How to Prepare for Motion Sickness Before a Family Road Trip

A family road trip can be one of the best ways to spend time together, explore new places, and make lasting memories. Unfortunately, motion sickness can make the drive much less enjoyable for anyone who is prone to nausea, dizziness, or other symptoms while riding in a vehicle. Long stretches of highway, winding roads, stop-and-go traffic, and hours spent in the back seat can all contribute to an uncomfortable trip.

If motion sickness is common in your family, preparing before you leave can make a big difference. Instead of waiting for someone to start feeling sick, consider the conditions that may contribute to motion sickness and make a plan for managing them. From choosing activities carefully to planning rest stops, a few simple changes can help make your next family road trip more comfortable.

Understand Who Is Most Likely to Get Motion Sick

Some people are naturally more susceptible to motion sickness than others. Children are particularly prone to it, with susceptibility generally peaking between approximately ages 7 and 12 before declining through adulthood.

If your child or another family member has experienced carsickness before, it’s worth planning around that history. Think about when symptoms typically occur. Are winding roads a problem? Does reading in the car cause nausea? Does the person usually start feeling uncomfortable after several hours of driving?

Recognizing these patterns before the trip can help you anticipate situations that might cause problems.

Choose Car Activities Carefully

Phones, tablets, books, and handheld games can keep passengers entertained during a long drive, but they aren’t always the best choice for someone who experiences motion sickness.

Motion sickness is associated with conflicting sensory information. When someone looks at a stationary object inside the car, their eyes may suggest that they aren’t moving. At the same time, their inner ear senses the vehicle accelerating, turning, and braking.

If screens or reading tend to trigger symptoms, consider alternatives that allow passengers to keep their eyes up. Music, podcasts, audiobooks, conversation, and games that involve looking outside can provide entertainment without requiring someone to stare downward for an extended period.

Make It Easy to Look Outside

Being able to see the road and surroundings may help some travelers feel more comfortable.

Encourage passengers who are susceptible to motion sickness to look ahead or toward a distant point outside instead of focusing on objects inside the vehicle. Seeing the movement that the body is experiencing can help reduce the mismatch between visual and vestibular information.

Children should always ride in an age- and size-appropriate car seat or seat belt and in accordance with applicable child-passenger safety recommendations. Don’t change a child’s seating position simply for motion sickness if doing so would conflict with safety requirements.

Keep the Vehicle Comfortable

A hot, stuffy car can make nausea feel even more unpleasant.

Before leaving, make sure the vehicle’s heating and air-conditioning systems are working properly. Keep the passenger compartment at a comfortable temperature and allow fresh air into the vehicle when practical.

Strong smells may also be unpleasant for someone who is already feeling nauseated. Consider avoiding heavily scented air fresheners, strong perfumes, cigarette smoke, and strongly scented foods inside the vehicle.

A clean, cool, neutral-smelling car can create a much more comfortable environment for a long trip.

Think About Food Before You Leave

Road trips and snacks naturally go together, but what and when you eat may affect how comfortable the drive feels.

Rather than starting the trip immediately after an unusually large or heavy meal, consider a lighter approach. Pack familiar foods and drinks that are easy to manage in the car. If someone in your family knows certain foods make travel nausea worse, leave those items at home.

Keeping water available is also useful during long drives. Regular hydration is important when you’re spending hours traveling, particularly during hot summer road trips.

Plan Regular Breaks

Getting to your destination quickly may sound appealing, but driving for hours without stopping isn’t always the most comfortable option.

Build rest stops into your itinerary before you leave. A short break gives everyone a chance to get out of the vehicle, stretch, walk around, use the restroom, and get some fresh air.

If someone begins experiencing early signs of motion sickness, a safe stopping point can also provide a temporary break from the movement.

Leaving a little extra time in your schedule means you won’t feel pressured to keep driving simply because you’re trying to meet an overly strict arrival time.

Watch for Early Signs of Motion Sickness

Motion sickness doesn’t always begin with vomiting. Earlier signs may include an unsettled stomach, dizziness, sweating, increased salivation, fatigue, or simply saying that something doesn’t feel right.

Children may not always recognize or clearly describe what they’re experiencing, so parents should pay attention to changes in behavior during the drive.

Responding early may prevent the situation from becoming more uncomfortable. Encourage the passenger to stop reading or looking at a screen, look outside, minimize unnecessary head movement, and get fresh air when possible.

Prepare Before Winding Roads

If your route includes mountains, scenic byways, or other winding roads, prepare before you reach them.

Repeated curves can make motion sickness more noticeable because the body experiences frequent changes in direction. Someone who feels perfectly comfortable on the interstate may begin experiencing symptoms once the road starts twisting.

Before entering a particularly winding section, put away screens and books and make sure everyone who is susceptible to motion sickness has a good view outside when safely possible. Knowing your route in advance can help you identify stretches where extra preparation may be useful.

Consider a Motion Sickness Aid Before the Trip

For families with travelers who regularly experience motion sickness, an over-the-counter motion sickness aid may be another part of preparing for the drive.

Jet-Avert® contains meclizine HCl 25 mg and is labeled for the prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, or dizziness associated with motion sickness. Jet-Avert is intended for adults and children 12 years and older. According to the product directions, the first dose should be taken one hour before starting the activity.

Always read and follow the complete Drug Facts label, including dosage instructions and warnings. Because motion sickness medications can cause drowsiness, it’s especially important to follow label precautions. Parents should also make sure any medication they plan to use is appropriate for the child’s age and circumstances.

Make the Road Trip Part of the Fun

A family road trip doesn’t have to become a battle with motion sickness. Preparing before you leave can help everyone feel more comfortable and allow the drive itself to become part of the vacation.

Think about who in your family is most susceptible, choose travel activities carefully, keep the vehicle comfortable, pack appropriate snacks and water, and schedule enough time for breaks. If winding roads or long drives have caused problems in the past, plan for those situations before symptoms begin.

For travelers 12 years and older who are prone to motion sickness, Jet-Avert® can also be a convenient addition to the road-trip checklist when used according to the Drug Facts label.

With the car packed, the route planned, and motion sickness preparation taken care of, your family can spend less time worrying about the drive and more time looking forward to the adventures waiting at your destination.