Containment is the entire job with a corn snake
A corn snake moved at short notice is an escape problem before it is anything else, because this slim, strong, endlessly curious species pours through gaps that look sealed. Put the snake in a cloth bag or pillowcase and knot the top tightly, then shake-test the knot over a bed before the bag goes anywhere. Place the bag in a plastic tub whose lid locks on all sides, with air holes drilled in the lid or upper walls, each hole clearly smaller than the snake's head. Run a fingertip around the closed lid's rim; anywhere a fingernail slips in, a young corn snake's head can follow.
Handling a snake that would rather be elsewhere
Lift a corn snake by supporting its body in loose loops across both hands, letting it move forward through your fingers rather than holding it still. A corn snake grabbed suddenly during a noisy evacuation may musk or bite, which is startling rather than dangerous; keep your movements slow and let it settle into the bag on its own where possible. Wash your hands first if you have handled rodents or other animals, since a feeding response aimed at a scented finger wastes time nobody has. Once the bag is tied, stop opening it to check. Every re-check is another chance for the fastest part of the snake to be somewhere you did not plan.
Temperature and placement in the vehicle
A corn snake travels best at the same mild temperature as the car's cabin, with no added heat for most journeys. Set the tub on a flat surface where it cannot slide or be crushed by shifting luggage, wedged between soft items rather than stacked under anything heavy. Keep it out of the boot if the boot is unventilated or baking in sun, and out of direct sunlight through the windows, since a small tub heats quickly and this species has no way to sweat or pant its way out of trouble. Resist placing the tub on a heated seat; uneven heat under a bagged snake that cannot move away is a burn risk.
A holding setup for the first days away
A corn snake's temporary home can be its travel tub made honest: dry paper towel on the floor, a hide small enough that the snake's coils touch its walls, and a water bowl too heavy to tip and big enough to soak in. Corn snakes drink and soak more than owners expect after a stressful move, so refresh that water daily. Secure the lid every single time it closes, and weight or clip it if the tub will sit anywhere children or curious pets can reach. Do not feed until the snake has had at least a couple of settled days; a missed meal costs a corn snake nothing, while a regurgitated one costs it condition. Write the date of its last feed on the tub in marker so a helper does not guess.
When a corn snake still gets out
Search for a missing corn snake along the warm edges of the room: behind the fridge, along pipe runs, inside the backs of cupboards, and anywhere a gap leads downward. Lay crinkly plastic bags or a light dusting of flour along doorways overnight to catch evidence of movement between rooms. Most escaped corn snakes are found within the same building, close to where they got out, once the search is quiet and methodical. Getting word beyond the household still matters in terraced or shared housing, where one flat's snake becomes another flat's surprise. KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System sends that word out as a free alert to nearby members, who can message you directly when your corn snake turns up in their hallway.