Tips for Traveling With an Infant

Traveling with an infant comes with its challenges: the meltdowns, the crying and screaming on the plane or in the car, the extra things to pack and, of course, making sure you’re having fun while taking care of the baby.

Kerilynn Daniels understands the trials and tribulations of traveling with kiddies in tow. She has four children and has made both plane and car trips with all of them in various stages of babyhood.

The first trip with her firstborn was when the baby was six weeks old and the family traveled to St. John.

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“Traveling with an infant can be a bit daunting the first time that you do it,” said Daniels, Travel Agent with MickeyTravels, LLC.

“Trying to decide what to bring and what not to bring, wondering if they are going to be miserable the entire time (and therefore make you miserable and anxious too) are all valid concerns, but I am here to tell you that infancy may be the easiest time to travel with children. During the St. John Visit, we missed a flight and had an unscheduled night in a hotel, but luckily the baby was easy to handle.”

Tips on Flying

"Being prepared is key when traveling with an infant,” said Andrea Khan, Chief Travel Officer, The Family Backpack. “For one, make sure you bring at least two changes of clothes for your infant as blowouts can happen more than once, especially on a long flight. Of course, always bring ziplock bags to stow away the soiled clothes, and bring a change of clothes for yourself in case anything leaks on you."

Remember that babies’ ears fill and pop just like yours do, and it can hurt.

“Be prepared to either nurse them or have a bottle or pacifier at the ready for takeoff and landing,” said Daniels. “Start feeding them or giving them the pacifier before the plane starts the ascent or decent so they aren’t distracted and feel no discomfort before that might distract them.”

Road Trip

If you are driving, plan extra stopping time.

“Babies will need to eat just as often as usual, and sometimes they just want out of the confines of a car seat for a little while,” said Daniels. “Even an extra 10-minute stop here and there will make for a more enjoyable ride for everyone.”

READ MORE: Road Travel 101: How to Survive a Long Trip with Kids

Hotel Help

Find out ahead of time if the hotel or resort has baby accessories, such as a crib, folding playpen, high chair and stroller.

“Anything you don’t have to pack is a definite bonus,” said Daniels. “Also, find out if they supply crib sheets. You don’t want your baby sleeping directly on a random mattress. Bring a waterproof mattress cover; even places that have crib sheets don’t have those usually and it makes those late-night accident cleanups so much easier.”

If the hotel has a laundry room, it will help to reduce the number of clothes you have to pack.

“A little laundry on vacation isn’t a terrible thing,” said Daniels. “Then you also have the ability to clean up those nighttime accidents and the inevitable spit ups.”

Noshes and Entertainment

If your baby is old enough to eat solid food, bring snacks.

“You also want to keep an empty bottle or sippy cup in a side pouch or pocket of a bag that you have handy at all times,” said Vanessa McGovern, CEO & Co-Founder, Gifted Travel Network in Mooresville, North Carolina. “You can ask the flight attendant to fill with water or juice for when the plane is going up and descending.”

Keeping the baby entertained shouldn’t be too hard to do.

“Go to the dollar store and buy fun activities that you save for the trip,” said McGovern. “Take it a step further and wrap each toy as a present to make the experience fun for the infant.”

READ MORE: Top Kid-Friendly Cities in Europe

Above all else, Daniels reminds parents to be flexible: “Babies may not follow their usual schedule and that’s okay. Don’t plan too many outings, leave time for naps for you and the baby, try to go with the flow as much as possible and everyone will have a wonderful time.”