Are we bringing an 18-month-old on a 21-hour road trip one way. . . torture for the child or manageable? My SO and I are in a vast disagreement. We can’t fly, and I want us to visit family in the Spring. I have it all planned out so that only about 3 of 14 days will have about 5 hours of day driving; everything else will be us taking turns at night. We will have nine days of actual free vacation time and five days, where we will have to drive. My SO thinks if we go, we should only drive at night or else it is torture and horrible for our daughter. What are your guys’ honest opinions on a toddler for a long road trip?
1 Like
Your baby will be fine just bring things to entertain them portable DVD player books little toys and a snack. Make a few stops so the baby can get out and stretch their legs. But they’ll be okay
1 Like
I have an 18 month old and wouldn’t personally do it with mine, but to each his own!
1 Like
My child can barely handle 2 hours. I feel so bad for them too. Though with many breaks I think it should be fine.
I would drive at night while they sleep.
My daughter was 13m when we did a 36 hr road trip. She was fine. Better than older kids tbh
1 Like
My daughter’s dad lives in Texas and I’ve driven 22hrs straight through with her when she was a toddler (she is now 7). Obviously we would stop a long the way to stretch our legs and let her play. She did so good! I was fortunate enough to have a portable DVD player and that kept her enertertained almost the whole time.
I’ve driven with 3 kids, and drove 33 hrs. I drove during the day and slept at night, I had a 9mon, 3, and a 5 yr old. They watched movies while we drove. When I stopped to fill gas I made sure it was by somewhere we could eat and they could run for a min then back on the road again. They did fine.?
We drove from home (Tennessee) to Myrtle beach (South Carolina) with a 6 year old, almost 2 year old, and newborn. My two year old did good the first half. The second half he screamed constantly! It was awful and wouldnt recommend it. The other two kids never made a peep. I would say 5 hours would be about the maximum daily limit, but idk your child. Bring lots of distractions, toys, coloring, play games.
Nope we did a 14-hour trip when my son was that age well it was supposed to be 14 hours it took us about 20 do not recommend
1 Like
Drive mostly when baby needs naps. This way she is asleep and you get driving done.
I traveled with my son on a 16hour trip from tx to Florida, want that bad actually. Till around the evening when they got ready for bed and head been stuck in a carseat all day, just be sure to stop to change the baby. Time can get away when you driving that long.
I think it depends on the child. How is hours in the car usually? Go ny that.
I took my son, who turned 2 the week before we went, on a 23 hour road trip from Maine to Alabama. We took 3 days to drive there and 3 days to drive back. I was dreading going and expected him to hate it but he never cried or complained at all. I made sure to pack plenty of snack, bring lots of toys to keep switching out, and a portable DVD player. We took lots of breaks and made sure to have lots of things to entertain him. We are planning to do it again at the end of this month and he will just be 2 1/2!
I’d much rather fly. I fly by myself with our 3 boys to visit my husband when he works. They’ve been 8,3 and an infant and above.
We drove 22 hrs when the boys were 10,4 and 2(ish) and that was a long hard drive.
I would absolutely try and drive as much as you can when you baby is sleeping try and push threw it.
We have found that too many stops and they just don’t want to get back in the car 
The vacation will be worth it!
1 Like
We were hit by a tornado when driving from chicago to Saskatchewan. I’ll never do it again.
If the kid makes it through it he will hate cars for a while after. Mine did a 1 day trip each way and cried everytime she got into a car for about 2 weeks.
Drive at night lol. We drove to florida which is anout 24hrs straight thru. We left around 2am so they would sleep half the way. It was perfect.
Our son was 6 months when we took him cross country. We drove during the day time with plenty of breaks to stretch and feed him and stayed in motels during the night. He did fine.
Torture for her… means torture for you too. Lol!! Unless you do 4 hours in the am… and 4 at night. Take a long break in between
DVD player toys snack and since there’s two adults it helps if the one not driving sits in the back and plays with the kids some of the time
1 Like
We did NH to SC and back. I ended up having to stop because our kids just could t handle being in their seats that long. They were almost 1 and almost 2 at the time. I think they’d be fine now with a tablet
lol I drove for 18 hrs in a minivan with 14 month old, 2 year old, 6 year old and two 7 year olds with me and another adult. We left at 5am in the morning so the kids slept in the car for the first part of it, then stopped at a hotel for the night around 9pm so kids could stretch out and sleep more properly. Then headed out on the road again at 6am till we got to our destination. It wasn’t bad at all but have we had gravel and Tylenol on us incase kids got car sick.
