Long Drive With 6 Month Baby

[hemantp]

Hello,

I need to do a Bangalore -> Pune -> Bhimashankar -> Bangalore trip sometime around May with my wife and 2 kids. One of the kids is 5 yrs old and the other will be 6 months.

Wanted expert opinions please.

I am considering 2 options:
1) Do Bangalore - Pune air travel and hire ZoomCar for travel around Pune
- This will mean around 600 KM road travel over 3 days span.
2) Driver my car from Bangalore
- This will be around 2200 KM over 5 to 6 days.

Apart from the convenience offered by 2nd option for carrying lots of useful stuff like Car seats and other material, this options also saves around 20K INR providing flexibility as added benefit.

On the other hand, air travel option avoids the larger chunk of road travel. But still has issues such as travel without car seat (not sure ZoomCar provides it) and 600 KM travel still can't be avoided.

Any suggestions if road travel is advisable with such a small kid? Or the 1st option should be the only option as this travel is unavoidable for us?

If you feel road travel should be OK, any guidelines, precautions that I must follow?

Note that we had taken our first daughter on road trip of around 1500 KM when she completed 11 months.

Thanks.

 

[GrandRk]

Its summer time and May will be blazing hot. Bhimashankar is soothing in monsoon and by May it will like bare land. I guess with 6 months old you should avoid this drive and come by flight to Pune. Instead of hiring a self drive you can avail OLA Outstation service or check with some local tour operator and travel in AC cab.

 

[Prabhagar]

Please check with airlines if they offer to check-in your child seat for free.

 

[hemantp]

Thanks for suggestions.

Its summer time and May will be blazing hot. Bhimashankar is soothing in monsoon and by May it will like bare land. I guess with 6 months old you should avoid this drive and come by flight to Pune. Instead of hiring a self drive you can avail OLA Outstation service or check with some local tour operator and travel in AC cab.

Going back there at later time cannot be guaranteed. May be I alone will go to Bhimashankar considering the heat issue you mentioned.

Since I need to go to Daund too, I don't think OLA will be available, will check with local operators. Only concerns are with getting a good driver and cost implications.

Do you think ZoomCar is not advisable in this situation? I did a similar trip last year (Bangalore - Pune flight, ZoomCar) when my wife was expecting. Only difference - no Bhimashankar at that time.

Please check with airlines if they offer to check-in your child seat for free.

Good point. Check with Indigo, they allow car seat to be checked in. Considered as baggage.

 

[GrandRk]

Since I need to go to Daund too, I don't think OLA will be available, will check with local operators. Only concerns are with getting a good driver and cost implications.

Do you think ZoomCar is not advisable in this situation? I did a similar trip last year (Bangalore - Pune flight, ZoomCar) when my wife was expecting. Only difference - no Bhimashankar at that time.

No matter you can take Zoom Car to both Bhimashankar and Daund but i was little skeptical because you were driving with 6 months old. If something is urgent then also i will still suggest you to take tour operated bus / taxi.

 

[generalmax]

Why Zoom car? Pay little extra and hire an innova(With driver) at Pune. That way you can be worry free during drive and be with family too.Driving this long with a baby , is not advisable.

 

[hemantp]

If something is urgent then also i will still suggest you to take tour operated bus / taxi.

Following the advice received so far, I am now thinking of at least deferring Bhimashankar till December but Pune can't be deferred.

Why Zoom car?

Actually I am concerned if we don't get a good driver. Some drivers feel it offensive if we ask them to driver slow / steady. Especially handling speedbrakers is always subjective.