Travel Tips
Is traveling with baby worth it?
Many parents aim for their baby to be a “barnacle” rather than an “anchor”, meaning instead of tying you down to staying at home, you just strap them onto you (metaphorically and often literally) and they come along for all your grownup adventures
This can be a very rewarding approach, and it’s definitely the one I tried to embrace, but it does have its downsides
Traveling with kids require a wholly different mindset than travel pre-kids: way more preparation, adjusted expectations for what sightseeing/activities you’ll be able to accomplish, and a recognition that you will likely be even more tired than you are at home
My personal definition of vacation with kids is “being tired in a new, more beautiful place”
Travel can also set you back on any progress you’ve made with sleep training (and later potty training) or other habits, especially if it involves new time zones or if your baby is sensitive to new sleep spaces
That said, I have never regretted it - spending time with people you love, or in places that are special to you, makes it all worth it
My son went on many cross-country flights before he turned 1 year old, and while in the moment there was plenty of struggle, my memories looking back on those trips are dominated by just the positive, fun parts (selective memory is useful like that!)
Consider whether or not there will be other people around to help you and bond with your baby, like grandparents/aunts and uncles
However, given that travel is a ton of work and effort, it’s probably not worth it for something like a random aquantaince’s wedding or a gathering of friends you’re lukewarm about. Kids are a great excuse to start saying “no” to things you’re not actually that excited about.
Ages to fly
While technically most airlines will let a baby as young as 1-2 weeks old to fly, it’s best to wait until 3 months for air travel (unless it’s an emergency)
The problem isn’t the air pressure or anything related to flying, it’s the risk of exposure to pathogens from other travelers in the airport and on the plane
Babies have more protection against serious illness after getting their 2 month vaccines, but since it actually takes a few weeks to fully develop the immune response from the vaccine, I’d recommend waiting until 3 months if possible
The sweet spot for travel with babies is between 3-9 months because they are still sleeping a lot and aren’t yet mobile
The hardest age is between 9-20 months because they are more active, but still have no attention span, so require constant entertainment
We traveled to Spain when our daughter was 20 months old and I describe the journey as 15+ hours broken into 30-second increments as we attempted to keep her happy with one thing and then another
Things get easier again once they can start watching screens, even if it’s just for short segments.
I remember my pre-kids self vowing to avoid technology with my future children…how naive I was! We do try to make screens a special treat reserved only for flights or long car rides.
Choosing a flight time
If you have flexibility in selecting a flight time, you’ll want to consider whether to pick one that will include nap or avoid nap
This really depends on the child - if they’re good at napping anywhere, definitely schedule the flight during nap to fill the time
But if they don’t do well sleeping in new places (like mine, sadly), opt for timing where they can get a good nap before or after the flight, rather than praying that it’ll work out on the flight and then ending up with a cranky, overtired kid
In our experience, the worst times are when landing halfway through naptime or bedtime
Same logic applies to red-eyes and night sleep, but the stakes are obviously even higher - if you doubt your child will sleep well, and they may in fact keep other travelers from sleeping, then it’s not worth the risk
Choosing seats
If First Class is within your budget, there are some advantages of having the extra space (and especially fully-reclining seats), particularly for a long flight
The downside is you may feel more guilty if your child is disruptive, since your neighbors paid a lot for those seats. So again, it comes down to knowing your child and the phase they are in.
Within Economy, we like picking a seat in the front of the section where you’ll have extra legroom, fewer neighbors, and don’t have to worry about your child kicking the seat in front.
The disadvantage here is they make you put all bags away for takeoff and landing (though you can still grab a few toys/snacks to keep with you), and people going in and out of the bathroom may wake a sleeping baby
Babies under 2 years old can fly for free as “lap infants” - you just add them to your own seat reservation. This is clearly the most cost effective option, but there are some cases where you might consider buying your baby their own seat.
If your baby is in an especially wiggly phase, it’s nice to have more personal space. And if you’re in a row of 3 and traveling with your partner, buying baby a seat means you take up the full row and don’t have to worry about annoying a stranger.
Some older babies sleep better in a car seat than in your arms. Even when awake, a car seat can be useful for containing them as they play. If you buy their own seat, you’re allowed to bring a car seat on (the Doona, or once they outgrow it, this super light Cosco). But keep in mind, it has to be installed in the window seat, since it’s otherwise too hard for people to move in and out.
If your child is a kicker, install the car seat backwards facing so they don’t bother the person in front of them
Note that some airlines, like Southwest, allow you an extra seat for an infant (with carseat) even if you did not purchase it as long as the flight has extra seats. You can ask at the gate when you check-in. If they have room, you can carry on the carseat, and if there isn’t room, you can gate-check the carseat.
