Guest blog by Allie, founder, Little Brits Abroad

There’s a version of a family road trip that sounds great in theory and falls apart on day two. Too many stops, too much driving, and not enough time to properly enjoy anywhere. We’ve been doing road trips since our son was just a few months old and have learned that the one which work best are the ones where you build in longer stays to let your little one settle rather than spending most the trip in the car seat.

Since discovering BabyQuip, the equipment rental service has made several of our trips significantly easier to manage. While we do lug our travel crib with us on every holiday (I am not jinxing my sleep for anything!), it’s great to not be restricted just to accommodation rentals that offer a high chair, or feel we have to bring a week’s worth of toys across the Atlantic. Because of BabyQuip we’ve been able to travel light (ish – let’s face it this has a different meaning once you’re a parent!) and have gear delivered to wherever we’re staying.

If you’re wondering how that works in practice, it’s really simple! All of the road trips below include at least one longer stay – a chance for us to properly unwind. As baby equipment needs to be rented and returned within the same location, these longer stays are typically where we rent these items to make our stay extra comfortable. If you’re moving around a bit but flying in and out of the same airport, BabyQuip also offers an airport drop-off service. I’ve never tried it myself, but it could make things a lot easier, plus gives you another option if you want to rent a car seat from someone other than your car rental company.

Here are eight routes our family has loved (or have booked) that are well worth putting on your list.

1. The Florida Keys

The route: Miami → Key Colony Beach or Islamorada → Key West → Key Largo

Drive south from Miami on the Overseas Highway and the ocean appears on both sides of the road within an hour. The water is calm and warm enough for little ones, the vibe is tropical without being overwhelming, and there’s more to do than you’d expect: snorkelling at John Pennekamp, kayaking through mangroves, spotting manatees from the dock. We did this trip in early December and it was such fun.

Longer stays: We spent a week based in Key Colony Beach, a quiet, residential island in the middle of the Keys that’s brilliant for families and perfectly central for a day trip to the tip at Key West as well as explore most of what the Keys has to offer. We finished with a couple of nights in Key Largo to visit the Everglades, and on a previous trip we based ourselves in Islamorada which we’d also recommend. Having a rental home here is ideal, and there’s plenty of options with private pools and/or docks overlooking the water. BabyQuip delivered a garden playpen, high chair and toys to our vacation rental, which made the longer stay feel really comfortable.

Best time to go: November to April. Summer heat and hurricane season makes winter the clear winner.

Read our full Florida Keys family guide.

2. Historic East Coast: Atlanta to Washington DC

The route: Atlanta → Lake Oconee → Charleston → North Myrtle Beach → Richmond → Washington DC

This is the road trip we most recently completed and one I’d recommend to anyone. Atlanta is one of the best-connected hubs in the US, and from there you have the whole East Coast spread out ahead of you. We drove into Georgia first for a night by Lake Oconee, then headed to Charleston which is one of the most beautiful cities we’ve visited (full of pastel houses, Spanish moss and a walkable, pram-friendly historic district). From there, North Myrtle Beach is an easy drive and delivers a relaxed, family-oriented beach break. We then headed north stopping in Richmond, Virginia (Maymont Park is brilliant) and finished for a city break in Washington DC. The Smithsonians are free, the monuments are stunning at dusk, and the city is much more child-friendly than we expected.

Longer stays: The most relaxed leg of this trip was North Myrtle Beach, where we spent five days with a private pool with plenty of outdoor space. BabyQuip delivered pool and garden toys as well as indoor toys there, which we really made the most of. We also got a delivery in Charleston, with some brilliant toys dropped off at our vacation rental while we made our way there, which made a real difference after long days out exploring — something to keep our toddler occupied while we got dinner on.

Best time to go: April to early June or September to October to avoid peak humidity.

Read our Charleston guide and our Washington DC family itinerary.

3. New England: Boston, Vermont and Montreal

The route: Boston → Stowe → Montreal → back via New Hampshire

This was our first US adventure as parents and one of my favourite trips we’ve done. We picked up a hire car from Boston and drove north, with Vermont the star here. We based ourselves in Stowe which s a gorgeous mountain town that’s walkable, friendly, and surrounded by outdoor space. The Ben & Jerry’s factory in nearby Waterbury is a fun detour. From there we crossed into Canada for three nights in Montreal (but happily could have stayed longer), then looped back through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Longer stays: Montreal is actually the place to build in more time on this trip. It’s a brilliant city to enjoy with children: great food, beautiful parks, a unique mix of French and American culture, and very family-friendly. We stayed in an apartment and walked almost everywhere, although a metro system exists. BabyQuip covers Montreal, so gear can be delivered to your rental without adding to your luggage.

Best time to go: July and August for outdoor activities; September and October for the famous foliage.

We also tacked on a week in Cape Cod at the end of this trip, which worked brilliantly — though next time we’re going to approach it from New York via the Connecticut and Rhode Island coast instead (see route 4).

Read our Boston to Vermont route and must-stop suggestions.

4. New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Cape Cod

The route: New York City → Connecticut → Rhode Island → Cape Cod → Boston

We first visited Cape Cod as an add-on at the end of our Boston trip (see above), but this coastal route from New York is our plan for next time. Driving north from New York through Connecticut and Rhode Island gives you a really beautiful stretch of New England coastline before you even reach the Cape – Newport alone is worth a stop.

