First Road Trip with Twins

Hi, I don't have twins, but I have done a fair amount of travelling so far with my son who is almost 2. I always take my pack and play for him to sleep in and if possible I have a portable booster seat too. I don't know where you are going, but there is a company called babies away that you can rent baby equipment from. I rented a car seat from them in Nashville and it worked out really well. It was very convenient and the price was reasonable. Good luck!

I take a pack n play, an unbrella stroller, and blankets. My oldest has a quilt he's had for two years. It goes everywhere; everytime we travel. It helps him have a "home base" he plays with it, snuggles it, and sleeps with it. The pack n play is great because it doubles as a bed, play area, and an area to put the babies when you don't/can't hold them. As for food, I never pack anything other than healthy snacks. It allows us to make plenty of stops for exercise and car relief. I allow my oldest (he's 4) to take along all the toys that fit inside a "car box". It is a small plastic box with a fold up lid (easier for him to do than a snap lid) that fits on his lap. It is great for the car, restaurants, and people's houses. If you are worried about forgetting toys, tape a list of the items to the underside of the box or lid. Good luck on your first road trip and don't forget the camera!

I don't have twins but I have 2 girls & we fly a lot. I tried to glance through the suggestions & I don't think I saw this. My mom has bought a lot of baby stuff off of craigslist.org. Or go to garage sales. She bought a crib for $35. I saw that someone said you can rent too. My parents just checked out the children's resale places & craiglist. It's perfect for the occasional visit. She has high chairs, boosters seats, crib, even a play thing for the backyard. It works well for us. Hope this helps & you have a great trip. Oh, one more thing just bring enough diapers & stuff for the ride. You can buy all that once you get there. That's less you have to bring.

We took our first long road trip (8 hours) when my twins were 9 months old, and do it at least twice a year. If you have space in your car, bring 2 pack 'n plays, 2 high chairs (portable ones that strap to real chairs are nice), stroller, case of diapers/wipes (more than you need), many changes of clothing, and any special food/formula they might need. Or, maybe the grandparents can borrow the equipment from friends/church/etc. You can also buy stuff when you get there, and/or ask the grandparents to have a few things on hand.

Since we have a minivan, we keep the back row folded down, and find it convenient to toss things we might need to use during the drive into a large laundry basket for easy access. This doubles as the dirty laundry bin at our destination. We always did a couple loads of laundry at their house anyway. We end up stopping more often to give the kids a break, change diapers, etc. As they got older (like 2 years old), we strap a cheap little portable DVD player between the front headrests and let them watch movies.

I have 21/2 year old G/B twins. It's soooo easy to travel when they're as little as yours. Those buckets are a wonderful. I would only take one pack and play, the stroller, buy diapers when you get there and take just as many as you need for the trip, and the pump! Hopefully, you have a double madella. Just make sure they are changed and fed. I travel from Cali to Chicago all the time with mine. Good luck!

E., congrats! I have twin daughters 5 1/2 mos old, born at 36 weeks. We are embarking on the same adventure, a 14 hr car trip to the grandparents for Thanksgiving. We are nursing so we are probably going to pump & give bottles IF we travel during the day but we are considering driving at night while they sleep. My girls have been sleeping through the night since they were 2 mos old (10pm until 7-8 am). We are taking our nursing pillow & 2 boppies (we use for nursing setup & to prop them up to sit while playing), probably a collapsible bouncy chair, blanket for playtime on floor & perhaps our collapsible Baby Einstein activity center (not sure about space yet). We are still sleeping in one crib but use a pak n play when traveling. We are taking our pak n play & ask the grandparents to pick up one on craigs list, etc. They ended up getting one new. We will pack enough diapers & food to get us there & buy additional when we arrive. Taking one outfit per day (a washer/dryer is available). We aren't crawling yet otherwise we'd probably ship a baby gate or two ahead of time. Have a great trip!

I would buy two traveling playpens and have them sleep in those. Bring your own blankets, sheets, etc. I would travel at night, when the twins are most likely to be sleeping through most of the car ride if it's a long distance. I'm not sure how old they are, but you can use a car DVD player to entertain them a little during the ride when they're awake; if you don't have one, you can probably borrow one from a friend or relative. Plan to make frequent stops if you're traveling in the day. When you stop to eat, let them play around a little on the grass or something. As far as what else to bring, just think of your daily routine and what the necessities are. I'm not sure how long you're staying, but grandma probably has a washing machine, so don't over pack because she probably won't mind if you use it. Bring some toys, their favorite thing to sleep with, feeding supplies and 1 high chair or equivalent to feed them in (they can take turns eating in it since the car will be too full if you bring 2 high chairs.) If they sit up, you could just bring Bumbo seats and feed them in that. Of course, don't forget any medications, Tylenol, teething tablets, whatever-that will make your life easier if something should arise. The biggest tip I can think of is to bring baby proofing devises. If there are not kids at other people's houses, (and when we go to a hotel) I always bring the light plug covers, an adjustable gate, etc. When you get there, get down to the ground at their level and remove all the breakables and dangerous items within their reach (with grandma's permission). On Halloween we went to eat at my sister in law's house before trick-or-treating and I didn't know she had candles lit on the side of her couch. Sure enough, he went over and put his finger in one. It didn't leave a mark, but my point is, I wasn't even expecting that-she's never had them on before when he was there. We moved one obvious candle in the center of the room, but I didn't see the other one. Bring the stroller in case you go places, baby monitors if they won't be in the same room with you, diaper bags, bibs, etc, etc, etc. Oh, and a kids music CD to entertain them in the car. I usually bring a happy, playful one and a sleepy,lullaby one.

