Growing up my parents were really big into traveling, and I got the “bug”. Travelling definitely tops my list of “hobbies”. When we had Kyle, I was excited to continue traveling like we always had, plus baby! We’ve been very fortunate to travel a bunch since the birth of our son Kyle.
The first “trip” the 3 of us took was when Kyle was 3 weeks old when we drove up north to the cottage for thanksgiving weekend 2010. Not a “real” trip, but it was definitely a haul. When Kyle was 5 months old, we drove 8 hours (yes, you read that right, 8 hours) to Tremblant, Quebec. Let’s just say, lesson learned, and we’ll never do that drive again! This year, I’m flying porter with Kyle while John, my husband, is driving there with his family. When Kyle was 6 months, we took a 24 hour trip (time of travel from leaving our house to arriving at the hotel) to Hawaii. At 9 months, we flew to New York for 4 days and this past August, we spent a week’s vacation up at the cottage. Most recently, we flew to Edmonton in October to spend a week with my brother and his family and in November, we flew to the Bahamas for 4 days. With all this travel, Kyle is officially an elite frequent flyer member!*
Based on my experience of traveling and receiving tips from other frequent flyer parents, I’ve compiled a list of things to do and bring to make the trip more enjoyable for you and your little travel partners. I’d also love to hear some of your best tips for traveling?
1. If flying, request a bulk head seat from the airline and if baby is around 6 months or younger, ask for a bassinet. Some airlines charge extra for the bulk head seat, while others provide it for free. Either way, we found that it is well worth the extra cost. We had this for our flight to Hawaii and it was GREAT! Kyle slept for 6 hours on one of our 3 flights and it was amazing for all of us. The extra space was also very enjoyable. I also brought a pillow with us so if your child doesn’t want to sleep in the bassinet or is too big for it, they can fall asleep on the pillow that you’re holding. Much more comfortable for both of you!
2. If at all possible, avoid long drives (i.e. drives over 3 hours) with babies / toddlers and fly instead. Kids are much more calm and entertained if they’re being held by you or are able to crawl / walk. If you still have to drive, I recommend planning for a break every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Babies need to “stretch” as well.
3. Whether traveling by plane or car, bring lots of toys to keep them occupied. I would recommend bringing a few “old” favourite toys and a few new toys that the baby hasn’t seen before. A lot of people recommend brining portable DVD’s with headsets.
4. Bring lots of diapers and baby wipes and change of clothes (for you as well if traveling for longer than 6 hours). Bring formula, water and milk. There are no limits on quantities when it comes to babies. They may just ask you to drink the water at security to show that it’s “legit”. Also, on some flights / airlines, they don’t serve milk, so buy at the airport before boarding. Bring plenty of snacks for babies eating solids. A baby blanket is also a good idea since it tends to cool down on planes, especially if you have a window seat.
5. If baby is still in “bucket” seat, the “snap n’ go” is probably best for travel. Otherwise, investing in a GOOD QUALITY umbrella stroller would be well worth your money. We have a Maclaren stroller and I bought it used but in great condition. I love it! We keep it in our trunk at all times and is great for travel / brining on the plane.
6. Always bring a baby carrier with you. If baby is fussy in his stroller and can’t walk yet, they will love going anywhere you go if they’re in the carrier. Also makes for a great “bed on the go” for them.
7. Most places will provide a playpen / pack-n-play. Just ask for it when you make the reservations. If they don’t have it, they can probably refer you to a local store that rents them out. They usually provide delivery and set-up as well. Find najlepsze hotele that are family-friendly. Well worth the extra cost versus schlepping it with you. They’re pretty heavy and you will already have enough to carry.
8. Car-seats. If you plan on doing a lot of driving on your-own while traveling, it is worthwhile to bring your own car-seat and own car shades. Otherwise, if you will be traveling by bus or larger shuttle cars, you can hold your baby in your lap. Some states (like New York) don’t have a law requiring car-seats in their Taxi. I personally wouldn’t want to hold my baby in any car, but if you’re willing to “risk” it, you can check out the local laws wherever you’re traveling to.
