Traveling with Kids Tips Week: Baby Travel

We’ve run a few week-long blog series this year including Washington DC with kids, New York City with Kids, Hawaii with kids, and most recently, Rome with kids.  I thought it would be fun to change things up and cover Traveling with Kids Tips with individual days dedicated to different age groups.

We’ll start with babies, toddlers, and then cover school age kids, tweens, and teens. Here’s the fun part — for babies and toddlers we’ve polled family travel website writers for their favorite tips. For school age kids and up — we’ve asked parents to ask kids to write their favorite tips. Stay tuned, the answers are entertaining!

Have a great tip you don’t see on this list? Add it to the comments and we’ll make it part of the permanent post.

Kara of The Vacation Gals

Buy an airplane seat for baby. It’s true that children younger than 2 can be “lap babies” on airplanes for free, but it’s much safer to have your child strapped into his or her car seat during take-off, landing and turbulence than in your arms. (I’ve heard many horror stories from my partner at TheVacationGals.com, a former flight attendant.) Plus, spreading out makes mom happier—hands are fully free to read a book!

Eileen of Taking the Kids

You will be a lot happier if you plan a trip where you have more space (apartment or villa, for example) and stay rooted in one place rather than moving every night.

Corinne of Have Baby Will Travel

– Get baby used to room temperature food and bottles. Saves hassle of heating while en route.

– Don’t begrudge naps. A rest is good for all of you – plan around them.

– Room upgrades are worth the splurge – more space for baby gear and nice view for naps & early bedtimes.

– Separate all of baby’s things throughout your luggage. If a bag gets lost, it’s not THAT one.

– By sticking to public transportation, you’re free from car seat dilemma and good to the environment!

– Short trip but still a time change? Consider staying on home time instead of switching to local.

Cindy of Traveling Mom

Ziploc bags are your friend. Pack several large ones (gallon size or so) with a diaper and a few wipes inside. Use another Ziploc for the reusable items — changing pad, creams, powder. That way you won’t have to schlep the huge diaper bag each time your baby needs a change.

Use the Ziploc that held the diaper to lock in the odors from the diaper you just changed — this is especially important if you’re changing the baby in the seats and don’t want to incur the wrath of your neighbors. Be sure to bring mores diapers than you think you’ll need.

Eunice of Random Walk Down Mommy Street

Wear disposable clothing (clothes you wouldn’t mind throwing away) and have extra on hand should they throw up on the plane.

If you’re (miraculously) traveling without any checked luggage, take their car seats to the gate. Then you can gate check them and you don’t have to wait for luggage on the way out. The car seats will also be placed in a better location in the cargo hold so they don’t get damaged.

Relevant Links:

Tips for flying overseas with babies

Traveling with kids week: teen travel tips