Hill roads and car sickness: tips for families

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

Winding ghat roads to hill stations such as Ooty, Munnar, Manali and Gangtok can cause motion sickness, especially in children. These tips help.

Plan the itinerary

• Break long hill drives with overnight stops.
• Avoid driving immediately after a heavy meal.
• Consider the train where possible, such as the Nilgiri toy train. See Chennai to Ooty by the Nilgiri toy train: how it works.

Before the drive

• Eat a light meal an hour or two before.
• Ask your doctor about motion-sickness medication suitable for children and adults.
• Make sure everyone is well rested.

In the car

• Sit in the front or middle seats, where motion is less.
• Look out at the horizon rather than at phones or books.
• Keep windows slightly open for fresh air.
• Avoid strong smells such as air fresheners.
• Keep sips of water and dry snacks like crackers handy.

Take breaks

Stop every hour or so at viewpoints or tea stalls. Ask your driver to drive smoothly; good drivers are used to this.

Carry a kit

• Sick bags or zip-lock bags.
• Wet wipes and tissues.
• A change of clothes for children.
• Ginger candies or lemon drops, which some people find helpful.

For high-altitude trips

Nausea at altitude may be altitude sickness rather than motion sickness. See Altitude sickness: what travellers to Ladakh and the Himalaya should know.

Our approach

We plan realistic driving times and experienced drivers for hill routes. See our Hill-station holidays page.

Which routes are toughest?

The Kallar ghat road to Ooty, the drive from Kochi to Munnar and the roads around Gangtok have many bends. Spread these over unhurried days with stops.