Traveling as a family with a baby is a new experience. It’s not the couples trips we were always used to taking, and it’s not a trip with friends. Travel with a baby is a new type of experience completely, so there are a few things we’ve come to keep in mind.

Expect challenges

Things might be challenging when you travel with a baby. It’s important to accept that things that happen at home may not apply!

Tough stuff

There may be some tough stuff that happens, because now you’re traveling with a baby! For example, your baby may refuse to nap in a new environment at the hotel. Or, you may have to sort out a language barrier challenge while traveling internationally with your little one.

Or, your baby may get sick and wake up every hour when you get to your vacation destination (ours did). Your baby may be saying “no” to the foods he eats at home, and he may be distracted during feedings because you’re out and about. It’s hard to predict!

Things out of your control

Jet lag is a challenge, as are flight delays, or a broken down car on the road trip. At home, things are much more predictable! It’s all what you make of it when the curveballs come your way.

Keep plans loose

The beauty of a trip with a baby is that plans may not apply, 100% of the time. I’ll tell you what I tend to think about when we travel with our baby.

You can plan all you want, but…

  • This is broader than I’d like the advice to be, but know that you can plan all you want, and you have to be okay to accept change, if something doesn’t go your way.
  • You can try to book activities around naps, but flight delays or other factors can impact this and throw off all of your plans.
  • If your baby gets sick or is having a bad day, you may have to cancel plans, or plow through, with some fussiness and mood swings. We’ve been there!

Remember: “Babies are portable”

This is what all my friends told me when I first was becoming a parent. I asked them all what their travel experiences had been like with a baby. I requested advice, and things I should keep in mind, so that I could become confident in traveling with our baby.

Take babies anywhere

My friends with babies reminded me that babies can be taken anywhere you want them to go, and it’s true. Mexico? Colombia? Japan? Spain? You can take your baby there—you’re still making the decisions! Your baby is coming along for the ride.

Travel is usually worth the memories

While it may be hard in the thick of it, the memories to look back on will be great.

Exhaustion and sleep deprivation

I tried to tell myself this when we had our rough trip to New Hampshire with a newborn. I was sleep deprived, exhausted and full-on frustrated: but looking back, our daughter liked seeing her cousins, and they were happy to see her for a visit!

My story: In Colombia, our toddler had a fever for five days, and most mornings started at 5am. In between the early wake-ups and early bedtimes, though, we have amazing happy memories and photos to treasure forever! The nights were terrible, but what we did during the day is what we look back at and smile at.