How to Travel with a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Vacation With Baby a Success

Traveling with your baby for the first time is intimidating. There are so many things to plan, pack, and just plain worry about.

And you don’t know what you don’t know, right? Are there unforeseen concerns that you wouldn’t even think to prepare for? That was my biggest fear before our first trip with a baby – that I would completely mess something up because I just didn’t know better.

Now I do know, because I have done it many times. So I’ve put together this guide to answer all of the normal concerns and the “dumb” questions (there’s truly no such thing!), and hopefully give you the confidence that you know exactly what you are getting into.

Below are all of my favorite tips for traveling with a infant, along with links and resources to help you learn more.

Traveling with a baby can be tons of fun, and it’s an experience that you will treasure. With a little prep and planning, it doesn’t have to be a challenge.

Preparing to Travel with a Baby

Does my baby need a passport?

Please note, this is a US-based blog, so this section is specific to Americans (apologies to my international friends – you’ll need to check elsewhere for your passport requirements!)

It is never to early to get your child a passport. If you are planning to travel internationally, yes – your baby needs a passport. The only exception to this is Canada. American children under 16 can enter Canada with a birth certificate (but you still need your passport).

Keep in mind that passports can take a while to process, so plan ahead to ensure that your baby will have a passport in time for your trip. You can apply as soon as you have a birth certificate, even before you have a social security number. Consider expediting the passport if needed.

You’ll need to gather a lot of documents (find the list and directions here), and you will need a passport photo. This can be tricky with a baby! There are a lot of specific requirements for passport photos. Both times I’ve had them done at a passport photo booth at the drugstore, although honestly it would have been easier to do at home if we owned a photo printer.

It is helpful to make sure the place you go understands the different requirements for a baby passport vs. a child or adult. Our first baby’s photo was super easy because they knew to just lay her down on a white sheet and take the photo from above. Our second baby took a good 30 attempts because they insisted she needed to be “sitting upright” (impossible at 3 months, thanks) and I ended up holding her weirdly while trying to get her to look at the camera for long enough to get the photo.

What kind of vaccinations do we need?

That will depend entirely on where you are traveling to, but chances are your baby will need some.

You can look through the CDC’s list of recommended travel vaccines for each country, but a better approach is to just schedule an appointment with your pediatrician. They will have the most up-to-date recommendations, and they can sort through which ones are required based on your baby’s age (which will be different from what is recommended for you).

While you’re there, your pediatrician should be able to talk to you about other aspects of travel with a baby. Should you use sunscreen? (You can read all about that question here.) Do you need to worry about mosquitoes in that region, and what can you do to protect your baby from them?

Our pediatrician’s office offers a specialized travel clinic, where the doctor provides an in-depth guide to all of the risks/recommendations specific to the region of travel. Check with your pediatrician to see if they have something similar!

How can I prepare for my baby potentially getting sick?

While you’re having the vaccine chat with your pediatrician, also be sure to ask how you can get in touch with them while you are abroad. Remember that you will possibly be in a different time zone – is there a 24-hour line you can call?

Be sure to bring a first aid kit that includes baby dosage of all the usual things: pain reliever, fever reducer, diarrhea medicine, antihistamines. It can be hard (and scary!) to try to find medicine in a different country, especially when you need to be sure that you are getting the correct dosage for a baby. Bring all of that along in your carry-on bag.

Before your trip, look up the nearest hospital and urgent care to where you’ll be staying. Write that information down, along with the emergency phone number (like 911 in the US or 112 in the EU).

Have a plan for how to help your baby if he or she does get sick or hurt while traveling. You can read more about what to do when your child is sick on vacation here!

Do I need travel health insurance?

Yes!! You should never travel without health insurance that covers you internationally – especially if you are traveling with a baby! And most standard US insurance plans do not cover you outside of the states.

Check your insurance plan to see if you are covered worldwide at the same level as you are at home. Some plans do – I am fortunate that our insurance coverage remains the same anywhere in the world.

If you are not covered internationally, you’ll want to be sure to purchase travel health insurance. This is not the same as the “travel insurance” that covers things like flight cancellations – this is actual health insurance.

Some well-known travel insurance brands include World Nomads, Allianz, and Travel Guard. I don’t have any personal experience with them, so I cannot offer a recommendation.

