When my husband and I started dating, traveling was one of the first things we did together. He surprised me at a wedding a few hours away from where we lived, and we turned that in to a mini vacation and an incredible roadtrip home. That vacation turned into many many more, and it was those memories that were effortlessly created and so much fun that we wanted to continue once babes joined the family.

We had heard from so many people that our traveling days would come to an end, that we would now only be traveling to Disney and trudging around with the other hot and bored parents or spending our vacation days frustrated and tired because traveling with a baby was hard. Why is this the conception? Why does traveling have to stop when you have a baby?

It doesn’t and I’m here to tell you why.

Now don’t get me wrong, traveling with the babes has been a learning curve like no other. Let me give you a little backstory hear. We tried for years to get pregnant with babes, and on our final IVF attempt she was our one little embryo that could, our real life miracle. Well, that little miracle wasn’t done giving us a run for our money. The poor babes was colicky, and not as in the Wikepedia definition of a baby who cries around 3 hours a day, but as in the true medical definition. Our little one suffered from reflux and she would cry for 16+ hours per day, every day. This presented a bit more of a challenge for our traveling and we really didn’t venture much further than a few hour road trip for the first 3 months. BUT as her crying lessened a bit and I concocted a series of tricks to keep her calm, we began to venture further and further.

The point being. If we can make traveling happen with a colicky baby, YOU can make traveling happen easily.

As babes got older, the reflux lessened, and the crying slowed down, we began traveling further and further from home. As of now this little 14-month-old has been on over a dozen flights, countless road trips, 4 countries and done some of the most amazing adventures. She has been hiking, explored caves, swam in the ocean, eaten snow at the top of a mountain in Norway, been to more wineries than I can count (we like to bring babes everywhere with us), and experienced things that most people never will.

These experiences by no means make us experts, but I learn from every family that I see on our travels. I pick their brain for things that make traveling easier, and I am continually tweaking our traveling to make it a more seamless process with each trip.

Traveling with a baby or toddler CAN be a difficult experience, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. Here is how we survived traveling with babes and how you can to!

1.Plan Ahead.

The one thing people were right about was that our traveling wouldn’t be quite the same. We could no longer grab a last-minute flight, pull and all nighter, and jump right in to the adventure as soon as we reached our destination. Have you ever experienced an overtired toddler?! I thought my hubby’s hangry state was bad, but babes missing a nap on a flight where she can’t run around is akin to a mini Hulk wreaking havoc on the passengers. So…. Plan your trips accordingly.

Plan your travel around the time that your kiddo is going to nap or go to sleep. This goes for whether you’re traveling by plane or car. There are a few reasons for this: your sanity, your baby’s sanity, and the passenger’s sanity. It makes for a much more relaxed ride for all when you’re not trying to occupy a kiddo for the entire trip. In such contained spaces this is a seemingly impossible task. Why set yourself up for failure? We recently took a 9-hour flight to London. We took off just a bit before her bedtime and after the first hour of fussiness (ok, there may have been some screaming involved because we have a wild child, but it was minimal!), babes conked right out until right before we landed. See We Survived a Cranky Baby on the Plane. You Can Too!

Call the airline ahead of time. Some airlines require certain documents, some have stricter guidelines on their carry-on allowances, and some have extra little perks for when you’re traveling with a baby. For example, if you ask, most airlines will sit you in the bulkhead seats. This gives you an incredible amount of leg room on most flights and provides an area where you can let babes down for a minute to stretch their legs. Also, we recently flew Norwegian and they have bassinets on board that attach to the bulk head. There are only a limited number of course, but if you call ahead you are more likely to snag one. PERFECT for overnight flights. Calling ahead will give you a head start on making the flight a little easier.

Try to minimize layover time. I’m not talking a 30-minute layover where you’re running to the terminal at an all-out sprint dragging babes behind you like a rag doll. Let’s be realistic. Pick a flight with adequate time to grab a snack, change a diaper, and get to your next flight, but no one likes to sit around an airport for hours, especially a busy baby. It’s hard to get a nap in with all the excitement and you’ll continually be uttering “don’t put that in your mouth” as they crawl around the dirty airport floor. Ewww! -make sure you keep some snacks in your pocket to slightly prevent this…

If you have no control over your layover, which sometimes airlines like to change this on you, I get it. Plan for your layover. Sounds crazy right? Trust me, I’m a go with the flow kind of girl, but as we already know these little humans have basic needs and the biggest is sleep. So you better plan for some if you’re going to be on a long layover. How are you going to make that happen? If you’re one of those crazy lucky individuals who has a baby who sleeps anywhere, high five to you and you may skip on to the next section. BUT if you are like the rest of us with busy bees who will only nap in optimal conditions or while strapped to mommy in a carrier, here is a neat little trick we learned. Airports have hotels. My mind was blown the first time we discovered this. Where had this been? Why had I been sleeping on benches my entire life?!

