Motion Sickness on Indian Road Trips: How to Stop Vomiting in the Car

Part 1 of 8

What causes motion sickness?

Motion sickness happens when your brain gets mixed signals. Your inner ear senses the car swinging round a bend, but your eyes, fixed on a phone or the seat in front, say you are still. The NHS explains that this mismatch causes nausea, dizziness, sweating, paleness, headache and vomiting.

Indian roads make it more likely. Hairpin bends on the way to hill stations, stop-start city traffic, speed breakers, and long overnight bus rides all add the kind of repeated movement that sets it off. Strong smells, such as food, fuel or car perfume, and a stuffy, hot cabin can tip someone over the edge.

Part 2 of 8

How to stop vomiting in the car: 8 tips that work

The most effective tips are to sit where movement is least, look ahead at the road or horizon, keep fresh air coming in, and avoid reading or screens. Eat light before you leave, take breaks on long drives, and breathe slowly when nausea starts. The CDC notes that controlled breathing alone can help noticeably.

1. 1

   Step 1: Sit in front

   In a car, the front passenger seat moves least and gives the best view of the road. On a bus, choose a seat near the front, by a window, and away from the back wheels.
2. 2

   Step 2: Look far ahead

   Fix your eyes on the road ahead or the horizon, not on passing trees or vehicles.
3. 3

   Step 3: Put the phone away

   Reading, watching films and scrolling are the fastest way to bring on nausea. Try music or a podcast instead.
4. 4

   Step 4: Let fresh air in

   Open a window a little, keep the cabin cool, and avoid strong car perfumes and smelly food.
5. 5

   Step 5: Breathe slowly

   At the first queasy feeling, close your eyes, lean back and breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth.
6. 6

   Step 6: Stop on long drives

   On ghat roads and long highways, plan short breaks to walk in fresh air and sip water.
7. 7

   Step 7: Keep your head still

   Rest your head against the headrest and avoid turning around to talk to people in the back seat.
8. 8

   Step 8: Sleep if you can

   Being well rested before the trip helps, and dozing off on the way often stops symptoms.

Part 3 of 8

What to eat before travel to avoid vomiting

Eat a light, plain meal an hour or two before you leave, and sip water during the journey. Travelling on an empty stomach does not help, but heavy, spicy or oily food just before or during the trip makes nausea more likely. Avoid alcohol before and during travel.

• Good choices: plain idli, toast, poha with little oil, curd rice, a banana, or dry snacks such as crackers or roasted chana.
• Go easy on: puri-sabzi, samosas, pakoras, rich gravies, very sweet mithai and fizzy drinks before a hill drive.
• Ginger: the NHS says ginger in tea, biscuits or tablet form may ease symptoms for some people. Saunf or a little lemon are traditional comforts too.
• Small sips: sip water or a little nimbu pani often rather than drinking a lot at once.

Part 4 of 8

How to prevent travel sickness in children

Children aged about 2 to 12 are most prone to travel sickness. Help them by keeping them looking out of the window, distracting them with songs, games and talking, giving a light snack before the drive, and planning breaks. Keep a vomit bag within easy reach, because children often give very little warning.

Part 5 of 8

Motion sickness in pregnancy and during your period

Hormonal changes in pregnancy and around your period can make motion sickness worse, and in early pregnancy travel can add to morning sickness. The same tips help: sit in front, eat little and often, keep air flowing, and stop often. Check with your doctor before taking any medicine for nausea in pregnancy.

Pregnant travellers also need to pee more often, which is hard on highways with few clean toilets. Our guide to public toilet hygiene while travelling covers that, and if your period is due on the trip, our guide to periods while travelling has a full packing list.

Part 6 of 8

What to do if someone vomits in the car

Stay calm, pull over safely if you can, and help the person lean forward over a bag. Afterwards, give small sips of water, let them sit in fresh air for a few minutes, and clean hands with soap or sanitiser. A sealable bag that turns vomit into gel stops the smell from setting off others in the car. A Yatra Kit keeps bags, seat covers and a pee funnel together for the whole trip.

1. 1

   Step 1: Have a bag ready

   On bendy roads, keep a vomit bag open and within reach of anyone who feels queasy, so no one fumbles at the last minute.
2. 2

   Step 2: Catch it

   Hold the bag close to the face and lean forward. Hold back long hair.
3. 3

   Step 3: Seal and bin

   Seal the bag straight away and put it in the next dustbin. Never throw it out of the window or flush it.
4. 4

   Step 4: Freshen up

   Rinse the mouth with water, wipe hands and face, and change any soiled clothes.
5. 5

   Step 5: Rest before you go on

   Sit in fresh air for a few minutes, sip water, and continue slowly with the person in the front seat.

From Looway

Looway Urine & Vomit Bags

Looway Urine & Vomit Bags are leak-proof and turn up to 700 ml of liquid into gel in about 60 seconds, so the bag can be sealed, held upside down without spilling, and binned. Keep used bags away from children and pets.

Part 7 of 8

Can you take medicine for motion sickness?

Yes. Pharmacies sell motion sickness tablets, including dissolvable ones for children, and some people find acupressure wristbands help. The NHS advises asking a pharmacist which option suits you or your child. Many of these medicines cause drowsiness, so the driver should never take them, and they work best taken before the journey.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a health condition or take other medicines, check with a doctor first. Do not give children medicine meant for adults.

Part 8 of 8

When does vomiting on a trip need a doctor?

Motion sickness usually settles within a few hours of stopping. See a doctor if vomiting continues after the journey, if you feel sick when you are not moving, or if there are signs of dehydration. On high-altitude trips, headache and vomiting can be altitude sickness rather than motion sickness.

• Vomiting that continues for hours after you have stopped travelling, or you cannot keep any fluids down
• Signs of dehydration: very little urine, a dry mouth, dizziness when standing, or a very drowsy child
• Vomiting blood or something that looks like coffee grounds, or severe tummy pain
• A severe headache, stiff neck, fever, confusion, or vomiting after a head injury
• Nausea or dizziness even when you are not moving
• At high altitude (usually above 2,500 metres): headache, vomiting, breathlessness at rest or confusion; the NHS advises descending and getting help

This is guidance, not a diagnosis. If something feels off, trust yourself and see a doctor.