Think about what you might need on your drive before you load up the boot \u2013 you don\u2019t want to end up unpacking half of it on the side of the highway just to get to the teething rusks! That goes for all the items you might need for a pit stop: jackets, cameras, nappies, selfie sticks \u2013 not necessarily in that order \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n If you\u2019re staying at a hotel, motel, or resort, check ahead to make sure they offer infant beds or cribs. If you\u2019re booking a property on Wotif, just check the Room Amenities section at the bottom of the hotel\u2019s page. Keep an eye out for any extra charges (some properties charge for portacots, while others don\u2019t). To add a portacot to your booking, just add a note requesting one to the Special Requests section during checkout. The beauty of an in-house portacot is that it\u2019s one less bulky item to pack. #boot-packing-win<\/p>\n If you\u2019re hiring a car and pre-ordering a car seat, make sure you request the right one for your child\u2019s age at the time of your trip. Most hire companies have options for rearward and forward-facing capsules and boosters, and you don\u2019t want to arrive to find you mistakenly selected the wrong one! Alternatively, if you want to BYO car seat, most airlines will allow you to check in your baby items. Just double-check with the airline for any restrictions.<\/p>\n Car seats and snacks might be a given, but don\u2019t forget the other simple items that can be lifesavers. Things like sun shades, car toys, and baby mirrors are all handy and won\u2019t take up much room in your luggage. That way no-one needs to deal with the dreaded flapping-blanket-in-the-window scenario!<\/p>\n Plan your departure times around feeds. My wife and I have found that post-feeding is the perfect time to hit the road. It allows you the maximum driving time between pit stops and creates the perfect environment for your little one to snooze.<\/p>\n As an adult, driving for hours in a car is not the most comfortable thing in the world. So take a minute to put yourself in your baby\u2019s 10cm shoes and imagine you\u2019re also strapped into a car seat or capsule\u2026 No wonder they get so restless! So make sure you allow enough time for regular pit stops so everyone can get out and stretch their legs. It\u2019s also a perfect excuse to visit a new town or attraction that isn\u2019t on your itinerary. Or pre-plan your route with some pit-stop spots in mind if spontaneity isn\u2019t your strong point.<\/p>\n Protect your sanity from the grizzling babies, long roads, and crackling radio coverage by prepping some tunes (and an aux cord, just in case) before you leave home. Travelling is all about treating your senses; think the sun and salt of the Gold Coast, or the bustle and scents of Istanbul\u2019s souks. Your road trip might tick the \u2018sight\u2019 box with its picturesque scenery, but why not up the holiday vibes by matching your music to your destination? Ben Howard was my fave for the misty, wet roads of the UK.<\/p>\n Nobody wants to spend all day driving just to have to go to the supermarket as soon as they arrive at their destination. So this is the perfect time to rejoice in the existence of supermarket \u2018Click and Collect\u2019 services. \u201cReward\u201d your navigator by charging them with the pre-ordering of all the required groceries. Then all you need to do is pick them up, which saves you having to traipse up and down the aisles. Or save even more time by arranging a home delivery straight to your room. This is also a perfect opportunity to stock up on road trip snacks for the return trip.<\/p>\n Note to husbands:<\/strong> Kinder Surprises are considered a \u2018treat\u2019, not a \u2018snack\u2019. You\u2019ve been warned!<\/p>\n<\/i> HIT THE ROAD WITH A HIRE CAR <\/a>\n<\/i> FIND A TOP HOTEL DEAL <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019ve probably heard it all before, but the key to a successful and enjoyable road trip with a baby in tow is planning. But how? Here are a few tips to get you (and your engine) started. 1. Load thoughtfully Think about what you might need on your drive before you load up the boot …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":6115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,761],"tags":[209,207,208],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6113"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6136,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6113\/revisions\/6136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/cdn.lemediavault.com\/images\/4357b82213aa574ec03e647b5a9b925d.jpeg\")
2. Make special requests<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Give your little one the best seat in the car<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.lemediavault.com\/images\/4f74e46061789439fd6260d118a3ed2d.jpeg\")
4. Remember the little extras<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Time it right<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Take pit stops<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cdn.lemediavault.com\/images\/59a7fff615f26febc5d8e40b340b44de.jpeg\")
7. Just add tunes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Avoid the supermarket<\/strong><\/h3>\n