We recently had a reader ask us about the logistics of traveling with her baby. Kathy, who has a 5-month old, wanted to know about the relative benefits of flying by plane or driving by car from Pennsylvania to Vermont. She wrote:
1) I could drive 5 hours to my Dad’s house (across PA to Bethlehem, PA) and then travel with him to VT (7 hours). So, this would be a 12 hour car ride with a 5 month old with breaks. We traveled a lot when he was younger and he did great, but recently he gets very fussy in the car going long distance.
2) I could fly (for the first time with him) from Pittsburgh to connecting flight in DC and then to Burlington. The total time in air and ground would be 4 hours.
What are your thoughts or advice?
Thanks, Kathy.
Great question, Kathy! First of all, you wouldn’t believe the numbers of moms who express surprise to us about traveling with their babies: “He traveled so well when he was one month old, but now that he’s 8 months old he doesn’t,” that sort of thing. This makes sense, of course; as our infants grow into babies and toddlers, their curiosity and resistance to being confined for long periods of time develops too. At 5 months old, your little boy won’t understand the reason for being strapped in for what seems like forever to him; he’ll only know that he doesn’t like it.
Is price a factor? Even with gas prices being what they are, a long car trip is still less expensive that 2 seats on a plane. And yes; if you choose to fly, please buy the second seat. He will not want to be in your lap the whole time, and you won’t want him to be, either. Do you have a portable DVD player? If so, and if he likes those baby shows like Little Einsteins, this trip is a good time to let him watch more TV than you’d normally feel comfortable with.
You can see that I’m advocating the plane. The actual traveling part of trips can be very frustrating for babies your son’s age, and 4 hours is…well, it’s a third of the time it would take you by car. However, if the plane is not an affordable option, then be sure to take more breaks than you’d think you should along the way. There is a truck stop on a NJ freeway that my daughters, when babies, actually thought was great fun (it wasn’t: it just had maps and snack machines, but the automatic flush toilets were miraculous to them, heh heh).
Something else to consider is what you’d take with you. Clearly, he will want his favorite blanket or whatever. You will want his stroller and car seat. If you can afford to, I’d recommend shipping some items in advance. It may not be possible to reduce your packing to carry-on only, but the less luggage you need to check, the better. Several airlines charge for checking second items now (although there is no fee for strollers or car seats).
If all this sounds like it’s getting too expensive, then you know you can shove all his stuff in your car, and just suffer through the drive. But, for me at least, travel shouldn’t be about suffering!
One more thing. I traveled with my daughters their whole lives. They are now excellent travelers, because they are used to it. I do believe you are doing your son a service by getting him started early, too. Keep it up, and by the time he’s 3 or 4, he’ll be a pro.
Please don’t hesitate to write with any other questions. Have a great time in Vermont!
