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We have traveled for more than a decade with our now teen and tween. I’ve been asked countless times for advice on traveling with a baby. I decided to take what worked for us and put together 10 tips for easier travel with baby.
Before I start with my 10 tips, let me share one thing. I have often heard that people will wait to travel with their kids. Is it easier to travel without a baby? Yes, but think of travel as a muscle you exercise. Get your kids used to traveling early, and it gets easier as they get older. And you might stop having family trips and start having family vacations earlier (yes, there is a difference).
Basic tips for easier travel with baby
I’ve got a lot of tips for traveling with a baby. Let’s start with some basics, though. Get to the airport early. It will take a bit longer to unload from the car, get through security, etc.
You can carry a baby bag (even if you don’t have an extra seat). Be efficient with how you back that bag. You definitely want diapers and a change or two of clothing. And bring empty plastic bags (preferably ones that seal) to hold anything unpleasant like clothing from a blowout or throw up. You won’t want those dirty clothes mixing with clean clothing in your baby bag. Bring a small blanket for the baby since it can get cold on a plane.
When it comes to boarding the plane, decide if you want to board early (often those with families can board much earlier to give you time to settle in) or board later (and potentially risk not finding room for any luggage you want to put in a bin). You might need more time to walk around with a fussy baby or let older infants walk around to wear them out. If you’re traveling as two adults, you might have one get everything settled on the plane while the other waits to board with your infant.
Get another seat
If your budget allows it, I highly recommend purchasing a seat for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests traveling with an appropriate carrier or an FAA-approved harness for plane travel with your infant. Even if you decide to wear or hold your baby during the flight, having extra room can be huge when you travel with an infant. And you’ll have another spot to store bags under the seat so that you’re not constantly getting up to access your bags. (Note that you can’t wear baby during takeoff and landing.)
When and how you travel matter when traveling with a baby
If you have a choice, try to travel when it makes sense for you and your family. We preferred traveling during times when our boys would sleep (overnight or during naptime), but travel whenever it makes sense for you (e.g., naptime or bedtime, morning to avoid sleep times, feeding times, etc.). If you do travel close to a time when your baby is normally sleeping, bring pajamas. There is something to the ritual of changing into PJs that can cue your infant to understand it’s time for sleep.
Direct flights are usually easier when you travel with a baby. If you must make a stop, consider longer stopover times. It can take a lot to grab all your stuff from a flight and get to the next one, even when you have a lot of experience with family travel. Give yourself time to get the stroller back, get the baby comfortable, get organized, and then move on to the next flight.
Decide what you’ll do about baby equipment
Wherever you’re staying, is a crib or Pack ‘N Play available? Will an umbrella stroller work, or will you need something more substantial (e.g., if you’re hiking, an umbrella stroller probably won’t cut it)? If whatever you need isn’t available where you’re heading, you might be able to rent equipment. I have heard from friends that Baby Quip is a good option. And, even if you might be able to use equipment where you’re staying, you still might want to take something like a Pack ‘N Play or crib sheet. If you plan on using a car seat from a car rental company, make sure you have wipes to do a once-over on the car seat. I have noticed that they are not necessarily as clean as I would like.
Purchase a cover for your stroller and/or infant carrier
If you don’t want your infant carrier on the plane, you likely want your stroller and infant carrier until the last minute. Gate check them so that you get them as you’re walking off the plane. Sometimes wearing baby on the plane can make this process easier, but you still want your stroller until the last minute. If you don’t often wear your baby, consider practicing wearing your baby ahead of time.
When it comes to strollers, you have a few things to consider. We opted to get an umbrella stroller for our travels specifically. We didn’t realize how popular our stroller was at our destination, so we had to search in a few strollers to find ours when we were at a restaurant that required strollers be left in a specific area. To avoid that, personalize your stroller in some way so it’s easy to find/see (similar to what you would do with your luggage to be easily identified or stand out on a baggage carousel).
Consider getting a bag for your stroller (this is the exact bag we used and it kept our umbrella carrier from being destroyed while under the plane) and/or infant carrier. Because of how these bags are designed, I probably wouldn’t put both in the same bag, even though there might be room.
Clothing for adults
Simplify your clothing when you’re traveling with kids. Wear shoes that are easy to get on and off your feet for the security line. You know to bring a change of clothing for your baby. Bring a change of clothing for yourself as well. You never know when your child might throw up on you or spit up all over you. I recommend a top and bottom for each parent or adult. Have these easily accessible in your hand luggage.
A scarf is a great layer when you’re traveling with a baby. It can keep you or your child warm. If you’re breastfeeding, you can use it as a cover (my younger son would often get distracted on planes when we traveled, and I was trying to breastfeed). If your child isn’t used to breastfeeding with a blanket or cover, practice using one at home before you travel.
Have bottles handy or be ready to breastfeed
Babies can have a hard time adjusting to the changes in cabin pressure, so it can be helpful to have a bottle or breastfeed when you take off or land. That means having a bottle ready instead of in the baby bag or getting comfortable and ready to breastfeed.
Let’s talk diapers
When you’re traveling with an infant, you must think about diapers. For starters, make sure to have several diapers in your baby bag. You know how many you’ll need, based on how long your flight is. Have a few more than you think you’ll need. Change your baby’s diaper right before you board. Yes, there is a changing table available on the plane, but it’s a really small space.
I also highly recommend using doggie poop bags for diapers. You can double bag when you’re throwing away a poopie diaper on the plane or in your hotel room. Trust me, one bag isn’t enough. If you must change your baby’s diaper on a seat, use your changing pad. No one, including you, wants to sit where a potentially poopie diaper has been changed.
You can choose if you take enough diapers for your entire trip or order and have diapers delivered to wherever you’re staying. If you want to have diapers delivered at your destination, make sure to confirm that it is OK. Ask your hotel or short-term rental host where to have items delivered, since it might not be to the actual place where you’ll stay.
On-flight entertainment for baby
When kids get older, it’s normal for them to be mesmerized by screens during travel. Babies really aren’t that entertained by screens, though. Have a selection of toys. We had one per hour of our travel time. Consider grabbing baby’s favorite toy as a starting point. New toys are also really helpful. Something similar to what your baby already loves is a great choice. A few other things to consider that don’t take up a ton of room: window clings and painter’s tape for older infants.
Maintain baby’s routine as much as possible
I remember when we traveled internationally for the first time with our now 14-year-old. We went to Cancun for a 5-day trip. We figured it was close, and it wouldn’t interrupt his routine too much. Wrong! We assumed he would nap on the go and rest when he was tired. No and no. He had serious FOMO. He didn’t want to miss anything, so he skipped naps for the first few days. It was miserable! He was so fussy that the restaurant put us in an area with no other guests in the morning. We figured out that he was soooooo tired and we quickly needed to get back on his routine or continue to suffer the consequences.
So, there you have 10 tips for easier travel with baby. I tried to divide it into planning versus tips to help while traveling. What would you add? What do you want to know more about?
