Tips for travelling with a baby
One of my most asked questions on Instagram is how I have been able to travel so much with my baby. She is now 14 months old and so far, has visited 9 countries, which is wild lol. I finally figured that it was time to write a post covering all the tips for travelling with a baby since it has become my reality.
Travelling has massively changed for us. Having Adanna meant that we quickly had to decide if we wanted the travel part of our lives to change or stay the same. The reality is that it will change, no matter how much you want to frame it. Your baby becomes your no 1 priority so any travel decision and itinerary will always take your little person into consideration. Now, for us, this was not much of a problem at all. We have never been adventurous travellers and are more laid back and slow in how we navigate the world. I would not say we are slow travellers per se; however, we are quite relaxed when we travel. I guess this is mainly because we have full time jobs so travel is more like our downtime than wanting to see and do everything.
Travelling with Adanna has made us feel like we are introducing her to something special. As travel has been a wonderful thing that Mr E and I have always enjoyed, it was a no brainer to introduce Adanna to it.
Now lets get into tips for travelling with a baby and its different components.
Travelling with MY baby
I actually found it easier to travel with Adanna when she was under 6 months old as she was not as mobile. We went to Malta, Croatia and Montenegro before she turned 6 months and it was so easy to just pop her in the stroller or on our lap and keep things moving. By the time we went to Paris, she was almost 8 months old, standing and crawling around but still manageable. From 10 months, it became evident that our little girl did not love to sit still at all so flights and restaurant bookings became trickier.
Now, she is 14 months and our last trip to Ghana went really well. This is possibly because we were very prepared for what to expect; having travelled to 9 countries with her.
Disclaimer – This guide is on the back of my experience travelling with my own baby. Babies are different and we have been lucky that ours did not have any health issues that might have made travel tricky. I am sure that if she had food allergies or was colicky, travel would not have been as straightforward as it has been for us. Lastly, as my baby is only 14 months, this is targeted at babies up until that age as this is based on my experience.
The Prequel: Blog post on Travelling while Pregnant
Tips for Travelling with a Baby – Airport and Flight
The most important gift you can give yourself while travelling with a baby is time. Since travelling with Adanna, we now give ourselves 3 hours at the airport for international (out of Europe) flights. If flying within Europe, it is usually a minimum of 2 hours.
1. Airport Security
Going through security will take a little longer especially if travelling with baby food. I went with Ella’s Kitchen pouches and each was scanned one by one. You are surprisingly allowed to bring as much baby food and water as possible. I have even travelled with some rice and chicken for her and this went through the scanner without problem. All medicines must be clearly labeled and if prescribed, the label with baby’s name should match their name on their passport. This was checked when I went with her prescribed cream. You will also need to pack up stroller and carry baby in your arms while you go through the scanner.
2. Family Queues
One of the tips for travelling with a baby is to seek and use the family queues. I find that they are usually shorter except during school holidays. In normal travel periods, this will save you a lot of time and hassle. We have noticed that some airports abroad don’t necessarily care about family queues. However, if baby is getting cranky and the queues are long, speak to a staff around. More than likely, they will move you to the front or any shorter queue available.
3. Airline Baggage Allowances
We mostly fly British Airways and they are quite generous with what is allowed when travelling with a baby.
In my experience, all airlines are generous in this department including low cost ones like Ryan Air. However, it is very important to check even before you buy the flight ticket. Charges add up and you don’t want to be paying for checking in a travel cot or car seat when the next airline will allow it for free. So far, we have flown, British Airways, Ryan Air and Jet2.com; all 3 have been generous with their allowance for travelling with babies.
4. In-flight perks
For long haul flights, you could contact the airline to ask for the front seats plus bassinet. We were automatically assigned the seat + bassinet when we flew to Dubai but not to Ghana. So I guess it depends on how many babies are on the flight and who asks specifically for it. There is so much allowance in the front row and it allows you (and your little) wiggle around as much as possible. The bassinet is perfect for sleeping especially on night flights.
Other things to ask for:
- Fresh hot water for baby’s milk. Just make sure to ask early, as they won’t be able to help if they are busy serving food for example.
- Some food for the baby (adult food). My friend got some puréed pouches once when travelling to the Middle East so I guess some airlines might have baby food.
