How many miles per day have you driven with young kids in tow?

[milw156]

We're planning a trip from Seattle to So. California, and I'm just curious what others think is reasonable for 1 day of driving with the camper. I'll have my wife and 2 young kids, and they have done well with long drives in the past (Seattle to Sandpoint, ID). However this is much longer. We are planning on 3-4 days each direction.

The hope is to get 6 hours on the road +/- 360 miles per day. This will allow us a full day including stops for meals and bathroom breaks, etc. but not too aggressive

Any thoughts or advice?

[Crabman]

400 in one day was the most I`ve done towing the TT, and I was wore out.....but the younger crowd may not mind it. That was also with the 1500 and on a windy, rainy day so conditions were far from ideal.

[Soulman]

Well, the farthest we've gone is 625 miles. Of course we were younger then....now 400 miles is our limit.

[lx22f/c]

When we have made long trips( houston to new mexico and houston to orlandp i drove at night. The kids slept the whole way. I would rest when i needed but it was easy driving with everyone asleep. When morning came we would stop for breakfast and recharge my batteries. I would crash after getting set up.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by milw156

snip.....The hope is to get 6 hours on the road +/- 360 miles per day. This will allow us a full day including stops for meals and bathroom breaks, etc. but not too aggressive....snip

If your 360 miles is all freeways, IMO 6 hours "drive time" is doable under ideal travel conditions..., but I would add "drive time" if non-freeway travel is part of your route.

Bob

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

If your 360 miles is all freeways, IMO 6 hours "drive time" is doable under ideal travel conditions..., but I would add "drive time" if non-freeway travel is part of your route.

Bob

X2

Just make sure you have activities for them and lots of snacks. I hate to say this, as I hate them. But if you have a portable DVD player or an Ipad with movies on it, it makes the trip a breeze, for you and the kids.

Depending on your plans you might be able to get a couple hundred miles jump start if you leave after work, instead of leaving in the morning.

Without the trailer I have gone 10 hours of driving with our son (sleeping a good amount of time too, and over 12 hours with when flying somewhere. However, he is a very seasoned traveler and is always looking for the next trip.

[dg1971]

410 miles in one day with grandkids...thank goodness for game boys or nintendos, whatever they are.

[milw156]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

If your 360 miles is all freeways, IMO 6 hours "drive time" is doable under ideal travel conditions..., but I would add "drive time" if non-freeway travel is part of your route.

Bob

Yes, we'll be on Interstate 5 the entire time. All RV parks are within a mile of the freeway. The goal is to get an early start each day with meals planned, and hopefully get in early enough to give the kids a couple hours to swim. We do have a DVD player so that may be my lifeboat if it gets too rough.

I guess I'm of a different breed because I enjoyed road trips at a young age, even all nighters. As you can see from my sig that I'm a railroad nut. Put some tracks or trains next to the road and I'm entertained indefinitely!

[Bobsanchez44]

I love to drive. My 16 year old son and I did 700 miles in one day! Don't recommend it! 500 is my new max! Class C pulling a Honda CRV. I can easily do 500. But my preference would be 300 -400 pr day

[Power247]

So far 200 miles (1 way) has been our max pulling the TT. I would not hesitate to do 400 in a day on the highway, just have not needed to go that far yet. Thankfully both our girls were built for road trips And yes, DVDs and game systems help keep them occupied but my girls also bring coloring books and stuffed animals to occupy themselves. We still limit their digital interaction even when on the road.

[mach8274]

We've done close to 700 before, but don't really like to. I'm comfortable with 500 or so. I have headrest DVD players installed in the truck and we bring plenty of other activities with us so the kids are entertained.

[Grumpy]

We would do 400,but we always left early (5+/-) and the kids would sleep until about 8:30 then we would stop for breakfast. Get to the campground around noon, they would go play or swim and I woud take a nap.

