https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 18 May 2026 16:02:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408457 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:00:14 +0000 snowjewelz 2408457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally I would split it into 2 days and find a place to stay the night b/c I'd just want both of us to be rested/alert! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408301 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 08:30:28 +0000 mamabolt 2408301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did 12 hours with a just barely 2 year old. We had good luck with leaving at 4 am and LO went right back to sleep for a few hours, then stops every 2 hours or so from that point on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408300 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 08:28:33 +0000 Anagram 2408300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a trip from NYC-Macon, Ga over Thanksgiving with our 2.5 year old and our 4 month old. It's about 16 hours, but with all the stops we took, more like 18-19 hours. We split it into two 9 hours days.</p> <p>We took stretch/potty breaks every 2.5 hours or so and drove during the day, then got a hotel for 1 night each way of the trip.</p> <p>We also just drove 8 hours each from NYC-Toronto over Christmas. We did those 8 hours in one day with our newly potty trained toddler, to we still stopped every 2-2.5 hours or so.</p> <p>What works for us is 1 parent sitting in the back, taking lots of car toys--water wow, crayons and paper, little puzzles, magnetic doodle board, kids songs on CD, lap toys like electronic "laptop", talking books, etc. And the Ipad, now that our LO is older. We preloaded some episodes of Daniel Tiger and Bubble Guppies and the trips went really well, surprisingly,. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408294 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 08:24:27 +0000 catomd00 2408294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely stop halfway! We visit my sister who is about 5 hours away and that's the max DD will tolerate at that age and she's not a car hater. We always have one of us sit in the back with her at least part of the way(after she sleeps ideally) to entertain her. Bring lots of snacks, new books and toys. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408243 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 05:57:21 +0000 FaithFertility 2408243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Wow, thanks for great info! I am in south FL about 1.5 hrs North of Miami!<br /> We are going to Gaitlainburg/Chalet Village!</p> <p>I asked my dad he said 12-14 but that was years ago, he could of forgot....lol</p> <p>We stayed in Macon before, maybe that is a good route </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408240 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 05:43:32 +0000 MrsADS 2408240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@faithfertility I think I remember you're in South FL right? Me too and my family lives in east TN so I've done the drive many times but never with a child. I don't know where in TN you're going, but the fastest I've ever done it was 13 hours exactly and that was with perfect traffic and stopping only for gas. Usually it's 14 to 15. I would definitely break it up into 2 days if you can. Valdosta GA is right over the FL line and about exactly halfway. If you can get a littletter further, try Tifton or Macon. </p> <p>Oh! If you're taking 75, you must time your drive based on when you're going through Atlanta so you don't hit it at a bad time. When I sod the drive in one day, I found I had to leave my house no later than 6am, otherwise I got to Atlanta when rush hour was starting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408236 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 05:39:40 +0000 FaithFertility 2408236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runnerd: LOVE TN! DH has never been buy we used to go as a family all the time!<br /> We used to stay in Cobbly Nob!<br /> I love Gaitlinburg!!!!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408235 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 05:38:51 +0000 FaithFertility 2408235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, thnaks! Seems everyone has done it many ways and all sound successful! Think we just need to observe how she is by then, and go from there!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408211 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 02:11:28 +0000 lamariniere 2408211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did our first major road trip with our LOs this summer, from Montana to Seattle (7 hours). Even though that's relatively short, we broke it up into two days. We don't normally drive at all, so being in the car for hours on end doesn't work for us. I would definitely break it up into a two or three day trip, if possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408185 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 00:13:24 +0000 jill_a55 2408185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We drive from Arizona to Iowa every summer (23 hours total), so far Ds has done the ride at 3 1/2 months and 16 months. We usually do like 2 8-10 hour days (sometimes longer depending on everyone's tiredness level), with lunch breaks, etc. this past summer I made sure to have lots of new snacks and activities for him as well as a loaded iPad with movies. We typically start driving around 9 am, so when he was younger it would be about nap time and he'd fall asleep pretty easily. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408184 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 00:11:37 +0000 rattles 2408184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jess1483: this is exactly our approach. </p> <p>We do a 21 hour road trip (over two days) every year with our kids, and we've done several 9-12 hour drives too. Early morning departure, breaks every three hours (getting out to eat/play/diaper change), toys, music and if desperate, Netflix on iPhones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408181 Mon, 04 Jan 2016 00:04:13 +0000 Jess1483 2408181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a 12-hour drive at that age. We started around 4 am so we'd had a good solid chunk of sleep, but we knew he'd go back down easily. We drove 3 hours, stopped for breakfast, got dressed, etc. Drove another maybe 2 hours, stopped and found a playground, drove a couple, got lunch, drove a couple, found a park, etc. He did so, so well. Maybe watched 45 minutes of tv, did some napping, we wrapped small dollar store toys and would give him one when he was starting to lose it, lots of snacks, left a seat beside him empty so we could sit with him when needed. It was surprisingly painless. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408140 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:53:31 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2408140@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have done 3 different 11-12 hour drives with DD and have just driven them straight through during they day. We leave right after she wakes up and eats in the morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408136 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:50:01 +0000 runnerd 2408136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well our child does not love the car, but will tolerate it 50/50. We drove 7.5 hours to Florida in Nov and drove the first 2/3 at night, then the rest the next morning. So we left about an hour before his bedtime. Worked well for us!</p> <p>And enjoy TN - my state :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408130 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:42:50 +0000 MamaG 2408130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did our first long road trip with C when she was about 20 months. We split it across two days. The reason we don't roadtrip overnight is then WE are exhausted when we arrive. And we find that C doesn't sleep great in the car. She'll sleep like a nap 2-3 hours but that's it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408040 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 21:20:23 +0000 regberadaisy 2408040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FaithFertility: I would probably plan for a midway stop. Find a good point and a good kid friendly h/motel to stop at. If it's going OK, then keep going! So maybe start the drive late morning so you are halfway done about 7-8pm. That way if it's not going well, or if you guys are too tired you have the option to stop. If all is going well, then keep going!</p> <p>We typically do a 7-8 hour road trip to visit my family. By that point we're both pretty spent and DH does all the driving! We have driven (Prekids) to SC before and that's 14 hours. We went straight through and I can't imagine doing that with a toddler right now! 😩 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/car-trip-w-18-month-old#post-2408034 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 21:11:45 +0000 FaithFertility 2408034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are planning a summer trip to Tennessee!<br /> Car ride would be 12-14 hrs<br /> How would you travel?!<br /> LO will be 18months she isn't a huge car LOVER but doesn't hate it either!<br /> Longest ride so far has been 2 hrs.. that was fine!</p> <p>Would you drive overnight and hope she sleeps?!<br /> Drive w/breaks?<br /> Drive 1/2 way and get a hotel for the night?! </p>