- More pillows, extra blanket etc
5. Wearing baby out
For babies who are already crawling or in the early stages of walking like Adanna, wearing them out at the airport is important. This will help them sleep through the flight; well, that is the hope.
6. Consider boarding last
This is one that every parent advices; however, I am too impatient to wait for everyone to board 1st. I am usually the first on the queue once I hear “families with babies” lol and luckily, Adanna loves to be in her seat, watching people as they walk past to find their seats. Maybe one day, I’ll try the boarding last tip to see if it makes any difference.
7. Diaper Change
I always change her diaper as soon as we get to the boarding area, just before we board. I had seen this advice somewhere and adopted it. Changing Adanna just before we get on the flight could potentially save me a trip to the toilet. Also, she loves a dry nappy (who wouldn’t) so it makes her more comfortable.
Tips for Travelling with a Baby – Accommodation
1. Choosing accommodation
The first thing to think about when booking accommodation is to figure out what suits you best. When weaning your baby, it is more sensible to get accommodation with a kitchen. I’ll be honest; we didn’t go with the sensible option. I was a very lazy “weaner” and used Ella’s kitchen when we travelled until she started eating proper food. A few things that sway parents include a playroom within the hotel and nanny service. For us, we never used a nanny service just because we were not ready to leave her with anyone. We didn’t bother too much about playroom but we did use the ones in our hotels in Croatia and Dubai.
Another important factor is the type and size of room. If your baby needs their own space to sleep, then you might need to get a suite. The cheaper option is of course, apartments that have more than 1 room. Thankfully, Adanna is fine sleeping in the same room with us. For her sleep situation, we just push her cot to the furthest end as possible, switch of the light and turn on her noise machine. I was very intentional about this from day 1 so I got her used to sleeping through movements and some level of noise. We also travel with her bed sheets and sleep suits; that way she still gets a familiar feel in her new cot.
2. Contacting the hotel ahead of visit
This is actually really important. I always email the hotel a week before my stay to let them know I am coming with a baby. Mostly to double-check that there will be a cot in the room. I also ask about things like room service because let me tell you, room service will be your friend when travelling with a baby lol.
3. Peruse the area
With a baby, it’s important to be as prepared as possible. I always google the nearest hospital and super market to the hotel as you never know when you might need more diapers or in an emergency. Other things I check are restaurants around, distance to spots on the itinerary etc
General Tips for Travelling with a Baby
I will have to say that breastfeeding exclusively massively helped us kick start travelling with her. Whenever she started being fussy on flights or even throughout the trip, I’d just put a boob in her mouth and that would solve everything. We were exclusive up until month 6 and even in months 7 and 8, it was still mostly breast milk and water; with some purées. Now, the downside is that you will have a baby who will find it difficult to cut out breastfeeding but you need to choose your fighter!
1. Baby’s Medical Records
In the UK, we have the “red book” for babies that covers all their medical records from birth. Your healthcare professional will always advice you to have that book with you at ALL times in case of emergency. This goes for travel as well. Whatever documentation you have about your baby’s health records – allergies, vaccinations etc, it will have to travel with you. A lot of people make copies of their red book and take with them to avoid losing it. I always just go with my red book and keep my fingers crossed that it doesn’t get lost.
Make sure all their vaccinations are up to date as well; and that they will not require any mandatory ones to travel. Adanna had to get a yellow fever vaccine before our trip to Ghana. A few destinations are still checking for covid passes but babies are exempt.
2. Travel Insurance
I always preach travel insurance because it is not lost on me that a lot of people travel without one. One of my tips for travelling with a baby is to have a comprehensive travel insurance that includes your baby. If you have an existing insurance, make sure to add your baby to it – people forget to do this as well. Babies fall ill a lot as their immune system is still developing so you want to be covered in any emergency.
It is 2023; nobody should be travelling without insurance.
3. Try not to Fuss
This is very “easier said than done” type of scenario. Even with me being an experienced traveller, I still fuss a lot. However, I try to remind myself that if babies live in that location, then it is good enough for my baby. Babies are so resilient that they will most likely adapt to whatever. They just need you there to reassure them that all is well. Most times, Adanna will get engaged with something and suddenly look up to see that I am there. I like to think she is trying to reassure herself that mum and dad are there so all is well.