[big78ford]

I pulled my trailer 855 miles in one day last fall but wouldn't recommend it. That was a long day. I have done 500 plus with young kids and just kept them entrained. They were used to long road trips though, at least one 1200 plus mile road trip (one way) every other year minimum.

[Ranger431]

Don't know the mileage off the top of my head, but we went to and from Destin FL (from Knoxville) one day each way. That's with 6 kids ages 15 to twin 4 year olds. The longest I've done in a single day was Ft Wilderness to Nashville TN. We were wrapping up a vacation and had a sick child. I was starting to fear I'd get it and didn't want to spend a night on the road.

[FPM III]

It's not the driving that's going to get you- no matter how many miles you travel in a day, it's the number of consecutive "one night stands".

Riding all day, setting up camp, making dinner, clean up, go to bed, wake up, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, clean up, break camp and get back on the road again. Repeat this cycle for about 2-3 nights and you’ll quickly find out that it’s a drag for both children and adults. You’re never truly “refreshed”. You've got to stop, relax, play, see the sights. After all, this is what it’s all about. The Cunard Lines has a motto: “Getting there is half the fun”. It should be yours, too.

I learned this lesson way back in 1989 when I planned a two week trip to Nova Scotia with my wife and two sons who were 11 and 7 at the time (and back in the days when electronic gadgetry to entertain children was non-existent). A complete itinerary was planned- where to stop, what to see, etc. The plans included a visit to Prince Edward Island. Starting From Pittsburgh, the first four nights were “one night stands”- Hazleton, PA, Sturbridge, MA, Bangor ME and Penobsquis, New Brunswick. The mileage wasn’t much (the most about 300 miles between stops) and we occasionally visited an attraction or two along the way. But, by the time we reached Penobsquis, everyone was frazzled. The constant “go, go, go” combined with being confined in a vehicle for "X" hours a day, plus the repetitious cycle mentioned previously had literally made zombies of us all.

Penobsquis was originally supposed to be a “one nighter” also, but it turned into two, and, in the process, put a family back together again. Instead of traveling, we actually enjoyed some of the amenities of the campground other than the shower house. We spent the day at The Rocks Provincial Park learning about the huge variance of the tides which occur in the Bay of Fundy. As for visiting P.E.I., we never made it. It got pre-empted in favor spending more time at other places.

From that point on, I’ve always tried to stay a minimum of two nights every time I stop, and if I do a “one night stand”, it is never consecutive.

Not to ignore your original question: The longest mileage I ever covered in a day was on that trip and it was from The Ovens Natural Park, near Lunenburg, NS to Christie’s Campground, near Newport, ME which, according to Google, is a distance of 517 miles. I have to admit, though, it was a long, grueling day. We didn’t get to Christie’s until about 1:00 AM. To me, there’s nothing worse (except if it’s raining too) than to come into a park for the first time at night. Even with a campground map, it’s difficult to orient yourself to where things actually are because often, the maps are not to scale. However, the real surprise occurs when you go outside for the first time in daylight, look around and say to yourself out loud, “Oh, so this is where we are. Look! There’s the lake that was on the map, and there’s the playground. Over there’s the…” .

[buffalobillsfan]

650

[greenenvy1]

Hauling commercially as I do I 700- 800 miles towing per day (Today was 812)with kids I dont know if id get 150 miles per day! As someone else stated its the repetitive days that get to you. Make frequent stops to stretch it helps.

[Flyrotor]

Personally I would split the trip from Seattle to So. California in two days, roughly 600 miles per day, even with kids.

I would however recommend for the average person to split it into 3 days, make two of them at least 450-500 miles, and make the final day 250 or so miles, it makes the final day much easier and you will arrive early in the afternoon.

[Shootnut]

We weren't pulling a trailer but just did 800. Went slc utah to Seattle. With a 3 yr and 1 yr. with my kids they are better being restrained for one loooooong day. Than for two days.

[Knickerbocker]

With a trailer in tow, I have done 800. With a trailer, 350 to 400 sounds about right.