How old are your girls now? We took our first trip with our twins (girl-boy) when they were 11 months and in the middle of having rotavirus! For the plane, I packed double the number of diapers that I thought I would need with wipes (probably too much), two changes of clothes per kid and changes for me and dad. A few new books/toys - although they were pretty entertained by looking out the window, talking to the other people, playing with the magazines and walking the aisles. Food - I packed enough milk and solids for them and snacks for the adults. FYI - you can bring on items more than 3 ounces if it is for your kids and you declare that you have them before going through security (if you are flying).

In terms of stuff, see if the grandparents can borrow a couple of pack and plays from friends/neighbors, people from synagogue/church or check garage sales. Also, some cities have baby equipment rental services (names like 'baby away')High chairs or booster seats (depending upon their age) would be nice. Some toys/books. Remember, you can always buy more diapers/wipes/clothes/food when you get there. I sent my in-laws a list of favorite foods, so my mother-in-law could do a little food shopping before we got there. She had a bunch of my husband's old toys and books (as well as some new ones), so that was fun for the kids.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions re: twins.

Hi. I am a mother of 5. My youngest is 6 years old. Don't go safety crazy and pack every "safety" device known to man. Take comfort in the fact that their grandparents were raised and we were raised without all that stuff. I suggest the kid gate, just in case there is a room that needs to be blocked. And of course, the baby monitor. Otherwise, relax and be comforted in the fact that you will have extra pair of eyes (their grandparents) to keep them safe. The hardest part of the trip is going to be the drive. Having music they like helps and snacks. Schedule stretch breaks where all of you can get out of the car and take a breather. Traveling at night, when the girls are asleep is also a good idea. As for the sleeping arrangements, if you have the traveling crib, take it. If not, the girls can sleep on the same bed or in the same crib for the duration of the trip. This is a unique experience, so it's okay to have unique situations. Have fun and enjoy the holidays.

S. E.

1st. things 1st. I am a grandma whos been raising twins since they were born, my son, there father now joins our dear lord. I now have custody of the girls, ha ha get ready 4 alot of doubling up. what I mean is take 2 of everything, meaning not leaving either one out let them sleep together it will bring them alot closer, later as they get older they will find their own identy. my girls r now 7 n one half, I love them 2 death, I would b lost without them, luv them both the same, n good luck as time goes by it gets easier. luv grandma janie

Wow, you have your hands full! We have taken a plane trip with our son and have taken long distance road trips. I am not sure how old your twins are now, but I would suggest using a pack and play crib (or two) for sleeping. If you are staying in hotels, this is easy or if you are going into others houses. If you can, have the girls sleep in them at home a few times so its not completely unfamiliar. If you are able, you can often find companies that rent them in what ever town you are going too, otherwise you may need to bring your own. The nice thing with your own is that you and they can become familiar with them. (make sure you read the directions in putting them up, they are easy but work a certain way). They have sheets and bedding just for them. Also, pack lots of clothes and extra recieving blankets, etc. You don't want to have to due laundry all the time! And remember you can always buy diapers and formula/food where ever you go, so don't overpack those things....just a little over what you need for the drive. And you will find that your car is way to small!!! Because babies require so much stuff!!! Good luck

I have boy/girl twins who are 4 years old. The first trip we took to visit grandparents in San Diego was crazy and hectic because I brought to much equipment. I would suggest the following.
- pack-n-play cribs and fitted linens. If your twin group has a yahoo group ask to borrow for the long weekend.
-stroller
-clothes (I packed two complete sets of clothes. Remember you will have a washer/dryer at grandparents home)
-favorite blanket and stuffed animal or toy

Good luck,
A. (Lilly and Jacob 4 years old)

My mom borrowed a portable crib from a friend and my mother-in-law borrowed a pack-n-play. Lots of grandmas buy the equipment to have if you will visit often or they have friends who are grandmas who bought everything and can borrow. My mom owns a high chair, pack-n-play, portable crib, booster seat, bouncy seat, lots of toys, etc. and it has all been used often even though most of the grandkids are an 8hr drive away. If your parents and inlaws expect a lot of visits, gently suggest they invest in some equipment for babies and toddlers (from consigment/craigslist or new) or go into a "co-op" with other friends who have grandkids where they can borrow each other's stuff. You can only bring so much unless you have a gigantic car.

We have twin girls that just turned 3 and we've got one long road trip under our belt to visit grandparents in Colorado. We live in California and it was a VERY long trip. We flew to Colorado when they were one and that was hard because of ALL the stuff we had to lug. For that reason, driving is the easier because you can bring more of what you need.

The girls' grandparents helped a lot by renting baby equipment like, highchairs, pack-n-plays and even carseats. Most cities have these rent-a-centers that have tons of baby equipment. I brought 2 crib sheets and blankets to use for the pack-n-plays and other night-time tools like a night-light, white noise machine and some crib toys they love. That way they had something from home that made them feel comfortable. We bought 2 umbrella strollers that are easier to pack instead of the bulky double stroller we usually use and that was helpful. We didn't bother packing a ton of diapers, lotion,etc. because we bought those items when we got to our destination. This saved us room for packing the girls' items into one large suitcase.

Also, the one thing that was a life-saver for flying and driving long distance was a portable DVD player. We took it in the airport, on the plane, in the car, in the hotel room, in the restaurants and they loved watching it because we don't watch much television/movies when we're home.

I hope this helped. Have a good trip and Happy Thanksgiving.

M.