First things first: your pre-baby travel routine is officially out the window.
Gone are the days of turning up at the airport with 45 minutes to spare, a 10kg cabin bag and a coffee.
You now have a baby, a changing bag, 3 thousand things to remember and a completely new relationship with airport toilets. I’m just being honest from the start, so don’t hate me.
Taking your first holiday with a baby can feel like a big step, especially when you’ve got no idea what you actually need to pack, how flying will work or whether your baby will sleep anywhere other than their own cot – and they’ll probably start teething right before you set off.
I’ve travelled with both of my boys from the baby stage onwards, so here’s everything I’d want to know before booking that first trip.
In this guide
→ The best age to travel with a baby
→ What to pack for your first holiday
→ Flying with a baby: Airport and plane tips
→ How to get your baby to sleep on holiday
→ Feeding your baby while travelling
→ Best destinations for a first holiday with a baby
→ What can go wrong when travelling with a baby
→ Your first holiday with a baby checklist
1. The Best Age to Travel With a Baby
Every baby is different, but after travelling with two of mine at every stage, some ages were clearly easier than others.
- 2–4 months: the easiest window. Babies this age are basically adorable potatoes. They sleep a lot, so pool days and fancy restaurants are still on the table.
- 5–8 months: the sweet spot. Still pretty portable, now with the bonus of some personality and maybe sitting up. Can’t run away yet. Solid choice for first-time baby travellers.
- 9–12 months: the “was this a good idea?” phase. They’re mobile and curious but don’t understand “no”. It’s harder, but it’s also a lot of fun.
2. What to Pack For Your First Holiday
Nappy Bag Essentials:
- My rule: One nappy for every 2 hours of travel time + 2 extra! This has never failed me!
- Wipes (maybe pack extra of these – they’re magical for way more than just bottoms)
- Nappy bags
- Three changes of clothes for baby, two for you (hello baby blowouts)
- Whatever feeding supplies you use: bottles, formula, breast pump, nursing covers, baby food pouches, snacks (yes you can take ready to feed formula on a plane!)
- Your baby’s favourite sleep / comfort item (this is NOT the time to forget Mr. Giraffe)
- Basic baby first aid: Calpol, teetha, thermometer, any regular meds
- Dummy’s if you use them
Key Baby Gear for Travel:
- Car seat
- Lightweight stroller
- A snoozeshade for 3in1 mosquito and sun protection plus blackout for naps code ROMAN10 will get you 10% off!
- Baby carrier
- Travel changing mat
- Two pram fans
What You Can Leave At Home
Here’s where I save you from overpacking: You don’t need to bring alllll the toys. Bring 2-3 small favourites. Your baby will be more interested in the hotel room phone and your water bottle.
You also don’t need: Twelve outfits per day, 10 baby sun hats, baby sunglasses, uncomfortable baby outfits (denim!!!). They will stay in your suitcase.
Start packing three weeks early and still worry you’ve forgotten something? I made a free baby travel packing checklist for exactly that.
3. Flying With a Baby: Airport and Plane Tips
Booking flights with an infant can feel extremely overwhelming. Here’s what I recommend.
Best Times to Fly With a Baby:
- Night flights: If your baby sleeps well at night, this can be genius. If they don’t… well, don’t.
- Nap time flights: Book during their usual nap window – this hack has been a god send for us.
- NOT during witching hour: That 5-7pm flight? No thanks.
Airport Tips for First-Time Baby Travellers:
What you can bring: formula, breast milk and baby food in quantities over 100ml (frozen breast milk isn’t allowed), ice packs to keep milk cold, and all the puree pouches you like.
Arrive early. For your first flight with a baby, aim for 2.5 to 3 hours before departure. You’ll need time to check in, feed, change and move at a steady pace.
Use your stroller right up to the gate. Gate-check it, or take a cabin-friendly one. We love our Joolz Aer for taking on board.
On the Plane With Your Infant:
Lap infant or their own seat? Babies under 2 can usually fly on your lap for free or a small infant fee, depending on the airline (jet2 is the UKs only airline where babies fly free!)
If you are travelling long haul and can afford it, buying a seat is much easier, because you can bring the car seat on board and have a contained space for your baby.
For takeoff and landing: Nurse, bottle feed, or give a dummy during ascent and descent. The sucking helps their little ears pop.
Want the full lowdown on flying with a baby? I’ve got a whole guide covering airport security, baby milk, choosing your seats, bassinets, take-off and landing and all the stuff I wish I’d known before doing it myself.
If you’re still panic-planning your flight, my Baby & Toddler Flight Toolkit goes even further… I’ve covered everything you need to know for flying with a baby or toddler.
4. How to Get Your Baby to Sleep on Holiday
Your baby’s sleep is going to be a little messy. Accept this now and you’ll be so much happier.
Tips for Baby Sleep on Holiday:
Bring the sleep associations: White noise, sleep sack, dummy, favourite blanket – recreate the home sleep vibe as much as possible.