4. Take everything you think you will need
We are in the era of travelling light and while I’d absolutely love to do this, it is simply not realistic when travelling with a baby. I have seen parents do the hand luggage only travel with their babies and I think that is very brave. Personally, I recommend going with everything you think you might need. Make use of all the luggage allowance you are allowed. The last thing you want is to be missing a precious toy or noise machine that allows your baby sleep better. Pack extra clothes, muslins, diapers, wipes etc. However, if you are travelling to a location where you know (or think) you can pick up whatever you might need, then you can risk doing the hand luggage only travel.
5. Stay on Baby’s routine
If you can, stay on your baby’s routine. Of course this does not apply when you travel to a wider time zone like London to NY. But if you are within the continent where you have 1-3hrs difference, try to work their routine into it. This will ensure your baby does not feel like much has changed.
Items that have made Travelling with a Baby easier
1. White Noise Machine
Adanna uses a white noise machine even at home because she goes to bed quite early when the house is still busy. I know this is not for everyone but it works for us and is perfect for travel. With it, she literally dozes off after bath time while Mr E and I can walk around the room (albeit quietly).
2. Black out curtains
This is so good for summer travels. I will admit I always double check that our room has black out curtains (I have once emailed to double check). Adanna sleeps through most light so we never have any problem but for my peace, I check anyway.
3. Portable Bath
We used this a lot especially before she turned a year old. I just did not feel comfortable putting her in a public bath that adults would have used. Now, I’m surprisingly ok with it but when she was younger, we always travelled with a portable bath.
4. Foldable Laundry Bag
This one is SO useful since babies go through 10 clothes a day. Ok I’m exaggerating but on hot holidays especially, there are a lot of outfit changes. So having a laundry basket is useful. The fact that its foldable means it won’t take up any space in your luggage.
5. Being Open-minded
Be ready to change plans. Travelling with a baby means that you need an open mind and a lot of patience. These littles are very unpredictable and your already well thought out evening plan can be cancelled at any time.
6. A Travel stroller
Since we knew we would travel with her, we went for a travel stroller from day 1. Our 1st one was the Micralite Get Go and it was absolutely fantastic. Adanna practically lived in that stroller and we used it to travel to Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, Paris, Dubai and Morocco. It was also perfect for our countryside and woodland walks. Although I wanted one of the tinier, compact ones, I realised that most of them advised to use from 6 months so we just stuck to our micralite for the longest time.
Now, she is older and when she turned 10 months, we were gifted the Joolz AER plus from the Natural Baby Shower team and it is perfect! We took it to Copenhagen and Ghana and it is what we will be using on our trips now. It fits over head the aeroplane, is super compact and with one hand, you can open it! I have recommended it to everyone looking for a travel stroller for babies 6 months +.
7. A baby Carrier
This is so essential especially for younger babies plus it leaves you hands-free to navigate the airport and flight. When we had the bigger micralite stroller, we used to leave it at the door of the plane to pick up after landing. Therefore, the carrier was very useful when we landed until we got the stroller back. It also gives baby a sense of nearness and security on travel day; I always imagine they could be feeling anxious with all the sensory going on around them.
Tips for Travelling with a Baby - My thoughts
Above all this, you HAVE TO ENJOY YOUR TRIP. It is ok to worry and feel anxious but don’t let that take away from this lush experience with your little. Babies are also quite resilient and adaptable than we give them credit for. Travel is a wonderful luxury and I’m a huge advocate for going when it suits you. There is no rush to travel with your baby; some will have their 1st trip at 4 weeks, others at 4 years. Remember they won’t even remember these trips; it is more for your memory.
These tips for travelling with a baby are only as guide. We all know that every situation is different and that will massively affect travel. I am currently in the toddler stage and it’s a whole other ball game lol. Maybe in a few months, I will be back with tips for travelling with a toddler haha
Bisous, Bugo x
5 Comments
Reta Olszewski
Dear lifewithbugo.com admin, You always provide helpful diagrams and illustrations.
Toluleye Odunsi
Thank you for this well written piece. It was so enjoyable and highly insightful. I have a 4 months old so this applies greatly. Definitely saving this post for future reference..
Bugo
you’re very welcome lovely x
Diana
Well written and thank you for taking time to do this for us new mamas.
I remember sending you a message on Instagram and you replied very fast, as I was to travel solo with my baby. You have really helped and gave me courage to do more trips with my little one.
Bugo
aww I’m so glad. I genuinely think the 1st one is the daunting one and it gets easier x