14 Tips for Enjoying a Road Trip with a Baby (With Packing List)
Life has been a little slow in the travel department lately, but for good reason. First, there was 2020 (although we did manage to squeeze in our wedding and a birthday trip to Tulum). Then came 2022 and our biggest life update yet — we welcomed our daughter, Weslie, to the world!
Since then, our travels have looked a little different. Although traveling with a baby sounds daunting, we wanted to make an effort before I went back to work, so we decided on a 10-day road trip when Wes was only 3.5 months old. Plenty of people (mainly our parents) thought we were crazy, but we sought advice from other parents and felt reassured enough to go for it. Our route was Denver, CO >> Aspen, CO (3 hr 45 min) >> Telluride, CO (4 hr 15 min) >> Flagstaff, AZ (6 hr) >> Sedona, AZ (45 min) >> Santa Fe, NM (6 hr 15 min) >> Colorado Springs, CO (5 hr) >> Denver, CO (1 hr 30 min).
There were definitely highs and lows. We’ll admit, those 6-hour drive days were rough. But we’re glad we did a road trip while Wes was still young enough not to get bored in the car, and while I was still on leave from work. We learned a ton about how to make a road trip with an infant more enjoyable, and now we’re here to share our tips with other parents who want to hit the road and still have new and novel experiences with a little one in tow. Here, our 14 tips to surviving (and thriving!) on your first road trip with a baby.
Check that your car seat is properly installed and adjusted for baby’s size
Safety should always be the first item on your checklist when hitting the road with a baby. Time to bust out your car seat manual and check that your car seat and base are properly set up. An infant car seat should be rear-facing and installed at the proper angle. If your baby has grown a lot since initial setup, you may need to adjust the straps to the correct height and consider removing the infant insert. Following the instructions that came with your car seat are your best bet to make sure babe is safe and snug. Check our packing list for tips on making your car seat more comfy and entertaining on long drives.
Comfy car seat with car seat cover, seat-belt pads, attachable toy bar, blankie, and koala stuffie!
2. Get practice in the car
Just like anything in life, practice makes perfect. The more experience you get with short car rides, the more familiar your baby will get with sleeping and hanging out in their car seat — and the more comfortable you’ll get traveling with baby. We recommend getting at least one longer drive in before your road trip too. Treat it as a practice run, practicing everything you’ll need to do on your road trip — changing diapers and feeding on the go, using your baby carrier and travel system, testing out what calms baby if they fuss in the car, assisting them to nap in their car seat, etc. Once you’ve done all these things at least once, they get much easier to repeat.
Since our road trip happened in the fall, we took a practice run to an apple orchard about an hour away on a gorgeous day — and Wes slept the entire time we were there!
Our practice run at the apple orchard
3. Map out your stops every 2 hours for baby feeding and stretch breaks
One of the key questions when planning a road trip with a baby: how long can a baby stay in a car seat? The official recommendation is that babies should ride in a car seat for no more than two hours at a time. Since babies are developing so quickly, the lie-flat position is considered safest for their neck and spine, so you should plan stops every two hours to lay down a blanket and let baby stretch out, play, eat, and get a fresh diaper change. We found it helpful to look at the map ahead of time and make a rough plan for which towns we’d stop in. Then once we got to town, we’d look for a park on the map where we could comfortably stretch out.
Big stretch breaks!
This schedule may sound problematic if you’ve got a long stretch of road to cover. But remember, infants eat every two to three hours anyway! That brings us to our next tip…
4. Plan your drives around baby’s schedule
One of our most important tips for a road trip with an infant! The goal is to plan around baby’s schedule to maximize the time they spend sleeping while you drive.
Since Wes was only 3.5 months old when we took our long roadtrip, her wake windows were only around 1.5 hours, and she took 30-40 minutes of that time to finish a bottle! We would hit the road after her first feeding in the morning, and then we’d have less than an hour of driving before she’d fall asleep and nap for up to 2 hours!
At that age, she was also pretty easy to entertain in her car seat. Now that she’s older, we’d recommend a different strategy — hit the road about 30 minutes before naptime. Older babies get bored more easily since they’re used to crawling around, but it’s not too challenging to entertain them for 30 minutes before they fall asleep, and then hopefully you get a solid car nap while you make progress towards your destination.
Wes was also a finicky eater when she was younger so we didn’t attempt to feed her in her car seat, but if your baby will take a bottle while safely buckled in, we’d recommend doing car feedings so you can dedicate your breaks to letting baby stretch out and play.
We used the Huckleberry app to track Wes’s eating and naps for the first 4.5 months and found it so helpful!
Cozy car naps
5. Consider capping your total daily drive times at around 4 hours
During our first road trip, we had a few 5 to 6 hour drives. Since Wes was little and slept a lot back then it usually went well, but those long days with multiple car naps, on-the-go diaper changes and feedings can be stressful!
Depending where you’re road tripping, consider capping daily drive times closer to 4 hours to take some of the pressure off.
