Are you about to head out on a long drive? Are you traveling with the little ones?
I bet you are wondering when you should embark on this long trip. The question is should I travel during the day or should I travel at night? Well there is no wrong answer to this question. We have made plenty of long trips from my moms in Missouri to my Dads in Michigan and of course our favorite vacation spot in Florida. Not to mention our other family vacation trips.
By the time Hailey was 1 year old we had 5 long trips under our belt. 1. 4 Hour trip to Ocean City Maryland. 2. 15 Hour Trip to my dads Detroit, Michigan 3. 20 Hour Trip to my moms Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. 4. Plane Trip From Philadelphia to my Step Brothers in Corpus Christi, Texas 5. 7 Hour Trip to Salem Massachusetts
Now here we are almost 7 years later with a whole lot more!
So yeah I’d love to share some tips and tricks to make that ride a little less stressful. Are you ready?
Tip #1 What Time Should You Leave? As there honestly is no right or wrong answer to this we find it easier to travel with a little one while they are napping. So this means if you travel you should coinside with your babies napping schedule. Now that our daughter is older we actually still do the same thing. This has worked for us in a HUGE beneficial way and probably the best tip I can give you. I can’t tell you how many times during the earlier years a trip to the grocery store was a complete disaster and that was only down the street!
After figuring this amazing little trick we now travel late evening and through the night. We no longer fight over being bored in the car because you know thats it. Thats the reason why they give us parents such a hard time. They are bored! Which leads me into my next tip.
Tip #2 We all know our little ones will be awake at some point during this long trip. It would be a blessing if they slept the entire time but lets face it, it probably won’t happen. So, now we should make sure we have plenty of toys, games, books ETC to keep them occupied. Also DO NOT EVER and I mean EVER forget their favorite toy. I did this once and the first few days of our vacation was soooo stressful!
Tip #3 Plan out some spots you and your family can take a break. Places you can stretch after being in the car for a long time are key! If its late at night find a service station, Walmart just about anywhere you can get out for a bit. During the day time we try to find local parks or state parks because we can relax and stretch which is exactly what you need.
Tip #4 Now there is quite a few times where we need to stop and its totally unplanned. The obvious here would be to allow plenty of extra travel time.
Example: So when we are on a 20 hour trip to my moms it could easily take 24 hours or more because of stops. Its a very long trip!
When you have no idea where you are, which is us a lot… we use our google map app. We search for whatever we are in the mood for like a park, gas station etc.
Tip #5 Pack extra! Clothes and snacks especially! Have some drinks and snacks within reach for your trip.
Thats it! I wish you the best on those long road trips with your littles. Drive carefully and stay safe!
Do you have any travel hacks of your own? Share them with us in the comments below!