The Challenge

A five-hour drive with a neurodivergent family of four is not something to approach without a plan. Bodhi and River both struggle with long periods of inactivity, and the sensory experience of a long car journey — the noise, the confinement, the unpredictability — can be genuinely overwhelming.

Over three years of caravanning trips, we have developed a system that works for our family. It will not work for everyone, but the principles are universal.

Before You Leave

Pack the car the night before. A chaotic morning departure sets a bad tone for the whole trip.

Leave early. We aim to leave by 7am, which means the children are still half-asleep for the first hour and the roads are quiet.

Charge everything. Tablets, headphones, portable chargers — everything fully charged the night before.

The Spinning Chair

This sounds unusual but it is genuinely one of our most important pieces of kit. We bring a small spinning chair for service station stops. For River and Bodhi, the vestibular input from spinning is regulating — it helps them reset after a long period of sitting still.

Service station stops are planned, not spontaneous. We know roughly where we will stop and we build in enough time for the children to run, spin, and decompress before getting back in the car.

Entertainment

Tablets with downloaded content — no relying on mobile data.

Audiobooks and podcasts for the adults once the children are settled.

A travel activity pack for each child — sticker books, colouring, small toys.

[PERSONALISE: Add your family’s specific travel entertainment favourites]