My sister-in-law (a first time mommy) makes the 8 hour trip up to our place often enough with our new nephew. She stops frequently for diaper changes and feeding, usually adding an extra hour or two to the trip, but hasn't had a real problem with it.

Try to plan a route that has lots of rest-stops or room where you can safely pull off the road if needed.

Otherwise, don't worry! This is suppose to be a vacation. Baby will have to be alone in the backseat eventually, why not give it a try now.

I have been doing the 4 hour drive from my house to my parents' house with my kids for years--you can do it! When my kids were babies, I tried to time the drive around naptime so they could sleep. I also nursed the baby right before we left because then I knew I had about 3 hours or so before I'd need to stop. I didn't stop a lot--usually just once to feed the baby, change diapers, and use the bathroom.
My husband and I have found that traveling often with our kids have made them great little car trip kids, so go for it! The more you do it, the more comfortable you'll be.

it will be fine. just leave yourself plenty of time for the trip and don't rush to get there. make plenty of stops for diaper changes, feeding, etc and you will both be fine. if you time it right, you could do some of the driving during naptime so you won't have to worry about entertainment.

Go for it! As everyone else has said, stopping makes all the difference. But be warned-sometimes the go while baby needs to sleep doesn't work so well. Neither of my kids seem to ever fall asleep in the car (and we have tried a bunch of times!). I'll hope yours isn't like that!

My baby (now 12 months) has ALWAYS hated the car. We bought new carseats, every toy under the sun, and eventually succumed to one of us always sitting in teh back seat with him. If I have to drive anywhere alone we plan around naps...though his naps are only 45 minutes - could you leave at night and let him sleep the whole way?

Our children always slept in the car -- it has a lovely soothing quality.

We always travelled with lullaby music too (The Planet Sleeps was de rigeur for our kids).

And it wouldn't hurt to put something on the back of the back seat so that he has something to look at.

I've been doing the four hour trip to see my parents at least 6 times a year on my own with the kid(s) since my oldest was two months old.

Nap time planning is a good strategy. Nurse/give a bottle right before you leave. CDs with music your son likes so you can sing loudly over it if you are stuck in traffic and he is freaking out.

Build in at least one stop at the 2 hour point - that is about the maximum my kids could stand until they were older than 18 months. BUT don't stop the car if you can help it if he is sleeping.

You can do it! and enjoy your time away from home!

Drive at night - nurse him at his normal bedtime and then head straight for a highway with a white noise radio station on. It's the best shot you have. Make sure you stay long enough for a good solid couple nights before the return trip, with minimal carseat time during your visit.

Traveling with young kids is the harrowing part; make sure where you go is enjoyable enough to offset whatever hand-trembling moments arise.

Courage! It is both a big deal, and doable!

I would get one of the mirrors to put on the headrest so that you can see your baby while you are driving. Being able to see my baby while I drive helps me know when its time to pull over and give baby a break from the carseat, or keep driving because she is sleeping. I have a mirror that even has a remote contolled light on it!

Hopefully you already have a car seat mirror. If not, I highly recommend getting one! I was on the fence about ours at first (worried it would be too distracting for me while driving), but it really helps to ease your mind about baby's comfort level when you can look back and see them in your mirror! Also, bring lots of interactive toys for baby just in case they don't sleep as much as expected. And try to plan your trip around nap times if possible. You can do it!!

The baby mirrors were a big help for us - she could see herself and I had a setup where I could see her reflection (with an additional rearview mirror).

One travel tip another mother (of five) gave me for traveling was to have a new toy for a trip - something they've never seen before, so they take some time getting to know the new toy/investigating/occupied. This works particularly well on an airplane, but also works for car trips.

I also agree with the favorite music mix for the car and planning around naptime/sleeptime - both were very helpful for us. And yes, the more you travel, they become better travelers. So start now and it will only get better!

You can do it!

For our daughter, we’ve found that three hours on and one hour off works well, so I’d plan for at least one stop. She hates waking up in the carseat, but will fall asleep fine, so we leave before her anticipated nap, so that break/destination will be about when she wakes.

The mirror will be a lifesaver. Those darn rear-facing carseats may be built for safety, but not for single drivers! We also bring little, new toys. At that age, Roll-A-Rounds were a hit (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265222). And if your baby uses a pacifier, have TONS of them up with you, so that you can keep tossing them back as they get lost.

And this is very important: There may be crying. At a certain point, you just have to keep driving. You will both survive, and often it’s better to just get to your destination so everyone can get out of the car. I often sing songs at that point. Even if it doesn’t help, I feel like I’m doing something.