Depends on how they are typically in the car. My brother and I were sleepers. We still tend to doze on long car rides. My oldest was a sleeper too. My youngest not so much. A long trip like that was nothing with my oldest. With my youngest it would have been difficult.
You can do it if you want but why not fly? So much easier.
I drive 10 hours from Missouri to Chicago/Indiana all night driving with sleeping children
I have traveled about that same time with a 6-month-old at one point and then also an 18-month-old at one point and what I found helpful is if you did most of the driving at night . Like leave in the evening time so that they are asleep for most of the drive period but for me we drove it straight through
Bring plenty if things for him to do and it will be fine. My kids love road trips, plan time in a room for at least 1 night so he can run around and stretch out
Have car toys/books, etc and leave early so she’s still sleeping. My girls traveled early on, and still love to travel.
It would be better to drive during the day so you all can get sleep at night. Driving all night while exhausted is bad news and a miserable trip. I took my 18 month old god daughter on a road trip. We left early in the morning and drove 12 hours straight through in 1 day. She was fine the entire time. We stopped for food and potty/diaper changes every few hours.
Torture. That’s a long time to sit all belted up
I drive 11 hrs twice a month with my now 2 and 3 yr old grandkids. Their mom has them for a week. Just pack some snacks and activities. I like to stream preschool music from pandora over my Bluetooth speaker. The kids love it. When you stop for gas do the diaper change and stretch legs.
1 Like
My 1 year old does fine for 6 hour trips. He naps for some and watches cartoons for some. Sometimes we stop half way to get out for a min. We did 10 hours once and he was good. A little fussy towards the end but I think we all were. And he doesnt mind the car at all. Also depends if your kid sleeps well in the car seat. Mind doesn’t he is a tummy sleeper
Doable but you’ll definitely have some meltdowns. Really depends on the kid but even very car tolerant kids aren’t going to be happy stuck in a car seat for that long.
I do 21 hour drives from MT to TX every few months and have atleast one of my boys with, ages 3 and 4 but have been traveling for the last 2 years. I don’t recommend driving at night because the toddler will be wide awake and ready to play whenever you stop. My kids have a tablet and if they get bored they either nap or talk to us. We give them 3 mg melatonin to help them sleep if they need it. Sometimes we’ve had issues with car sickness but I’ve learned to have crackers or bananas with and no drinks on an empty stomach. We watch for signs they aren’t feeling good and pull over and let them get fresh air if they need to. I do 11 hour drives each day so I get to my destination in 2 days and leave really early, like 3 am, because I don’t like driving at night in new cities and we get into the hotel early enough that the kids can play a bit and get their energy out of their systems. Driving is easier than flying in my opinion because you have your own space and don’t have to lug around car seats and all the extra hassle of delayed flights. Everyone is different but the kids will get bored and sleep most the drive and still sleep at night.
Totally manageable! Just make sure to break the ride up with frequent breaks and leg stretching/games at rest stops. Expect to spend about 20-30 mins and run around with her. Play tag, play with make up or whatever your lil one really enjoys. Or try to plan your stops around a playground? A tablet with age appropriate apps on it like baby puzzles or coloring would help distract her.
1 Like
Haha not laughing at you I promise! I’m laughing at memories. We took out one yr old and two 7 yr olds to FL to disney which is about a 20+ hour drive. It wasn’t torture stop stretch out while driving and go again. It’ll be ok! 
1 Like
We drove from Lincoln Nebraska to Spokane Washington with a 8 month, 2 year old and a 5 year old, we did day and night driving taking breaks every rest stop stretched our legs and let the kids walk and play, they all slept most of the time car rides tend to do that. The youngest was mainly breastfed so I did a lot of pumping while riding and big sister helped with the bottle. It was not a horrible experience. We had plenty of snacks and water for the kids to enjoy.
1 Like
When my family lived outside of Philadelphia, we would drive to St. Louis to visit extended family. I was under 2 at the time, but from what I gathered, my dad would start the trip at night and drive through. If we weren’t there yet, a long break at a rest stop for a picnic or some “tourist trap” would break up the trip and give everyone a break from being trapped in the car
As a child and adult I’ve rode and drive from SD to NJ its 23+ hours without stops. Be prepared snacks, toys, plenty ot stops.
