Having done a road trip and a plane trip with our (now) 4 month old, I wanted to share some tips for traveling with an infant as this summer travel season commences!
It’s hard to stick to your same routine or schedule when traveling, but you can try to get setup for success. Here are all my tips and what we’ve done when traveling lately.
PJs are from Hanna Andersson and we LOVE them! Picture is from glamorous southern Indiana 🙂
Getting There
I think people are very stressed and anxious about the actual travel part – but kids and babies are surprisingly flexible and can impress you!
If flying……
- CHECK EVERYTHING YOU CAN! Don’t bring a carry on bag to put in an overhead. Just pay the fees and check your bags so you don’t have to lug them through the airport. Your carseat and stroller check for free – we got this carseat bag and it’s super easy to use. It is so much easier than carrying them for hours.
- My parents have a stroller at their house – so we don’t need to bring a stroller with us. If we did need to bring our stroller I would gate check that so we could use it in the airport.
- Carry baby – use a baby carrier for hands free traveling. It makes it so much easier! We’ve used our Solly wrap and will most likely use that or the Baby Bjorn in the future.
- Bring extra clothes for baby AND yourself on the plane. Blowouts happen – and you might get caught. Don’t be the person smelling like poop your entire flight (I know people who have had that happen!).
- Your baby might cry, but don’t worry about other people. Worry about your baby! People might look or get annoyed but they’re adults and can manage themselves. Basically, focus on your baby first and other people’s comfort second. Plus most people might not even notice some crying!
If driving…..
Disclaimer – driving with a baby was so much more work than flying. THANKS MEASLES! Our day driving from Lexington to Wisconsin was truly one of the longest days of parenthood so far. But I made it, and you can too!
- Plan your stops! I planned to stop every 3 hours to nurse – and I made sure to change her diaper, stretch out of the carseat, use the bathroom myself, and get gas. Trust me you do not want to have to stop when the baby is asleep! (Also you obviously can’t leave your kid in the car…..I hope that’s obvious but figure I should mention it anyways).
- Keep your tank fueled up, have your phone charger, and have emergency supplies in the car. You never know what will happen and you want to be safe. We have a portable jumper, a first aid kit (that my husband made – but you can buy them on Amazon like this), extra oil, windshield wiper fluid, and more. I know it’s a lot but honestly you just never know – we hit horrible traffic on the way back and sat for a long time. Luckily our tank was full!
- Pack a bag with car essentials that is easy to grab, and put everything else in the trunk. Keep those diapers and wipes close.
- If you have to stay over a night, pack an overnight bag with everything you need for you and baby. That way you don’t have to lug in a massive suitcase.
- Mentally prepare that it WILL take you longer than if you were driving alone. Our 12 hour trip took 14 with stops (over 2 days – 10 one day, 4 the next).
While You’re Away
Ok so you’ve made it to where you’re going – yay! Now what do you do when you’re there? Obviously you have fun things planned but a few tips and tricks can make your days and nights fun.
- Stick to your routine – if your baby eats every 3 hours, keep to that. If she naps after being awake for 90 minutes, do that. YOU know your baby – and what routine they need! For us, when we follow our routine baby girl is happy and rested. Ignoring routine and trying to shortchange naps makes her angry and upset.
- If you’re curious about sleep, read my review of Taking Cara Babies!
- Try to get one nap in the crib, even if you have a jam packed day. These naps are so much better than napping in the carseat.
- Keep to the bedtime routine – even if you’re out late or bedtime is pushed back. It’s a great way to calm baby down and wind down the day. Be sure to bring that bath gear with you!
- Recreate your sleeping space – swaddle, white noise, darkness, the whole 9 yards! Contractor garbage bags are your friend for bright rooms – we might just travel with some always 🙂
To summarize – traveling requires a lot of preparation beforehand, and I think that sticking to your daily routine will help when you’re at your destination. Traveling with a baby is basically life in another location – don’t call it a vacation 🙂 But enjoy the change of scenery, go with the flow when you can/want, and happy travels!
Shop all my travel picks below!