Travel insurance is cheaper than you might think, but be sure to read through the fine print. The plans can vary widely: do they cover ER visits? Medical evacuation? It has come to attention lately – for obvious reasons – that most travel insurance plans do not cover illness caused by a pandemic.

Should I worry about visa requirements?

Yes! You should definitely do a quick Google search to see if the country you are visiting requires a visa and if you need to get it ahead of time. Most don’t, if you’re American. But some do.

Story time. I have been to upwards of 30 countries. When I was a newer traveler, I would always look into the visa thing. And over and over again, I would learn that either we did not need a visa, or we would just be required to fill out some paperwork upon arrival at the airport. In some cases, pay a small fee.

So I got complacent. I stopped checking. I assumed that wherever we went, we would – worst case scenario – have to pay for the visa upon arrival. This is one way in which Americans enjoy travel privilege, by the way.

I learned my lesson crying on the floor of our local airport earlier this year! It turns out that Americans need a visa to enter Vietnam, and you need to get it well ahead of time. We learned this as we were checking in at the airport, excited for our family trip that we’d been planning for months.

We were told that we would not be allowed to board the airplane. And I was devastated, because it was such a stupid mistake, and here was my 3 year old so excited to get on that plane, staring up at me.

Long (stressful) story short, an airline employee called the Vietnamese embassy for us. It took a lot of back and forth, cost us over $400, and was only possible because we had the good luck of finding that dual citizen Vietnamese-American employee. The process took 2 hours (thank goodness I am a stickler about getting to the airport early with a baby!!) and we barely made it to the gate in time.

But we made it. I am incredibly thankful for that airline employee helping us out, and I learned my lesson in a BIG way.

A 10 second Google search would have saved us all of that stress, time, and money.

How do I even go about planning a trip with a baby?

It is daunting to plan a vacation with a baby, especially if you’re not really that into planning things.

We were always loosely-planned travelers who would sometimes show up in a new country with nothing booked. But then we had a baby, and realized that just showing up and winging it wasn’t going to work anymore.

No, with a baby you need to make sure that you’re staying somewhere with a crib (or bringing one with you). You need to know what attractions there are that you can bring a baby to. You need to plan ahead.

If you’ve never used a travel agent before, this might be the trip to try it out if you’re feeling overwhelmed. But if you want to go the DIY route, I have a detailed guide for how I plan a trip with kids without a travel agent.

What about all the baby supplies that I’ll need?

Traveling with a baby doesn’t necessarily mean you need to bring everything but the kitchen sink. I find that there are really only 21 things that you absolutely need when you travel with a baby.

But just because you don’t need tons of baby equipment, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be nice to have. There are companies out there that allow you to rent baby supplies while you travel. The most well-known and beloved of these is BabyQuip. Imagine having a car seat, stroller, high chair, crib, and anything else you might need set up before you get to your destination. That is the ultimate in well-prepared travel. And you can find them in over 500 locations!

You can also try googling [your destination] + baby supply rental and see what you can find. It is a growing business model!

All About Flying with a Baby

How old does a baby have to be to fly?

Wondering when babies can fly? It can vary a bit, but most airlines allow babies to fly starting at either 1 or 2 weeks. Some as early as 3 days old, with a doctor’s note. And note that some airlines count that age from the due date, and not from the actual birth date – meaning, if your baby was born at 38 weeks, they might need to be 3 weeks old instead of 1 week old to fly. Google your airline + infant minimum age for the details.

While airlines will allow very young infants to fly, most pediatricians will recommend that you wait until at least 4 to 6 weeks, unless absolutely necessary. And chances are mama might not be fit to fly before that point, anyway.

All this is assuming a healthy baby. Certain ear, heart, lung, and respiratory issues can be exasperated by the cabin pressure.

Even if your baby is completely healthy, you should always get the go-ahead from your pediatrician first!

Remember that baby immune systems are not fully developed, so a very young infant will be relying on you to keep him healthy. Ensure best hygiene practices on the plane and throughout the trip, just as you would when you’re out and about with a new baby at home.

From a practicality standpoint, the younger a baby is (after the crazy first 6-8 weeks), the better. Travel with a 4 month old baby is a breeze! They sleep most of the day, they are easy to carry around, they don’t touch things and put stuff in their mouth, and they aren’t running off when you turn for a second.

