Does car sickness throw up problems when you travel?

I don’t remember actually being sick, but travel was a traumatic experience throughout my childhood and beyond. What helped most was to stop the car and get out for a break and to travel in the front seat. I cannot read in a car and if asked to act as navigator, following a map is enough to make me feel queasy.

At least most kid will grow out of travel sickness.

I was terribly travel sick as a child – just going on a short journey would be enough to make me vomit. My parents used to tell me to read and would talk to me to ‘take my mind off it’. This is the worst thing you can do. A very helpful doctor who also got travel sick advised them to leave me well alone, to look out the window and sit in the front where possible.

Having a seaside bucket in my lap helped, too. And putting a carrier bag (check for holes first) in it helps with the inevitable clear-up.

As an adult, I still get very nauseous. Sitting in the front helps enormously as I need to gaze at the horizon and see where I’m going. Driving helps, too, though I have been known to make myself feel a bit ill if I don’t take enough care with corners.

I’m afraid I’m a sufferer of car sickness myself, although thankfully, when I’m driving or sitting in the front seat, I am usually fine.

However – map reading, using my phone in the car, or sitting in the back seat are all sure-fire ways of bringing on the sickness. Windy, bumpy roads definitely make things worse too!

The only good solution I’ve found is to slip them a Mickey Finn – or junior Nytol or whatever you choose. I use it myself occasionally. You’ve got the jetlag issue on arrival, but it’s still better than hours of nausea.

When I was a lad my dad fitted a special antistatic device to the car which absolutely prevented car sickness. About ten years later he let me into the secret: there was no such device. Placebo effects are great for car sickness!

I had seven children and regularly travelled 200 miles. We also drove several times to the coast south of Seville. We had cars ranging from Minis to Citroen CX estates with 7 seats. They were never car sick or sea sick, and never had pills to prevent it. We never even mentioned the possibility of car sickness, but did point out things of interest as we drove along. We had some games such as one based on pub signs. My sister in law was with us on one trip and repeatedly asked her children if they felt sick. They did – but not when travelling just with me.
It is all in the mind.