Everything You Need To Know About Motorway Travelling With A Baby
Making your first road trip with a baby - expecting the unexpected
Congratulations from us all at Roadchef - you’ve had your baby, a little bundle of joy ready to explore and take on the world.
But now you’re heading back to a ‘new normal’ with your newborn, how do you make sure they’re safe as you head near and far to see family members?
Firstly, it’s important to know that - unlike you - babies should not be in their car seat for longer than two hours. This is to ensure their respiratory safety and to limit the effect to their developing spines - plus who doesn’t need a good stretch of their legs after 120 minutes?
They say that preparation prevents poor performance and that’s absolutely the case when you’re making your first tentative journeys in the car with your baby.
That’s where Roadchef comes in - 31 locations, with facilities for new parents and their bouncing baby to enjoy, relax and get ready for the journey ahead.
Plus, with Costa Coffee at every Roadchef motorway services, we’ve got your favourite hot caffeinated drinks ready and waiting to help you beat those sleepless nights.
Read on - consider us your motorway-side Mary Poppins or Nanny McPhee.
What are the Baby Travel Essentials to pack?
Let’s call this the ‘keys, wallet, phone’ of travelling with a newborn - your checklist for all the essentials.
If there’s anything you run out of on the way or if you miss that all-important ‘must-have’, every Roadchef site has a 24/7 WHSmith whilst eight key sites, from June 2025, boast Co-op stores.
Both stores are stacked full of everyday essentials from nappies and wipes to things to keep you smiling - we won’t tell anyone if tired moms want a few moments away to take some retail therapy!
- Nappies - Little accidents happen! Avoid those in-car smells and make the most of Roadchef’s best-in-class baby changing facilities to get them sorted. Available in WHSmith and Co-Op
- Baby Wipes - Messes be gone! From sick to milk spills (or just cleaning your own hands after that awkward one-handed McNugget dip in McDonald’s)!
- Milk - This goes without saying! If you love milk too; then our Costa Coffee has both traditional and non-dairy milk options awaiting for those frothy latte or Flat White.
- Muslins - For those feeding moments, an absolute life saver for clearing those unexpected messes.
- Teething Toys - After those first few months, teething will be forefront of your mind. If you want a quiet, peaceful and ‘scream-free’ journey, then teething toys are a must have.
- Spare clothes - you can guarantee the one time you don’t bring them, you’ll need them. Pack for the worst case weather scenario too - if it’s cold outside though, warm and comfortable seating areas await inside our amenity buildings!
And if you’re more of a physical note taker and checklist keeper, our stationery range in WHSmith means you can write this all down and make sure it works!
It’s all about safety first to keep your baby secure
Research, research, research - with over 150 different car seats available on one retailer's website, there’s a lot of choice of car seats to keep your baby safe when driving.
The NHS’ advice on car seats for babies under 15 months old is that they should be suited to little one’s height and weight, and Isofix is an absolute necessity.
For those out of the know, Isofix is a standard safety system for child seats that fix the seat to ‘anchor points’ in the vehicle.
Most of all - and the same advice applies to tyres - it is advised to avoid second-hand car seats where possible. You’ll know the history of a new car seat if you buy new and can drive safe in the knowledge that your baby is in a safe seat whilst being in safe hands with you behind the wheel.
Whilst seating should be your number one priority, in-car heating should be high on the list of things to keep an eye on too.
The NHS recommends an optimum temperature between 16 and 20 degrees
The Lullaby Trust recommends removing snowsuits, hats and gloves before putting the baby in the car to ensure a comfortable journey and reduce the chance of overheating.
If you're worried about overheating, check their tummy or the back of their neck.
On sunnier summer days, keep your baby out of direct sunlight as much as you can. A parasol, a window sunshade and a clippable fan will make your little one feel cool whilst you enjoy that pit-stop McFlurry!
Of course, regular milk (water for older children, Costa Coffee for adults!) should be given during regular comfort breaks.
Most importantly for any journey, with or without your newborn, is taking regular breaks.
If your eyes feel tired, and they most likely will with a newborn, there’s Roadchef locations from Annandale Water to Taunton Deane waiting for you with a comfortable chair.