Many major airports do actually have sleeping pods/hotels right there in the airport. They’re not very expensive and you pay by the hour. They have a little bathroom, a bed and all of the charging capabilities you need. You’ll thank me when you land at 3am your local time and all you want to do is plop babes down and take a nap. Perfectly quite and as dark as you would like. Ahhhhhhh. You can thank me later. Just don’t be like us and go too far through security and not be able to get back to the hotel. That did happen once. TOTAL LETDOWN. I didn’t heed my own advice, should have called ahead…

Break up road trips. You have a few options here. If you are tight on time or they type of person that likes to just drive straight through, then an overnight trip is your best option. The babes should sleep for most of your trip allowing you to focus on driving.

If pulling an all-nighter and maxing out your caffeine consumption doesn’t sound ideal, then there is another option, one that we like to use. Make the road trip part of your vacation. Plan stops along the way to break up the trip. Instead of grabbing food at the drive through, stop in a little town and find a tasty café. Go to a park and let the babes stretch their legs and you get a minute of fresh air. Find an attraction along the way like a zoo, an aquarium, a museum and check it out! If it’s a long drive, stop at a hotel in a city you would like to see. If we drive to North Carolina or Tennessee, we always stop in Atlanta. There are tons of parks, an aquarium, the coke factory, the best Diners, drive-ins, and dives locations and some sort of event is always going on. We make it part of the trip!

Sometimes you’re tight on time and don’t have the option to take it slow, but if you do I’m sure you’ll find it makes the overall experience much less stressful. That, and you’ll be able to experience new things along the way.

The HARDEST part of traveling with a baby is the flight or the road trip, and guess what? You already survived that! Now you’re destination. The planning portion isn’t quite over. Though we have been comfortable in nearly any accommodation with babes, I will say that a few thigs make it tremendously easier and more relaxed over others.

AirBNB over traditional hotels. We’ve found that in a majority of areas, the prices are surprisingly similar to rent an entire apartment over a hotel, you can find one located in the center of town, and, especially in Europe, they are much larger than a traditional hotel room. This gives you many advantages when traveling with babes.

They have their own space. How many of you like sitting in pitch black after 7 or 8pm in order to keep babes asleep? With an apartment there is a separate area where you can let the kiddos sleep while you spend time with your spouse, maybe order in some great local takeout and plan out the next day.

We find that being in the center of town allows us to experience the city much more. Let’s face it, we plan a lot around this kiddo’s sleep schedule, so we don’t want to waste any time traveling just to get to our daily adventure. You can just walk out your door and start your day.

Cruising. We tested out our first 8 day cruise with the babes recently and I have to tell you that it was INCREDIBLE. We got to see exciting new ports and explore multiple cities, but we always had a home base. You don’t have to pack and unpack, hustle to travel to a new place, or worry about ANYTHING.

Babes loving running around the cruise ship and thoroughly enjoyed the buffet. Mommy and daddy enjoyed having someone cook every meal for them, clean up their room and KIDS CLUB. It was a mindless way to travel. Every stress of traveling with a baby or toddler was instantly taken away.

Picking one destination. Another great option is picking one destination, some place where you can explore, relax and just enjoy where you are. This usually isn’t a big city type of vacation, but for the mountains and even in Tuscany it is perfect. This once again eliminates the stress of travel with babes because you are settled. You have everything you need there at your home base and you can take little day trips to explore. Babes having a bad day? Teething or just plain grouchy one day? It’s ok because you’re on your own time. Just stay “home” and enjoy where you are.

For now, yes, gone are the days of traveling without a plan, but that doesn’t mean spontaneity or adventure are gone! All of these “plans” that I talked about may sound like a bit of work at first, but after your first trip they are simply part of your life and part of your travels. Planning ahead for a layover, just means that I have my babes’ schedule already in my head and I make adjustments based on the length of the layover. That tiny bit of planning can prevent so many meltdowns (from both you and the baby).

2.Prepare

Prepare sounds a lot like plan, doesn’t it? Similar, I’ll give you that, but by prepare I mean be prepared with all of babes’ essentials. Many meltdowns can be prevented by a properly packed diaper bag and SNACKS lots of SNACKS.