It’s travel with a toddler that is a true challenge – trust me.

Do I have to pay for baby?

Sometimes. For babies under 2 years old, you have two options: buy them their own seat, or take them as a “lap infant”. A lap infant means that the baby does not have her own seat – she will stay on your lap the whole time.

Generally speaking, lap infants are free when you fly domestically within the US. Flying internationally, you often have to pay a fee for a lap infant. This can vary, but I find 10% of a full ticket price is pretty common. This doesn’t really get you much – many airlines do not provide any kind of meal for lap infants. You do get extra luggage allotment, though.

If you buy your baby his own seat, you pay full price for it. (Some international airlines give a small discount, but it is still another plane ticket).

There are distinct advantages to having a seat for the baby – most notably, your arms get a rest. You can bring your car seat on board (more on that in a bit). Even if you end up holding the baby for most of the flight anyway, you have some space to spread out.

It is a cost-benefit analysis for each family to make, but I can tell you from lots of experience both ways that having the extra seat is really nice, but having a lap infant is completely doable. Especially if you get the bassinet seat.

What is the bassinet seat, and do I want it?

The bassinet seat is a little baby cot that attaches to the wall of the plane in the bulkhead row. You have to reserve it ahead of time (call as soon as you book your flight), and you can use it with a lap infant – you do not need to buy the baby his own seat to get the bassinet.

People either love or hate the bassinet seat, and honestly a big part of that is this: bassinets vary widely from plane to plane and from airline to airline. I’ve seen some that are little better than a soft plastic tub to set your kid in. I’ve also seen some that were cushy, car seat-like devices complete with a 5-point harness. Some have a max weight that will keep all but the newest newborns from using them. Others have been great even for my chunky 18-month-old.

Some airlines will make you take the baby out anytime there is a risk of turbulence. Some airlines will let you keep the baby in, especially in a newer plane with a fancy harness bassinet. In all cases, you cannot use the bassinet during take-off and landing.

For me, I will always try to get the bassinet. Some people don’t like being in the bulkhead row, and if that’s you – you might not think it’s worth it. However, I love the bulkhead row with kids. Once we’re at cruising altitude, I spread out an airline blanket on the ground (leaving a little path for people to walk by, depending on the design of the plane), and we spread out our books, toys, and bags down there. Significantly more space, my kids can’t kick the seat in front of them, easier to get to the bathroom, AND the bassinet?? And I get to pay LESS because I didn’t buy the baby a seat? That’s how you do it.

Do be warned that the bassinet is never guaranteed, and bulkhead seats will go to wheelchair users before they go to a family with a baby. But on a large plane, there are several bulkhead seats available, and I’ve never been booted from a bulkhead seat before (nor have I talked to any parents who have).

Can I (and should I) bring a car seat on the plane?

This is a big question that a lot of parents have. People have super strong opinions about it, and there is plenty of mom-shaming out there over this issue. It is a personal decision, and you’ll find no judgment from me. I’ve gone both ways on this one, so I will just try to provide you with some info and pros/cons.

Remember that any car seat that you bring on board MUST have a sticker on it declaring that it is approved for use on an airplane by the FAA. More often than not, flight attendants will check – especially internationally.

Advantages of using a car seat:

Safety. According to the NTSB, about 95% of aviation accidents are survivable (if this seems odd, it’s because most happen on the runway). But that does not mean that they won’t be rough. In any speed of crash, the chances of you holding on to your baby are nil. Just like in a car, a baby in a car seat is safer than anybody else on board.

Comfort. If your baby is used to sleeping in the car seat already, having a familiar “bed” will be comforting. Maybe not as comforting as your arms, but definitely better than laying on the seat next to you!

Your arms get a rest. Even if you choose to hold your baby throughout most of the flight, the car seat is there to give you a break when you need it. You might even get a bit of sleep yourself!

Car seat for your destination. If you need a car seat at your destination, having it on board ensures that the airline will not lose or damage it.

Disadvantages of using a car seat:

Money. You have to buy the baby her own seat to use a car seat.