We make the 2.5 hour drive home to our parents house at least once a month, and have since our son was 3 weeks old (he's now 6 months)! I'd say leave right after your baby finishes his meal, and plan to stop once more before you get there. Our son used to sleep the whole way, but his naps are shorter now, so we just leave him in the back with a toy or two on his lap and he's happy as can be. I did used to sit in the back with him, but I stopped around 3 months.

We don't have a mirror in the backseat because you're not supposed to put anything back there that could hurt them in an accident. I read, if you can throw it at your husband and it hurts him, it shouldn't be with your baby in the back seat! Sometimes I get paranoid, so I pull over in a parking lot, hop into the back to make sure he's ok, and then off we go! I wouldn't bat an eye at a 5 hour drive, for me it's always the staying overnight in a new place that scares me!

Oh, and as far as specific toy recommendations, I'd go for one of those crib soothers that light up and play music. We put ours at our baby's feet in the carseat and he was able to turn it on and off with the tap of his foot. Also make sure to stash an extra pacifier or two in the carseat with them...although now I can't remember if a 5 month old is able to put one in his or her own mouth yet!

I should add that he's only gotten hysterical about three times in 6 months worth of 2.5 hour car rides. Two of the times feeding him a little kept him happy for the rest of the ride, and one time we were almost home, so we rolled the back windows down and the cool air calmed him down and stopped him from crying.

We do all of the above--drive during nap/night, use the carseat mirror, of course be sure they are fed and changed right before starting the trip, bring a few new/high value toys and snacks, bring some music they like....

However, sometimes car rides with babies/kids just suck. Sometimes they can't sleep, and they don't want to be in the car--they didn't consent to be strapped into a chair for hours on end, and you're going to hear about it. They will not be mollified. There will be screaming. You will feel terrible for them and may want to cry yourself. Sometimes there's no way out but through. Keep driving, take frequent breaks to make sure the kid isn't actually wet or hungry, then pray for sleep and keep driving. You'll get there eventually, and then you can have a much-needed glass of wine.

You can do it! With my first one, during a trip I always rode in the back until she fell asleep. Now with two kids in the back of a compact car, I can't do that.
If my LO (four months) starts to get fussy on long trips I will roll the windows down, he likes that. If it's during the day, I'll put a book or magazine with faces for him to look at. At night it usually works to recite his favorite book or sing his favorite songs.

I also put something for him to kick with his feet, even if it's just one of my sweaters.

Pack so that his rattles/teethers can't fall where you can't reach while driving. I shove some pillows around the side of the carseat so this doesn't happen. Good luck! :)

No! Don't let it go. We moved 7 hours away from our family when my son was 6 months old and have made the drive back and forth almost once a month since then. It is easier with two adults, but not the only way. The biggest thing, in my opinion, is to keep him well fed. Next to that is making sure he is cool and doesn't have the sun on him or bothering him. Besides that, you need to know what keeps him entertained. Having a new toy or two on hand might be a good strategy so that he will be more interested in them. If he responds well to music, having some "kindie" music on hand could help. You might luck out and he could sleep for a good chunk of the drive. Since he is in a rear-facing car seat, I'm sure there is a good chance. And finally, he might cry, but it's not the end of the world. It might just tire him out so he takes a nap. Best of luck!

we're taking our 5.5 month old on a (usually) 6-hour trip at the end of the month, and planning on driving overnight. She usually goes to sleep at 7, so we'll be ready to leave as soon as she has her last feeding before bed. she sleeps all night at home, so we're hoping she'll sleep most of the way on the drive. we're also doing this in part because I don't want the sun shining on her for 6+ hours.

good luck!

Oh, to echo contessab--if your child happens to have comfort objects, try to keep them accessible while you drive. My first child was a huge fan of pacifiers, which was good for trips, but she could lose them quickly, and it was not good to be fishing around the car in the dark for a pacifier while I was driving and she was screaming. So, I'd bring 5 or 6 pacis with me and keep them handy, and when I ran out I'd stop the car asap, round them up, and start over again. And maybe this is obvious, but with only one child and one adult, I'd put the carseat on the opposite side of the car from you so you can more easily reach out and touch him while you drive (or in the center, but that's not an option in my car).

Uhg. I just took a solo 4 hour trip with my 5 month old. On the way down, we did her bedtime rituals, then straight into the carseat and on the road. I stopped once for myself and changed her diaper. She fussed for about a half an hour then went back to sleep. Unfortunately, I had to do the trip back mid-morning. We stopped 3 times and each time she cried when I put her back in the car. That was the worst part, listening to her cry when you're by yourself driving down the highway. That said, I would totally do it again. The R&R will be worth it!

