerhoff

Don't worry too much about your kid "bothering" other people. The vast majority of people don't care, and many have been in the same situation you've been in and feel nothing but empathy for you. As for those who do care, they are not guaranteed a child-free existence in public. Kids are part of society too, and they are also allowed to take up space. —Jenna Yount

Make friends with the flight crew. They're going to help, they've got more experience than you, and they also want the flight to be pleasant. —April Graham

Save the screens for the flight. If you're using a screen, wait until you're on the plane. While you're waiting in the terminal, let them move as much as possible. Find an empty gate and play Simon Says, see who can jump in one place the longest, do animal charades. Let them go wild. —Paige Ellis

Download age-appropriate shows for your child on an iPad. (But know that if your kid is under age 2 they'll mostly just want to push the buttons.) —Chantel Dockstader

Travel hacks

Find a lodging close to a grocery store and a park. It makes it easy to buy last-minute things and burn off their energy easily at a park. —Gillian Molina

Dress your young kids in bright, matching shirts. I once traveled alone when my kids were 2, 4 and 6. We all wore matching yellow shirts so people could see we were together. —Emily Hernandez

If you want to let your little one crawl around , bring a pair of socks that you can put over their hands. Then you don't have to worry about dirty hands afterward. —Shannon Geraghty

Hire a photographer. You'll have photos with everyone in them, maybe get to see some scenic parts of the city you hadn't seen before. Dress up, wear matching outfits, be extra! They're only little once. —Tina Doyle

Helpful mindsets

It's not a vacation. It's a trip. You're just parenting in a new place. Set your expectations accordingly. —Laura Henriquez

The airport/train/bus/car is not the time to enforce the normal at-home rules. Do you want Doritos at 7 a.m. at the airport? OK. Do you want to watch 20 episodes of Blippi on the plane? No problem. There are no rules when traveling. This also makes traveling fun for kids because they get to do something different. —Meg Houston

Build in extra time to do things. It will decrease the chances of you and your child getting into stressful situations. —Cori DeLano

You're not going to get as much done as you think with a kiddo in tow. Think about things like nap schedule, traveling with a stroller, meltdowns, diaper changes. On my most "successful" trip with my kiddo, we planned one big activity a day and left the rest of the day open with some general ideas and left room for flexibility. —Whitney Winters

They might not remember, but you will. —Nina Hartman

The digital story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected] .

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12 Road Trip Hacks Every Family Needs

Nov 9, 2020

See recent posts by Lisa Milbrand

Road trips are a rite of passage, but the inevitable “Are we there yet?” from the back seat doesn’t have to be a part of the scenario. Before you hit the road with your kids, consider these tips for road trips with kids to keep everyone (including you) happy.

1. Drive at Night

This will definitely help, especially if your kids are younger. We used to do this when our kids were the 2-and-under set, and it made for a more peaceful experience. Keeping babies or toddlers occupied for even a couple hours at a time is never easy. “Sleeping children meant my husband and I actually had uninterrupted conversations, which in our busy life is rare, and was much appreciated,” says fellow night owl Corinne McDermott, a travel agent and founder of Have Baby Will Travel.

2. …Or Leave Bright and Early

Other parents swear by the early morning wake-up call for mastering the road trip. For longer road trips (10-plus hours), it’s often easiest to leave in the middle of the night.

3. Take Care of the Driver

While happy kids are important, a safe driver is also essential. “You need to make sure the driver is rested,” says Gretchen Breuner, founder of Road Scholarz, who traveled around the country on a road trip with kids in an RV for several months. “I would even pull over and sleep for 10 minutes, giving me just the boost of energy I needed.”

4. Give Up the Wingman

While having your partner in the passenger seat is nice for navigation and company, it might be better to put an adult in the back for at least part of the trip. “This will make playing games or simply chatting with the kids a lot easier,” says Jennifer Durbin, author of Baby Traveling Tips for the Clueless Chick. This is especially key when your kids are still riding in car seats that face backward in the car.

Related:  6 Best Travel Car Seats for Babies and Toddlers

5. Don’t Overload on Electronics

Movies and travel apps are great, but this is the perfect opportunity to help your kids find more imaginative ways to entertain themselves. “It’s okay to leave them to their own devices and let them be bored,” says Eileen Gunn, founder of FamiliesGo! “When my daughter has absolutely nothing to do in the car, it’s amazing the way her imagination kicks in and she spins all kinds of imaginary scenarios for herself. I think it’s important to give them the space to come up with their own ideas, rather than constantly feed them data with DVDs and video games.” Just use the DVD player and iPad a little more judiciously, and consider playing some classic, electronic-free games instead. We like this road trip hack!

Related: 9 Tech-Free Distractions for Your Next Family Road Trip

6. Get Crafty

Craft supplies are super easy to pack and can keep kids occupied for hours. I swear by origami paper folding kits (we’ve filled the back seats with paper cranes and cats), but any kind of crafts — from paper and crayons to beading and pipe cleaner sculptures — will work. “My girls loved making friendship bracelets, and those are so car-friendly,” says Breuner. “Just use a piece of duct tape to attach it to the back of a headrest and they’re ready to go.”

7. Spend Quality Time with the Kids

“More than anything else, kids crave their parents’ undivided attention, and being stuck in a car or plane for several hours is a good opportunity to give them a little bit of it,” says Gunn. “Telling your kid about where you’re going, asking about what they liked and didn’t on the way back, letting them ask questions or express what’s on their mind can be a good way of learning about what’s going on with your child at the moment, and can also be highly entertaining.”