Packing
Start to pack no later than 3 days before the trip, so you have time to Amazon Prime any items you realize you’re missing! If you’re traveling domestically, you can rest easy knowing there’s always a Target not too far away where you can get any baby essentials you forgot, or need to restock during the trip
Many hotels and Airbnbs offer cribs or pack-and-plays but make sure to inquire and confirm before depending on that. Otherwise, the Lotus or Graco Pack & Play are great to bring along. Airbnb’s “amenity” list will also tell you if the house has a highchair available.
If you’re going to be visiting grandparents’ house frequently, it might be worth buying a travel crib and highchair that can be kept at their house
There are also baby gear rental companies you can use for all sorts of baby items: check out BabyQuip or Baby’s Away
Hotels usually have great blackout curtains, but for Airbnbs, you’ll need to look carefully at the photos to determine the exact situation
You can always travel with Sleepout curtains or the Slumberpod
But our favorite strategy is to rent a house where the master bathroom has a walk-in closet large enough to fit a crib. You then don’t need to worry about blacking the room out (but you may want to keep the closet door cracked for air circulation).
If you have a Nanit, you can use the Travel Pack to bring it with the “flex stand” rather than the whole floor stand
If the WiFi at a hotel isn’t password protected, a security feature prevents the Nanit from working. However, you can get around this issue by buying a TP-Link travel router ($30) and rerouting the wifi under a new name that is password protected, and then connect Nanit without issue
Alternatively, if you’re unsure about the WiFi situation, you could just bring a bluetooth portable monitor like Eufy which is very reliable. However, the range might not be as far, and you’ll need to keep the monitor device on you, rather than use your phone to view.
I recommend packing a Portable Drying Rack for baby bottles
Save your packing list in Google Docs or Notes so you can reuse it next time (and add the things you inevitably realize you should have brought!)
Navigating through airport
Everything takes longer with kids in tow, so definitely leave enough time that you aren’t stressed about missing the flight (or the bag check-in window, which is typically 45 minutes before departure for domestic flights)
That said, I wouldn’t get there too early, because then it’s just more time entertaining your child in a challenging environment
The question of checking bags vs. carry-on of course depends on the usual factors like trip length, how quickly you need to leave the airport upon arrival, etc. But if you’re going to be checking any bags, then I definitely recommend checking as much stuff as possible to lighten your load through the airport.
Use curbside check-in rather than the counter, so you can rid yourself of luggage sooner
You get one checked car seat and one checked stroller for free (at curbside/counter or the gate)
I highly recommend the Doona for travel, since it can be both your stroller and your carseat. It also fits in most overhead bins, if you’d rather not have to wait for it after the flight. Flight attendants may be skeptical but you can show them how it collapses
If your baby is traveling as a lap infant, they don’t get an allotted checked bag, but if they have their own paid seat, they do
You can bring one diaper bag per child onto the plane, and it won’t count as your carry-on or personal item
If you’re traveling solo (i.e. without another adult) try to check almost everything to free your hands, and have someone meet you at baggage claim upon arrival
There are many possible configurations for navigating the airport - here are some options (I typically do #1 or #2):
Push baby in stroller, then check stroller at the gate (or if it’s the Doona and baby has own seat, bring it on-board as a car seat). When you check a stroller at the gate, you pick it back up right at the gate upon landing.
Wear baby in a carrier throughout the airport, while also pushing the stroller with luggage in the stroller seat (and again, check stroller at gate or bring onboard if it’s the Doona). Carriers can also be useful on the plane for naps.
Check stroller/carseat at the curb and wear baby in a carrier throughout the airport
Tow baby throughout the airport in the car seat using a special dolly or by attaching carseat to a carry-on suitcase with special straps
If checking the car seat, I recommend this travel bag. If checking the stroller, Uppababy has special bags for each model, but you can also get a cheaper generic bag. (Note: one benefit of the special Uppababy bags is that everything is insured – my friend has used the Uppababy insurance 3x with success)
You can use the extra space in the car seat bag to stuff bulky items like jackets, extra diapers, the baby carrier, etc
Keep in mind that at baggage claim, car seats and strollers often go to the “special items” section
I would recommend always traveling with a car seat, rather than asking for one to be included in a rental car. Rental Car car seats are often quite low quality, and you also don’t want to risk a mess-up where they aren’t available.
Security and Boarding
If you have TSA precheck or CLEAR, your baby can come along with you, but this is not the case for Global Entry - they need their own membership.
If traveling domestically, TSA doesn’t require any ID for your baby. But it’s technically possible for an airline to ask for proof that they are under 2 if they’re traveling as a lap infant, especially if they’re on the older side of that range. This has never actually happened to me, but if you want to be careful, bring a birth certificate or passport.
If traveling internationally, you definitely need a passport - check out my doc on the process of getting one in San Francisco.
Breastmilk, formula and puree pouches are allowed through security with no limit on their quantity. Just put them in a separate bin and inform the security agent - they may do a special screening on it, but it doesn’t have any negative effects.
