Top Tips For Traveling With A Baby

After several family trips with a little one, Bradley and I have found a few things to be true.  Traveling with a baby is definitely an art form, and it definitely gets easier as you practice.  Our first road trip was pretty much a disaster because we made so many mistakes.  We can look back and laugh at them, but they sure took a lot of the enjoyment out of those trips.  After examining these mistakes, we have been able to come up with a list of our top tips for traveling in a car with a baby:

Be smart when you pack!  You want to be prepared, but DO NOT OVERPACK.  If you are staying at someone’s home, take advantage of the fact that you have access to a washing machine.  This is especially true if you will be staying there for several days.  You don’t need to bring 20 burp cloths and bibs if you have access to a washing machine.  Bring enough for several days, but don’t fill an entire suitcase with them.  There is only a finite amount of space in your vehicle, and the more tightly packed you are, the more difficult the journey will be.

If you are staying with family, see if they can potentially have a few diapers and wipes there waiting on you.  If they cannot afford this, pack enough to get there and purchase a small package when you arrive at your destination.  Diapers can surprisingly take up quite a bit of room in your car, so it would be nice to not have to worry about fitting them in your vehicle.  A lot of times, you will be traveling to the same location for multiple holidays (for example, Thanksgiving and Christmas).  This is exactly what happened to us a few years back, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  While we were at my parents’ home for Thanksgiving, we left a pack of diapers and wipes at their house for when we returned a few weeks later for Christmas.  This way, we didn’t have to pack nearly as much stuff, which was a bonus since we have a small car.  Note – make sure that your little one won’t be jumping up a size in between holidays.  🙂

If you are staying in a hotel, take advantage of the fact that they replace towels.  Use them for burp cloths while you are in the hotel room (but don’t take them out), since they are replaced once a day.  My daughter was a major spitter, so using hotel towels kept our personal items cleaner, which reduced a ton of stress.  Make sure and ask for extra towels from the front desk when you check in, so you don’t get in a bind after a big spit-up. This was a game changer for us during our second road trip!

Make sure and fill up your vehicle with gas the NIGHT BEFORE you leave!  Also, make coffee at your house (if you are a coffee drinker) and put it in a to-go cup.  Do not add any unnecessary stops when you are traveling with a baby!  Trust me, it will make your life so much easier if you are prepared.  Make sure and pack some snacks for the adults, so you don’t need to stop while baby is sleeping.  Babies eat every three to four hours, and in between feedings, diaper changes and temper tantrums, driving time is precious.  Do not waste it!  This is what you want during your car trip:

Hooray for a happy sleeping baby!!  

A happy awake baby is awesome too!!!!

Make sure and have an organized diaper changing station in your car for super fast changes.  Here is the one that we have in our car currently: Tidy Ridey

Do not forget about naps once you get to your destination.  Everyone will be super excited to meet your little bundle and will want to hold them.  Make sure you make time for your little munchkin to take uninterrupted naps so the fangs don’t come out!  🙂  We tried to skip a couple of naps (so we could spend more time with friends on our first trip), and boy did we pay for it that evening!  WHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Take a little blanket for baby in the car.  We also always put Madeline in footed pants during car trips because she LOVED to kick off her socks and shoes.  You don’t want to have to stop because their little feet are cold after removing their own socks.

Make sure you think ahead about where baby is going to sleep once you arrive at your destination.  We had a fold up pack & play that fit nicely in my trunk.  Even better, see if your family can borrow one and have it for you ready at their home.  This way, you don’t have to pack one at all – BONUS!!!

******* This is why it is so important to not overpack.  Once you consider a stroller, diaper bag and pack & play, you really don’t have that much room for luggage.  Be smart!

Make sure and travel when your baby is happiest.  If they have a known cranky period, do not make travel plans during this time.  Trust me, you will regret it!

What travel strategies do you find helpful?  Please let me know in the comments below, because I love to hear from you!  🙂

 

 

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