8. Pack Healthy — and Not-So-Messy — Snacks

Skip the drive-thru restaurants and go for healthier homemade food for this road trip tip. “I boil eggs, slice apples, bake bread and make honey-rosemary roasted pecans the night before a long trip,” says Sarah Sloboda, a frequent traveler. “It is very tempting and easy to eat poorly in transit, and this can lead to meltdowns — not just for kids, but for adults, too! Do yourself a favor and avoid the crash by eating well.”

9. Map Out Breaks

Don’t leave your rest stops to chance. Do a little research on your route and find local eateries, great roadside attractions , and other spots for a good pit stop. “Find interesting places to stop for breaks, like historic sites, museums, charming towns, and also beautiful places for picnics, including state parks, lakes, and waterfalls,” says Lia Batkin of In The Know Experiences , a travel consulting agency. “The important thing is that the kids burn off some energy. The more active they are outside the car, the more likely they are to fall asleep inside.” If nothing else, stopping at a playground for 20 minutes during your family road trip will do the trick.

10. Stop the “Are We There Yet?” Questions

“Distraction” is the name of the game here (and it’s why playing road games is one of the most widely recommended hacks for road trips with kids). The next time you get the age-old “Are we there yet?” question, simply hand over the map . “Ask your child to figure out how much longer you’ll be on the road,” Batkin says. “Knowing how to read a map is a valuable life skill, so it makes me happy that he’s learning, and he’s happier that he has a job to do.”

Quarters are a also a good way to keep the kids distracted, and can be used toward souvenirs. Give each child a roll of quarters prior to the trip. Every time they ask how much longer it’ll be until you arrive at your destination, take one quarter away.

11. Be Prepared for Emergencies

We’re not just talking about an emergency stash of lollipops for a sugar crash. Make sure you have a roadside emergency kit stocked with extra food, water, and blankets , especially during winter travel. Tangela Walker-Craft, a mother and travel writer, always brings along frozen juice boxes on road trips with kids, which can keep other snacks cool before becoming a refreshing treat. She also carries large Zip-Loc bags , which can hold soiled clothing or serve as a toilet for a small child in an absolute emergency. Emergency numbers are also key. “Always have a list of contact numbers — pediatricians, relatives, and roadside assistance — in the car,” she says. “If you print out a map and/or the written directions for long trips to have in the car, write contact numbers on the map. This information might prove invaluable, especially in the event of an accident.”

Related:  Ouch! What to Do If Your Child Gets Sick of Injured on Vacation 

12. Spoil Your Kids a Little

Lydie Thomas splurges by giving her kids a few special treats they don’t normally get — like lunch at a fast-food restaurant or a little candy. “I let them buy one or two toys that they have been wanting for a long time, and I also let them pick a special snack. That special snack or toy can only be enjoyed after one hour of driving without complaining,” she says. “I bury my feelings about eating healthy food and getting educational toys when we are doing long trips — we are asking them to make an effort, and they should be rewarded.”

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Road Trip with a Baby | 6 Easy Tips for Success

B abies can make great traveling companions. Unlike road trips with toddlers who seem to require constant entertainment, taking a road trip with a baby isn’t as stressful as one might think. Up until they are about a year old, babies require at least 14 hours of sleep a day. So, that gives you plenty of time to drive while they sleep, making a road trip with an infant a breeze!

But if you are planning your first road trip with a newborn or infant, there are a few things to plan for a pack to make your long car journey with a baby easier and less stressful.

This travel guide to a successful road trip with your little one includes what to expect, tips, and a road trip with a baby packing list. 

Our road trip with a baby experience 

When our daughter was just a few weeks old, we took our first long car journey with our baby. It was a nine hour drive across Texas to visit family. 

Of course, we were worried about how our sweet newborn would handle such a long drive. Turns out she did great! After that, we took her on many more road trips, all of which were fairly easy.

From 2-3 hour drives to multi-state adventures, we have taken lots of road trips with a baby, and have learned a thing or two from each journey.

Tips for taking a road trip with an infant

So how do you have a successful road trip with a baby?

Keep in mind there will be times when your baby gets fussy, irritable, or simply needs a break from the car seat. Roll with it, have patience, and stop if needed. But these simple tips will help make your road trip with a baby more enjoyable for everyone.

Travel during sleeping hours 

It might mean driving at night, or at the very least leaving home right before nap time, but planning your travel during your baby’s sleeping hours is going to buy you a few hours of uninterrupted time of peace and serenity in the front seat.

Our daughter luckily seemed to nap longer in the car, so leaving home right at nap time typically gave us a good 3 hours before we had to take a break.

Download or stream baby videos

Say what you will about screen time for babies, and go ahead and judge us, but baby videos help get through long car journeys with a baby without full on meltdowns. 

For us, our baby would get fussy during car rides if she wasn’t asleep. So, either my husband or I would end up sitting in the backseat to entertain her.

We found that downloadable baby videos kept her attention and calmed her down. She typically didn’t watch TV at home. In fact, we limited TV at home until she was almost 2 years old. But we always allowed screen time on road trips, even when we were road tripping during the infant stage. 

We always chose videos that were educational. And, keep in mind, if you are traveling in an area where the cell reception is spotty, it may be in your best interest to download a few videos for the road.

Plan for frequent stops 

Babies have to breastfeed or take a bottle about every two hours when they are awake, so plan to stop every few hours for necessary diaper changes and your baby’s meal time. Even if your baby isn’t hungry or in need of a diaper change, it’s a good idea to stop every couple of hours to simply get your little one out of the car seat and take a 20 minute break.

If our GPS told us a trip would take 6 hours, we typically factored in an extra couple of hours to account for stops. 

