Last Updated on April 18, 2024

Ryan has had his fair share of sitting in one place for long periods of time, due to sitting through long road trips and even long haul flights.

However, no matter how many times Ryan has been exposed to road trips, we just never know how he may react to the next one.

If taking and surviving a road trip with a toddler is something you’re keen to do, or something you’d like to do again, here are some road trip tips that I follow when we do our own toddler friendly road trips.

TAKE A FERRY IF YOUR ROAD TRIP INVOLVES OVERSEAS DRIVING

If your road trip involves overseas road travel, then I highly recommend taking your car on a ferry instead of flying and hiring a car.

Nick, Ryan, and I have taken quite a few road trips throughout Europe using our own car, which we did by taking our car and ourselves on a ferry from Dover to Calais.

Taking a ferry with your own car means that your toddler doesn’t have to adjust to a new car’s features. It also means that you get to take unlimited luggage, liquids and food, which all provide your toddler with the comforts of home, easing their long journey.

The ferries we’ve been on have had a kid’s area, and places where you can buy food and drinks. Having these amenities, as well as being able to easily walk around makes for an enjoyable start to any road trip.

MAKE A LIST OF ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS

Before embarking on any road trip with toddlers, I recommend writing a list of car friendly games, and apps and TV shows that your toddler loves so you can easily refer to your list when your toddler decides they’ve had enough of sitting in their car seat.

Some car friendly games that I’ve used, which I keep in a bag near my feet include:

• Water magic books
• Sticker books
• Puzzles
• Doodle magnetic drawing boards
• Buckle toys
• Wooden cheese string game

Some car friendly apps and TV shows that I’ve downloaded onto a tablet, and my phone as a back up in case the tablet battery goes flat include:

• Puzzle apps
• Tetris apps
• BBC iplayer for Kids
• YouTube kids

All of these entertainment ideas have saved us on long road trips, where there weren’t many stops that we could take.

Or you could make a kids travel activity pack, which makes packing up these items super easy, if you’d like to learn more please read how to make a kids travel activity pack.

HAVE SUPPLIES AND SNACKS EASILY ACCESSIBLE

As well as toddler entertainment options, I also make sure that I pack all the supplies that I’ll need for the duration of our road trip, as well as toddler friendly road trip snacks.

As well as having them on hand, I also make sure that all supplies and snacks are easily accessible so they can be given to Ryan as soon as they’re needed.

Toddler road trip supplies that I take on our road trips include:

• Wipes
• A plate and cutlery
• Water
• Juice

Toddler road trip snacks that I take on our road trips for Ryan and even Nick and I include:

• Fruit (apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, grapes)
• Dried apricots and raisons
• Sliced cucumber, pepper, carrots, and celery
• Cheese cubes
• Plain croissants
• Oatcakes and rice cakes
• Cheese and crackers
• Biscuits
• Cereal
• Waffles
• Granola bars
• Pretzels
• Mini muffins
• Chocolate

When giving Ryan his snacks, I put each type into separate containers so he has one snack at a time, and they last longer.

I also don’t let him see his snacks as this leads to him having a mini tantrum for the good stuff.

TAKE REGULAR BREAKS

One thing I love about road trips are taking regular breaks, as they’re the perfect excuse to get some fresh air and some food.

If you’re travelling with a toilet trained toddler then taking regular breaks is something that becomes a necessity.

By taking regular breaks you and your toddler can get some much needed fresh air, everyone can stretch their legs, use the bathroom, get some snacks and be refreshed for the road ahead.

TIME YOUR ROAD TRIP TO YOUR TODDLER’S SLEEP SCHEDULE

You can use your toddler’s nap and sleep schedule to your advantage when embarking on a road trip with them, by timing the longest part of your road trip when they’ll be asleep.

If you’re planning on doing the longest part of your road trip during the day, stop for a meal before the time you know your toddler sleeps so they can stretch their legs and tire themselves out, then head out again and keep your fingers crossed they keep to their usual sleep time.

If you’re planning on doing part of your road trip at night, time it so your toddler has a large part of their sleep in the car, so everyone can have a more relaxing toddler friendly road trip.

If we’re ever doing part of our road trips at night, I make sure Ryan has his favourite bunny with him that he sleeps with, as well as his favourite dinosaur blanket as both of these items help him get comfortable and sleep better.

I hope I’ve provided some tips on how to survive road trips with toddlers.

It may seem scary or impossible to do a road trip with a toddler but the more you do and the more you’re prepared for it, the easier they’ll become.

Do you have any tips on taking road trips with toddlers?