This travel with a baby post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% my own. That means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, but it doesn’t affect your price at all. Thank you … Read More
We’re so excited to be virtually re-visiting Morocco with kids this week!I For those of you who are just joining here, our family is starting a weekly Family Explorers Dinner Club for the month of May in which we’re studying … Read More
If you ask 5 people when to travel with a baby, you’ll get 5 different answers. Different people will have widely varying opinions and experiences on when to travel with a newborn. However, five important factors we always consider are … Read More
I’m thrilled to be starting the Global Family Dinners with all of you! Here’s the first resource for Morocco – a shorter, dinnertime-friendly version of a Global Learning Guide. I hope this sparks some conversation with your families about Morocco’s … Read More
I’m so excited to start this series about global learning with kids! If you follow along on my Instagram, you know that I’ll be leading a virtual weekly dinner group focused on global learning – the Family Explorers Dinner Club. … Read More
Are you thinking of visiting the Southern Utah National Parks with kids? We took a one week road trip around all 5 Utah National Parks, plus a couple of state parks, as well. Keep reading to see how we divided … Read More
Hopefully my last post with reasons to visit India with kids got you excited about this beautiful land! India for kids is an incredible and diverse experience. The country tends to be very welcoming overall to children, and there’s plenty … Read More
I am SO excited to start up a series of posts on visiting India with kids! It’s such a fascinating, vibrant country, and our family travel there molded our perspectives. It is NOT the easiest place to travel – especially … Read More
I’ve visited 43 countries and 49 US states, and there hasn’t been a single place I’ve regretted visiting. While I’ve definitely liked some more than others (…Nebraska wasn’t the VERY most exciting place in the world), every place has had … Read More
London is notoriously expensive, especially if you’re traveling with kids. London accommodation is especially pricey, and the food is stereotypically outrageously priced. You’d think this would all combine to make a terrible place for a family. Good thing there are … Read More
Are you considering becoming an Airbnb host? Hosting on Airbnb can feel overwhelming and scary at first. Here are 10 tips for Airbnb hosts that have helped through our 10 years of hosting! Hosting on Airbnb can feel a bit … Read More
(This post was updated April 2024.) London is one of the very best places to travel with children – there are so many fun things to do in London with kids! There is so much variety – everything from world-class … Read More
Especially the first time you do it, it can feel really overwhelming to travel with a baby. There are just so many thing to prepare, and so many things that can go wrong! Travel with an infant can be unpredictable, and it’s tempting to do everything from overpacking to overthinking. And deciding whether you’ll be flying or driving can add in a host of other factors. But traveling with kids doesn’t have to be crazy stressful.
If you’re traveling internationally, the most important step is to get your baby a passport. If you’re applying for a passport in the United States, both parents must be there in person for a passport application for a minor. Some post offices will allow you to schedule an appointment, but they often take weeks or months to find an opening. Others have walk-in hours, but be sure to arrive early. This link has info on everything you need to bring with you.
Typically, if you have 2+ months before departure, a standard application should be fine. If you’re traveling in 6 weeks or less, it’s probably wise to do the expedited application. We’ve received standard application passports back in 2 weeks, but you just never know. This last time, we received an expedited passport back in only a week!
If you’re flying domestically, you don’t need a passport, but it’s always wise to have some form of documentation with you. A birth certificate is usually easiest. You can even store copies of documents digitally for ease.
Even if you’re just driving, I always suggest having some form of documentation. You most likely won’t need it, but it’s an easy thing to have on hand.
You’ll notice I said to establish a routine, not a schedule. Your baby doesn’t have to be on a rigid schedule before you take off, but I do recommend having some sort of routine in place before jetting around the world. It will make the adjustment to different time zones and activities and sleeping locations much easier if you have a system in place that is familiar to your baby. Even if it’s as simple as getting in jammies and a swaddle and hearing a song before bed, it can help establish familiarity for baby, which will make everything from airplanes to hotel rooms to museum visits that much easier.
Maybe you absolutely can’t budge on bedtime. Or perhaps lengthy dinners are your jam. Or maybe you just can’t give up seeing every museum in a city. Those are all okay and they can all work with a baby! Just figure out where you can be adaptable and where you can’t. Travel demands some measure of flexibility, and traveling with a baby just exacerbates that. That does NOT mean you have to give up everything you previously loved about traveling sans children, but it does mean that you need to do some reflecting on what you can’t give up and what you can.
Perhaps this means staying at an Airbnb with an extra room, or maybe it means checking if your hotel has a large closet. Or perhaps it just means checking to make sure your chosen place to stay is okay with a baby there. It’s always best to know beforehand.
Any parent – and many non-parents – know just how MANY baby products there are out there, quite a few of which are utterly useless (there are probably some people who find baby knee pads useful but evidently I am…not that person ;)). But it’s also true that different things work for different babies and different families. It’s worth figuring out what your must-haves are before you leave your home and comfort zone.
Here are our own personal must-have baby products, for travel or otherwise:
Travel with kids is absolutely one of those things where practice makes perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect, but at least better. There’s nothing like just getting out and exploring with a baby to make you feel like you’re a superhero who could do absolutely anything. And 9 times out of 10, you and baby will both love the experience, too.