My best advice is start your driving at night. So start your trip at like 6pm so baby sleeps when driving. Life saver!
Also only pack what you need while driving. So diapers you should “only need 10” while you are doing driving part so only pack that then buy what you need when you get to final destination.
That will be a long hard drive… the other person will not have a good sleep with toddler awake. Maybe instead of Christmas gifts put the money towards a flight. .
1 Like
Drive at night. But, no matter what time you drive just keep in mind the ride will end… Have one sit in the back seat with the child. You’ll be fine. (Driving with a child is WAY better then the dreadful airplane.
Maybe even get a portable DVD player and let the kid watch some movies. We traveled with my young niece one year. She slept most of the way. Traveling makes a child sleepy.
We took a 9hr drive this summer with our 3 year old and 6 WEEK old- easy peasy! Pack snacks books toys and yes a tablet (used it once each way as a last ditch attempt at keeping the sanity). Both kids did great. Would take the oldest on 6hr trips a few times a year from the time he was a year old. Just stop frequently, and give yourself grace
1 Like
The only thing is you’re not supposed to keep an infant or toddler sitting in a car seat for long periods of time. It’s not safe. For anyone actually.
Personally, I wouldn’t. Yeah, it’s going to be rough lol I have to do round trips to drop my daughter off with her dad and it’s about 5 hours. By hour 2 they’re done and want to get out can’t imagine 21 hours of that.
I’m making a 9 hour trip to my moms with a 2 and 3 year old and I’m already sick just thinking of it
And for the love of god every few hours get out and walk. Most people don’t know that sitting for long periods can cause blood clots. I make my husband walk when he travels for work.
1 Like
We did it frequently. We would drive to FL from Baltimore Md. We would leave a little after bedtime. Feed them and hit the road. We would drive straight through stopping for gas and bathroom. When the kids work up in the morning around 7am we would stop to eat breakfast and I would let the kidscrin around. Then back in. It worked well.
I drove to Tennessee. Which is about a 9 hour driveline way from my house with my 17 month old. And it was awful
I can’t even get my 18M old to chill out during a 45 min car ride! I wouldn’t have enough portable chargers to keep his tablet going, either LOL. If you decide to do it, take lots of snacks, a portable DVD player or tablet, and get out often for walks at rest stops! That’s a LONG drive. Personally, I wouldn’t be traveling anywhere during a pandemic anyway. Hopefully things are better in the Spring, but you never know.
I trained my kid to sleep in her car seat all night for long car rides. It’s not that hard just work her up to as many hours as your need. I did it for naps and then gradually worked her up to sleep in her car seat and only being taken out for a diaper change. We drove 6 hours at just over a year old and we’re doing 10 hours to Tennessee before she was 2 and it actually fine. During the day time we make sure we have activities, movies and snacks. As well as time for a break to walk or run around every few hours. Her dad used to live in TN before he died and my family is from another state so we regularly have to drive 4 hours in the car to visit people.
I’d drive at night when everyone is asleep and its quiet so I can concentrate
That’s a lot of car seat time each day and night for a toddler
2 Likes
Hahahaha oh god maybe mine is just an asshole. I drove at night and he didn’t sleep for one second. He bitched a lot. Being a single parent getting snacks open and stuff while driving…hard but not impossible.
It’s not difficult but flying is much easier and the baby gets to fly for free.
2 Likes
Depends on the toddler. We do trips of about 5 1/2 hours every three ish months to see family since he was three months. Frequent stops. But he’s an awesome traveler. He was 18 months when we did a 10 hour trip. He was content with YouTube nursery rhymes playing in the radio. Took a small nap. Really just depend on your toddler.
I took my 3 year old from PA to FL we did all in one day straight thru she slept most of the time we stopped to eat she got out ran around tired her self out… the hrs she was awake while we were driving I just kept her busy with toys and music it wasn’t hard at all honestly… I recently brought my 18 month old and 7 hr old on a 5 hr car ride they slept the whole time except 1hr we stopped once for food and potty… as long as she has snacks and toys she should be OK.
Some of my kids do great in the car some of them puke every 50miles it’s up to you to know how your child will tolerate it or not.
We got a tray that went over my sons car seat (it was foam with vinyl?) and had a lip! It was helpful to keep things from falling away from his reach. We brought toy cars that were his biggest hit since he saw so many cars out his window! Lots of snacks. And a DVD player which he actually didn’t care about that much! Lots of kids music and dancing! It was actually a lot of fun!
I found waking up super early (4?5?am) and drive till early afternoon was WAY more effective (and safe)for us to get miles in. Overnight no one sleeps! Not kids, not adults!
i travel 7 hour trips from OH to NC by myself with a 2 year old and a 4 year old and i only drive at night. much easier.
I took a 3year old and 18 month on a 7 hour car ride (ended up being 9hrs with the stopping) my 18 month old slept for just about entire ride. He was awake for maybe 3 hours out of the entire trip. My 3 year old was awake but watched movies the whole ride. Both were quiet and calm.
Sounds like you have a great plan of driving through the night! You guys can do this!!
Have easy snacks for the baby… Movies saved us when we moved from TX to DE. Have a decent bag on small toys to play with and you should be fine
How does your child ride in the car now? That will give you some insight. You might also take some long rides to get her used to it.
Between now and then I would practice short runs during the day to see how the LO does. Go at different times and vary the lengths to see how they do. Then plan your trip around that. On the actual trip bring things that they like from home that are able to travel well, toys, videos, music.
If you plan it out right it can be totally fun. My oldest daughter and I went on a lot of day trips and long road trips and she did great as long as I has things to keep her busy and comfortable and made fun stops along the way. They’re great memories we will cherish forever. I took her on a plane one time and decided that was not for us. Lmao.
At that age it’s not to bad. Just be sure to pack some toys or if you have a tv in the car bring some movies that baby likes.
When we traveled from West Virginia to Texas, my husband and I took turns driving, we took along the potty chair ( in case we weren’t close to a stopping area) snacks, books, tablet anything that can occupy your little one. We stopped every couple of hours and let our kids get out, run around, stretch, eat whatever they needed, and get back on the road. As long as your little one is getting breaks, you should be fine!
My husband and I did California to Illinois to New York and back with a toddler and an infant.
It’s not as hard as you think it would be … My family including twin 1 year olds made a 22 hour trip in a day , just stopped frequently at rest areas for stretches , kept plenty of snacks in the car … The last 2 hours or so was the worst , which they was carseat sick and ready to be out of the car at that point , but we made it there and back with hardly any issues … I advise maybe getting a portable dvd player and her favorite movies for her to watch , and toys for her too keep occupied …
Kindles are wonderful on road trips lol I regularly take my 13 month old on 3 hr rides and I have his fav shoes downloaded and is 2.5 hrs. Keeps him quiet
Its not that difficult since you’re splitting the time up. We went to new Mexico and it took nearly 8 hours and our son was fine. Just bring snacks, drinks, and make sure to stop every so often for changes or to stretch
5 hours driving? That’s no problem seriously
My child at less then a year old had been doing 9 hour car rides. She is 3 and can do a 15 hour car ride with 3 45 min stretch/ potty/ food break. Just depends. We got her portable dvd player, had snacks. Now we give her tablet with movies and color book app and we stop when she gets fussy or tells us she has to potty
My husband and I got a phone call that his grandpa passed away and his mom wasn’t taking it well at all and my husband hadn’t been home in 4 years. We got in the car and drove all night. 15 hours one way. The only time our son who was 13 months at the time cried was when he wanted a bottle. We were in the process of bottle breaking him but I couldn’t handle the screaming so we stopped and got a bottle and it was smooth sailing after that. The only other time we had a problem was driving home during the day when the sun was setting. We had to flip my sons carseat because the son was in his eyes and nothing else helped. Id recommend driving all night if possible.
We had to do a similar drive when ours was 18 months old due to moving. We did it during the day only. We just planned our stops to allow for her to run around and she watched a LOT of Mickey Mouse.
Lived in CO for a year, the trip there with my 2 yr old son was hell! Then on the way back we took small stops letting him run around eat and then he fall asleep as soon as we’d put him back in the car lol
My daughter did really well in the car with the right toys. I had plenty of snacks, her favorite stuffy and a portable DVD player.
1 Like
My son is now 2 and hes done multiple trips of 15 hrs +. Just got back from california to colorado that was 16 hrs. Just snacks and a phone kept him busy. And getting off to change him and have him walk a little worked well. Nightime is best tho so they are asleep
I have traveled with 3 kids before. Just make sure you have stuff for them to do. Maybe get a portable dvd player amd have movies she/he enjoys.