Tip: You can try bringing your car seat even if you have a lap infant, and ask at the counter if there are any open seats. Many airlines will put you next to an open seat and allow you to use the car seat! But this is far from a guarantee. You might end up checking the car seat, so be prepared for that.

Space. Airline seats are tiny. Most convertible car seats these days are NOT tiny. I made the mistake once of bringing our regular car seat for the flight. Not only was it heavy and burdensome, but it just barely fit, and took up part of my seat. Some will not fit, and you will be forced to check them. You definitely want to purchase a travel car seat. My recommendation is the cheap and lightweight Cosco Scenera Next (find it at Walmart for best price, or on Amazon).

Difficult installation. It can be really hard to properly install a car seat on an airplane. Sometimes the seat belt buckle will end up right under the baby’s back or bottom, which definitely causes discomfort. Even though I’ve done it several times, it still takes me a long time to install a car seat on a plane. Take advantage of early boarding for families – you’ll need the extra time!

Weird looks. Using a car seat on the airplane is pretty commonplace on domestic US flights, but in other parts of the world, it is completely novel. I’ve had several comments from other passengers – especially in Europe – about how odd it was that I brought it!

What should I know about bringing a baby to the airport?

The most important thing is to get there super early. Whatever the airport recommends (usually 2 hours) – follow those guidelines. You never know what is going to go wrong. Ticket problem? Poo explosion? You want ample time to deal with any potential issues.

Getting to the airport nice and early also gives you a better chance of using my favorite way to take advantage of having a baby. If you have not bought your child her own seat, you can ask at the ticket counter to be placed next to an empty seat. I’ve gotten lucky with this more often than not! Be sure to bring the baby to the counter when you ask for good measure.

You can do this at the gate, as well. We usually travel carry-on only and skip the ticket counter, but we get to the gate early and the agents there are able to move passengers around.

It is nice to have a stroller for the airport, but I wouldn’t bring one just for that. If you do have a stroller, you can bring it through security (more on that in a bit) all the way to the gate if you want to.

The other thing to know is that airlines will always let families with young children board early. You know how they go through the whole priority list – first class, active duty military, etc. – before they let everyone else board. Somewhere in there they will call for families with young children.

If there are multiple adults and multiple kids, the easiest approach is to split up duties. Adult A is in charge of the baby and maybe one bag. Adult B is in charge of all the other bags and the car seat (if applicable). When you get on the plane, Adult B gets the bags up as quickly as possible and then gets to work installing the car seat, while Adult A just tries to keep the baby – and any older kids – happy.

Some people like to split up and have Adult B board early to get everything set up, but then Adult A waits until the last minute to board, to give any older kids extra time to run out their energy. I like this in theory, but don’t really like to split up while traveling.

Do I have to pay to check this stroller or car seat?

In most cases, you can bring baby gear on board the plane for free when you are traveling with a baby. All major US carriers and most international carriers will check your stroller or car seat for free.

However, you cannot guarantee that your baby items will be treated with care and respect. This is important to understand as you think about how and if to check your items.

Strollers: Generally, you can choose to either check your stroller at the curb, at the ticket counter, or bring it through security with you and check it at the gate. Some airlines will ask you to check “large” strollers at the ticket counter, but many will allow any stroller through to gate check.

Gate checking is nice because it is helpful to have the stroller as you go through the airport, especially if you’re also hauling a lot of other carry-on bags. It also means that (usually) the stroller will be right there waiting for you when you disembark the plane. Unfortunately, some airlines will send strollers down to baggage claim at some airports. It can be hit-or-miss, but we’ve never had it happen to us.

If you want to protect your stroller, you can get a stroller bag. Many stroller companies will honor warranties for a stroller damaged by an airline only if the stroller was in their brand’s stroller bag.

Nowadays, you can also find “pocket strollers”, or strollers that fold down small enough to fit in the overhead bin. We absolutely love our Uppababy Minu, and have successfully stored it overhead in several planes. We’ve also just gate checked it to give ourselves less to carry on.

Car seats: If you are bringing your car seat to have at your destination but do not want to use it on the plane, you can check it for free. Like strollers, you can choose to curb check, ticket counter check, or gate check. And like strollers, there is a real chance that a car seat can get damaged. But this is a much bigger deal, because car seats can sustain damage from being thrown that you might not see, but that compromises their safety.

