Having a baby shouldn’t mean that you have to stay close to home. Car trips with your baby can be a great experience if you plan ahead. These tips can help make your drive more manageable.
- Consider leaving during your baby’s naptime to limit the disruption to his or her schedule.
- Heading out-of-province? Look up your province’s out-of-province health coverage online before you go—-you might be surprised at how little you’re covered for. For example, Ontario’s OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) only covers up to $400 per day while BC’s Medical Services Plan covers just $75 per day. Pack good travel insurance to take care of the unexpected, such as the Family Plan available from Travel Guard (www.travelguard.ca).
- Pack double the diapers, pants and socks you think you’ll need for the journey.
- Carry an easily accessible change of clothes for yourself too, just in case.
- If you are bottle-feeding your baby, consider packing an electric kettle in order to adequately clean the bottles in your hotel room each night.
- Put a travel change pad with supplies in the backseat for easy changes.
- Stash a pack of diaper wipes in the car for everything from spit-up to spills.
There is a great list of family resorts in the Vacations and Family Resorts section. You can also find loads of family outings suggestions in the GTA as well as throughout Ontario.
