Travelling with a Baby: Tips for Stress-Free Trips

Travelling with a baby is one of those things people often delay until children are older and then wish they had done sooner. Babies are generally more portable than toddlers, sleep well in unfamiliar places if their routine is intact, and cannot yet climb out of anything or argue about where you are going.

Before you go

Plan your accommodation carefully. A room with a safe sleep surface for baby is the priority. Most hotels can arrange a cot, but confirm this in advance. A travel cot is worth investing in if you travel regularly.

Take twice as many nappies as you think you need. Nappy supplies in unfamiliar places are one of the logistical headaches nobody enjoys.

Car travel

Plan for feeds and nappy changes every 2 to 3 hours. Baby cannot stay in a car seat for more than 2 hours at a time safely. Overnight drives can work well for young babies who sleep in the car, but ensure stops are planned.

A car mirror lets you see baby in their rear-facing seat without turning around.

Flying

Babies under two fly free on your lap on most airlines. A bassinet seat (bulkhead) can be booked in advance and is worth requesting — it gives baby somewhere to sleep and frees your arms.

Feeding (breast or bottle) during takeoff and landing helps equalise ear pressure. If baby is not due for a feed, a dummy also helps.

Carry everything for baby in your hand luggage: nappies, wipes, a change of clothes (three copies — one for baby, one for you, one spare), formula or expressed milk if using, and familiar comfort items.

Maintaining routine

Keeping to your existing sleep routine as closely as possible makes a huge difference to how settled baby is in a new place. Same pre-sleep routine, same white noise, same sleep sack or swaddle, familiar smell.

Managing expectations

Things will take longer. Plans will change. There will be days when someone is tired and nothing goes as expected. Build in margin, accept imperfection, and remember that baby will not remember any of the stressful moments.

What they experience is warmth, closeness, and novelty. That is a good thing.