We always plan to stop somewhere for a meal during the drive and we stay awhile, so our little one isn’t strapped into a car seat for 6-8 hours straight.

Pack accordingly

Anytime you travel with a baby you can anticipate packing more than if you are traveling alone or even with an older child. Even if you just bring the travel essentials for your baby , it is still a lot of stuff! 

You’ll want to be sure to pack everything you’ll need for the amount of time you’ll be gone. But be sure when packing and loading your car that the things you may need most during the road trip with your baby are easily accessible.

Extra clothes should be easy to reach within your luggage in case there is a spit up or blow out situation. Other items you might need for quick stops, like your baby carrier for travel , should also be readily available. 

When we would go on road trips with our infant, we preferred to use a baby carrier instead of a stroller when we were getting out of the car to either check out a roadside attraction or run inside a convenience store. 

Have someone ride in the backseat with the baby

How would you like to ride backwards, staring at the seat for 6 hours straight? No fun, right?

As long as you aren’t alone on a road trip with a baby, it will definitely make things easier if someone rides in the backseat to play the role of entertainer.

When our baby would wake up from her (hopefully) extra long nap in the car, I would usually climb in the back and read her books, play with her, or feed her a food pouch while my husband drove. That would usually buy us a couple more hours to get to our destination.

You can also give your little one an infant massage while you sit with them. This helps babies to relax and soothes the aches that even babies get from long car rides.

Invest in a baby mirror

Babies and toddlers are required to ride rear facing in the U.S. until the age of 2. So, if you plan on a long car journey with an infant or toddler, an inexpensive baby mirror that straps to the backseat will definitely help ease your mind during the drive.

You’ll be able to keep your eye on your baby from the front seat, and your baby will have the added enjoyment of looking at himself or herself in the mirror. (Babies are little narcissists. They love mirrors!)

How to feed your baby on road trips

It may be tempting when your baby is crying or hungry to take them out of the car seat while the car is moving “just for a minute” to feed or change your little one, but it really isn’t worth the risk.

It’s not only extremely dangerous, but it’s also illegal. Instead, here is a little advice on how to feed your little one on road trips.

Breastfeeding

If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you’ll likely want to pull over when your baby gets hungry to feed your little one. This is the safest thing to do for both you and your baby. 

Another option would be to bring your breast pump and pump while you are riding in the car. Then you can bottle feed your baby your expressed breastmilk. This is an efficient way to feed your baby on a road trip without having to stop to breastfeed.

Bottle Feeding

Bottle feeding is an easy way to feed your baby on the go when taking a long car journey with an infant. If bottle feeding breastmilk or premade liquid formula, we recommend keeping the milk in a cooler so it stays fresh.  

When it is time to feed your little one be sure to have someone sit in the backseat with them to hold the bottle rather than propping it up. This ensures your baby doesn’t choke, drop the bottle, or spill the milk in the car.

If you are taking a road trip with a newborn who is still exclusively nursing or taking formula, you won’t need to worry about baby food yet. However, once your child starts solids, baby food pouches can be great for road trips or air travel with a baby . 

They are a bit more expensive than the jars or plastic containers of baby food, but they are organic, come in lots of interesting flavors and varieties, and are much easier to deal with while on a road trip with a baby. You can find them at basically any grocery store or online.

We love these three brands: Happy Baby , Sprout Organic s , and Plum Organics , which you can find on Amazon for much less than you’ll typically pay in a store!

(FYI, if traveling by air, the TSA liquids rule of 3 ounces or less doesn’t apply to baby food . ) Also, don’t forget snacks! Puffs and Cheerios obviously work great.

What to pack for a road trip with a baby

As previously mentioned, packing requires more planning for any type of trip with a baby. But there are a few things you’ll want to have readily available on a road trip with a baby.

Aside from a car seat, which is an obvious necessity, you’ll want to have these other items within arms length.

You’ll go through so many of these! Whether you’re wiping down your baby’s face after eating, wiping down toys that they’ve tossed on the floor, or wiping down sticky baby hands, you will want and need baby wipes on any road trip. 

Years have passed since our daughter was a baby, and we still keep baby wipes in the car and frequently use them. 

Extra Clothes

Our baby had a tendency to spit up after she ate, so we often had to change her clothes at least once during a road trip.

Even if your baby doesn’t spit up frequently, babies drool, and that drool often ends up around the collar of their shirt. So, to keep your kiddo comfortable, you’ll want to be sure to change their outfit when it gets wet. 

Charging Pack or Batteries

If you plan to download baby videos for older babies, you’ll want to be sure to bring a portable charging pack to keep it charged during the car ride.

The same goes for any batteries, if you bring any toys that require them. Keeping your baby entertained is the key to a successful road trip.

Car Seat Toys

Aside from a tablet, you will also want to bring some engaging toys for your baby. If you are anticipating a long road trip with a baby, you may want to buy a few new toys that your baby has not seen or played with yet. The new toys will likely keep their attention longer. 

We personally loved these toys that dangled from the car seat and had different textures and bright colors that our daughter loved.

Portable changing mat or receiving blanket

When it comes to changing diapers on a road trip with a baby or toddler, you won’t always have a changing table available. And even if one is available, they aren’t always the cleanest. So, be prepared for diaper changes in the car. 

It might mean pulling over on the side of the road and changing your baby in the back seat. If doing so, you’ll want to have a portable changing pad or a blanket to cover the seat just in case things get messier than expected. 

Wet bag and disposable trash bag

You’ll want a wet bag for any soiled items that you’ll want to wash at your destination. This would include clothes, blankets and cloth diapers. 