The safest way to check a car seat is in the original box. This isn’t always realistic, so the next best option is a high-quality car seat check bag.

So is it better to counter check or gate check these items?

That’s definitely debatable. I know a lot of airlines will only cover damages on items that are ticket counter checked, and will not cover damages for gate checking. So for a stroller where the damage is more likely cosmetic than hidden and dangerous, that might be a better bet.

That being said, we’ve all seen baggage handlers throw luggage onto a plane. Everything that gets counter checked is getting that same treatment. Now, there is no guarantee that they won’t be just as rough with gate check items, BUT those items are taken after everything else is loaded, usually just by hand because there are only a few, and it is clear that everything there is a stroller, car seat or wheelchair. So I always believe that they’re probably a bit gentler on those items.

Other baby items: Some airlines have provisions for other baby items to check for free, including pack n plays and wagons. (We sometimes travel with a Veer wagon, and have been able to gate check it as a stroller). Some airlines will allow breast pumps and diaper bags as a carry-on without counting against your carry-on limit, but some will not. Check the FAQ page of the airline you are flying, or scan through this guide that has compiled that information for many of the major US airlines.

Can I bring baby food and milk through security?

Yes! TSA (and most international equivalents) exempt baby food, milk, and juice from the 3 oz rule when traveling with a baby. They are considered medically necessary and, like medicine, can be brought through in any reasonable quantity.

There is some debate about what qualifies as a “baby” for this rule. I’ve heard stories of people who were not allowed to bring milk for their older toddler/preschooler, but I imagine up to 2 should qualify as an infant (since that is the lap infant cut off age).

You should declare any items that do not meet the 3 oz rule as you put your bags up on the conveyor. Ideally, have them in a separate clear ziploc bag so you can pull it out easily to set it on top. Don’t make it seem like you’re trying to sneak anything through.

They will likely test your baby food for explosives. For sealed packages, they’ll generally just swab the exterior. For milk in a cup, they might open it and take a small sample to test. It’s always been pretty quick.

Breastmilk falls under this category as well, regardless of whether you are traveling with your baby or not. And I’m not sure what they would consider an “unreasonable” quantity, but I have never heard of anyone being told they’ve brought too much breastmilk. I have personally brought close to a gallon through security after a long weekend away from the baby.

What is it like going through security with a baby?

Going through security with a baby can be a stressful situation, especially if you are traveling without a partner. Plan ahead to set yourself up for success, but don’t worry if you take a little longer than the people around you. You can find everything you need to know about airport security with a baby here.

Should I fly during the day or night?

There is no right or wrong answer here. Some people feel strongly one way or the other, but I’ve had both good and bad experiences either way.

If your baby is super young and sleeps a lot, just do what works best for you.

If your baby is older, you need to weigh the risks.

For an overnight (“red eye”) flight, the worst case scenario is that your cherub doesn’t sleep at all – which means you don’t, either. You’ll probably lose a day or 2 recovering from that. But the best case scenario is that your baby sleeps peacefully through the night, and you wake up at your destination ready to tackle vacation mode.

For a daytime flight, there are a few bad potential outcomes. Either the baby sleeps the whole time, and then is ready to be awake all night when you’re trying to sleep and battle jet lag at your destination. Or your baby is awake and miserable for the whole daytime flight because this is the time of day that she is usually up and about playing, and she does NOT want to be stuck in your arms or her car seat the whole time.

The best outcome for a daytime flight is that your baby stays on your same schedule, takes a nice nap, and happily plays and entertains himself the rest of the flight. They everyone is ready for a good night’s sleep at your destination.

What you choose will really depend on your kid, the type of trip you have planned (and if you’ve built in recovery time for a long flight, which you should), whether or not you have a car seat or bassinet, and which of the above scenarios seems the most painful for you. There are always other factors as well, like cost and length of layovers.

I wouldn’t base the decision exclusively on what other people feel is easier with a baby (red eye vs. daytime) because each flight experience is completely different.

How do I survive the flight itself?

I have tons of tips for making flying with a baby bearable (and even possibly enjoyable). Check out my ultimate guide to flying with a baby here!

Manage Your Expectations for International Travel with an Infant

Can I bring my stroller along?

Sure, but you might not want to.