If you’d rather not have the milk go through the x-ray machine, TSA can manually screen instead (just takes a bit longer)
There is also an exception for ice packs or frozen gel packs that are used to store pumped milk - you don’t even need to have your baby traveling with you, just explain their purpose
If you need to kill time after security, look for “kid zones” in the airport - designated, often carpeted/padded areas where kids can move and play
SFO Kids Spots in each terminal
AMEX lounge at SFO United terminal has a great “family room”
Try to do diaper changes or potty stops before getting on the airplane, since bathrooms are much bigger in airport
Even though families with young children get to board early, I’d actually try to board as late as possible to minimize any extra time stuck on the plane (unless you’re worried about overhead bin space or need to install a car seat)
On the plane
For infants:
Try to feed your baby during takeoff and landing - the change in pressure can hurt their ears but the act of swallowing milk (or sucking a pacifier) can counteract it
For older babies, water and/or snacks can also simulate swallowing and help alleviate the pressure
If you need to mix formula bottles during the flight, bring a dispenser for the powder and bottled water
If they require it warm, bring along a portable warmer
Alternatively, you can ask the flight attendants to fill the bottle with half hot water and half cold water from the airplane dispenser, but it’s not the best quality water
See if baby will nap in the carrier, since then your arms will be more free
Bassinets are available on certain flights (e.g. Delta has them on some international flights, United has them on Polaris Business Class, and in Economy on some international flights). You have to contact the airline in advance to reserve one.
Relax any ideal schedule you have for feeding and sleeping and embrace a little more “go-with-the-flow” attitude to make it through the flight
Babies often end up eating more on the flight because they’re spending more time with you than they would otherwise (and there’s just less other stuff to do!)
For babies:
Bring at least one of each “type” of toy: something that rattles, something that crinkles, something that’s chewable
Since they will likely drop toys (and pacifiers) a lot, consider bringing some wipes (or just embrace the germs and strengthen their immune system!)
Snacks are your ally on flights! Think of them as entertainment rather than nutrition - optimize for snacks that take a long time to eat, like yogurt melts, goldfish, Cheerios, etc. Pouches are also an easy, less messy option (especially if you hold them together to avoid squirting it everywhere)
To help baby sleep if it’s bright on the plane, you can hold them under a nursing cover (like the Cocoon) or drape it over their car seat. It will make it darker while still being ventilated
For toddlers:
Again - snacks, snacks, snacks!!! These pass the time, soothe tantrums and improve everyone’s mood
Best toys include: reusable stickers, Dimpl or other pop fidget toys, this buckle toy, busy board - these are all task oriented so occupy their attention nicely
For older toddlers, open-ended materials like notepad and markers (click markers are better than ones with caps that get lost) can fill the time
If your child has the attention span for TV and you’re cool with it (we allow unlimited technology during flights), download their favorite shows onto your phone or tablet, so they can be watched offline in case the Internet doesn’t work
These a good young toddler headphones but you may need an adaptor for certain devices
For everyone:
When you do diaper changes, just bring one diaper and wipes, rather than the entire diaper bag. Airplane bathrooms are tight!
Check the damage ahead of time so you can be prepared - for instance, if there’s a blowout and you need to bring a bag for the dirty clothes
Coterie makes great “travel wipes” that are much smaller than a normal pack
Take slow strolls up and down the aisles when it’s safe
If your baby is crying, fussy or loud and other travelers are getting annoyed, tell them you are trying your best - can’t argue with that!
If you’re traveling solo, without another adult:
Godspeed!
Don’t be afraid to ask people for help, like putting something in the overhead bin while you hold your child
Just drink from your water bottle rather than order drinks in open cups - the risk of spills if you have a kid crawling over you is too high! (whereas if you have another adult, you can take turns)
This is embarrassing to admit, but when I traveled solo with my baby I actually wore an adult diaper (i.e. Depends) in case she fell asleep on me and I had to pee (thankfully didn’t have to use it!)
Schedule/Time Zone
Your strategy around adjusting to a new time zone really depends on the length of the trip
If it’s just a long weekend, I would just keep them on their home time zone (but you’ll need a really good blackout setup to trick their circadian rhythms)
If it’s closer to a week or more, then I’d gradually adjust them to the new time zone - lots of exposure to sunlight outside can help them switch
For trips of just a week length, we usually split the difference and end up halfway between the two time zones, which makes for an easier return home
If you’re going from west coast to east coast, you might enjoy having your baby sleep in more, but the downside is you won’t have much adult-only time in the evenings since 7pm PST = 10pm EST. Parenting is all about navigating tradeoffs!
For bigger journeys, like from the US to Europe or Asia, the adjustment can take a day per hour of time change. Given that the first week will be rough, I’d try to make the trip as long as possible (i.e. at least 2 weeks) so that you can enjoy some time once baby is on a more normal schedule.
Childcare
If you’re looking for local childcare, call your hotel concierge a few weeks before to see if they recommend a local agency (on vacation in Sonoma County, we’ve used Grapevine)
Otherwise Care.com and UrbanSitter are great national options for finding sitters