You’ll also want a small trash bag for any dirty disposable items, like baby wipes, disposable diapers, and empty food pouches. 

Pacifiers 

If your baby takes a pacifier, you will want to stock up on his or her favorite ones before a road trip.

For one, pacifiers will get lost, so you will want a spare, and a spare for the spare. Secondly, they will get dirty. Your baby will drop it, toss it, and it is easier to give them a clean one rather than constantly cleaning the same pacifier. 

Our daughter personally loved the Wubbanub pacifiers , which have little soothie animals attached to them. The extra weight of the soothie helps them stay put longer.

Of course you’ll want to bring all the things you would typically bring in a carry-on bag for a baby , like diapers, infant medication, and burp cloths. But the biggest tip for a successful road trip with an infant or toddler is to pack patience and plan for itinerary changes.

Final thoughts on baby road trips

Safety is the most important thing to consider when planning a long car journey with an infant or toddler.

So, before any road trip, or better yet, before your little one is born, we recommend taking your car seat to a fire station or any other location where there are licensed car seat technicians who can make sure it is properly installed. Chances are, it is not . 

This free service will give you a little extra peace of mind that your baby will be safely secured in a properly installed car seat the entire length of the journey.

Traveling with toddlers or older kids? Check out these tips to keep them entertained in the car!

Have a comment or question about taking a road trip with a baby? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Like it? Pin this road trip with a baby guide to save it for later!

How to Have a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler

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Being trapped in a car with a toddler for an extended period of time might sound like some cruel form of torture. But let me assure you, you really can have a successful road trip with a toddler. 

We’ve been on many road trips with our toddlers over the years, sometimes more successfully than others. 

But through those experiences we’ve come up with some sanity-saving hacks to make the whole proccess go a lot more smoothly for everyone. 

In this post we have tips for an awesome road trip with a toddler and a toddler road trip checklist to make sure you aren’t forgetting anything important. 

If you’re planning a road trip with your toddler, you’ve got this! Read on for ideas to help!

For tips for road tripping with a baby, see this post and for more helpful travel items, see our ultimate list of toddler travel essentials !

Tips for a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler

Prepare before you leave

There is a lot to think about when you’re planning a road trip, especially one with little kids. Here are a few preparation tips to make sure that you are prepared and ready for your drive. 

First of all, make sure your car is in good condition for a road trip before you leave. It’s a good idea to get it checked out at the mechanic before going on a long trip so they can warn you of any potential problems. You don’t want to find out about needed repairs halfway into your drive. Also make sure you’re not due for an oil change.  

Second, check to see that your child’s car seat is properly installed before you head out as well. A properly installed car seat is essential for your child’s safety, especially when you’re going to be in the car for a long time.

If you need assistance, there are car seat technicians who can check it out for you, just do a quick search for a technician in your area. Sometimes fire stations can also check car seats. 

Also plan your food strategy ahead of time . Are you going to mostly eat out or bring your meals? How are you going to store your food? Do you need a cooler and ice? What foods do you need to purchase before you leave?

For tips on planning road trip food and a list of great road trip meal and snack ideas, see this post . 

Be organized

It’s easy for your car to quickly become a mess on a road trip. Have a system for how you want to organize your toys, food, etc to keep them accessible. 

We love using both seat back organizers and a floor car organizer when we’re road tripping to have a structured place to keep road trip food. 

These car seat trays are great for toddlers on a road trip because you can use the pockets to have activities accessible whenever they want them.

Tip: Have an accessible place to put everyone’s shoes while driving . Our kids will usually take off their shoes when we’re on a long road trip and then it’s so annoying trying to find that missing shoe when you stop for a bathroom break. We usually keep them under the driver’s seat so we know right where to find them when we need them. 

Have some awesome toddler road trip activities prepared

If you’re going to be in the car for a long time with your toddler, make sure to bring great activities to keep them entertained. You can bring some activities that they love from home, but it also helps to have some new toys or activities they’ve never seen before .

And the great thing about road trips as opposed to flying is that you often have room for a few extra toys, just to be safe…

Be sure to check out this list of tried and tested toddler road trip activities !

Set your toddler up to sleep on the road

Try to help your child keep to their regular sleep schedule to prevent a toddler meltdown on the road. Often being in the car will lull kids to sleep, but there are also some steps you can take to help them out.

Where possible, maintain elements of their normal sleep routine . If you’re driving into their bedtime you can put them in their pajamas and read them a bedtime story or put on some soothing music.

Another helpful tool is a sunshade placed on your toddler’s window . This will block out some of the sunlight so that your child will (hopefully) fall asleep and stay asleep easier for naps.

Probably the most important thing you can do for your toddler’s sleep is to plan ahead to keep naps uninterrupted. Take a potty break and get gas before nap time so that you don’t have to stop when your toddler is sleeping. In my experience, kids tend to wake up as soon as the car turns off and often won’t fall back asleep again.

Let your toddler stretch their legs

When you’re road tripping with a toddler, plan in breaks every couple of hours. First of all, you’ll want frequent breaks for your child to go to the bathroom. 

Breaks are also necessary for your child to have a chance to run around and get some energy out. Toddlers are constantly on the go, so it can be challenging for them to sit still for long periods of time. 

Frequent breaks are a great way to preempt meltdowns and whininess. 

Plan some activities when you stop to expend some of your child’s energy. While you’re stopped, do some sort of game that gets the kids moving, like seeing how fast they can run to a nearby tree or moving like animals (hop like a bunny, fly like a bird, pounce like a lion).

Account for these breaks in your total drive time so that you don’t get frustrated by the time added to your trip.

