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Not everyone gets to travel frequently, which means not everyone has the opportunity to pick up some trade secrets along the way. Hopefully, the top ten travel tips provided here have proven to be useful one way or another. But some rules don’t apply when travelling alone—or with sensible individuals—compared to jet-setting with infants.
Having another person entirely dependent on you can be stressful especially in a place like an airport, where there are high volumes of people and tight deadlines to follow. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean you can’t make life easier.
So read on for some useful tips when travelling with your baby if you want to ensure that your family holidays in Dubai, France, or whatever far-flung destination you choose, are always enjoyable.
• Pack the baby’s immediate needs in your carry-on according to the order you’re going to need them. Babies follow a routine, which makes it easy to pack more strategically. Be prepared for delays and bring extra clothes, nappies, and formula. British airports allow as much sterilised milk as your baby needs in your hand luggage provided that they’re packed in no more than 2-litre containers.
• Be the first to board and the last to leave the plane. Take advantage of these priorities especially in lining up so that you can quickly settle in with your baby.
• Babies are not exactly the most desirable passengers on a plane. They can be loud and disrupt everybody else’s travel experience. However, there are ways to ensure that your baby doesn’t cry throughout the journey. Mother and Baby suggests following their bedtime ritual as closely as possible. This entails putting their pyjamas on, bringing a familiar scent such as a favourite blanket, and packing extra snacks and toys to keep them occupied. Some parents even try to tire their baby out before boarding which might work for some.
• If you’re crossing time zones, you should anticipate that there will be a few symptoms of infant jet lag. One trick from Romper is to adjust the child’s exposure to light. If it’s still day time, make sure they get lots of time under the sun and if it’s night time and they still can’t sleep, turn off all of the lights. This will help in adjusting their internal body clock.
• In addition to the obvious items like passports, a detailed packing checklist by Baby Centre also suggests bringing a car seat, sling, travel cot and a pushchair. These are things that can make travel more comfortable for your child and more convenient for you. If you can’t fit all of that into your car or hand luggage for flights, call ahead at the hotel and ask them whether they can provide some or all of these items.
• If you have to compromise with packing certain gear, go for the ones that are lightweight, portable, or multi-purpose. It’s worth considering a modular pushchair as well, and add-ons that can be used with it. There are a myriad of accessories that can come with a pram. The variety of single pushchairs on iCandy include accessories like parasols, drink holders, and even shopping baskets, making them as functional as they are stylish. That can make your travel experience more convenient especially for single parents who don’t have an extra pair of hands to help them.
• While you’re away, try to schedule your activities around the baby’s routine so it won’t have to be a huge adjustment for them. Research on chemists in the area so you can purchase formula and other needs for emergencies. Try to think of the smallest details, like whether your rented vehicle has a car seat or not, because these are the details that can potentially make or break your trip.
If you have other great tips for travelling with a baby, don’t forget to share them by leaving a comment below.
Image of mother travelling with baby courtesy of Shutterstock