9. If you’re traveling somewhere warm and will spend most of your time in the same place, I recommend getting a beach tent. We got one for Hawaii and it was the best purchase we ever made. It helped keep Kyle out of the sun and protected him from flying sand.
Of course, if he was a good napper, it would have also been great to put him in there for his naps. The tent folds small and almost daily, we had someone offer us money for it. They were all a bit disappointed to hear that we bought it in Canada. On the same note, a blow-up float is also great as it folds small and makes a great raft for the babies while in the pool (supervised of course).
I would also recommend purchasing a few water toys from the dollar-store. We usually leave these behind but are great to take for the pool / beach. 10. Bring camera to capture the memories. Your baby / toddler will most likely not remember the vacation, so take tons of pictures to show them where they’ve been once they’re older.
11. HAVE FUN! Babies / Toddlers react and read off your cues. The more fun you’re having and the more relaxed you are, the more they will be as well.
P.S. Don’t forget to pack: Baby Advil / Tylenol, thermometer, bottle brush, hat and sunscreen.
*Actually he’s not… but he is elite “cuteness”!
Irit Targonsky says
Thanks Maya! What kind of carrier do you use now that he’s bigger?
I raided shoppers drug mart yesterday! 🙂
Mayahood says
We still use the baby bjorn (with extra back support) as Kyle still fits into it. You can get the hiking carriers that go on ur back. We’ve seen tons of people bring those on the plane with them (check them at the gate). They sell them at MEC but we also have one if you want to borrow it 🙂
Abi At Play says
Thanks for the tips I love traveling and so far my daughter hasn’t cried while on a plane. P.S. your professional pic in Hawaii is fantastic!
Mayahood says
Thanks Abi@play. Planes are good but now that Kyle’s walking, we know he’ll just want to walk up and down the aisles the whole time. I hope people won’t mind!
arjungabriel says
Thanks a lot. these tips are very useful for would be parents. My better-half is expecting. So this was perfect.
Harish
Mayahood says
Thanks for reading my blog and congrats on having a baby soon! It’s the best trip you’ll ever take 😉
M Vitalis says
Thanks for the tips; I really want to go camping this summer with the kids.
Mayahood says
I remember that I loved traveling when I was younger. I’m sure your kids will love it too. There’s nothing more amazing than spending family time together in the outdoors; where kids can be kids 🙂
katierayblair says
Very helpful! I have a one month old and we are a family who travels a lot, but I am nervous about traveling now that we have a little one. I’m such a planner and my biggest fear is forgetting something. Thanks for the tips!
Mayahood says
Hi Katie,
I’m not a planner, but I def. became one when it came to travelling with an infant. I mean, I packed days in advance!! I can totally relate. Luckily, we live in the 21st century, which allows us to buy whatever we did forget at our travel destination. That usually keeps me at ease. Save travels!
crackedmum says
We did a 3-day drive (each way) to visit family over the holidays with a 20 month old and a 3 1/2 yr old. Ultimately I DO NOT recommend doing this. We could have done the drive in 2 days, but the extra night in a hotel was absolutely worth ending each day of driving earlier. We watched movies (The Grinch about 30 times) on our portable DVD player, sang, I brought a big box of toys and books, a big box of snacks, we stopped every 2 hours at a place where the kids could play (McD’s playlands usually) and pretty much just sucked it up when they whined.
Mayahood says
Wow! You’re amazing for survivng that and telling others about it! Thanks for the “road” tips 🙂
redeyefamily says
Great tips! I totally agree with you about how many hours a child can stay seated in a car! We’ve taken long driving trips, too. It can be very rough without a lot of breaks.
priyankakher says
This is a great post! My daughter is four and we are kinda getting back on track with our traveling now. Will be going to NYC with her in March. In saying so I have traveled a lot with her earlier, including a 15 hour flight from New Delhi To Chicago!! The fact that we made it through that has encouraged me to plan more trips. I really like the theme of your blog:)
Nicole says
What brand did of beach tent did you have? I know you said it was from Canada, but do you recall the brand? Thanks!
Maya Fitz says
Coleman