50 Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Have more fun and make traveling with a baby a breeze with these 50 easy but brilliant tips for traveling with a baby. Have your best vacation yet!

50 Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Have you ever traveled with a baby? When I think “baby” I’m considering anyone 12 months or younger. It’s never any fun trying to figure out how to make this transition easier on your little one. I have traveled with kids over the years and picked up some tips along the way. The best advice for traveling with baby is to try not to stress. Check out these tips for traveling with baby to make your trip or vacation relaxing and fun for everyone.

50 Tips for Traveling with a Baby

On the Way

1. Make sure the car seat is installed correctly. Sometimes things wiggle loose!

2. Keep a smaller diaper bag ready for when you stop for quick diaper changes. Getting out a large diaper bag every time is no fun.

3. Have plenty of baby food ready to go.

4. If you’re nursing, don’t forget your boppy pillow for support.

5. If you’re formula feeding, bring extra bottles, water, and formula. You can stash some water bottles too for quick mixing.

6. Be sure to pack a portable changing pad for your child.

7. Plan for your baby to take naps, traveling is exhausting. Stop before you think he/she will fall asleep, so you don’t wake her.

8. Plan on playing music or having some noise available in the vehicle so that baby doesn’t easily wake.

9. Have a mirror set up, so you can see your baby while traveling!

10. Have plenty of toys for baby to play with, but not so many that he/she feels overwhelmed.

11. Bring an emergency stash of diapers and wipes placed somewhere in the vehicle, just in case!

12. If you think you have enough extra clothing for baby, think again. They run out of clothing so quickly due to blow outs and eating. Be sure to have several extra outfits and pajamas. And socks. Lots of extra socks! (How do babies always lose those?!)

13. Stop to check on your baby every couple of hours. Babies are facing the opposite direction of you, so it's hard to see them while driving. It’s wise to stop at least every few hours to make sure they’re okay and traveling without any trouble.

At the Hotel

14. Try to give baby his/her own “space.” Not every parent sleeps well with their baby in the room and vice versa. If you are a co-sleeping mama, more power to you because this won’t be an issue for you.

15. Plan for your baby to have nap breaks from time to time.

16. Keep your baby’s “room” as comfortable as possible. Bring a fan for white noise for the baby.

17. Pay attention to how hot or cold it is in the hotel because this could affect how your baby sleeps.

18. If your baby sleeps with a special stuffed animal, blanket, or anything else, make sure to bring it with.

19. Keep the shades closed and dark, so the baby feels as though it’s nighttime when it’s time to sleep.

20. Make sure you unplug the radio/alarm clock. You don’t want it going off at random times and waking up your baby.

21. Bring warm and cool clothes for the baby, you never know how it will feel in the hotel room.

22. Don’t forget little swimsuits or swim diapers for your little one, just in case you want to take a swim in the hotel pool.

23. Grab your own baby toiletries because the hotel isn’t likely to have them.

24. Check out a hotel that has free breakfast. This is much easier than wondering what you’re going to feed your family, especially your baby. Most will have baby-friendly options like scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, toast, or oatmeal.

25. Don’t use the hotel cribs for safety reasons, unless you are sure they are up to par. Instead, bring a spare pack ‘n play for the baby to sleep in.

26. Ask for a hotel room that is in a quieter, less busy area of the hotel, such as in a corner or the end of a hall. You don’t need the extra noise (and others will be grateful of the distance, too, if baby has a rough night).

27. Bring your own safety gate. Hotels aren’t designed with babies in mind, most of the time, so it’s smart to bring your own baby gate or other baby-proofing (like outlet covers), if you’ll be spending a lot of time in the hotel room.

28. Don’t depend on a changing table being everywhere where you’re headed with your baby. Bring your own changing mat or pad throughout your whole trip.

Feeding Baby During Travels

29. Make feeding baby a priority. Your baby will get super cranky, super-fast. Make sure they are fed ahead of time.

30. You may need to buy pre-made baby food packages, even if you’re used to making your own. Otherwise, you’ll need to bring your blender with you. Not impossible, but not always easy either.

31. Bring extra bibs and burp cloths with you!

32. Always look for something simple on a restaurant menu that’s already smashed up or requires little to no work to feed to your baby. If you ask, they might even blend up veggies for you!

33. Bring a bottle brush with you for bottle cleaning. It’s way easier to pack a bottle brush than it is a ton of bottles. Make traveling easier on yourself.

34. Bring a cooler bag if you can. It can get hot in some places, so keep breastmilk or pre-made bottles cool with a cooler bag.

35. If you’re flying, put all of the food “goodies” in your carry-on. You don’t want to forget something as important as food for the baby.

36. If you can make room for extra food, make sure you do so! Baby food isn’t always easy to come by.

37. Plan on pumping while you’re traveling with your baby? Carve out extra time and space for this. Not pumping for a few days can change your supply down the road.

Walking Around & Activities

38. Pack a carrier and a stroller, you never know what you’ll feel like doing until the time comes.

39. Take your baby out from time to time to make sure they are okay and doing well.

40. Take time to rest out of the sun.

41. Make sure your baby wears sunscreen, has a hat, and maybe even sunglasses.

42. Check to ensure baby isn’t too cold or doesn’t overheat.

43. Look for places that are kid-friendly. It’s must less stressful to eat or play somewhere that babies are welcome.

44. Watch out for places that do not allow strollers when shopping, and then stay clear. Or wear your baby carrier.

45. Try to keep items secure in the stroller. It’s so easy for baby’s items to fall out. Keep bags zipped and containers closed!

46. Stay close to the hotel room if you’ll need to go back frequently to allow your baby to nap.

47. Bring hand sanitizer for yourself. You never know what you’ll be touching, and you don’t want to transfer germs over to baby.

48. Skip the baby shoes, and just put socks on the baby, especially if they're not walking yet. Or if you're in a warm area, skip the footwear altogether and just take baby barefoot! No sense in losing a good pair of shoes on the way.

49. Pack at least two extra outfits!

50. Don’t forget the baby wipes while you’re out and about. Baby wipes come in handy for just about everything!

Traveling with a baby may seem complicated, but you’ll get into the groove in no time. Do you have any tips for traveling with a baby? I’d love to hear your advice in the comments!

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