This is highly dependent on where you are traveling to, but many areas of the world are not as stroller-friendly as we are used to in the US.

Imagine walking through a city with sidewalks that are about 12 inches wide, often have motorbikes parked blocking said sidewalks, all of the roads are cobblestone with large potholes all over, cars fly down these narrow roads at high speed, and many of the sidewalks will randomly have a massive set of stairs. (I’m really just describing every major city in Italy!)

Add to that the fact that museums, restaurants, and attractions often will not allow you to bring in your stroller and don’t exactly have a place to store it, either. This is the case in many places where stroller use is not as common.

If you are going to bring a stroller, I highly recommend getting a “pocket stroller” like the Uppababy Minu (pictured above). You can fold it up to store under the table in the restaurant. You can sling it over your shoulder when you come to that sidewalk staircase. It is lightweight but strong enough to handle the cobblestone.

A better bet is babywearing while you travel! This will give you the ultimate flexibility, takes up less space, and keeps your baby as close to you as possible. Here is a list of the different types of baby carriers, and which ones I think work best for travel.

If you’re thinking about bringing a stroller, do a quick search for blogs or forums that talk about how stroller-friendly your destination is (this is something I always include in my guides!). Some places will be easy to navigate with a stroller! But if not, you’ll want to plan ahead for an alternative.

They’ll have high chairs, right?

Not all places that you go will have high chairs and other baby supplies readily available. If you stick to touristy areas, restaurants are more likely to have them. But if you travel off the beaten track a bit, some cultures just don’t really use high chairs.

I don’t love holding a squirmy baby while I’m trying to eat, but I’ve ended up doing it a lot while traveling. One downside of babywearing is that most baby carriers are not comfortable to sit down in, and you might not have anywhere to set the baby.

In many cultures, babies are just always held. In Thailand, anytime we were in a restaurant that wasn’t overly busy, the waitresses would offer to hold our 4 month old for us! It was a welcome break, we both got to focus on our meal, and our baby was happy to meet so many smiling faces.

If your baby is a bit older, you can consider bringing a travel high chair. This is a fabric contraption that goes over the back of a regular chair and you can strap your baby in. We had mixed results with this for our 18 month old, but it took up very little space in the bag and for some meals, made a huge difference.

When booking lodging, check to see if they have baby supplies available for you. Don’t assume that every hotel or Airbnb will have them!

What should I learn about cultural norms before I go?

It is always a good idea to have at least a general knowledge of cultural norms before you travel to a new place – and this is even more true when traveling as a family. (Although, I have found people around the world to be incredibly lenient and understanding of anything when we have a baby with us).

For example, I always like to know what the culture is around breastfeeding. I’ve enjoyed breastfeeding while traveling all around the world, and different countries have different expectations – and it might not be what you imagine. In Israel, the culture is incredibly supportive of nursing moms and I felt comfortable doing so openly. In Malta, it is still looked upon as a private act that should be hidden, and I acted accordingly.

Another cultural norm I always research is car seat usage. In some countries, it is strictly required and taxis will happily allow you to install a car seat. In other countries, car seats are not a norm. In Rome, we were told by multiple taxis that the car seat had to go in the trunk, even for a 45 minute ride from the airport (sorry, nope). In Thailand, most taxis didn’t even have seat belts. Knowing the culture ahead of time can help you to plan – will you be better off using the bus system? Uber? (More on that in the next section).

Are there religious or cultural norms in the country that you should know about before you go? We were in Jerusalem on Shabbat – 24 hours during which all restaurants, groceries, taxis, buses, and everything else is shut down each week. We knew what time we needed to buy groceries by, and to head to the Muslim quarter for dinner! If we hadn’t, we would have been hungry and miserable.

It is also helpful to understand how local people generally react to foreign babies, and this might vary based on your race. Our experiences have ranged from most folks being kind but disinterested (Netherlands) to constant groups of people trying to take pictures with our baby (Vietnam). Families of color sometimes have a very different experience, depending on where you travel.

All of these things are worth looking up ahead of time. Blogs specific to traveling to a certain location with a baby can be very helpful, as can travel forums.

How do I safely get around with a baby while traveling?

Before you had a kid, you could plan a long day of sightseeing and just hop in a taxi to get there. But now what? Are you expected to lug that car seat on your hike to the waterfall? Or should you just risk it in the taxi ride without one, even if you would never dream of doing that at home?