6. Manage your expectations
That said, it’s important that you manage your expectations around time. With stops built in to feed, change, and play with baby, a 4-hour drive can easily turn into a 5-hour drive, and a 6-hour drive can turn into 8 hours.
Then there are your general expectations. Traveling with a little one surely won’t look like the travels you were used to pre-baby. Expect some days not to go as planned and try to roll with the punches and enjoy being somewhere new, even if you can’t pack as many fun things in as you used to.
7. Build in time to stay in one place for a few days
We were notoriously speedy travelers before we had a baby — cramming our days full of food and activities and hopping from one place to the next. But part of what saved us on our road trip with a baby was to stay in each destination for at least 2 to 3 nights. This really allowed us to settle in more, adjust our routine to each place, and look forward to days that weren’t spent in the car at all.
The view from our rental place in Sedona, Arizona
8. Book your accommodations with baby in mind
Having a baby on board also changes the details you think about when booking a hotel room or rental. At 3.5 months, Wes slept in a Magic Merlin Suit which calms young babies’ startle reflex and can be a good transition out of the swaddle for some. She couldn’t roll in her sleep and was perfectly safe sleeping on a bed, so we booked places with two beds, and often with separate rooms so we could still have our own space to hang out after she went to bed. We brought our pack n’ play along too, but we only ended up having to set it up once which was really convenient.
Some factors to consider when booking accommodations on a road trip with baby:
Do you prefer your baby to sleep in the same room as you or have their own separate sleeping space?
Will your baby sleep on a bed, a pack n play you bring with you, a crib provided by your hotel (some have them if you ask!), or another padded area? Wes slept on a bunch of stacked blankets as a makeshift bed during one of our stays!
If staying at a hotel, can they place you in one of the quieter rooms with less foot traffic?
Will your hotel or rental have a fridge where you can store breast milk?
Wes lounging in her space
9. Research baby-friendly dining and activities ahead of time
Another change from your pre-baby travels is considering dining and activities that will be enjoyable with a baby along for the ride. We didn’t really research this ahead of time, but ended up looking at Google images of locations a bunch on the fly.
Some things to think about:
Restaurants - if baby is younger and you’re hoping they nap on the go, is the restaurant spacious enough to accommodate their stroller? If baby is older and likes to be vocal and stay busy, is it the type of place that’s good for kids? Does it have an outdoor area?
Hiking and outdoor activities - Based on your baby’s age, what special gear might you need to take baby on a hike? (See packing list below!) What’s the length and difficulty of the hikes in the area?
What are some other age-appropriate activities unique to your destination?
Hiking with Wes in the front carrier in Flagstaff, Arizona
10. Be prepared to sit in the back seat with baby at times
Take it from any parent, this is one of the key questions every time you hit the road for a long drive with baby. Should you sit in the back seat with the baby during a road trip? Our answer is sometimes! On a longer drive, your baby will inevitably cry or fuss at some point, and reaching back from the front seat to try and comfort them is honestly exhausting after awhile.
Our suggestion is this. If you’re planning for baby to nap soon after you hit the road, sit in the front. Sometimes calming down for a nap includes some fussing, but with Wes it was a short-term sacrifice to reach back and help her put her pacifier in and get settled, followed by a nice long nap where I got to sit in the front seat and enjoy the view.
If you’re hitting the road closer to play time, I’d suggest sitting in the back with baby to help keep them entertained. Older babies get bored more quickly, so this might include playing games like peekaboo and introducing new toys. If you’re planning to feed baby on the go while they’re in their carseat and they can’t fully hold the bottle on their own, you’ll obviously need to sit in the back with them to assist!
11. Take care of yourself
Another one of our most important tips for traveling with a baby, and really for life in general. Taking good care of yourself first is the best way to make sure you can care for those around you. And it’s way easier said than done. Parenting an infant will almost always spur a new set of emotions and anxieties, and venturing outside the comfort zone of your day to day can heighten all of that. Make sure you’re set up with plenty of water, snacks, and everything you need near you in the car so you don’t need to worry about rifling around while baby’s asleep. Take breaks when you need them. Try to trade off duties with your partner, including driving duty! And try to remember the memories you’re making and not sweat the small stuff — most of it is the small stuff looking back :)
Me trying to remember to take care of myself :)
12. If you’re still pumping or breastfeeding, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
And now for an added point about taking care of yourself if you’re still pumping or nursing while traveling. HYDRATE! Like, so much. More than you ever thought you’d need to. Don’t get anxious about how many pee breaks you’ll need to take and disrupting baby’s naps. Just. Fuckin. Drink all the water.
When we took our road trip, I was down to 3 pumping sessions a day. I started dropping down to 2 because sometimes I didn’t want to pump in the car, and my supply started to drop. Meanwhile, I definitely wasn’t drinking as much water as I should because my first priority was always taking care of the baby. Weaning is often paired with intense symptoms that are rarely talked about, and when we ended our road trip I was met with the most intense, week-long headache I’ve ever had in my life thanks to the mix of hormones and dehydration. It was resistant to pain meds and I even had to call my mother in law over because I could barely pick up the baby without my head pounding. It was awful! I’m 100% glad we took our trip, but I was served the harsh consequences of not caring for myself properly along the way.
