10 Mistakes to Avoid When Travelling With Your Baby

It’s a misconception that travelling with a new baby is challenging. The younger they are, the easier it is. Literally, all they do is sleep, and they can still sleep anywhere, and you can easily carry them in slings. So from a nightlife perspective, you can still eat out and enjoy your evenings. Once babies require bedtime, it’s tougher to do that, so travel early. Other bonuses: breastfeeding requires zero gear. Once babies are eating solids, travel (and life in general) gets real messy.

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At home, your Bumbo, rocker, playmat and activity cubes feel essential. Abroad, they’re just one more thing to schlep. I’ve limited our toys on vacation to three little and light items for the backpack, and two more larger items for our hotel room/rental. And by larger, I mean the size of an adult hand. In terms of gear, we became pretty low maintenance because our first big trip was international, and spanned three locations (Venice, the Amalfi Coast and Rome). We brought our umbrella stroller, a pack ‘n’ play and that’s about it.

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OK so I don’t recommend bringing every single piece of baby gear you own, but I do recommend calling ahead to find out if your hotel or Airbnb can provide things. Cribs can typically be arranged for your room, and sometimes even highchairs and bouncers, too. And there are tons of rental services now that can outfit your home away from home. (But babies are also totally happy to picnic on the floor!)

The first time I flew without my partner, my daughter was six months old. I settled into my flight, baby cozy in my arms, headphones in, and relaxed...until I had to pee. Now, peeing with a baby in a baby carrier is not super challenging, but peeing while carrying a baby in your arms? In a tiny bathroom? On a bumpy plane ride? Yeah, just a touch challenging. At the time, I managed, but looking back, I wish I’d asked a friendly flight attendant for help. Same goes for loading and unloading luggage, and managing with a stroller. Just ask for help. Ninety per cent of people will oblige.

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Your baby is a golden ticket, and you’d be a fool not to milk it for all it’s worth. Airport security and customs typically have a family line. There’s not always signage though, so keep your eyes peeled for local families making a beeline or airport staff who can direct you. And do NOT feel guilty (something I struggled with for several trips). Your fellow passengers who are currently waiting in the hour-long line have just enjoyed an uninterrupted trip during which they slept, watched movies, had a drink, and went to the bathroom without a tiny human hanging off their chest. So yeah, do not feel guilty about jumping lines. You took a baby on an airplane, you’ve earned it.

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The first time I travelled solo with my daughter was a five-hour flight to Vancouver. One hour in, she stained her onesie. “No sweat,” I thought, “I have three more onesies in our carry on.” Two hours in, she stained my entire outfit, from my shoulder all the way down to my knees. Major facepalm moment. I hadn’t packed a spare shirt for myself. I looked awful, and I smelled even worse. Word to the wise: pack an extra shirt...or two.

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Unless you’re being dropped by helicopter into a remote jungle, you’ll likely have access to a drugstore upon arrival. Do overpack on diapers in your airplane carry on, but don’t sacrifice precious packing space to diapers you can buy once you land.

Travelling on your own with a baby can be really special and rewarding — but it can also be challenging, tiring and boring. After a few months, your baby’s on a sleep schedule and it’s tougher to enjoy dinners and nights out, so you’re stuck in your hotel/rental after the baby goes to bed.

Enlist family and friends to travel with you and your baby. Not only will an extra set of hands prove immensely helpful, the added company will turn nights stuck inside into fun with friends.

When the opportunity to nab an impossible-to-get reservation at a restaurant in Rome presented itself, my husband and travel companions almost hesitated due to the time: 11:30PM. Ordinarily we’d never eat that late, regardless of having a five-month-old baby with us, but ordinarily we don’t get to eat in Rome, at highly rated restaurants, with lineups running around the block. So we took it. Our daughter went to bed at 8PM. At 11:15PM we gently transferred her to her stroller where she continued sleeping, and at 11:30PM we sat down to one of our best meals of the entire trip. Vacations are a great exercise in letting go of routines. Sure, it doesn’t always work out, and sleepy babies can be SUPER moody, but that’s the price of exploring the world with your young family, and if you’re the type to question whether it’s worth the effort, you have no business calling yourself a traveller.

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Travelling with a baby should have nothing to do with ticking sights off the list, and everything to do with bonding as a family. Don’t go expecting to see museums, eat at trendy restaurants and arrive home feeling rested and rejuvenated. You’ll find it’s simply enough to go for nice walks, nap, and allow your baby to take in new surroundings. And if you happen to squeeze in an Aperol Spritz, that’s great too.

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