Limit your liquids so you don't have to stop and use the washroom if the baby is sleeping :)

Go for it. Just remember millions of people have done this before you, and they didn't always have car seats, music players, air conditioners/heaters etc... At least it's not 100 degrees and you're riding on a donkey.

Ok, we just did a 7 hours car ride. Granted there were two of us, but that didn't really matter...

We woke up at 3 in the morning, got her up and playing. (She was surprisingly happy for being woke up 5 hours early!) We got her fed and dressed in comfy cool clothes, then strapped her into the carseat around 4am.

She was wide awake and 'talking' to us for a good hour or so, then she fell asleep! She was asleep for about 3 hours - so we were half way there at 8am. We pulled over and had an hour or 2 long breakfast to let her play, then back in the car!

Same thing happened, she was awake for an hour, then fell asleep and we were there! We did the same thing coming home since it worked so well, and it worked out EXACTLY the same.

I guess the trick is to know your little one and how they sleep...and then drive while they sleep! Good luck!

You will be fine!! One little babes in the car on a road trip isn't going to be so bad.. Like some of the other readers have said - make sure he's well fed before you go and plan to stop halfway through the trip to change diapers maybe feed him again.. It really won't be so bad once you are doing it...

Go for it! You just need to remember that your son may not be happy at times, but he is safe. Also, you will be happier and feel more confident for being able to make the trip! I once dug my car out of the snow and drove from NYC to Virginia with my 1 year old and 3 year old by myself. The visit with my family saved my sanity, and I managed to get through it. You will too!

I've been doing the 3hr drive to my parents' house with my son since he was four weeks old. It's been absolutely no problem at all - he usually sleeps in the car and as long as I stop to feed him at least once on the trip, it's no big deal. He's four months now and a little more alert, but I just give him one of his favorite toys and keep a playlist going of music that he likes and it's totally cool.

Get a mirror so you can check on him, and just keep singing! You deserve a break. Go for it!

Of course you'll be fine. Give him a good breakfast and let him run around for an hour or two in the morning. Then start your trip -- he'll nap in the car, and then you can stop for lunch to give both you a break (and a diaper change for him), then finish the trip -- he'll probably nap again after lunch. No big deal.

My son has never napped well in the car. We have always tried to leave after dinner, put him in PJs, and drive in the dark. Nothing to look at = boring enough to fall asleep. Granted, when I'm alone I have to make sure I keep myself awake!

You can do it!!

we took my 7 month old to connecticut for christmas (about a 10 hour with good traffic, which we didn't have). the key was timing. we left at about 3am and so she was asleep for the bulk of the trip.

I have also taken a couple of longish drives (3-4 hours) with just the two of us since then. again the key is timing. I leave right before nap time, hand her something to snack on and some milk and start driving. she usually falls asleep and when she is wakes up is just about the right time for a break for me.

also when it is just the two of us, I fill a box with toys and keep it on the passenger seat. when she is awake I pass her toys. when she loses interest in one toy she drops/throws the toy away and I toss her a new one.

I have 21 month old twins and frequently travel by myself with them. I wrote up my top ten tips here: http://www.funmama.org/2011/02/10-tips-for-traveling-when-you-are.html

Good luck! You can do it!

I took a 15hr flight with my (at the time) 5mo daughter. It was the easiest trip with her ever!

I might be the first to advise getting out of the backseat when you are not alone. A child who knows he is expected to, and how to, amuse themselves in the car on their own is a wonderful thing. Help him develop that skill.

I started driving with my son long distances (6hrs +) when he was 6mos. old. He loved the car...he loved going places and seeing new things. We took him all over- every week I took him someplace new. As he got older I just gave him new toys and books to keep him interested- and a camera to take pictures of where he was going. Now, as a 7 yr old he and I just took a road trip from Michigan to Texas. He's a great traveler- helps plan the trips and can read a map with the best of them. The more you travel and do things with your kids and babies the more they will learn-

I completely agree with Holiday05!