This is a complex question, and there is no one right answer. Some people take the “when in Rome” approach – and honestly, as I’m driving down a road in Indonesia seeing a father with 4 kids standing behind him on a motorbike – it is easy to feel like I’m doing the “safe” thing by being in a car at all.

But that’s really not the case, and while I have absolutely no judgment for families that feel comfortable without a car seat, I just don’t. So I’ve spent a ton of time and effort figuring out how exactly to get around as safely as possible, while acknowledging that there may be some added risk.

You can read in depth about my suggestions for safe transportation on vacation here, but these are some of the ways that I’ve minimized risk for our family, depending on where we are. Some are safer than others:

• Stay within walking distance of public transport (bus or rail).
• Bring a small, lightweight car seat to use to and from the airport and on any days out.
• Reserve a private transfer to and from the airport, and ensure that they will allow (or provide) a car seat.
• Hire a driver for a day of sightseeing, and request a car seat.
• Take a pedicab or tuk tuk and ask them to go nice and slow so you can enjoy the scenery.
• Take a minibus shared transport to get between cities, and opt to sit at the back and use the lap belt.
• For an older child, bring a travel booster seat or a RideSafer vest (these fit as young as 3 year olds).
• Minimize taxi time and only utilize for short, slow city trips.

If you find yourself needing to be in a taxi without a car seat, do not hold the baby and buckle the belt around you both. The force of your body weight moving with velocity will crush the baby into the seat belt with much more force than just your actual weight.

A better option is to buckle the baby into her own seat belt next to you, with the lap belt going over the top of her thighs (not on her stomach). This is your best bet if you end up in a taxi without any kind of car seat. This is still incredibly dangerous, but will keep your baby from flying out of the car and will offer some protection in a lower speed crash. [Sources: Safe Ride 4 Kids & The Car Seat Lady]

Another (worse) option is to buckle yourself in, and then use a baby carrier outside of the seat belt attached to you. Keep in mind that this does nothing to protect your baby’s head from the force of the crash, and with enough speed (and we’re talking like 20mph here, potentially even less), that baby carrier might not hold the baby in.

Transportation is one of the biggest considerations that I make when I’m planning a trip. I look forward to the day that both of my kids can use travel boosters, but in the mean time, I have definitely planned some trips around public transportation.

Should I stay in a hotel or Airbnb?

There are advantages to each.

Hotels are great because you get the full vacation treatment: housekeeping, booking and transfer services, room service and restaurants on site, and all the other perks that hotels offer!

Airbnbs are great because you’ll often have more space, laundry, a kitchen, and in many cases they will have all the baby supplies you could possibly need without the extra charge (hotels will often charge a big nightly fee to rent a crib – I’ve paid as much as $65/night!)

Airbnbs are almost always cheaper than a decent hotel, as well.

If it is just you adult(s) + the baby, either option is fine and it just depends on how you like to travel. But if there are other kids involved, I highly lean toward Airbnb. With multiple kids, it is so nice to have separate rooms and space to spread out – and many hotels will force you to buy two rooms if you have more than 4 people, baby included.

You can find my detailed breakdown of why I prefer to use Airbnb for family travel here!

You can also find tips and tricks for babyproofing your Airbnb or hotel here.

Is there such a thing as childcare while traveling?

Yes! Although not everyone is comfortable using it. But it is so incredibly nice to have a half-day or an evening to yourselves during your trip with baby!

Depending on where you travel to, you might have some of these options:

• An in-room hotel babysitter, provided or vetted by the hotel or resort
• A kids’ club (although most of these do not accept babies)
• A “travel babysitter” hired from a local agency that specializes in working with tourists
• A local childcare center that allows drop-ins (particularly common in heavy tourism areas)
• Someone that you bring with you – you’ll end up paying for their airfare and lodging, and if they are a professional you’ll pay them hourly as well (versus, say, your niece who would happily trade a few nights of baby duty for several days of free vacation)

I go into detail about all of these childcare on vacation options (plus a few more creative ideas!) here.

Do babies get jet lag? What is that like?

