Traveling Tips for Babies and Toddlers

When you talk about travelling with a baby or a toddler some people will have the tip of “just don’t do it!”. We get it, travelling can bring a lot of additional stress to your child and their routine, and any stress the parents feel during the trip will quickly be picked up by the little one and no doubt amplified. 

The key to a successful trip is all in the planning, the better equipped you are the less likely that things will go wrong, and the less likely you will be to feel stressed or face a tiny human meltdown. 

And let’s face it, there are times we have to travel with our child, for example for family commitments, and there should be times we want to travel with our child! Family holidays create amazing memories (for mum and dad too) and showing our future leaders the world around them is so important. So let’s do it! Let’s travel and let’s do it well, so that we want to keep exploring and having adventures with those that mean the most to us. 

Here are some top tips and considerations ahead of your next family journey; 

• Safety – Whether by public transportation, car, rail or air, you need to be assured that your child is safe. If you are travelling in a rental car or your own car make sure that the baby car seats are fitted securely and are age appropriate (i.e. still the right size and height for your little one). If travelling by air check with the airline as to their policies for securing babies and toddlers and if you are expected to bring any seats etc. For trains and subways think about whether the stations are accessible for buggies or whether a baby carrier would be easier (i.e. in London a lot of Tube stations involve steep flights of stairs or escalators).
• Play – For long journeys consider the best way of keeping your child occupied. Is it better to slowly reveal new toys over the course of the flight or car ride to keep them excited or would they like a bag of goodies all at once to explore themselves? Would they prefer sensory play (such as mini tubs of play dough) or puzzles or books? Ideally, pack a variety of play options so that you can meet whatever mood they fancy (as undoubtedly the book they have obsessed over for months will be swiftly ignored when confined in a train carriage).
• Snacks – Surprisingly I left snacks to the end of this list when snacks are perhaps the most important thing in life; especially to a toddler. Plan your snacks in advance, ensure that they travel well (i.e. individually wrapped items that won’t get easily squashed or crumbled), and if you are travelling between countries make sure that any items that may not be eaten by your arrival comply with customs rules – the last thing you want at the end of a long journey with a child is a long customs row!

Remember the most important tip of all; have fun! Enjoy this precious time with your family and make as many memories as possible along the way.