If we have time for it, we also like to plan a trip with fun stops along the way . If we stay the night at a hotel, we’ll get there early to use the pool. Or we try to see if there are fun activities our kids will enjoy along our route, such as a children’s museum or park.

Bring great food for the drive

One of the big keys to successful travel with a toddler is snacks. First and foremost, you definitely do not want a hungry toddler on your hands. That’s just a recipe for disaster.

But snacks also act as an activity and change of pace to help break up a road trip. 

Plan ahead to bring some awesome road trip food, both some favorites that you know your toddler loves and some new snacks to add novelty.

I would also recommend bringing a snack catcher so that your toddler can feed themselves snacks without accidentally dumping snacks everywhere. This can be a total lifesaver on a road trip to prevent food from ending up all over your car. I always recommend these snack catchers because they are collapsible, making them perfect for travel.

Also make sure your child is staying hydrated by bringing them their own spill-proof bottle and offering them drinks frequently.

Consider the best time of day to drive 

If your kids sleep well in the car, you might want to plan for part of the drive to be while they are asleep . 

One of our favorite ways to road trip with toddlers is to leave early in the morning and transfer them to the car while they are sleeping. 

They’ll continue to sleep for a while, allowing us to get in several hours of peaceful driving in before everyone is up.

When they do wake up, they are usually content to sit and look out the window for a while while they eat the breakfast we packed for them. It’s a great way to get several hours into your trip without too much fuss. 

Another option is to drive through the night, which some people prefer because the kids will be sleeping the whole time. There are a couple of downsides though…

Cons to driving through the night

• First of all, you’re exhausted by the time you arrive at your destination, which isn’t necessarily the best way to start off a trip. 
• You have to make sure you are very well rested before you start so that you don’t risk falling asleep while driving. 
• Some kids actually don’t sleep very well in the car and there’s nothing worse than a tired toddler screaming while a tired parent is driving. 

If you do decide to drive at night, make sure you are well rested before you start, have something interesting to listen to to keep you awake, and if possible take turns trading off with another driver.

In the end, you have to decide what makes the most sense for your family and your trip.

Make the drive as comfortable as possible

Try to make the drive as comfortable as possible for your toddler to set them up for success. Dress them in light, comfortable clothes and take off their shoes while driving.

Set them up with a cozy little spot in their car seat with a blanket in case they get cold. This travel blanket is awesome because it is super compact and takes up hardly any room in it’s travel case, but it’s large and warm when open.

Tip: If you’re traveling with multiple children, try not to have them sitting right next to each other. This will make them less likely to bug each other or wake each other up while one is sleeping (whether on accident or on purpose…)

How to handle potty situations on the road

Most toddlers are somewhat newly potty trained and can’t wait quite as long when they decide that they really need to go. This can be problematic when you’re on a road trip, especially if you’re in an area where there aren’t facilities for long stretches.

You’ll definitely want to make sure to take frequent bathroom breaks along your drive. And make sure your toddler goes potty every time you stop , even if they don’t think they need to. Five minutes later they’ll probably realize that they do, in fact, have to go to the bathroom.

It can be tempting to reduce the amount of liquids your toddler is drinking to prevent frequent potty breaks, but this is not a good idea and can lead to dehydration.

That being said, don’t flood your toddler with all sorts of fun drinks or they will be drinking a lot even when they aren’t really thirsty. Have a water bottle for your toddler and let them decide when they need a drink.

You can also cover their seat with a car seat liner just to be safe. Then if they do have an accident, it won’t get the seat wet and it’s a much easier clean up. I like to bring a small spray bottle of stain and odor remover just in case there is a potty or vomit incident. That way you aren’t stuck with the smell in your car for the rest of the trip.

You might also want to consider bring a portable potty with you so that if you’re caught in a situation where your toddler needs to go NOW, you can pull over and take care of it. See this post for a breakdown of the best travel potties for toddlers .

Toddler Road Trip Packing List

Make sure you have everything you need for your road trip with your toddler. This comprehensive checklist will help you make sure you don’t forget anything important!

Hand sanitizer – Bring some travel-sized hand sanitizer for cleaning little hands before eating. 

Wet wipes- Extremely useful for wiping hands and faces after eating

Paper towels- Wipe up messes from food or any other accident that might happen…

Road trip food – Pack some awesome snacks and meals to keep your kiddo full and entertained

Snack catcher – Perfect for keeping snacks contained on the road.

Water bottle – Bring a spill-proof water bottle for your child to be sure that they are staying hydrated.

Change of clothes- Make sure to bring a change of clothes for your toddler. You never know if they might have an accident, get covered in food, fall in a mud puddle at a rest stop, etc. 

Stain and Odor Remover- I always like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. In that spirit, I like to bring a bottle of stain and odor removing spray for any accidents or vomit that could (but hopefully won’t) happen. 

Sick bag – If you happen to have a carsick toddler, you’ll be grateful you thought to bring some of these compact sick bags . Once again, be prepared and hope you won’t need it. 

First aid kit – You never know what scrapes or bumps your little one might end up with, it’s always best to be ready for anything.

Car window shade – This can be very helpful in getting your child to nap (and stay napping) while in the car.

Car seat liner- If you have a newly potty trained toddler, a car seat liner can be a total trip saver. It’s a waterproof mat that goes between the child and the car seat. That way if there is an accident, it’s much easier clean up.

Travel potty – Bring a portable potty along in case your toddler has an urgent bathroom situation where there are no facilities.

