…Or it can be hell with a baby that is crying as soon as you put him in his car seat and that refuses to sleep. Then you’ll plan to
go by plane the next time or to stay at home for the next five years or so…
You can’t really know in advance what traveling by car with your baby will be like. You can’t be sure that it will be like the last time you tried. Babies grow and change. But you can plan to make the best of the situation.
Below you’ll find tips to make traveling by car with a baby as easy as possible.
Tips for Traveling by Car With a Baby
Safety
Frequent stops
Toys
Easy feeding
Liquid
Shelter from the sun
Safety
Safety first, of course! Make sure you have a good infant car seat
and that you install it correctly.
If you rent a car, ask about air bags, so that you don’t put your baby in a seat with an airbag by accident. And if you don’t bring your own infant car seat, ask about what type they can provide and how old it is. It should never be older than five years.
Also, don’t drive if you are very tired. Take turns with your travel companion if you’re not traveling alone. If you are alone, stop the car and go for a walk if you get sleepy.
Frequent stops
When traveling by car with a baby, plan for frequent stops and realize that the journey is likely to take much longer than if you were traveling without a baby.
Particularly newborn babies should not sit for too many hours in a row in a car seat. It may hurt their backs. So make frequent stops to let your baby stretch out on blanket or in his stroller. Older babies need to get some time to use their bodies for crawling, jumping or whatever they like.
Toys
Bring a lot of toys! Either take away a few favorites a week or two before traveling, or consider buying some new toys.
Easy feeding
If you breastfeed you must stop the car to feed your baby. Even if it can be tempting to pick up your starving baby to feeding him on the highway, don’t!
(Yeah, I know it sounds totally crazy, but with a baby crying at the top of his or her voice, you can get all sorts of desperate ideas!)
If you get very stressed by hearing your infant’s crying, don’t take any chances. Feed him or her slightly ahead of the usual schedule. Or bring formula or baby snacks if your baby is old enough.
It is quite convenient to teach a baby to accept cold food, so that you can feed him on the road. If that doesn’t work, consider buying car bottle warmer that plugs into your car adapter outlet, like this one at Amazon.
You can also bring hot water in thermos.
And don’t forget bringing a baby bib and lots of paper napkins!
Liquid
Bring water for both you and your baby, if your baby is old enough to have started to drink water! Getting dehydrated will only make you sleepy, and might impair milk production if you breastfeed.
Shelter from the sun
Make sure you can protect your baby from sun with some kind of sunshade that you can put on either his car seat or on a window. A hat for your baby may also be good to have available.
For trips to Grandma’s or a world tour, here are a few of our favorite must-haves:
Lotus Travel Crib – carry-on size, easy and quick set up, also a play yard, wide age range, backpack portability.
Maclaren Volo Stroller – lightweight umbrella stroller, ideal for 6 months plus.
White Noise Machine – street noise in New Orleans? Older cousins playing at Grandmas? Not for nap time…
Baby carrier – pick your favorite. Ergo and woven seem most travel friendly, but having one you like is a must.
Baby wash – because the hotel brand mini shampoos won’t do. Our favorite is California Baby.
Beyond that — travel light, don’t over think it, pick up last minute needs on the go…and Bon Voyage, Baby!
