Travel with your Tiny Tot

Travel is a subject near and dear to my heart, as it has always been my passion and something I am not prepared to sacrifice simply because I happen to have children. With my 8-year-old, we first travelled internationally when he was 3 months old, and have since done many domestic and international trips ranging from camping to Vegas to backpacking in Indonesia. I have just now begun to repeat this tradition with my baby girl and hope to continue this for many years. Is it hard (and expensive)? Yes of course! But would I take back any of those trips, memories or photo opportunities? Absolutely not! Here are some of the things that I have learned, often the hard way, on my journey of travel with tots…

Travelling with babies. Many people will tell you to steer clear at all costs. I however say, do it, and do it soon! Once they become more mobile with crawling and walking (and before you can bribe them with treats, TV and other good parenting survival tactics), it becomes even more challenging. Also bear in mind that up until aged 2, you do not need to pay for a seat on flights, nor up until they go to school do you have to worry about working around school holidays, which is something my family still struggles with. So, my advice? Book that flight to Hawaii in February. Quick!

Getting from Point A to Point B

Plan for extra time to get anywhere, whether it be to catch a plane, train or automobile, or even just leaving the house in the morning for a daytrip. When we flew to Colorado we calculated time needed based on when we were just travelling with an 8-year-old, and forgot to factor in baby time. I guess we were a bit out of practice as we literally had to run, with baby, to make our flight!

Check the Airline’s Policies

Ordinarily, airlines allow you to check strollers, car seats and bases for free, and will allow you to take strollers under 20 pounds as far as the gate. Diaper bags also do not also count as your one piece of allotted carry on and can be taken as extra. If you are bottle feeding and have formula, you will also be allowed to take this as carry on even though it is liquid. If you are breastfeeding, hurrah! The necessary equipment  is highly portable and can definitely be taken onboard!

Take Advantage of VIP Pre-boarding

Always take advantage of pre-boarding since you have a child under 5. You will probably need to be at the gate about 45 minutes before departure to take advantage of this The good thing about doing this is that since you will be one of the first passengers to board you will also have a much better chance of fitting your cases in the overhead bins. So do maximize on what you are allowed to carry on, and do minimize checked bags and their associated charges.

Make Baby a Happy Passenger

Give baby bottle or breast for take-off and landing to try and alleviate ear popping, and hence screaming the plane down.

…And try not to take it personally, if you get side long glances, tuts and sighs from fellow travelers if your baby decides to squawk!

Make sure your diaper bag is super stocked with all your possible baby needs and that these are all easily accessible so you don’t have the misfortune of breast pads flying out in your endeavor to find the pacifier!

If you are going on an extended trip take enough diapers and wipes to last you a few days and then buy the extra you need when you get to your destination. You may want to invest in good quality ones that will stand the test of time for daytrips out, or otherwise face, as we did, many untimely blow outs!

Be Creative with Equipment

If you are not travelling to a friend or family members that has little kids and thus all the associated paraphernalia; cribs, playpens, chairs and whatnot, consider looking into companies (or ask your hotel about them) that will happily rent you whatever you need for baby for a daily charge. Or, if like me, you are a frugal traveler, you can get creative – we made a makeshift crib for Maisie out of a drawer lined with towels! If you are travelling to friends or family, discuss beforehand what they do and don’t have and also any other info they need to know about baby to avoid any miscommunications/surprises.

Keep it Lively

When going out to restaurants on vacation, or at any other time It goes without saying that you will want to look out for more family friendly places, happy to provide a high chair or crayons if older, and so you don’t feel frowned upon. I have also found the noisier the better. While this may mean your baby might not sleep, at least if she decides to cry, it will hopefully be drowned out by the buzz!

Most importantly, remember to have fun on your trip with your little one! Take lots and lots of pictures and video. It might be extra hassle and money to travel with baby, but the memories you will create are truly priceless.

Bon Voyage…!