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7 Essential Tips to Road Tripping with a Baby

Road tripping with a baby is a great option if you are wanting to travel with your infant. In many ways traveling by car is easier than traveling by plane. You can pack more, you don’t have to worry about fussy children bugging irritable passengers and you have extra room to spread out and take breaks when you need to.

Whether you’re visiting grandma or taking your first family vacation don’t let having a little newborn stop you from getting out there and making memories. Taking a road trip with a baby certainly comes with its own challenges but these tips for road tripping with a baby will make things run smoother and feel manageable.

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Have People Sit Next to the Baby During Car Trips

Let’s get the big guns out from the beginning, if you can travel in pairs or with bigger kids or adults, DO IT! The number one game changer in the car for us is having one person sit in the back next to the baby.

Having someone to interact with the baby, tend to their needs and be a comforting face and voice during the fussy times really makes all the difference.

During one road trip from Seattle to Salt Lake City we even put the car seat in the center seat so that there were two adults next to my son. This meant that the adults could take turns, change things up and offer endless amounts of entertainment.

We even do this if both my husband and I are in the car with Roman for drives over 30 ish minutes. It helps our son relax and he even falls asleep easier in the car if someone is sitting next to him.

Tip: If you can’t have two people in the car for whatever reason then I recommend a car seat mirror. These allow you to see your kiddo from the front seat while driving and if they start crying you can see why. Getting a mirror helped me relax in the car when my baby screamed because I could see that they were safe and sound despite their hysterics.

A mirror is also helpful for entertaining a baby once they are a little older because they can see the surroundings reflected in the mirror as well as the driver’s face.

Tip: Sleep when baby sleeps. When the baby is sleeping, the adult in the back should try to sleep as well. This way they will be well rested and can take over for the driver if necessary. 

Practice Makes Perfect

Not all babies love the car right away, including my son. We started by taking hour-long drives to the beach from our house. Then we took a road trip that was 8 hours. Then a 12 hour road trip split over two days. Finally the longest road trip he’s ever been on was 12 hours in one day.

Not every trip was perfect and the car definitely isn’t his favorite place to be, however, we have made huge improvements from the first few car trips we took together.

So just start small and practice. You’ll both figure out what works for you and what tricks you can use to make them feel at ease in the car.

More Road Trip Tips:

Timing Your Departure

The second most important factor when road tripping with a baby is timing your departure correctly. For us, since our baby sleeps in the car pretty well, that means leaving at nap time. 

Being able to get a large chunk of driving done while the baby is sleeping in the back will be so helpful. That is a couple less hours of potential screaming and less time they need to be entertained.

You could also leave early in the morning or at bed time to encourage your baby to sleep in the car for a little while. You could get them up just before leaving, do a quick diaper change and buckle them right into the carseat with a warm blanket so that they don’t wake up right away to begin with.

Leaving at bedtime is another option to encourage sleep in the car. Just be aware that not all babies will like it. Our baby has a hard time being in the car in the dark at first so sleeping is harder to come by. If you do try to drive at night make sure you are safe and take necessary precautions. Talk to each other, have caffeine handy and be prepared to stop if you feel drowsy.

Baby Fights Sleeping in the Car

If your baby doesn’t like sleeping in the car then it may be better to leave right after they wake up, either in the morning or after a nap. This is where you know your child best and you have to do what is best for them individually.

Young baby in a carseat eating his toes. Road tripping with a baby can be done and it doesn't have to be a miserable experience.
/ Baby Ribbed Set (Similar) / Car Seat /

Baby Road Trip Snacks

The best snacks for a baby on a road trip are mess-less, portable snacks.

For really young babies, luckily bottles are very portable. If your kiddo doesn’t mind taking a room temperature bottle then you’re set. However, if you have a more particular baby then look into a portable bottle warmer to safely heat babies bottles on the go.

If you are nursing then this is also easy to bring along however it is going to take a little extra time because you’ll have to feed your baby during rest stops and gas breaks. No worries though, that is easy to plan for and fit in.

If your baby is into the solids phase then these are some easy, low mess snacks that we always bring along:

  • Pouches
  • Puffs
  • Melts
  • Grapes (bitten into small bites and fed to baby)

In order to catch any drips or dribbles and since babies somehow make a mess out of any food I like to bring a silicone bib. They are easy to wipe or rinse out so that they can be used over and over.

When feeding babies in a rear facing car seat just make sure that an adult is sitting next to them to make sure they are safe and not choking.

Tip: Don’t forget to bring snacks for the adults in the car too! It is likely going to happen at some point that you get hungry but the baby is happy and calm so you won’t want to stop. Having snacks handy means you won’t have to go hungry. Plus what is a car trip without great snacks anyway.

Pass the Time While Road Tripping with a Baby

There are a few great ways I have found successful for keeping babies entertained on car trips. Thanks to young kids’ short attention spans you will most likely need to use all of them at some point during each road trip. You may even need to repeat some activities a couple times.

Snacking

First off, a great way to pass the time is by eating snacks! Food will keep kids entertained for a while.

Sleeping

Secondly is by sleeping. If you need help getting your baby to sleep in the car there are a few things to try. Play music or use a portable white noise machine, especially if you use one at home. This will drown out background noise and create a better environment for sleep.

