Best time for a 3 hour drive

We're leaving for Thanksgiving tomorrow and it's the first time we've made the trip to San Antonio since the boys moved to one nap. Before, we'd leave early and if we missed the first nap we could still make up for it late that afternoon. Now we only have one shot. And I'm worried that if we leave shortly after they wake up they'll be too eager to burn energy and be miserable and antsy the whole time. What times do you ladies think is best? Thanks in advance!

 

Well, we're driving 6-ish hours tomorrow (and here I am online instead of packing!), and we're planning to leave around 11am. We'll stop for lunch at 12:30pm, let the kiddos stretch their legs, and then hope they take their normal nap from 1:30 to 4:30pm....I doubt they'll sleep that long in the car, but we'll see.

I figure we'll have to stop post-nap for milk and a snack....and I hope we get there soon after that!

Do your guys sleep well in the car? If so, I think I'd leave just before their nap time, so they sleep the bulk of the drive...

 

Our girls do one nap for 2 hours at 1pm - So when we do any long drives (3 or 4 hours) - we try and leave around 12pm since the car ride will help put them to sleep. Plus it's after the morning traffic and still before the early evenning traffic. If the girls wake up after 2 hours then we just make a food stop at that time.

So basically, my advice is to try and plan it around their nap time. So they can nap in the car.

 

We're doing a 3 hr car trip today with 2 of the world's WORST travelers. I usually will ONLY travel at night (at bedtime) but since we have plans for later today, we have to leave this morning. I wanted to leave at noon & just do 1 nap today in the car, but DH is against it & wants to leave at morning nap time. So, we'll head out when they typically go down for their morning nap in hopes that they sleep a good chunk of the car ride. I already know it's going to be a catastrophe. It always is when they aren't completely exhausted. And I have a very low threshold for screaming in the car, whereas DH doesn't care, so I'm trying to prep myself for a horrible car ride.

We NEVER, EVER, EVER leave for a car ride longer than 30-45 mins unless it's naptime or bedtime. Mine get WAY TOO antsy & restless to sit that long. At least for those drives the DVD keeps them occupied for a short while....

GOOD LUCK to all travelers!

 

Mine sleep very well in the car, so we always do our 3+ hour trips during naptime or bedtime. For Thanksgiving, we will only be traveling for 1.5 hour so I am planning to leave mid morning and keep them up while we drive. We will do lots of singing and talking and I will probably have some activities up my sleeve in case they get cranky.

Happy and safe traveling to all!!

 

start 45m-1 hour BEFORE their nap.

My boys will tolerate about 45m-1hour drive before they start getting antsy, so we schedule our driving around naptimes whenever possible.

 

QUOTE(SweetpeaG @ Nov 26 2008, 06:56 PM) [snapback]1087804[/snapback]
start 45m-1 hour BEFORE their nap.

My boys will tolerate about 45m-1hour drive before they start getting antsy, so we schedule our driving around naptimes whenever possible.


This is what we are doing for our four hour drive for Christmas. We nap at 1 so we will leave around noon and pray for the best. Lily DETESTS the car and will probably carry on the entire way. The only thing that helps is rolling her window all the way down but that makes me a nervous wreck on the highway for some reason.

Anyway, happy travels and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Mine nap from 12:30-2:30 for over a year now and we will getting reading and getting in the car around 12 tomorrow and they will nap for the hour drive. I think leaving as close to nap is better so at least one way they will be sleeping. I wouldn't leave after nap either, one it would be too late and two they would be to ansy. GL!