Tips for Travelling with a Baby - Have Baby, Still Travel!

Many people do not travel with their young baby as they think that it will be too hard or too stressful. It is actually easier when they are quite small, as once they are on the move it is so much harder to keep them entertained on a journey. Other parents think it isn’t worth taking them away as they won’t remember it – this is about you getting away as well and even if they don’t remember the trip, the new places they experience make it a great sensory adventure for them!

Planning It isn’t hard to travel with a baby, you just need to be prepared. Before choosing a location do consider vaccinations for the destinations - some are not suitable for under 2 years. Think about sleeping arrangements. I would recommend a room with at least a balcony if the evenings will be warm, otherwise somewhere with a separate bedroom. You will need to be able to close a door to where they are sleeping so that you can have a chat and enjoy that glass of wine without worrying about waking the baby. Pool access rooms are also great, allowing you to lounge by the pool at nap time. Taking into consideration what you will be feeding the baby is a big factor – would self-catering make it easier to feed everyone or should you go all inclusive? Either way you might prefer to take your own baby food from the UK if you are quite particular about what you are feeding the little one or if they are fussy – especially if normally on purees.

At the airport I highly recommend a sling, as if you take a buggy to the gate you may not get it back until the baggage carousel - at the other end of a long walk from the aircraft. It's also useful when wandering around the plane trying to soothe your baby. Look into pre-ordering for collection from the airside Boots after security. This will make getting through security a simpler process as you will have fewer liquids with you and will also mean you get more choice than in the shop. Most importantly, give yourself lots of time and get to the airport early. It will save you getting stressed out if there are any hold ups and a relaxed you will mean (hopefully!) a relaxed baby.

On board You have priority boarding with children. It is good to get on board, stow your bags and get settled but it can add on a lot of extra time spent on the plane. If there is more than one adult, one could board with bags whilst the other waits until last with the baby. Feed for take off and landing to help regulate ears - don’t start too early else they will be full before take off! You could also try a dummy or your finger to suck as this should also help though the combination of sucking and swallowing works best. Before food service, ask for a meal early so that someone else can hold your baby whilst you eat warm food (get friendly with your neighbour if you're flying solo!). Keep everyone hydrated – this helps with jet lag and tiredness after a journey. Rather than spending a fortune on water at the airport, you can take empty water bottles through security and use the water filters airside to fill them.

At your destination Try not to stress too much about routine - remember you are on holiday! If in Europe with only a couple of hours time difference, you may find it easier to keep to UK time, as that way you might be eating with the locals (rather than hours before) plus you could be lucky and get a lie-in. If there is a bigger time difference, don’t plan much for the first days you are there. It is likely you will all wake up early so just have a relaxed early start and be ready to get out once things open and then have an early night. We found after a few days with a 6 month old in Canada that she settled back to normal.

What to do If you enjoy travelling and seeing lots of exciting things, the packing and unpacking with children could be daunting, so why not consider a cruise - no repacking needed but you get to see lots of sights and they have amazing facilities on board. You could even avoid airports and flying completely by cruising from the UK. If you are a skier having a small child needn’t stop you. There are options with childcare from 17 weeks old. A city break is great with a small portable baby! Just sling them on and go and explore and they will love watching the world go by. Or take it nice and easy and book a beach break!

Get in touch to get advice and book up your next trip on 020 3292 0515 or sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com