Cape Cod itself feels like stepping back in time: shingled houses, lobster shacks, wide flat beaches and a pace of life that’s completely unlike anywhere else in the US (and we love all the English names!). We based ourselves in Harwich for a week, and Bank Street and Red River Beaches are brilliant for toddlers with calm, shallow water, and gorgeous sand. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs for miles, is entirely flat and stroller-friendly, with different sections becoming our daily walk ritual. Boston makes a brilliant bookend at the end of the trip if you want to fly into New York and out of somewhere else.

 

Longer stays: A week-long base on the Cape is ideal. It’s very much a vacation rental destination, and BabyQuip covers the area well.

Best time to go: July and August for the beach, or June and September if you want it slightly quieter.

Read our Cape Cod family guide.

5. Nashville, the Smoky Mountains and Pigeon Forge

The route: Nashville → Great Smoky Mountains National Park → Pigeon Forge → Charlotte (or Atlanta)

We did this trip just before becoming parents but would happily do it again with kids. The combination of Nashville’s easy city energy, the drama of the Smokies and the unashamed family fun of Pigeon Forge makes for a varied trip that covers a lot of ground without feeling relentless.

Nashville works well as a starting point for a couple of days (although it’s clearly more fun without kids). It’s walkable, and offers fantastic food options with plenty of live music in less formal family-friendly restaurants. From there you drive southeast into Tennessee, and the scenery quietly builds until you’re into the Great Smoky Mountains, which is free to enter and has plenty of accessible trails even with a buggy. Then Pigeon Forge appears, entirely unsubtle and entirely fun.

Longer stays: The Smokies area is the obvious place to slow down. There are great cabin rentals with hot tubs and mountain views around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and BabyQuip covers this area, offering all the home comforts you could want when you’re in a rental.

Best time to go: May to June or September to October.

6. New York and the Hamptons

The route: New York City → East Hampton → Montauk

Another trip from “before” but it’s one I’m really eager to revisit as a family. This trip involves a few days in New York followed by driving out to the Hamptons, giving two very different experiences in one trip. We’ve been to New York 3 times in different seasons and loved it every time, and think it’s always going to work with kids for a couple of days. Between the food, the parks, the museums, and the sensory experience of Times Square, there’s something for everyone. When you head east to the Hamptons, and specifically out to Montauk at the very tip of Long Island, you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in the US.

Longer stays: The Hamptons are best done as a longer stay, so rent a house for a few nights and enjoy the beach and cute towns on your doorstep. We loved East Hampton but BabyQuip covers the area, which is ideal if you’re coming with little ones and don’t want to pack a car with gear before you’ve even left the city.

Best time to go: Summer only for the Hamptons but New York works year-round.

7. Yosemite, Palm Springs and San Diego

The route: San Francisco → Rush Creek Lodge (Yosemite) → Palm Springs → San Diego

We’re doing this one in October and I’m so excited. Our plan is to fly into San Francisco, drive straight to the Yosemite area and spend a few days exploring this stunning national park before heading south to Palm Springs (with a day trip to Joshua Tree) and finishing in San Diego. It’s a route that packs an enormous amount of variety into under two weeks.

We’ll no doubt be utilising BabyQuip’s presence again for our longer stays of Palm Springs and San Diego, especially after the “new” toys our son was obsessed with entertained him well on our recent Myrtle Beach and Charleston trip.

Best time to go: Late September and October is beautiful in Yosemite as it’s cooler than summer and less crowded. Palm Springs in October is warm and lovely rather than brutal heat.

8. Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans

The route: Nashville → Memphis → New Orleans

While we’ve done Nashville and New Orleans, it was my parents who did this as one route and rated it highly. Three cities with three completely different musical histories (country, blues and jazz), and the Mississippi running through all of it.

It’s probably a trip that gets better as the children get older. But the food, the architecture and the atmosphere of all three cities provide ample entertainment for families even with small children in the mix. You can also visit Elvis’s Graceland on the outskirts of Memphis.

Longer stays: New Orleans in particular rewards a longer stay, with a lot to see and multiple neighbourhoods to explore. Vacation rentals in the Garden District or the Marigny are the obvious choice, and BabyQuip covers New Orleans well.

Best time to go: October to April. New Orleans in summer is very humid; spring is the classic time to visit.

Why we travel with BabyQuip

The thing about road trips is that you’re usually dealing with multiple different accommodation types (hotels, vacation rentals, cabins) across multiple US states. Packing a full crib, a high chair and enough toys to get through a flight and the evenings once you get to your destination adds a lot of weight.

We use BabyQuip to have clean, safety-checked gear delivered to wherever we’re staying. You book online, choose what you need (crib, high chair, stroller, toys, beach gear – the range is wider than you’d expect), and a local Quality Provider delivers and sets it up before you arrive, then collects at the end. I particularly love how the people you rent from also offer fantastic local tips – with some of our favourite activities coming from them.

If you want to travel lighter and arrive to a destination that’s already set up for your little one, it’s worth checking availability for your trip.

Tips for road tripping with a baby or toddler

Book your hire car early. Prices spike on popular routes, particularly in summer. We always compare rates before booking.

Travel light and hire what you need on arrival. Rather than hauling gear across the Atlantic, we use BabyQuip for cribs, high chairs and toys. It’s collected at the end of your stay too, so there’s no repacking.

Build in more time than you think you need. Road trips always take longer than the map suggests. More days at fewer stops is almost always more enjoyable than the reverse.

Choose a comfortable car. A spacious SUV with good air conditioning and comfy seats makes a real difference on long driving days.

Check car seat rules before you go. Requirements vary by state and by hire company.

Make sure you have the right family travel insurance in place before you travel.

Check out Little Brits Abroad for more family travel tips, relatable stories, and ready-to-go destination guides.