HOW TO SURVIVE TRAVELLING ABROAD WITH A BABY OR TODDLER
Even for the most seasoned traveller, taking your first trip as a new family can be a daunting prospect. I spent a decade as a travel journalist and so have a fair share of experience under my belt – but when it came to flying with my daughter for the first time, I was overwhelmed. There’s so much to think about before you even set off that some, myself included, may wonder if it’s easier to stay at home (or at least do a holiday in the UK).
But don’t do that. With some meticulous planning, and a “whatever happens, happens” attitude, you can get through it. Here’s what I’ve learnt.
Skip ahead for top tips on…
- Choosing where to go
- Plane travel with babies
- Plane travel with toddlers
- Car hire with little ones onboard
- Family packing tips
Location, location, location
If it’s your first flight with a child and you want to minimise transit time on either side, opt for destinations that don’t require a long onward journey on arrival. For our first holiday abroad, we picked Sintra, Portugal, an hour’s drive from Lisbon, for simple, smart reasons: good weather, short flight, no time difference and an easy distance from an airport with many flights from the UK.
You can also opt to break up journeys for longer-haul travel – we flew to Athens, where we stayed for a few nights, before a ferry to the Cyclades, to break up what would have been a full-on 24 hours of travel. (A note on ferries: once you’re on them, they’re great, because there are no rules about sitting down.)
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Plane sailing
To book seats or not to book seats?
I have done both. If you’re travelling with a baby on British Airways, you can actually choose a seat for yourself and everyone in your booking (up to nine people), free of charge, which is a boon. On Ryanair, children (aged two to 11 years) receive free reserved seating so they can sit beside a parent. EasyJet doesn’t offer the free reservations, so either pay to be together or check-in at the earliest possible time.
Do note that all children under 12 need to be seated with an adult (defined as over 16) on a flight, so if you chance it and don’t book, the airline will have to find you seats together.
Although, recently, a friend of mine did this and had to go through the pain of the cabin crew asking passengers to swap seats (on an already-delayed flight) so that she could be sat next to her two-year-old (and no one was very willing). Note that those travelling with under-twos are usually required to sit in a window seat, too.
Babies (under-twos)
Under-twos usually fly “free” on your lap (you pay tax or a nominal fee). British Airways, Ryanair and easyJet allow two pieces of free equipment – a pushchair, car seat or travel cot – plus extra hand luggage for the baby, but other airlines vary, so do check before booking. (This same rule usually applies to over-twos, too, but again, check with specific airlines.)
If you’re flying long-haul and require a carrycot, you need to book these in advance (with British Airways, for example, you have to phone up) and they’re first come, first served. Some airlines offer a car seat set-up, too, if you’re willing to buy an extra seat. The baby can only go in these when the seatbelt sign is off.
There are a handful of prams that fit into an overhead compartment (eg the Babyzen Yoyo or Bugaboo Butterfly), otherwise you can usually wheel it up to the tarmac before it goes in the hold. If this is the case, it’s worth bringing a carrier in the event that you’re waiting and need to be hands-free.
Baby milk and sterilised water are not subject to the 100ml liquids rule. Bring dummies and/or feeding equipment, as sucking helps a baby’s ears during take-off and landing, and toys to distract – spinners that stick to windows or tray tables are lightweight and keep them entertained.
If the airport offers fast track through security and passport control, it can be worth buying it – getting stuck in a long security queue with an unhappy baby (or adventurous toddler) is torturous. (Though sometimes, these queues can be longer than the regular queues, so it’s always worth assessing.) The Stansted FastTrack pass, for example, is as little as £7 per person. Some airports, however, such as Lisbon, have a handy separate check-in and security queue for those travelling with children, so it might not be necessary.
Airlines often call families to board first, though this is not, in fact, always a great idea – it just means more time on the plane.
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Toddlers
The good news is, from two years of age, they have their own seat and, if you’re flying long-haul, their own screen on the back of the chair. The bad news is you’re paying (almost) full rate for them.
You also have to entertain them. On a recent flight to the United States, I bought my two-year-old daughter a bag filled with new trinkets and toys – stickers, crayons, a fishing game, cars – all wrapped up in tissue paper (not taped, in case security wanted to look through).
As any parent of a toddler will know, snacks are vital in any and all situations and a plane is no different. I used my child’s entire hand luggage allowance for snacks (corn thins, yoghurt pouches, fruit). I also packed a tray of “emergency” cupcakes that I knew would work should a tantrum happen at an inopportune moment – though I was foiled at security when the bag was checked, resulting in her spotting them and demanding one before we’d even boarded. A wise family member also slipped me a lollipop (which we usually ban her from having) and it was a saviour when we were landing, after nearly 18 hours of travelling.
In terms of kit, aside from over-ear headphones for any screens, which are a must (I wrapped these up too), there’s not too much you can actually bring on board.
Tread carefully with much-marketed seat extenders as they aren’t actually permitted on certain carriers (British Airways, for example, do not allow them). Always ring ahead to check, and even then, be prepared to have it confiscated, as a colleague recently learnt.
Finally, I wish I’d had a toddler sling for the long border control queue, when my daughter refused to go in her pram or be put down.
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Baby on board
Book a car well in advance, ideally with a company that has a kiosk in arrivals, or – even better – one that brings a car directly outside the terminal. The faff of a transfer bus between the terminal and a garage is not ideal.
If your child is under two, you may want to bring your own car seat: you can’t guarantee they will have stock in busy periods and so might end up with an age-inappropriate seat. Some airports do have independent car seat hire agencies you can collect on arrival, before hiring the car.
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Pack light(er)
You don’t need nearly as much as you think, especially if you have a washing machine available and are travelling somewhere warm. I’ve also washed many a baby item in a hotel sink.
Key items we brought included a comforter that smelt of home and a book to try to emulate the bedtime routine.
A nightlight and white noise machine (your phone can work for the latter) are advisable, even if you don’t use these at home – you never know what the lamp situation will be or what you may need to drown out. A SnoozeShade for the pram was also essential for sun protection and naps out and about.
And bring enough nappies for a good few days – I wrongly assumed that in Portugal I would be able bulk-buy them in Aldi, and then spent an afternoon driving round pharmacies (a different beast on the continent). The same thing happened in Greece. You can pack them into shoes and down the side of the suitcase. Otherwise, I know people who have had Boots deliveries of nappies to the terminal branches, so they don’t take up valuable suitcase space – but it depends how much you want to carry.
It’s best to bring Calpol and ibuprofen with you (always have one in a carry-on, too), rather than trying to find it in a pressured situation (and/or in a different language). The same goes for eczema creams or similar.
And finally, use packing cubes for the entire family – essential to organise everybody’s items, and you can shove them straight into the wardrobe when you get there.
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Manage expectations
Perhaps the most important tip of all: it’s no longer fly-and-flop. It’s fly and… parent in different, exciting and (hopefully) sunnier climes. And, if you stay at a hotel, less housework.
Do you have any tips for travelling with babies and young children? Please share in the comments section below
2024-07-27T10:12:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd