Ultimate guide to enjoying a more peaceful road trip with your unique baby

Want a more peaceful and relaxed travel day? Slow the pace as much as possible and include your baby's usual activities in your day.

Babies enjoy a rhythm to their days. It helps them to feel safe, secure and connected to their caregiver.

You’ve probably built simple routines around sleep, feeding, nappy changes and playtime in your day-to-day life at home. Try to keep some familiar routines in place as you travel. 

Babies are constantly learning and so are generally more sensitive to noise, lights, movement and new environments than most adults. 

A day of travel can be filled with new sounds, people and environments - far more excitement than your baby may be used to at home.

Or the opposite - spending a whole day stuck in the car seat without breaks and interaction will lead to a bored, uncomfortable and disconnected baby. It's important to find a balance.

Think about your baby’s need for connection. Intentionally taking the time for cuddles, games and talking with your baby fills a day of driving with rich opportunities for connection. 

Baby’s unsuccessful nap-time after a day of driving and setting up at a new campsite. Sleep on the road is a daily grind!

Your baby's sleep on a road trip 

Baby sleep can be a controversial topic.

We’ve learnt a lot about baby development in recent years, including developmentally normal sleep.

What’s important is finding out what works for you and your baby, including on travel days. 

You'll find that what works changes over time as your baby gets older, sleeps less and becomes more interested in the world around them too. 

A good place to start is your baby's usual sleeping patterns. Pay attention to your baby's nap schedule at home on a quiet, slow day.

Does your baby have a nap routine or a nap rhythm?

Nap Routine

Baby sleeps at about the same time (give or take 30 minutes) everyday no matter what’s going on.

For example, they always have a nap at 10ish and 2ish.

This could be because your baby is tired at those times or because you decide they have a nap at those times. 

Nap Rhythm

Baby generally needs a nap after X amount of time throughout the day.

For example, baby needs a nap after being awake for 2 hours in the morning and then is awake for 3 hours between morning and afternoon naps.

You follow your baby's sleep cues and don't have set nap times. 

When does my baby sleep during a travel day?

Many parents drive during nap time because their baby sleeps in the car. If your baby has a sleep routine, you can use those times to help you plan your day.

You might like to hop in the car right before their first nap so they are more likely to sleep while you are driving. 

If your baby has a sleep rhythm, your days are not as easily scheduled. Instead, you’ll need to plan around when baby wakes in the morning, keep track of wake times and watch for sleep cues.

You'll plan to leave when your baby has enough time awake. This could be 2 or more hours after they wake in the morning. 

After the first nap

If you're travelling a full day, you'll likely need to have at least two naps in your travel day. Some babies are quite happy in the car and drift off to sleep again easily. 

When you notice baby is getting tired again or it's close to their usual nap time, they may need your support to fall asleep.

Bring toys or blankets your child usually sleeps with and consider sitting in the back with your child to shush, sing, pat or hold their hand until they fall asleep. 

If your baby really won't sleep in the car (it happens!) and are unhappy without a nap, consider driving whilst they are awake and allowing time for a nap whilst you are stopped in a pram, carrier or travel cot. 

A non-contact nap! This full-size change mat takes up premium space in our car and it's well worth it.

Newborn sleep and travelling

Most newborns sleep many hours of the day, with very little awake time.

The best time to drive with your newborn is after a nappy change and feed. They are likely to sleep or at least stay content for a couple of hours. 

Many parents of newborns like to sit in the back with their baby.

Personally, I enjoyed sitting in the front with my partner with my baby was a newborn. It felt like a break and whilst I expected to feel anxious about her being alone in the back, I found the opposite. We were happy to pull over and allow me to swap to the back if needed.

You'll figure out what works best for you. 

Our experiences getting Sprout to sleep in the car

Sprout usually contact naps at home, so being in the car seat is a change.

Some days, it takes a lot of time and support for her to fall asleep. I sit in the back to support Sprout to sleep and will sometimes swap back to the front passenger seat once she’s settled. 

I’ve added lullabies to Sprout’s nap and bedtime routines at home and this has helped considerably for settling her to sleep in the car. It does get repetitive singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" over and over (I looked up the extra verses!). 

I also feed to sleep whenever bottle times line up with naps as Sprout is formula-fed.

If you are breastfeeding, you could use this to settle baby for sleep as often as you like, and for as long as it works for you.  

We have needed to pull over several times for me to rock Sprout to sleep, wait 10 more minutes and then transfer to her car seat. I'd tried everything else and Sprout just really needed that physical contact. 

Do what works for you and remember that what works could be different when you’re travelling with your baby compared to when you are at home.

It’s okay to change it up and especially to provide more parental support to sleep than you might usually need to give. 

And when it doesn’t work out, you’re not alone

We all miss sleep cues, have too much stimulation or try to get too much done in a day.

It can be hard travelling and juggling a baby's needs with the needs of other passengers, especially other children.

Of course, the consequence is usually an overtired, fussy and crying baby so it’s something we’ve been forced to work hard on.

Sometimes despite your best efforts, things just don’t work out.

We’ve spent over two hours stuck in a town at night, unable to move because Sprout was inconsolable. A journey home that was an easy pre-baby 3.5 hours, turned into 10 long, long hours of driving well into the night because we had to make so many stops. 

In the really hard moments, it’s important to remember you will get home eventually, the hard times will pass and travelling with your baby will get easier. 

It took a bit of time to get comfortable with managing bottles on long road trips - from keeping bottles to cold to the big pile of washing up at the end of the day.

Feeding your baby on a road trip

Feeding your baby regularly and at their usual times is the best way to avoid a grumpy little passenger.

It can help to set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stop for a feed, especially if your baby has several hours between feeds.

Between navigating, nappy explosions, rest breaks and settling for sleep, it’s definitely possible to lose track! 

If you're not sure about setting an alarm, perhaps write down your baby's feed times on your phone.

It's easier to miss hunger cues if you're busy, lose track of time or can't see your baby easily in the back of the car. 

Travel and formula-feeding

Sprout is formula-fed so I know how tricky it can be to manage bottles on the road. 

Every blog I found during pregnancy about how to travel with a baby says to breastfeed!

It’s great if that’s your choice, but there’s plenty of parents like us for whom breastfeeding just wasn’t an option. When we were new parents, it was hard to find information on using bottles whilst travelling for more than a couple of hours.  

You can choose to make up formula in advance or to bring bottles, formula and water along separately.

If you make up formula in advance, it needs to be refrigerated or otherwise kept cold (e.g. cooler bag with freezer bricks, esky). It’s likely you’ll need to reheat the bottle to serve unless your baby likes cold milk.

Warming bottles on the go

To warm bottles, we carry a thermos and a travel mug. Pour hot water into the travel mug (about half way is a good starting point) and then put the bottle in the thermos for about 5 minutes. Use a dry cloth or bib to wipe the bottle when you pull it out of the water.

You'll need to gently swirl or shake the bottle as the outside is often warmer than the inside and the heat needs to be spread through the milk with some movement.

Be sure to check the temperature of the bottle before giving it to your baby.

Keep your warm water.

After your baby has finished with the bottle, use the water in the thermos to rinse it out. This will make it easier to clean up at the end of the day and lessen the extra work of travelling with formula when you reach your destination.

Check that your bottle fits inside your chosen travel mug before leaving the house!

Making formula on the road

For most babies, making formula ahead of time is the easiest and best choice.

If you need to add more than formula to the bottle (on medical advice only, e.g. medications, thickener), you may need to make bottles as you go.

Mallory, ‘The Formula Mom’ on Instagram (@theformulamom) is an excellent resource for all things formula and bottle feeding. Just be aware that she’s based in America and check advice against Australian best practice.

Here’s how we made bottles on the road

I followed the same steps as above to warm the plain water inside the bottle.

Then I added the formula and mixed. Ideally, I would swirl the bottle instead of shaking it to reduce the amount of bubbles in the formula.

Some formula brands produce more bubbles than others. Which switched formula brands and found our second brand of formula produced no real bubbles compared to the foaminess of our first formula choice.

Because we needed to make formula on the go, we prepared bottles each night.

We boiled a kettle of fresh water and then filled each bottle to the correct level for the amount of formula you want to make (this is on the back of the formula tin).

We placed the bottles in the fridge immediately. The next day, we kept the bottles of water stored cold (ideally at fridge temperature) until warming up in a mug of hot water to add formula.

Disclaimer: this is not medical advice and it’s not the recommended way to make bottles. Check out the World Health Organisation for lower risk formula preparation.

Travel and breastfeeding 

Our breastfeeding journey was short-lived so whilst we had days out whilst Sprout was breastfed, we didn't do any longer road trips in those first few weeks.

I imagine if you are confident breast-feeding at home and out-and-about then travelling should be fine. Taking a long road trip whilst you and baby are learning to breastfeed could be really difficult and I wouldn't recommend it unless it's necessary. We did several bigger trips (5+ hours) for appointments whilst Sprout was tiny, so I know this isn't always avoidable.

Try to follow your normal feeding schedule and/or baby’s cues on travel days, both for consistency for baby and comfort for you. Bring whatever you can to stay comfortable whether that’s a cover, pillow, pump/milk collector (a Haakaa is great for travel), breast pads or a comfy camp chair for side-of-the-road feeds. 

You might like to add an instant cold pack or heat pack to the list, particularly in the early days. If you're pumping or collecting let-down, you'll need cold storage for the milk. We used a fridge for our car because that's what we already had but a lunchbox with freezer bricks also works well. 

Make sure you look after yourself. It’s easy to get dehydrated on long trips and breastfeeding makes this more likely. It’s also physically and mentally tiring if you're exclusively breastfeeding. If you have another parent or caregiver for the baby on your road trip, share around the nappy changes and cuddles so you can have a break.

We spend a lot of time in playgrounds as a travelling family and always look out for great baby and toddler playground options on our travels.

Play during travel days

Pre-baby and also in our newborn baby travelling days, we assumed play and playgrounds were well in the future and that our baby would be walking before we needed to truly engage in play on the road.  

We were wrong!  

Play fills an essential developmental need for babies and days without opportunities for play are dull and frustrating. 

We had to pull over for our five month old recently – after checking her nappy, offering a dummy, shushing, rocking and trying to calm her, we eventually had a light bulb moment and put Sprout on her tummy to play. Instant smiles and excited wiggles! We had a 20 minute play time and then she slept the rest of the way home. 

Play looks different at every age and stage whilst babies are little. Providing time in the day for them to play and work on head control, sitting, reaching or crawling is usually a priority at home. 

Your baby will miss this important part of their daily rhythm if it’s not included in your travel plans. Carrying a picnic rug, blanket or change mat is great for providing your baby with a safe space to stretch and burn off some energy.  

Toys for road trips

Car seat safe toys are great to keep your baby engaged during long road trips. Generally, I sit in the back with Sprout but constantly talking and playing with baby during long travel days can be exhausting! 

Being able to pass baby a soft book or interesting toy can provide a much needed break for parents and a chance for some independent play for little ones. 

A quiet moment during an all-day road trip to visit family. Sunny days make for much easier travel days with a new baby!

Stimulation and travel days

Most babies enjoy being outdoors, watching the world go by, listening to birds and chatting to trees swaying in the wind. Nature can be incredibly calming for babies.

But most road trips aren’t hours of nature – travelling with a baby can often involve new or changed situations for your baby to adapt to. 

Your little one’s unique temperament will determine their sensitivity to light, noises, new people and strange situations.

Sprout is reasonably social at 5 months - assuming all her needs have been met. She’s quite happy to coo and smile at strangers and be passed around by family. But when she’s tired her tolerance level falls rapidly and she can dissolve into tears if someone even looks at her!  

As a newborn, Sprout was more sensitive to sounds and startled easily. She’s since grown out of that but new sounds like trucks passing by or car alarms can still be unsettling. I also noticed bright lights and noise of shopping centres or busy cafes are tiring for her.

I’ve learnt to take breaks by sitting quietly together, pulling her out of her pram for a cuddle or moving away from loud, bright places. 

Of course, many of these new situations come with a distracted, busy parent. I’ve been guilty of rushing through a day of shopping or travelling without considering how the new sensory experience will be accepted by our little person. It has usually ended in an upset, overwrought baby.

Being aware of how your baby reacts to unfamiliar and even unsettling situations is helpful. When there’s been a big input of new experiences, baby is more likely to need extra support in cuddles, eye contact and soothing chats with their caregiver.

As we’ve learnt you can either put in the time and effort to steady, comfort and meet your child’s needs at the time or you’ll put in the time and effort later with an overtired baby!

Connecting with your baby on road trips

We all know that babies soak up time and affection. Creating time for affectionate touch and chatter on a road trip is soothing for your baby.

And just as importantly, those moments of connection with your baby are when you most likely find the joy of travelling with your child. Taking time to chat with your baby, look at some trees and play together makes the challenging parts of travelling with a baby worthwhile.

When we stop and get Sprout out of her car seat, we take a couple of moments when we open to door to greet her properly – to say hello, ask how her trip is going and let her know we are pleased to be back together. 

In a rush to keep moving, we can miss these simple opportunities to communicate our love. Sprout can’t reply to us in words yet, but I know she loves to see her parents and have a quick chat before being lifted from her seat.  

Nappy changes have been important connection times for Sprout since she was born. Sprout was very sensitive to touch, didn’t like being dressed or having her nappy changed. We’ve worked hard to make nappy changes a positive experience with some gentle massage, play and plenty of conversation and eye contact.

When we are tired, we just narrate what we are doing and chat about changing her nappy – it doesn’t have to be a thrilling conversation. 

It’s challenging to take the time to connect sometimes – we‘ve done plenty of nappy changes at night, in freezing winds and in the rain – but it’s not worth the upset of rushing her through the process. Sprout has gotten used to her chance to reconnect with us. When we rush through changes, it sends her the message that something is wrong. 

Then at the end of long days on a road trip with a baby, we expect a greater need to reconnect. For us, that can look like drawn out bedtimes when Sprout just won’t be put in her cot to sleep – which is made all the more difficult when feeling exhausted from hours in the car. 

Another time I notice that need for connection is when visiting family. When separated from us in her car seat most of the day, Sprout is less willing to be handed over to her excited grandparents as we walk through the door. She needs time to feel reconnected to her primary carers first.

We need to nurture her need for contact and playful, positive interaction with our undivided attention in short spurts through the day. Putting in the work to connect throughout the day makes for a more pleasant and peaceful end to our road trips.  

Travelling with a baby is hard work.

(Remember if it feels like it’s hard, it’s because it is).

It can help to know what challenges might come up and to know you’re not alone! A lot of these lessons have absolutely been learnt the hard way. There’s lots to enjoy about seeing the world with your little person too. As baby grows up, travelling - like most things - will get easier.

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