Travel blanket – A blanket is a great item to bring to help your toddler get cozy for sleep in the car or to warm them up if it’s chilly. This travel blanket is super compact and comes with it’s own travel case. Even though it packs down small it is plenty big (and warm) when you open it up!

Road trip toys and activities- And of course, don’t forget to bring your activities to keep your toddler entertained! See this post for ideas.

Final Thoughts

With a little preparation, a road trip with a toddler can be a great experience for the whole family. Honestly I think it’s harder to do a road trip with a baby than with a toddler, but that could just be me.

If you follow these tips and bring some great toddler road trip activities, hopefully your drive with your toddler will be smooth sailing!

Other posts you might be interested in:

Road Trip Activities for Toddlers (That They Will Really Love!)

50+ Road Trip Food Ideas- Easy Meals On the Go!

7 Essential Tips for Road Tripping with a Baby

Best Travel Potty for Toddlers

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WATCH: Videos show Riley Strain stumbling downtown on night of disappearance

The 22-year-old missouri student has not been seen or heard from since friday night..

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Detectives have released a new video that shows missing 22-year-old Riley Strain in downtown Nashville the night of his disappearance.

Strain went missing March 8 after getting kicked out of Luke’s 32 BRIDGE, Luke Bryan’s Broadway bar, according to his friends. Strain, a University of Missouri student, hasn’t been seen or communicated with friends since.

In the video released by police on Tuesday, Strain is seen wearing the same two-toned shirt he was in the night he went missing while crossing First Avenue North to Gay Street, near the Cumberland River, at 9:47 p.m. A friend told officers that they lost sight of Strain when he got kicked out of the bar and they began looking for him — a search that has continued but remains unsuccessful in finding the 22-year-old so far.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: A parent’s worst nightmare: Son visiting Nashville on college trip disappears

A second video captured by the Downtown Smoke & Vape Shop showed Strain stumbling near Church Street at 9:45 p.m. Friday.

The friends attempted to locate him utilizing his Snapchat location but were unsuccessful. All phone calls to Strain’s phone reportedly went to voicemail. Strain’s parents have driven to Nashville from Springfield, Missouri to help with the search.

Officers have checked local hospitals, jails and a phone ping with no luck.

The search continues Tuesday in Downtown Nashville. TC Restaurant Group, operator and owner of Luke’s 32 Bridge, said it is continuing to work closely with the Metro Nashville Police Department to provide security camera footage and any other potentially helpful information to aid in the search for Strain.

“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones for his safe return,” the group said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.

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After a Night ‘on Fire,’ Biden Hits the Road to Make the Case for a Second Term

Pumped up by the reaction to his forceful address to Congress the evening before, the president sought to build on the momentum by opening his general election campaign with a trip to Pennsylvania.

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Biden Makes a Campaign Stop in Pennsylvania

President biden held a campaign rally outside philadelphia on friday to amplify his message from his state of the union address..

Our freedoms really are on the ballot this November. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms. That’s not an exaggeration. Well, guess what? We will not let him. [cheering] We will not let him. I see a future where we defend democracy. Not diminish it. I see a future where we defend our freedom, not take them away. I see a future the middle class has a fair shot and the wealthy pay their fair share. I see a future for the planet — move from the climate crisis in our country, away from the gun violence that we have so much of. I see a future of America remains the beacon of the world.

By Peter Baker

Reporting from Wallingford, Pa.

• March 7, 2024

President Biden took his bid for a second term on the road on Friday, effectively opening the general election campaign with a strongly populist pitch and an aggressive attack on his Republican challenger, former President Donald J. Trump.

Kicking off a monthlong set of barnstorming trips mainly to swing states, Mr. Biden reprised the themes of his State of the Union address at a rally in Wallingford, Pa., as he sought to capitalize on his robust nationally televised performance and galvanize Democrats who have been anxious about his age and poor poll numbers.

Mr. Biden made clear that his regular targets during this re-election bid would be billionaires, corporations, pharmaceutical companies, banks, credit card companies and even potato chip makers. All of them, in his telling, are out to gouge consumers and duck their fair share of taxes. But his favorite villain in his election-year narrative will still be Mr. Trump, his opponent from 2020 now in a rematch set by this week’s Super Tuesday primaries .

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms,” Mr. Biden told a crowd of cheering Democrats in a school gymnasium, this time not shying away from citing his challenger by name, unlike the night before. “That’s not an exaggeration. But guess what? We will not let him.”

Mr. Biden seemed delighted by the reviews of his State of the Union address, which allies hope will jump-start his campaign after months of Democratic uncertainty about his prospects. “I got my usual warm reception from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene,” he joked, referring to the Georgia Republican who had heckled and jeered him .

He was so pumped up after the speech, he said, that he stayed up until 2 a.m. and checked out the Fox News coverage. Unsurprisingly, he disagreed with the conservative network’s take that his economic policies would “ruin America,” as he summarized it. “We have the strongest economy in the world right now,” he said.

The president was introduced on Friday by his wife, Jill Biden, who seemed likewise charged up by the address to Congress. “Wasn’t he on fire?” she asked the crowd.

She too went after Mr. Trump directly, contrasting him with her husband. “He wakes up every morning thinking about how he can make the lives of Americans better,” she said of Mr. Biden. “Donald Trump wakes up every morning caring about one person and one person only: himself.”

The president’s travel schedule is about to pick up. After this stop in Pennsylvania, Mr. Biden will head to Georgia on Saturday, New Hampshire on Monday and Wisconsin and Michigan in the middle of next week. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona and Nevada, meaning that between the two they will hit within a week all of the half-dozen swing states considered critical to the outcome in November.