Grandma is 5 hours from us and we do that in one trip every few months. We stop for a potty break and my son gets a “treat” (candy, snack, toy, whatever) from the gas station. We have a tablet and pack a few books and alllll the food. Lol. He’s traveled lots since birth though so if this is new to your daughter maybe start with 1-2 hours in the car now.
I have traveled since I was pregnant and my advise is start implementing things (like eating meals at certain times, practicing calm body and breathing techniques, etc) a few days before so it’s not a shock. I showed my baby previous pictures of our travels and hyped it up when we went on our first trip (which was a cruise) and she did great!!
This is my 15 month old baby In 2014! On a cruise take those babies out to adventure !! (Please be safe during Covid 
)
If you go on a long road trip, you have to stop every few hours so they can walk around a bit. My cousin’s daughter got sick by them not stopping enough. We drove at night or early in the morning, taking them out of bed in their pj’s! We just dressed them when they woke up. Good luck, it may be easier than you think if you plan right!
Let him drive through the night. While she is sleeping and hopefully you can get some too 
We drove from dallas to Las Vegas with our son he was just shy of being 1. As long as we had snacks, catchy music, toys ( any kind of entertainment) he was fine. Just take breaks for stretching out legs, bathroom breaks, fresh air. If your LO gets hot easily in their car seat you can get a noggle on amazon it’s basically a hose that connects to your air vent and runs to their car seat area just hang above them using the handle above the door secure it with a velcro strap and it just twists on/ off of the vent so easily to get in and out of car with.
I have 4 kiddos. We would do 17 hour drives from Georgia to Michigan when they were little. Leave about 4 am and drive straight thru. We only stopped for gas/bathroom breaks. Make sure you pack toys, snacks, and your child’s favorite blanket or stuff animals. Don’t under estimate your child you maybe surprised how well they do.
We travel with kids all the time, usually 16.5 hours drive each way, plus stops.
We pack lunch in an early, stop at parks on the way for lunch so the kids can run and play, don’t stop when they are sleeping if you can but we travel in the day, never at night
Took a trip Nashville…We tried driving at night, thinking our son would sleep… NOPE! lol. He actually traveled better during the day 
… my husband drove and I switched between the front seat and back seat to keep our son company when he wasn’t napping. Overall, the trip home went much smoother, lol. Good Luck! And a safe travels
I’ve traveled all over with my kids. Always driving. 10-14 hours…they do fine. .but they are used to it…they’ve done it since babies. Make it fun. Bring a lot of snacks and distracts, and make stops.
3 Likes
Just bring a lot of activities she likes, snacks. Keep her busy. She will probably have fun. And if you can a movie on your phone
I’d say depends on how long your child is generally in the car on weekends and such and how the child does. Some days 2 hours is my child’s breaking point, sometime 5/6.
1 Like
We’ve driven to Mexico twice with a little one. 3 day drive
Snacks, lots of potty breaks and walk/play stops to expend energy. The vibes you put out are the vibes she’ll reflect.
1 Like
Depends. How is you kid in the car now? I had a friend that drove 3000 miles straight through with a 2 year old and they were fine. Mine melted down for anything over 45 minutes for her first 3 years, and still complains about car rides.
If they’re easily entertained music, stories, and easy toys should be fine. At 18 months I’d imagine they still take a decent nap or two a day, as well. Throw in a couple of rest stops with grassy areas and bring a ball for a bit.
I can’t make a 4 and a half hour trip before my almost 2 yr old gets uncomfortable. I make at least 2 short stops.
We always traveled right after dinner switch on and off so in the morning you guys stop and get breakfast put them back in the car. I was that mom though that bought tablets and hooked them up to my hotspot so they could watch movies during the day while we drove .
My girl does decent in the car but we’ve only done 6 hour drive to myrtle beach recently she loved it
Do the trip, just make stops and bring a tablet for a movie. Lots of picky snacks too
Long trips require lots of stops to stretch and get blood flow going. I’ve driven max up to 3 hours with my 2 year old at once
Just wanted my phone for videos and milk to drink. Snacks when we stopped.
Get a portable DVD player and drive through the night. Their favorite cartoons plus a good sleep should help. I drove to Florida from Kentucky with my 13 month old & only had to make a few extra stops. Took ab 15 hrs total.
I would drive at night while the 2 of you slept.