You can also try increasing the temperature in the car slightly and covering the baby up with a blanket. These will all help subtly suggest sleep to your baby’s brain.

New Toys

Next I recommend buying a few new toys and handing them to your baby periodically throughout the drive. One of the hardest parts of road tripping with babies is the length of time they are stuck in one place with their short attention spans. Getting a new toy and figuring it out changes things up for a little while and helps distract them.

Some toys that worked well for us were:

Screens

Finally, I recommend keeping screens as a last resort. This way they hopefully won’t be on them too long.

I don’t know about you but I find myself feeling grumpy and irritable after using screens for too long. I have seen the same thing in babies, toddlers and kids! So for the sake of everyone being in the best mood possible and avoiding meltdowns at every restroom break, I like to save screens for when everything else has stopped working.

Shop Road Trip with a Baby Essentials

Stop Frequently When on a Car Trip with a Baby

The maximum recommended length of time that a baby stays in their car seat is two hours. This most likely means you’ll be stopping more often than before kids were in the picture. It’s not all bad though.

If you’re breastfeeding, especially early on, then this will line up well with your feeding schedule.

Make sure that EVERYONE gets out of the car at every stop and takes the 5-10 minutes (or more since everything takes longer with kids) to walk, or crawl, and get the wiggles out and the blood pumping again. If you are stopping to eat and not eating in the car then try and pick places where kids can move around. A Mcdonalds play place, a park or a nice rest stop are all great options.

Although you will be taking more frequent stops, try not to let each stop take longer than is necessary. The extra time adds up quickly and can make the day drag on when you just want to get to your destination.

Consolidate your stops as much as you can. Get gas, food, use the restroom and get wiggles out all at the same place if you can so that you aren’t spending extra time driving between places.

Lastly, switch off responsibilities with the kids while the other adult gets things done for themselves. For example, while mom breastfeeds, dad fills up the car with gas and uses the restroom. Then have Dad change the baby’s diaper in the car and get the wiggles out while Mom uses the restroom and buys any food or snacks you need.

A happy excited baby playing with the steering wheel of a car. This baby is excited to leave on the family car trip.

Be Flexible but Keep to Routines

Inevitably, no matter how well you plan, not everything will go perfectly when road tripping with a baby. I do not recommend planning your stops in advance because you need the flexibility to stop when a blowout happens or when the baby is fed up in the car and needs a ten minute break.

Or on the other hand, the baby may be happy and content so you’ll want to just keep driving during those times as long as possible to take advantage. Be ok with the fact that the trip may take longer than you were expecting but you will reach your destination!

While being flexible around your infant’s needs in the car, still try to keep as close to their routine as possible. Feed them at the normal time that you would feed them at home. If you are driving at night, still do their bedtime routine before you leave or a modified bedtime routine on the road.

Sticking as close to their normal routine as possible will help them feel a sense of familiarity and comfort when everything else is strange and off.

Road Trip with Baby Packing List

So,now you know what needs to happen to make things go smoothly on your road trip, let’s make sure you have all the right supplies and that they are in the right places!

Are Long Car Trips Safe for Babies?

Yes, road trips are safe for most babies if you take the necessary precautions. Stopping frequently, at least every two hours, and having a way to see the baby will help.

If you have any specific questions or concerns then I recommend talking to your child’s pediatrician before leaving for your car trip.

How Long Can A Baby be in a Car Seat?

The maximum recommended length of time that a baby sits in their car seat is two hours at a time before getting a break.

Timing your stops on a road trip to be every two hours and then taking a break to move around, eat and get a diaper change is great.

How to Change a Diaper in the Car?

Changing a baby’s diaper on the go can be a new experience but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. Make a specific spot the designated diaper changing station. This can be floor space, a seat or a spot in the trunk. Make sure you have a changing mat, diapers, and wipes handy. I kept lots in my diaper bag right next to the seat we changed diapers on.

If you are changing your infant’s diaper on a seat just make sure you are next to them the whole time so that they don’t roll off.

Read More: Guide to Diapers on Road Trips for Parents

Six month old baby on a road trip smiling out the window. road tripping with a baby and having a good time doing it.
/ Baby Ribbed Set (Similar) / Car Seat /

Can You Breastfeed on a Road Trip?

Yes! You definitely can breastfeed on a road trip. In fact it is an easy, convenient, mess free food source for your baby. There are just a few things to keep in mind. The baby should be buckled in at all times when the car is moving, just like adults. So breastfeeding should happen during your drops and breaks.

Make sure you, as the mother, are staying hydrated! It is tempting to cut back on drinking water during road trips to cut back on restroom breaks but you need to stay hydrated for two right now. Luckily you’ll have the chance to stop and use the restroom every two hours with a baby in the car, so drink up Mama.

Lastly, nurse the baby right before you leave on your trip so that it cuts out one time you have to breastfeed on the go.

More Baby Travel Tips:

Road Tripping with a Baby

Easy as pie! I know you got this Mom and Dad! These tips can help road tripping with a baby go smoothly and feel easier than road tripping without a baby. Haha, ok maybe not that easy but it can get easier I promise.

Whether you are road tripping with a two month old baby or going on a road trip with a six month old baby these tips can help. Which tips helped your family the most?

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