Hello everyone.

I am planning on taking my family on a trip for about a week. I would drive our minivan (soon to be bought) two states over on a 10 hour drive. My concern isn't so much the drive. I am more concerned with the fact that the kids are 3 and under.

We would likely need to stay at a hotel, do they offer cribs? What considerations should I keep in mind? I'll take any suggestions at this point as I am well aware that it is a daunting task. Please advise!

Edit: For reference the kids are ages 3, 2, and 1. Two are still in diapers but all are drinking milk.

I have done this with small kids too, and just try to plan on stopping often. Little kids will nap in the car, but potty breaks or diaper changes will likely be often, so just count on that ahead of time.

Most hotels will have portable cribs or playpens available when asked at the front counter. Some will charge extra, some won't. My suggestion is to get one for each child as they are likely to play with each other and not sleep. (mine would not do as instructed, and chose to keep each other awake.)

If you can provide movies in the car, this will buy you time without the "where are we going and when will we be there" questions every hour.

Pack your patience as this will be a major test of how much you can take while driving! Have fun and just remember that they will be 20 before you know it so enjoy this age as much as you possibly can! Good luck, and have fun!

Family trips are awesome and worth the trouble (90-95% of the time, anyway). Your are pretty young for a roadtrip of this duration, but kids can surprise you with their adaptability.

You might try to time your driving out with nap or sleep time. Some parents I know will set out at 5 or 6 pm with the ambition of driving until 11 or so. That way the kids sleep through a portion of the ride. A hotel with a pool is a bonus, spend the morning swimming -- wear them out (again, I know yours are a little young for this). That can really help.

Good luck and have fun -- post some notes here about what worked and what didn't.

For a week long stay, I'd definitely look into the Residence Inn type of lodging where you'll be able to do more in-room cooking and might be able to get a larger room/suite.

But also look into Vacation rental homes in the area where you're going. Some can be much more affordable as well as child friendly (while some are decidedly not). They also have the advantage of being more interesting than your cookie cutter hotel room. But you'll have a full kitchen and laundry facilities for your longer stay which can be big plus.