The cabinet will join in the blitz as well, with the secretaries of the Treasury, interior, agriculture, labor, health and human services, education, energy and veterans affairs as well as various agency directors all taking to the road. The officials will talk about policy goals like protecting abortion rights and promote the administration’s accomplishments, such as strong job growth, rather than making formal campaign speeches, but it all fits into the broader effort. The president and his team got good news as they headed out when the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers had added 275,000 jobs last month.

Mr. Biden’s well-funded campaign announced that it would open the season with a $30 million advertising blitz . The campaign plans to hire 350 staff members and open 100 offices in battleground states over the next month, countering Democratic nervousness about its sluggish start.

After flying to Philadelphia on Friday, Mr. Biden stopped at a private home in Swarthmore to visit Jack and David Cunicelli, the owners of a local cafe. A member of their family is an old friend of Hunter Biden, the president’s son.

But one of the electoral challenges facing Mr. Biden as he seeks to reassemble his 2020 coalition manifested when he arrived at Strath Haven Middle School in Wallingford, where hundreds of protesters upset at his support for Israel’s war in Gaza were waiting. “Shame on you,” they chanted. They added, pointedly, “This November, we remember.”

Inside the gymnasium, Mr. Biden got a friendlier greeting from the crowd: “Four more years!”

Mr. Biden did not exhibit the same volume as he had the night before and stumbled over his words occasionally. But wearing a blue quarter-zip sweater and no tie, he appeared loose and in good spirits, engaging playfully with the crowd. At one point, he trotted out one of his regular lines, complaining that billionaires pay only 8 percent in taxes, a figure that fact checkers have said is misleading .

“I pay more than that,” a woman called out.

“You sure hell do!” he replied.

After his speech was over and Dr. Biden joined him onstage, the president interrupted the applause and made the campaign staff turn down the music so he could tell a well-worn story about how he had proposed to her. “I had to ask this woman five times to marry me!”

But he had a serious message about the choice he sees for the country between him and Mr. Trump, whom he blamed for threatening democracy and coarsening society.

“When you ride down the street, there’s a Trump banner with an F-U on it and a 6-year-old kid putting up his middle finger — did you ever think you’d hear people talk the way they do?” Mr. Biden asked. “Look, it demeans who we are. That’s not America.”

The president associated his challenger with dictators like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and autocrats like Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary , essentially making the case that Mr. Trump shares their anti-democratic instincts.

“You know who he’s meeting with today down in Mar-a-Lago?” Mr. Biden asked the crowd. “Orban of Hungary, who stated flatly he doesn’t think democracy works, he’s looking for dictatorship.” He added, “That’s who he’s meeting with. I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it. I see a future where we defend our freedoms, not take them away.”

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

Our Coverage of the State of the Union

In a raucous state of the union address, president biden sought to reassure americans that at 81, he is ready for a second term..

Biden’s Performance: The president was feisty   and displayed a newly found solemnity and blunt combativeness . Republicans jeered  from their seats. And Democrats enthusiastically cheered their presidential nominee, even as a few aired their grievances about the war in Gaza .

A Contrast With Trump: In his speech, Biden launched a series of fiery attacks  against former President Donald Trump, a competitor whom he did not mention by name but made clear was a dire threat to American democracy  and to  stability in the world .

Middle East Crisis: During the State of the Union, the president announced the construction of a port to deliver aid to Gaza. That decision, as well as the  authorization of aid airdrops  on the territory, raised uncomfortable questions  about America’s role in the war.

Seeking a Tricky Balance: As he spoke to Congress, Biden tried to demonstrate that he could be tough on the border without demonizing immigrants .

A Rare Mention: Biden briefly referenced a topic  that he has often been reluctant to embrace: marijuana. His words could signal a move toward promoting the efforts he has made to liberalize cannabis policy.

Style Choices: Democratic women in suffragist white , Marjorie Taylor Greene in MAGA red. The sartorial statement-making on the congressional floor was clear .

The easiest way to plan a road trip with a baby is to drive at night while your baby is fast asleep. If that is not possible, try to drive during nap times. You can take advantage of wake hours for meals, exploration, and even spontaneous roadside attractions. While this may increase the duration of the car ride, you will be enriching your road ...

4. Getting Baby Sleeping in the Car. Every baby is unique and hopefully you'll have a good idea of what conditions make your baby sleep in the car. This is stating the obvious, but for a baby on a road trip, sleeping in the car is a great way to easily pass the time. Our daughter asleep in the car.

Clean up kit- plastic tote with a snapping lid full of Clorox wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, a change of clothes per kid (especially bottoms if newly potty trained), bottle of water for clean-up purposes, empty Walmart sacks, extra car sick bags, hand sanitizer. Car Organization for a Road Trip With A Toddler or Baby.

Driving overnight with a baby may sound daunting, (or traveling with a baby at all) but our firstborn was 6 months old when we made our first 12-hour road trip. Since he typically slept about 12-hours at night and slept really well in his infant car seat, it made sense for us to drive overnight. It was a risk, but it was wildly successful.

Laundry detergent — we did a bit of hand-washing. Baby Shampoo + Soap and brush. Thermometer and infant medications. Rash Cream and body ointment. Diapers, wipes, and changing pad. Baby brush and nail clippers if a longer trip. Nasal aspirator and saline drops. Burp cloths — these muslin ones are our favorite.

Plan Frequent Breaks. You might be able to go six hours without using the bathroom or needing to eat, but the baby likely can't. Plan for stops every one to three hours during the day and three to six hours at night to change diapers, stretch legs, eat, and change sweaty or spit-up clothes as needed.