Yes. Just like adults, children can suffer from the effects of jet lag. Fortunately, for young babies, it really is not so bad. If your child doesn’t yet have an established sleep routine that is getting disrupted (ie, they still sleep most of the day and night anyway), they’re not as likely to experience the negative effects.

If you have an older baby or toddler, though, you might have to fight jet lag. In a young child, jet lag can look like insomnia, lethargy, hyper-activity, inability to adjust to a time change, appetite change, and even nausea and headaches.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do before, during, and after the flight to fight jet lag – even if you’re traveling to the opposite side of the world.

You can find my detailed guide to babies and jet lag here!

How can I maintain a normal sleep routine?

This is pretty closely linked to jet lag, and incredibly important for having an enjoyable vacation with an infant.

There are 2 big considerations: time change and comfortable sleep setting.

If you will experience a time change of 3 hours or less, I recommend staying on your home time, if possible. Or you can adjust slowly, pushing forward or moving back bedtime by 30 minutes each day.

For example, if baby normally goes to bed at 7pm, and you travel from NY to LA, you’ll put baby to sleep at 4pm instead. Maybe 4:30 the next day. Then 5.

If you are doing a more drastic time change, read through the jet lag article linked just above. I talk in depth about how to deal with a major time change for a baby.

The other consideration is the sleep setting. Your vacation is not the time to suddenly move from a crib to a completely new type of bed! Consider getting a travel crib (read my recommendation for the Joovy Gloo here!) and helping your baby adjust to sleeping in it before the trip. I suggest you get it at least a month ahead of time and practice travel bed training to get your baby comfortable sleeping in it. Everyone will benefit from getting more sleep!

Be sure to bring any sleep aids (pacifier, lovey, blanket for older baby, etc.) from home. Babies need familiarity to be able to sleep.

Can my baby drink the tap water?

That depends on where you are going. If you haven’t yet, google your destination + is tap water potable. Potable means safe to drink.

Some places will be a very clear, resounding yes. Some places will be a very clear, resounding no. Some places will have mixed responses – consider that a no (at least for the baby).

The truth is, even places with the best water in the world can still give you a bit of stomach upset. Mild traveler’s diarrhea is common, and does not necessarily mean the water is unsafe, just that your system is not used to it.

In places where the water is not safe, stick to bottled water. Ensure that it is sealed when you buy it. Opt for brands you recognize. Some people (and even companies) in the developing world will sell bottled tap water as “bottled water”.

Contaminated water can find it’s way to you in other ways. Avoid produce that you can’t peel and ice in drinks. Many larger establishments in tourist areas (and most resorts) will use filtered water for their produce and ice, but as you venture further out, you risk more.

For the record, we have not been super careful about this for ourselves. I’ve had severe food poisoning twice while traveling, and it sucks. We’re cautious of food in certain types of establishments, but we don’t overthink it.

However, with the babies, we are more careful. They don’t need that kind of misery.

Sticking to packaged foods for your baby will be your best bet in areas with unsafe drinking water. If your baby does end up with diarrhea, find some Pedialyte or WHO ORS (oral rehydration salts). ORS are usually easy to find in developing countries, but also easy to buy ahead of time and pack in your first aid bag just in case.

How do I clean bottles or make formula if the water is unsafe?

Yep, that’s a struggle. For water that your baby will consume (either directly or in formula), follow the guidance above for finding safe bottled water. Some people recommend still boiling all water that your baby will consume – even if it is bottled. I have not gone this far, but that’s an option.

For washing bottles and pacifiers (and brushing teeth, for that matter), we stick to bottled water, too. Places that have unsafe water will usually have an electric kettle, making it easy to boil water. This will help with cleaning bottles and baby supplies.

Boiling will not necessarily make the tap water 100% safe, so still opt for bottled water if possible.

---

Did you make it all the way to the end?? I know that this is a TON of information, and keep in mind that I’ve been accumulating this knowledge over many trips with little ones. You don’t have to (and won’t) do everything right the first time.

Traveling with babies is amazing. It takes some extra planning and is definitely less relaxing, but there are major advantages to traveling with a baby, too.

So get out there and keep exploring. You’ll love looking back at the memories – and nothing is cuter than baby vacation pics!

Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or further advice that I missed! And best of luck on your upcoming trip.

Originally published August, 2020. Updated January, 2023.