Grab a Costa Coffee, treat yourself to a LEON, McDonald’s or Coco di Mama and take the weight off your feet and your eyes off the road for a few moments.
Why babies love Roadchef for child-friendly stops
Babies love Roadchef - that’s just a well-known fact.
Don’t believe us… Here’s a recent review from Watford Gap:
“Very clean with great baby changing facilities.” - review from Watford Gap Northbound, January 2025
There are plenty of reasons why we see families with children of all ages visit our services for a relaxing, tummy-filling break at Roadchef’s up and down the country all year round.
Newborns and babies are well catered for with clean, well-equipped baby changing facilities, whilst Roadchef’s on-site, free-to-use baby food warming equipment can help get your little one hot food whilst you enjoy a hearty meal of your own from some of the UK’s biggest brands.
At many of Roadchef’s motorway service areas, you’ll find plenty of space for stretching your legs and shaking off the aches of driving.
Remember, every two hours is the recommended duration of time for your baby to be in the car.
For those travelling late at night or just needing a home-away-from-home for an evening, Roadchef has 15 Days Inn by Wyndham hotels and two Super 8 by Wyndham hotels, with a variety of affordable room types to suit all the family.
Our on-site hotel teams can provide a cot for a restful night's sleep, or there’s plenty of room for you to bring your own.
Our Super 8 by Wyndham hotels boast ultimate comfort for tired parents, with furnishings from Silent Night, Chromecast TVs to stream those soothing lullabies and stylish bathrooms for a refresh.
Rooms start from £ 40 a night - why not book a night away without the little one and enjoy a well-earned rest?
All about the snacks
Road trips are made by snacks - that’s the rule. Travelling with babies and young children is no different, but Roadchef is here to make sure children travel happy and not hungry.
Our Co-op baby food range combines a variety of nutritious and flavours for fussy babies at a great price!
If you’re bringing your own food or bottles from home, Roadchef has plenty of bottle-warming and food-heating facilities (including microwaves) to support your baby’s every need.
Need water to warm up bottles or cold water for drinking? Ask our team and we’ll be happy to provide you with exactly what you need to make sure water is warm.
For older children, our children’s meals start from £2.99 at our home brands, whilst McDonald’s Happy Meals are £3.99.
Looking for fast food that’s good for children and adults alike? Kids' meals at LEON are just £4.99 - why not treat yourself to some GFC Nuggets from LEON as a reward for travelling this far?
Eco-Friendly & Stress-Free Travel Tips with a baby
It’s easy being green with Roadchef - with high-powered EV chargers to power your journey, our award-winning recycling scheme and our green-focussed brand partners.
You can see what Roadchef is doing for a sustainable future, but there’s so much you can do to travel green with a little one.
- Plan, plan, plan Like travelling with a baby, and with high-powered chargers (including 360kW-capable chargers) at Roadchef sites, it’s all planning when and where to stop.
- Drive smooth Driving at a consistent speed means you’ll get the most economical journey, more mileage for your charge, and a calmer, more comfortable journey for your baby
- Buy green Pack reusable wipes, nappies or bibs and take them home to rewash, reuse and bring on your next adventure.
- Water, water, everywhere Bring a reusable water bottle (or purchase a reusable coffee cup from Costa Coffee) and save on single use cups. You’ll even get money off when you use a reusable cup at Costa Coffee and LEON!
- Too Good 2 Go We’re partnered with Too Good 2 Go to ensure that any food can be bought - at a discount - at the end of the day. T&Cs apply.
- Re-cycle Our iconic ‘Zero to Landfill’ scheme means we’re focussed on reducing our waste
Roadchef is Making Motorway Travel with a Baby Easier
If we could give two top tips to new parents on the road, it’s plan, plan, plan and consider safety always.
If you forget to do the former, then Roadchef is here, 24/7, 365 days a year to support you and your family with essential supplies from WHSmith and Co-Op, affordable children’s meals from our home brands, LEON and McDonald’s and a comfortable, warm and relaxing experience at 31 sites across the United Kingdom.
Plus, remember, wherever you are in your parenting journey, you’re doing a great job!