https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 17:32:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285655 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 07:52:05 +0000 NovBaby1112 1285655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It probably all depends on how well she tolerates being in the car. My LO is NOT a fan of being in her car seat for extended periods of time, and trying to occupy/entertain her for even 2 hours would be a total nightmare to me. So for me, I would prob leave around 6pm like @ @78h2o suggested, stop after an hour and change/bottle/dinner/etc, then I would try to drive as far as I could with LO hopefully sleeping as it would be nighttime. Then wake up early and hit the road again. But if your LO doesn't mind the car seat, then it probably doesn't matter if you leave during her awake time or nighttime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285608 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 03:38:40 +0000 shopaholic 1285608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't done it yet, but I would choose naptime over sleep time. Because K tends to freak out in the car near bedtime and hates being in the dark car - especially if no one is in the back seat with her. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285469 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 22:43:40 +0000 mrsjyw 1285469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't done them solo, but when we time it to DS' nap times, he does wonderfully well with 5-6 hour road trips! :) He usually takes 1 really long nap, is up for a bit, and then falls asleep agian at the the tail end! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285459 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 22:38:28 +0000 78h2o 1285459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO hates the car, so I would only really consider driving at night if could help it. In your case, I would at least drive at night one of the days. </p> <p>If it were me, I'd drive from 5-6, stop, change LO and give her snaks/bottle, then assume she'd go to sleep around 6:30 or 7. Then I'd drive until 11.... that woud allow us to get in about 5.5 hrs of driving. She'd wake up the next morning around 7:30 and I'd plan to be on the road at 9. Hopefully she'd take a 2 hr nap before e arrived. That's what I'd do/hope for! Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285436 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 22:11:28 +0000 lawbee11 1285436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a 4-hour trip for Thanksgiving and went at nap time. Everything went perfectly. Car sleep isn't as restorative as sleep in a crib, so I didn't want to mess with her nighttime sleep/risk a meltdown that late at night. I know M is much younger than H, though. M also loves being in the car and is perfectly content to just stare out the window. I think if you have the iPad and H enjoys that then leaving at nap time would be better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285434 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 22:08:02 +0000 singingbee 1285434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: I travel when DH is working with LO solo. It's 3 hours one way. I try to go during nap time, but the last two trips she woke up early. It was a nightmare, but I also think it's her age. The only thing that calms her when she is upset is eating. She can't watch videos or anything, so that makes the ride boring unless she gets to eat.i don't do sleep time because there is nothing to help me if we had any trouble on the road. At least at nap time I can stop and feed her at a parking lot or something. Good luck!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285423 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:57:49 +0000 wheres_c 1285423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>bed time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285414 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:53:02 +0000 Foodnerd81 1285414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with everything @californiadreams: said. We've had good luck traveling at bed time (though C is much younger) but if I was driving alone, it would make me really nervous that I'd get too tired driving that late. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285412 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:51:17 +0000 rachiecakes 1285412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, but I would! Sounds like fun :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285385 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:25:27 +0000 prettylizy 1285385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds like a good plan, I think you can totally do it. While I've only done 4 hour solo road trips, if you're talking 2 5 hour stints you should be just fine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285369 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:14:53 +0000 Silva 1285369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We travel at bed time. Make sure you pee first, pack food and water for yourself, and don't stop until you get there. Our babe goes to bed at 7. We usually leave between 6 and 6:30. She sleeps the whole way. We are tired, but it's quicker and less stressful than going when she is awake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285367 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:12:59 +0000 Mamasig 1285367@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ideally, I think sleep time would be best but I wouldn't feel comfortable driving alone at night that far with DS. So I would try to drive during nap time to help cut down on possible fussiness. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285364 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:12:10 +0000 matador84 1285364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've done several 4-6 hour road trips with LO solo. They have all been great! I have left at different times and they have all been just fine and I have been so nervous before hand. I usually pack a few pouches he can get after himself and try to avoid stopping at all if I can...he usually HATES it when I stop but he can't get out of the carseat. I don't like to drive at night because I feel like it's safer being alone during the day if something were to happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285363 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:11:06 +0000 californiadreams 1285363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i've road tripped by myself with LO several times. biggest lesson i learned is to go during nap time. i leave before 9am and he has an uber nap. then we stop 30 mins or so after he wakes and i nurse, change diaper, we eat, we hang out. i make it a really long stop. then we do the rest. and i hope for his afternoon nap to occur during the second half. the trip is 5 hours driving. i never considered going his sleep (at night) time because i imagine i would be too tired to drive that much and i don't like interrupting his sleep for the night. though after a full day in the car, it is harder for him to go to bed once we arrive. depends i guess. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-road-tripped-alone-with-lo#post-1285355 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:07:03 +0000 PrincessBaby 1285355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Call me crazy, but LO and I are going to drive to my family's for the holidays. DH is working offshore and doesn't come home until early January. I am off of work after this Friday until Monday after Christmas. My new job/company gave me a super nice, basically top of the line SUV, and a gas card that I can use for personal/vacation. So when I looked at the $700 and up plane tickets home and the first hand knowledge of how stressful flying with a LO alone can be, I decided to drive because we have the time, my SUV is super comfy, and it's totally free.</p> <p>However, our trip is 10 hours. So we're going to do 2 five hour long stretches, and stay overnight in a hotel.</p> <p>I'm wondering if I should coordinate the drive time with night sleep, or her nap? I download movies to the ipads and let her watch if we'll be on the road any significant amount of time. So i'm hopeful that I can keep her from fussing with the ipad and snacks. </p> <p>Would you go during naptime or during sleep time? </p>