Diapers. That’s an item you for sure don’t want to run out of, but how do you pack 2 weeks’ worth of diapers? They take up so much space and they’re heavy! Well, make sure you pack more than you need in the diaper bag. I usually say a diaper per hour of travel plus 2 for good luck. Put a few days’ worth in your checked bag, and then I’ll let you in on a little secret. I was wracking my brain about how to fit 70+ diapers on our checked bag when our limit was 20kg. Where would my shoes go?! Then my husband came to the rescue. Are you ready? …They have diapers in other countries! Yes! Children in Denmark wear diaps as well! This sounds so simple, but it was really something I hadn’t thought about. Phew, crisis averted. So, have enough diaps for the traveling portion and to get you through a few extra days until you can buy more. -As a side note, no, they don’t usually care diapers on a cruise, BUT they have them at the ports so no worries!

A properly packed diaper bag. I may sound like a crazy person, but in all of our travels, I’ve perfected our diaper bag like no other. Of course, it’s evolving as the baby gets older, but the basics stay the same. You always want to have things you know you’re going to need easily accessible. There’s nothing worse than trying to fumble through your bag in the overhead compartment to find “Mr. Snuggles” while your little girl is screaming bloody murder. Mr. Snuggles must be within reach!

Kidding aside, it saves you time, energy and frustration by having everything at the ready. After all, if you are a seasoned traveler you know how to pack the perfect carry on bag for yourself right? It’s no different with the babes.

I do have a full post on packing the perfect diaper bag, but as long as you have the basics you will be just fine.

• Toys/distractions – whatever your kiddos’ favorite is at the time. Don’t overpack though. I like to have one book, one sound toy and whichever her favorite at the time is. This is also not a time to limit screen time. I’m not a huge fan of it either, but if babes wants to watch videos of herself on my phone or pretend to play the games on the airplane screen she can go for it!
• A change of clothes – obvious reasons. Babies are messy and sometimes they poop their pants. That being said, make sure YOU have a change of clothes in your carry-on as well. That will save you from having embarrassing poopy (or food that looks like poopy) stains on your outfit.
• A pair of jammies. Preferably the zip up kind for easy diaper changes.
• Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. I’m far from a germaphobe, but the airport is a whole other level. I once pried a half-eaten gummy bear from babes’ fingers. The wipes help, at least a little.
• Snacks and LOTS of them. Snacks are my #1 speed bump prevention tip! They are a great distraction. Babies are smart though, make sure you have a variety of snacks at the ready: Puffs, pouches, pretzels, gummies, veggie straws, whatever your kiddo is in to, pack it. We even have an emergency lollipop. It all happened by accident. Babes was screaming seemingly inconsolably, and hubby was sucking on his tootsie pop trying to avoid the glares of the passengers. Out of desperation I grabbed the lollipop and let babes have ONE lick. The heavens opened up and angels sang as she became silent and her little face lit up. We do a lot of things on vacation that we don’t do at home… Emergency lollipop was born.
• Tylenol and Motrin. Both for baby and mommy these items can be life savers. Travel size Advil is always a big space saver too obviously. Little ears can hurt, teething comes out of nowhere, and jet lag headaches can leave mommy in a daze. It makes it a lot easier if you have something to help ease the pain! This little travel kit comes in handy too!
• Muslin Blanket. Multiple multiple uses for one blankie. For it’s obvious reason of warmth, but also as a breastfeeding cover, stroller cover for naps, burp cloth or to just generally wipe up baby messes.
• Mommy essentials. Remember, you want everything you’ll need easily accessible. Think wallet, ID, chapstick, phone, headphones, travel papers, pen, etc.
  

 

The right travel gear. Depending on where you are going or what your plans are this could differ from trip to trip, but the biggest piece of advice we have is make sure you have quality items and streamline what you bring.

There’s no need to bring everything you own. In fact, there are only 3 things that we have not been able to do without. This goes for everything from hiking trips to cruises to touring big cities. The more you travel, the more you will see what your MUST HAVE items are. They may vary on brand or style, but I can guarantee you’ll have the same 3 on your list as we have on ours: travel stroller, carrier, perfect backpack diaper bag.

Travel stroller. You’re going to want one that is light but sturdy, foldable, and DURABLE. I’ve seen a few budget conscious families choose the cheap, umbrella strollers for travel. Though they are easily under $60 they are pretty much a disposable item. You have to check those and let’s just say airlines aren’t the gentlest with luggage. Who knows whether you’ll get your stroller or a pile of mangled plastic when you get to your destination. Buying one, quality piece of equipment far trumps multiple disposable items any day. It is up to you whether you would like to check it at the baggage counter, at the gate, or, like we prefer, store it in the overhead bin. There are only a few stroller cleared for the overhead bin, and our favorite is the Mountain Buggy Nano.

