Traveling with a baby can be an amazing opportunity to show your little one the world and makes for great memories. However, preparing for the trip can quickly become stressful, as there are lots of things to consider when you’re getting ready to book.
Here are 8 tips and tricks to keep in mind when booking your next trip with baby. This can help you plan as much as possible beforehand so you can start your trip as relaxed and prepared as possible.
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1. Accommodation and Sleeping Arrangements
Unless you plan on going on a cruise or a camping trip, chances are that you need to decide on a place to stay. With that comes the question if you’d rather stay in a hotel or a vacation home rental. Both have their pros and cons.
Hotel
Many hotels provide a crib upon inquiry. This means you don’t to bring an extra piece of luggage with you and have to worry about sleeping arrangements. Hotel restaurants also often have highchairs (in case your baby is already sitting at the table with you).
However, we found staying at hotels to be quite challenging. For once, unless you book a more expensive family room, a standard hotel room is usually just one room with a bed, maybe a sofa, but does not offer much space. This means very little space for baby to crawl around and for you to maneuver around with all the luggage.
Additionally, we found it quite difficult when it came to sleeping. Our baby went to bed around 7:30pm. By then, my husband and I were still wide awake and not ready yet to sleep. However, our daughter was quite sensitive to light and sound so from the time she went to bed onwards we had to be super quiet and keep the lights off so we wouldn’t wake her up.
Vacation home rental
When you opt for a vacation home rental, you can often choose a place that offers more space than a hotel room. Even one bedroom apartments usually have a separate living area and even a kitchen you can use.
We found this quite helpful as it allowed us to spend our evenings in the living area while the baby was sleeping.
Additionally, having access to a kitchen was huge, especially once our daughter started eating solids. Being able to prepare our and her own foods was immensely helpful.
The downside to vacation home rentals is that they don’t always offer a crib or highchair for the baby to use. However, some websites let you filter for rentals that do offer these items. And you can always inquire with the host – maybe they forgot to include it in the listing, or they know someone they can borrow these items from.
2. Travel Arrangements
When planning your trip, consider which means of transportation make the most sense for you and your baby. There are pros and cons to all of them:
Car
Traveling by car is relatively easy. It allows you to load up your car with all the luggage right at home which means you don’t have to carry luggage around for hours like you might have to do at an airport.
Also you are super flexible – you are not bound to depart at a specific time, and can play it by ear. Plus, if for any reason you’d have to come home early, you can always leave whenever you need to.
Going on a trip by car might limit you to certain destinations though.
And while a road trip can be fun for adults, your baby might not enjoy being strapped in a car seat for hours. You should always account for breaks to let your little one roam around and stretch it out.
Plane
Flights are a great alternative especially if your destination cannot be reached by car. And if your baby is under two, he or she might fly for free.
In addition, you can always find a space at the airport for your baby to crawl around. And even on the flight he is not necessarily confined to a seat and you can let your baby roam around on the seats or walk up and down the aisle.
A downside of flying is the limitation on luggage that you can bring with you. This might come into play specifically when you want to bring your baby’s stroller, travel crib, or car seat in addition to your suitcases. Also, you have to consider how you’ll get from the airport to your accommodation.
If you’re unsure about flying with a baby, read my blog post about 11 Tips for Flying with a Baby and learn how you can master your first flight with your baby.
Train
Trains are also a great option for a traveling with a baby. Babies often travel for free, and just like on a plane they can usually roam around on the seats or in the aisle.
A downside here is that you are also limited on luggage. While there is usually no one checking how many suitcases you are bringing on board, you have to carry everything yourself. Unlike at the airport, you most often can’t check in your luggage. And with a little one in your arm, you might be struggling to bring all the baby items you need. Therefore, train trips might be a good option when you don’t need to bring too much.
3. Plan Itinerary around Baby’s Schedule
Planning your travel itinerary around your baby’s (sleep) schedule is incredibly helpful. After all, a well rested baby makes for a much more fun day!
Your little one takes great naps in the car? Depart when it’s about to be nap time, and let him or her wiggle out all her energy before you leave.
You’re worried about how to get your baby to sleep on a plane? Try to find a flight that takes off outside of nap times.
This can truly help avoid the stress of having an overtired baby and make the trip much more enjoyable for everyone.
4. Baby Food
If your baby is exclusively breastfed, you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to baby food. However, if your baby is enjoying formula or already started eating solids, you might wonder what to do about baby food on your trip.