A simple plastic beach pail works well. Bring a plastic bucket for motion sickness (Photo from Amazon.com) 11. Prepare your car for safety. Of course, your number one priority during a road trip with a baby or toddler is to arrive at your destination safe and sound.

1. Build a Baby-Friendly Road Trip Itinerary. Set reasonable expectations for your first baby road trip (Photo: @elinadjan via Twenty20) Even if your baby sleeps well in the car, you're probably not going to be able to pull off an all-night drive halfway across the country when you have a baby in the backseat. (Sorry!).

Vitamin D drops: We have these. Spectra pump: It's been a must-have. Check it out. + flanges (6) + duckbill valves (6) + tubing (2) + backflow protectors (2) 6 Spectra milk bottles and tops: Check them out. Milk cooler with ice pack: We have this one, and it fits most standard 5oz bottles.

Pack milk for the ride if your baby is too young for water. Sipping yogurt - Driving may take away the baby's appetite. Sipping yogurt is easy to eat in the car, will fill them up a bit, and often tastes good enough to entice them to eat. Finger foo ds - Beef jerky, cheese puffs, finger sandwiches.

A guide to road tripping with a baby, in 9 highway-tested steps ... road trips have it all: discovery, boredom, tears, joy, gear galore and so many bodily fluids. ... Driving at night while the ...

Buy at Athleta. $109. Buy at Athleta. $59. Buy at Athleta. Ashlea Halpern, her husband, and their 11-month-old son recently took a two-and-a-half-week, 3,000-mile road trip. Ashlea shares all the ...

If you are planning a road trip with a baby, you might feel a little overwhelmed and nervous - but don't be! ... he wakes up no later than 2:00pm so she will sleep at night. If I were to leave late in the afternoon, he would sleep until 5:00 or 6:00pm and getting her to bed would be a complete nightmare.

This is good news for traveling parents and one of the benefits of taking a road trip with a baby before they get older and are more active. Plan to do as much driving as possible while your baby is asleep. Then take breaks when your baby is scheduled to eat or will need a diaper change. 4.

We advise packing 2-3 onesies in your travel bag to cover all of your bases - it'll save you needing to dig them out of suitcases on the side of the road for those emergency diaper changes. 7. Prepare for Frequent Stops. Taking baby on the road goes hand-in-hand with stopping. Frequently.

Eventually, you will learn your baby's road trip habits to plan for a weekend getaway with a 4-5 hour road trip. Road Trip with a Baby ( 1 - 4 Months) ... A lot of people told us drive at night when the baby is sleeping. Then I found your article and help us a lot with all our concerns. Thank you. oursweetadventures.

Peek a boo! Keep a blanket nearby and/or a fun toy to play with the baby. Sing songs with the baby. Toddler music on Pandora is a great station to sing familiar songs to the baby. There are tons of kid's music and nursery rhymes CD's you can buy as well. Utilize things in the diaper bag.

3 | Avoid Heavy Traffic & City Driving. Based on our experience, stopping and going can be a parent's worst enemy when road tripping with a baby. This may seem obvious if the baby's trying to get some shut eye, but even during waking hours, it just seems to mess with a baby's mental state.

Before Your Trip Baby Road Trip Tips. It all starts well before you even leave. Here is where to start when it comes to a successful road trip with a newborn: 1. Use the Car Seat A LOT. First things first when it comes to a long road trip…get your baby used to the car seat. In the weeks leading up to your trip, get in the car every single day.

This was Juniper's 2nd overnight backcountry camping trip (Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park). Guide to traveling with a baby. Our story: Read about our travel-style and our background so you understand our approach to traveling with a baby. Top tips: Wanna get to the good stuff right away?Jump right down to our top tips for traveling with a baby!

Arranging the car. We drive a 2002 Subaru Outback, which has a bench in the back. For the trip, we decided to put the two car seats next to one another — the baby in the middle, and the toddler in one of the passenger seats. My wife and I then took turns in the back passenger seat, next to the baby.

Check the airport for family friendly spaces. Use nursing spaces or pods and family restrooms to reset as needed. Check lounges for nursing and play rooms. —Sara Conger. Take an early morning ...

Before you hit the road with your kids, consider these tips for road trips with kids to keep everyone (including you) happy. 1. Drive at Night. This will definitely help, especially if your kids are younger. We used to do this when our kids were the 2-and-under set, and it made for a more peaceful experience. Keeping babies or toddlers occupied ...

Road Trip with a Baby | 6 Easy Tips for Success. Story by Parenthood and Passports. • 11mo • 10 min read. Visit Parenthood and Passports. Babies can make great traveling companions. Unlike ...

1 Tips for a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler. 1.1 Prepare before you leave. 1.2 Be organized. 1.3 Have some awesome toddler road trip activities prepared. 1.4 Set your toddler up to sleep on the road. 1.5 Let your toddler stretch their legs. 1.6 Bring great food for the drive.

PWHL Boston shut out at Minnesota in rough start to four-game road trip PWHL Minnesota skated away with a 4-0 win over PWHL Boston Wednesday night in front of 4,669 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The 22-year-old Missouri student has not been seen or heard from since Friday night. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Detectives have released a new video that shows missing 22-year-old Riley Strain in ...

It wasn't always pretty, but the Knicks started their four-game West Coast road trip with a 105-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks received a thorough beating in the final game of their California road trip as they got blown out by the Sacramento Kings, 94-129, on Tuesday night. The Bucks went 1-3 in the ...

A member of their family is an old friend of Hunter Biden, the president's son. But one of the electoral challenges facing Mr. Biden as he seeks to reassemble his 2020 coalition manifested when ...