It weighs less than 11 pounds, folds up to the size of a briefcase, is rock solid and even has a few nice features like a sunshade, basket, folding footrest, and it reclines nearly fully. These are features you want to look for when buying the PERFECT travel stroller. You need to be able to bounce across cobblestone, zig zag through the airport, cruise along the trail and all while keeping babes (and yourself) comfy.

Carrier. Have you ever tried to balance a baby on your hip while searching through your bag for your wallet and trying to spill the drink in your hand? I know I have. And I nearly always end up spilling the drink. Never dropping the baby though. At least I’ve managed that.

Whether you have a newborn or a toddler, a carrier is another MUST HAVE item when traveling. It allows you to be hands free, keeps babes close to you in crowded areas, and simply makes life a little easier.

Traveling with kiddos under 3 is probably the BEST time to travel with them. They’re young (and light) enough where you can just strap them to you and go about your activities. Using our Boba Wrap I’ve done everything with babes from hike 1300 feet above sea level, 18km through the city or even do a mini obstacle course with her just tucked away like a baby kangaroo.

Carriers are also a great way to solve the fussy baby on the plane dilemma. The wrap carrier allowed babes to snuggle while I walked up and down the isle to get her to sleep. It can be really difficult to get a busy babe to fall asleep in a tight airplane seat and any little trick to calm them feels like a lifesaver.

So, try out your carrier at home. Is it comfortable? Does babes fit well in it? Do you feel like all of the weight of babes is distributed or are you feeling it in your back and shoulders? If it’s not the perfect carrier, you’re just creating your own speed bump in your travels. You want to be able to carry babes around effortlessly as you cruise through town, hike that trail, or even play mini golf, whatever you choose to do!

Backpack Diaper Bag. As I’ve said before, being hands free while traveling is such a stress reliever. You’re going to want to find a backpack diaper bag, and not just any backpack diaper bag. You need one that has comfortable straps, even weight distribution, plenty of pockets, and that is durable.

The Itzy Ritzy Boss is our go to for traveling diaper bags, but you could also very easily just use a quality backpack. Many backpacks, especially ones made for hiking, come with so many compartments and are incredibly comfortable.

Comfort is key. One of the main reasons people say traveling with babes is hard is because they do require a bit of equipment and, if not done properly, it can be very frustrating lugging a large stroller through airport security, carrying a heavy (and overpacked) diaper bag on your arm, or straining your back from carrying babes. Don’t set yourself up for failure. All of these speed bumps have easy solutions!

I can promise you that it will not be the end of the world if babes does not have her rocker, swing, walker, or all of her favorite toys. Kids adapt so well and there is absolutely no need for you to be lugging around every piece of equipment only to find that babes may use it once or twice on the trip. Save yourself the backache and luggage fees and just bring the basics.

3. Finally, Take a Deep Breath.

Traveling is an adventure, and even before babes our adventures had speed bumps. Planning and preparing can help you prevent a lot of these, but even with that planning things can and will happen. Babies cry (gasp!), things happen, and sometimes you forget to pack Mr. Snuggles. It’s OK!

Adventures aren’t always perfect, but a lot is how you perceive them. Our most recent, and largest trip, babes screamed on the plane for nearly an hour and when we got to London we passed the security checkpoint and couldn’t get to our sleep pod. Talk about let down! BUT that was just a tiny blurb in our trip! It paled in comparison to the beautiful cities, mountains, and waterfalls we saw. It was completely forgotten as we watched babes light up running through the park in Copenhagen. It became something we could laugh about afterwards because there was no long-term negative that came of it. It was simply a moment in time where we took a deep breath and the moment passed.

Those thoughts that our travel days would be coming to end are no longer a worry for us. We’ve done more in this little one’s short 14 months than most will in a lifetime. We’ve created memories we will never forget and continued to do what we love, see the world together. Of course there were speed bumps, but there are speed bumps without kiddos, and you can’t let that hold you back from experiencing the world.

Traveling with baby:

Easy Vacation with the Baby

MUST HAVE Baby Items for Travel

How to Get Baby’s Passport

Diaper Bag Carry On Packing List

*This post contains affiliate links. We only promote products we use and truly believe in. See our full disclosure police here.*

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