It is a great idea to research beforehand on baby food that is available at your location. You might not need to bring too much with you, if you can find everything you need locally. If you’re going to a different country, it might be a good idea to look at stores’ website what kind of baby food they carry. Or check with online forums – there are plenty of resources to find information regarding what baby food is available at your destination.
In any case, I would always be prepared to bring at least 2 days worth of food/formula on a trip, if possible in a carry-on. Just to be on the safe side in case a store is out of stock or unexpectedly closed. Or maybe your flight was delayed and you arrived too late to go shopping for food.
5. Baby Items to Bring
Traveling with a baby means you might need to bring extra items for your baby.
Crib
As mentioned above, most hotels do provide cribs upon inquiry. And often you can find vacation home rentals that offer them, too.
But how about when you can’t find a place that has a crib?
You can always bring your own travel crib. These are usually affordable, lightweight, and easy to set-up. We like using this one*.
While it is easy to take a crib with you when you travel by car, you might want to check what your options are when traveling by plane. Some airlines will let you bring a travel crib, but sometimes you do have to pay a fee for this piece of luggage.
Highchair
As mentioned above, you can often find hotels and vacation home rentals that do offer a high chair for your use.
If your accommodation does not provide one, you can look into bringing a travel high chair, such as a this one*.
Car Seat
Depending on your trip, you might need to rent a car at your destination. Or you require a ride from the airport to your accommodation. In either case, you need to consider if you need to bring a car seat for your baby. Sometimes airlines let you check in a car seat for free. If you don’t want to bring your own, you can inquire with the car rental company if you can rent one.
If you need a ride from the airport to your hotel or home rental, you should inquire with a taxi or ride service if they can provide one and book your ride ahead of time .
Stroller
If you plan on doing a lot of walking and your baby enjoys being in the stroller, it’s a great idea to bring it. Most airlines let you check in a stroller for free, and you can often bring it right to the gate as well.
If your stroller is heavy and you are tight on space, you might want to consider a collapsible travel stroller. These are usually very lightweight, fold down easily, and fit in the overhead compartment on the plane. We love this travel stroller* and went on travels for six months with it.
Baby Carrier
Another great alternative to a stroller is a baby carrier. It takes up much less space than a stroller, and you can bring it anywhere with you. It can come in especially handy at the airport as you can have your hands free to carry other stuff. It’s also a great option when you plan on visiting attractions or places that are crowded and not stroller-friendly. We love this one*.
6. Medical Services
This might be your least favorite item on this list to think about. However, knowing what medical services are available at your destination is important and can give you great piece of mind.
My rule of thumb is to know three things:
- The local phone number for emergencies
- The closest emergency room
- A pediatrician (that speaks English or your native language)
You can save these important numbers in your contacts for the duration of your trip. Or add them in your notes on your phone. This way, you have them handy in case you ever were to need them.
7. Eating Out
Enjoying local cuisine is one of the highlights of traveling for my family. However, it can be tricky to find the right family-friendly spot to eat when you’re out and about and hungry after a long day of exploring.
A great idea is to research local restaurants before you go out. There are a few things to consider when going out to eat with a baby that I usually like to confirm with a restaurant beforehand.
Highchair
If your baby is already sitting upright and eating solids, you might be in need of a highchair for your little one to join you at the table. Many restaurants have highchairs available, but not all. You can always check with the restaurant beforehand if they have one.
Food
Besides checking on the highchair, you might also want to take a look at the menu. Do they offer any dishes that baby can enjoy as well? Do they have a special kids menu or some sides that your child might like? If not, you can usually always bring something from home for your baby to eat and serve it to him at the restaurant.
Noise
While some restaurants are nice and quiet, others might be playing some loud music. You can get a vibe for the restaurant beforehand by checking their reviews or Social Media and decide whether it’s a good spot for your family.
Best Time to Eat
One crucial element to eating out with a (hungry) baby is determining the best time to dine. Restaurants can get really crowded around lunch or dinner time, which usually means a longer wait. If your little one goes to sleep early anyways, consider a dinner as early as 5pm or 5:30pm to avoid the crowds and long wait.
8. Baby-friendly Activities
Just like going to a restaurant, you might want to plan out the activities for your trip in advance.
Checking if the activity is suited for babies, e.g. ensuring the entrance is stroller-accessible, can avoid some serious frustrations.
It is also a good idea to book tickets to attractions in advance, to avoid long wait times.
Summary
Traveling with a baby can be lots of fun and a great experience for everyone. By planning ahead, you’re setting up yourself and your family for the best trip possible. And now go make those memories!