So this is your reminder — go easy on yourself and hydrate!
13. Pack your car by category for added efficiency
The amount of stuff you need when going anywhere with a baby is simply mind-boggling. So when you pack your bags and your car, place similar items together to make it easy on yourself and avoid those harrowing moments of “where’s the ___!?” while baby is making a scene. Some examples of what this looked like for us:
Diaper changing box: We repurposed a small cardboard box, took the top off, and packed it with a couple sleeves of diapers, packages of wipes, diaper cream, and a foldable changing pad so all the diaper changing stuff was in one place and easily accessible for diaper changes on the road
Feeding and pumping supplies: We kept all bottles, formula, bottle warmer, and bottle washing soap and brushes in the same tote bag. When I was feeling ambitious, I kept my pumping supplies near me in the front seat of the car in case I wanted to pump. When I knew I wasn’t planning to pump in the car, it went with all the other feeding supplies.
Outfits and nighttime gear: We packed all of Wes’s outfits together in one bag, and her “nighttime gear” (monitor, white noise machine, Magic Merlin suit, extra pacifiers) in another.
So now that you know how to group your baby items together efficiently, what do you bring on a road trip with a baby? We’ve got you covered…
14. Your baby road trip packing list
We’ve broken down your baby road trip packing list into 4 main categories — car seat travel, diaper changing, feeding, and nighttime. Here’s what to bring on a road trip with a baby, along with helpful links to the products we liked.
Car seat travel
A few items to make riding in the car seat more entertaining and comfortable for baby on long drives.
Washable car seat cover - We’ve miraculously only had a poop blow-out in the car seat once, and it wasn’t on our road trip. But imagine if this did happen! How would you wash out the car seat and avoid smelling like poop for the rest of the trip? A car seat cover will save the day as it’s removable and washable.
Seat belt covers - Many car seats have these built in but ours weirdly didn’t? We snagged some before our trip to make the seat belts cushioned and easy to sleep on.
Mirror - Essential so you can see baby’s face and check on them from the front seat. Plus it’s fun for them to look at themselves!
Window shades or blankets - Wes does not like sun shining in her eyes, and you’d never want that to be the reason your baby wakes up from a precious car nap! We had these window shades on our trip, but now that she’s older we prefer to leave the windows uncovered so she can see out when she’s awake, and just lay a blanket over her car seat when it’s naptime. When choosing a blanket, pick one that’s large enough to drape over the car seat and the back of the seat to create a kind of tent, and that’s a darker color and less transparent to keep the sunshine out.
Portable white noise machine - If your baby is used to sleeping with white noise at night (which we highly recommend), a portable option is great to clip onto the car seat and turn on during naptime to create a sleepy environment and extend those naps.
Pacifier clips and/or stuffie - Wes likes to use a pacifier, especially when she sleeps. A stuffed animal that hooks on (we have a koala) or a pacifier clip is great in the car so baby can’t drop or throw the paci out of reach as easily.
Car seat toy bar and other favorite toys - Depending on your baby’s age, a toy bar that attaches onto the car seat handle can be a good way to keep them entertained. Make sure to also bring plenty of other favorite toys and keep a bag of them in the back seat. If you’re driving and it’s not naptime, you might need to sit in the back and introduce new toys every once and awhile to keep baby entertained. Here are some of Wes’s faves that don’t take up too much space:
Diaper changing stuff
Feeding stuff
Bottles if your baby uses them, along with bottle washing brush and soap
Formula if your baby uses it. Bring extra just in case!
Pump parts, large zip-lock bag to store pump parts after using them, and cooler with ice if you’re planning to pump and store milk.
Bottle warmer if your baby drinks warmed milk. We have this bottle warmer at home that we brought and used at our stops. We’ve also heard great things about The Baby’s Brew portable bottle warmer and tried to order it for our trip but it didn’t arrive on time!
For older babies eating solids: whatever snacks and solids you plan on feeding them, their dishware, snack containers and cups, bibs, and a portable high chair can be a great option when dining out.
Nighttime stuff
A pack n’ play if you’re planning for baby to sleep in one — we have this one
We like to bring a soft sheets to put in the pack n play as the surface is kind of plastic-y
White noise machine — we use the same portable white noise machine at night as we used in the car
Monitor - if you’re planning for baby to sleep in a separate room from you and you’re not planning to go to sleep at the same time as them, it’s good to bring your monitor from home so you can keep an eye on baby while relaxing and enjoying your time in a new place.
Whatever sleep sacks or other sleep items your baby uses at home. The goal is to make life on the road feel just as comfy as home. When Wes was 3.5 months old on our trip she used the Magic Merlin suit, and now she uses sleep sacks like this.
There you have it — our top 14 tips for a road trip with a baby, and your very own streamlined packing list. We’re happy we prioritized travel even when Wes was super tiny, and we hope we can continue to do so, even if traveling looks a lot different than it once did. We hope you enjoy making special memories on the road with your family too!
Happy travels!