As someone already mentioned, mirrors are a safety no-no. They can become a projectile if you're (god forbid) in a crash. That being said, I know a lot of parents who say that they're willing to take the risk for the peace of mind it gives them. It's up to the individual parent, but just be aware of the added risk it could pose. Same goes for the toys that hang from the handle of a carseat. Those are especially bad, though, because *most* carseats don't allow the handlebar to be in the upright position in the car (check your manual to see if your model can be installed with the handle up. Otherwise, assume it shouldn't be). If you're in a crash, it can break as it rebounds against the back seat (and, if installed correctly, it SHOULD rebound to absorb the shock), sending the broken handle into baby. Yikes! I would say if you're going to go on a long road trip (or, really, drive in a car with a baby at all) to make sure the seat is installed correctly. The vast majority (80%!) of seats aren't. Call your local health department or fire department to see if they have any Child Passenger Safety Techs on staff. Knowing that your baby is safe in the car will help you relax and concentrate on the road ahead of you. Do what you need to do to feel confident, take frequent stops, cross your fingers that the baby sleeps the majority of the way, and go for it. If you need a break, you need a break. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Just remember, if he's been fed, has a clean diaper, and isn't in pain, he will survive even if he cries for a while. You are not going to scar him for life. Sometimes, babies just need to cry. As long as he's safe, turn up the music a little bit and try not to feel guilty. My oldest struggled with this, too, but we couldn't stay glued to our house for the first year of her life, so we sometimes had to listen to her cry, or turn up the radio. She lived, and is not a horrible child at all. :) My youngest went through a phase where she hated the car, too, but she got over it. They are kids, and are amazingly resilient. You are not abusing your child by making them be in the car without your constant attention for a few hours. As long as he is safe and cared for, a little bit of fussing will not destroy his psyche.

I don't want to make your anticipation of the trip any worse, but just after I read this post, I then went on to read an update on one of my favorite blogs...and what should the topic be? A solus road trip with two kidsl! Anyway, if you want to see the lighter side of the painful results of said roadtrip (and to feel the pain of another mother who experienced the pain and made it through), I would definitely recommend having a read of this:

http://www.baby-mac.com/2011/07/road-trip-eieio.html

Hi-lar-e-ous.

And from someone who has traveled around the world by plane, trains and automobiles with a 9 month old old, just remember, the journey always comes to an end at some point and then the fun begins!

My kids aren't seasoned travelers, but they are used to traveling (4 and 2). When my oldest was 5 weeks, we flew with him cross country. I was a wreck with anticipation, but the flying was the easy part. The hard part was the colicky screaming in a hotel room for three hours. I also flew cross country alone with him (connecting flight) and I just prepared as best I could. He then drove in a very cramped car three days later 6 hours across the state at 8 weeks old.

Any other "longer" trip of 2.5 hours or more, we've always left at bedtime, so that we knew they'd fall asleep in the car. We recently drove to Florida (18 hours) and left at bedtime. I wouldn't do that again, but with our daughter going through a winter of chronic ear infections, I wasn't ready to put her on a plane. And we recently drove 6 hours to Boston, during the day, and they were champs. The more you do it, the more second nature it becomes.

My #1 tip would be to leave at bedtime, especially at this age.

I just took a 5 hour trip (each way) with my 9 month old. Most of what I tried has already been mentioned (leaving at nap time, new toy, etc.) One thing I would add. If you are going to be driving a major change in altitude be prepared for a lot of fussing on the decent. My son was great on the trip to our destination--a climb of 4,000 feet--but the return trip wasn't so great. My theory is that the decent hurt his ears. We made it though and it was worth it. I just had to stop a lot to nurse him and at one point, in desperation, I gave him Tylenol. It helped, but not much.

Good luck! You deserve the vacation.

I traveled 12 hours alone with my then 8 month old. I got a mirror for the backseat. Stopped for an hour here and there at rest stops and played in the grass. I got up and left at 5:30 am so that I was driving through a big chunk of his sleep but still maintaining as much sleep for myself as possible. I wound up getting food poisoning on the drive so it was a total night mare. And I split the trip up and stayed over night. But 5 hours would be a breeze compared to that!

I have no advice for you. I recently drove from Virginia to Indiana in May to come home during my husbands deployment. I packed the dog, my mom, 4 month old daughter and hit the road. It took us 38 hours of drive time to make it. It was originally a 12 hour drive.... that's how often we stopped. It was a hair pullin, screaming, crying type of trip... LOL. I'm sure you'll be just fine though since you don't have a dog. :) My LO slept fine until the dog would whine and bark....

I say go for it. Time it near a nap if you ca but I wouldn't go to the extent if driving at bedtime unless that is convenient for you. Agree that making sure baby is fed and dry gives you peace of mind even if they fuss a bit. Is there a cd your baby likes? Although I'm not big on kid music, when my son was little he had a song he loved and putting it on in the car always stopped his fussing, at least for awhile. Ive also heard static on the radio works well. I never cultivated that with my second child and I regretted it, although at least she has her brother to entertain her.

Another thing that really helped is making sure the car seat was reclined sufficiently for the baby to sleep well. My daughter was much easier in the car when her seat was positioned so her head didn't loll forward when she fell asleep.

I also completely second holiday05's comment, that having kids who are used to car trips can be a very good thing, and four hours seems like a reasonable enough distance to start with.

Great tips above. One I didn't see (or may have missed) is to use a nighttime diaper on the baby, so you may not have to stop as soon as you would otherwise.