5 Tips When Travelling via Land With A Toddler

The Hubby and I have traveled with our little boy countless of times by plane.  My son is so fortunate that we are blessed to be able to afford to travel by plane.  This is because we book early on a promo fare.  But because we were so preoccupied in traveling the past year, we forgot to book a flight home to Cagayan for the New Year.  When we finally remembered to book our flights, the practical person in me cannot stomach the fare amount.  So we had a last minute decision to travel by land.

We left our place at 6AM and reached Cagayan at 1AM the next day.  That’s 19 hours travel time.  Did I learn something from this?  I did.  A lot.  Here’s my tips in travelling by land with a toddler in tow.

EVENING vs MORNING.  We took the morning trip when we went to Cagayan.  It took us 19 hours (6AM to 1AM, including the wait time and delays).  We took the evening trip from Cagayan to Cavite.  It took us 13 hours (6PM to 8AM, including wait time and breakfast).  Needless to say, I prefer and advice evening trips.  Not only is your toddler asleep during the trip, the trip is faster since there is no traffic during night time.

ENTERTAINMENT.  Bring toys, foods, gadgets, and anything to entertain the little one.  Neo was wide awake most of the time we were traveling in the morning trip.  He was entertained by food and the view.  He didn’t throw tantrums because we came equipped with toys, foods, and gadgets to shoo away his boredom.

MEDICINES and PLASTICS.  It was a long trip and needless to say my body and head ached during the travel.  People say “masakit sa pwet” but its “mas masakit sa legs” because of numbness.  Paracetamol and Mefenamic came in handy.  When traveling with a little one, make sure you have plastics with you.  The toddler seated at our back threw up 2 hours into the journey, and the mother was not prepared.  Aside from the dirt, the smell of vomit was really unbearable. 

BLANKETS, PILLOWS, ETC.  Comfortable clothes are a must whatever means of transport you are taking.  But for long trips, blankets, pillows, socks won’t go amiss. 

A SEAT FOR THE TODDLER.  Every time we travel, we always buy a seat for Neo.  This is not just for my comfort, but mostly for his.  If you have a toddler, and you’re traveling for more than an hour, treat your toddler a seat of his own. 

Hope these tips help you when traveling with a toddler via land transport.  You can also check out my tips when flying with a toddler.  Happy traveling J