Blackout curtains: If this is super important to you and your baby, I really recommend getting a snoozeshade for your cot and stroller. 3in1 mosquito, blackout and sun protection – it’s one of my favourite baby travel products of all time. Code ROMAN10 will get you 10% off!
Keep some routine: You can’t stick to the exact schedule, but maintaining the bedtime routine (bath, book, whatever you do) helps signal it’s sleep time even in a weird place.
Room sharing survival: If baby’s in your room, create a divider with a chair and blanket. Or put them in the bathroom with the door open and baby monitor.
5. Feeding Your Baby While Travelling
Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, combination feeding or your baby has started solids, the trick is to make things as familiar and easy as possible.
Breastfeeding on the go: Breastfeeding can make travelling wonderfully simple. No bottles to sterilise. No formula to measure. No wondering whether you’ve packed enough milk for a delayed flight.
Feed when your baby needs feeding and don’t worry too much about whether you’re doing it at your usual time. Travel days are weird. Naps are weird. Everything is weird.
If you’re breastfeeding and flying, I also wouldn’t wait until your baby is absolutely ravenous before offering a feed. A feed around take-off or landing can be useful if your baby is awake, particularly because sucking and swallowing may help with the pressure changes.
Btw – frozen breastmilk isn’t usually allowed through security – so leave this at home!
Formula feeding while travelling: Before you travel, check the current rules for your departure airport and airline around carrying baby milk, formula and sterilising equipment. You can usually bring reasonable amounts.
For travel days, I always want feeds to be accessible, not buried at the bottom of a suitcase.
Keep handy:
- Formula
- Bottles
- Teats
- Sterilising equipment – Milton and a collapsible bowl are my go to!
- Anything you use to prepare feeds
- A muslin
- Spare clothes for baby
- A spare top for you
Plan for the journey you have booked, then plan for the journey from hell.
If your flight is supposed to take three hours, that doesn’t mean you only need enough milk for three hours.
Flights get delayed. Gates change. You can sit on the runway. You can end up waiting for bags. Your baby can suddenly want feeding every five minutes for absolutely no reason. We recently had an 8 hour delay with a toddler and newborn – fun.
I’d much rather have extra milk with me than be doing mental arithmetic over how many feeds I’ve got left.
Want the full feeding guide? I’ve covered everything from breastfeeding and bottles to starting solids and feeding your baby while you’re away.
What about airport security?
This is one of the things parents worry about most before their first flight with a baby.
Baby milk and food are generally treated differently from ordinary liquids, but airport procedures vary, so check the rules for the airport you’re actually flying from before you travel.
Have your bottles, milk and baby food easy to get to and be prepared for staff to ask you to take them out for additional screening.
It’s one of those tiny bits of preparation that can make the airport experience considerably less faffy. Frozen breastmilk usually isn’t allowed, so make sure to leave this at home!
What about sterilising bottles?
If you’re bottle feeding, check what you’ll actually have available at your accommodation.
A kettle? Fridge? Kitchen? Sink? Microwave? Somewhere clean to leave bottles to dry?
I’ve stayed in places where this is ridiculously easy and places where you’ve got 14cm of worktop and a grubby kettle.
If you’re relying on a particular piece of equipment at home, decide whether you genuinely need to take it or whether there’s a simpler travel alternative.
I’ve also written a full guide to sterilising baby bottles while travelling with 7 easy methods to choose from.
Read: How to Sterilise Baby Bottles While Travelling →
6. Best Destinations for a First Holiday With a Baby
There’s no single perfect destination, but I’d look for:
- A fairly easy journey
- Plenty of baby supplies close by
- Accommodation with room to spread out
- Things to do that don’t mean being out from 8am until bedtime
Mallorca
Mallorca is a great example. We’ve travelled there with babies and toddlers, and having beaches, supermarkets, restaurants and plenty of family-friendly accommodation made it much easier than trying to cram a million activities into every day.
The Algarve, Portugal
Another firm favourite of ours. It’s a short flight from the UK, with calm beaches and lots of apartments and villas with kitchens, and it’s very family friendly. Having a kitchen makes feeding, sterilising and nap-time routines much easier than a hotel room, and there’s no time difference from the UK..
7. What Can Go Wrong When Travelling With a Baby
A few things that might happen, and why none of them are the end of the world:
- Your baby might cry on the plane. Try not to panic! It will be fine I promise!!! You’ll all survive it.
- Blowouts happen at awkward moments, which is why you packed backup outfits!
- Sleep routines wobble. It’s temporary and they settle back down at home.
- You might forget something. Amazon delivers almost everywhere, and hotel front desks will welcome anything I’m sure!
- Your baby might get unwell. Pack a thermometer, know where the nearest doctor is and make sure your travel insurance is sorted. Most things are minor. A GHIC card is essential if you’re from the UK.
8. Your First Trip With Baby Checklist
Two or More Weeks Before:
- Book accommodation with baby-friendly amenities
- Check airline baby policies and book seats
- Order any travel gear you need
- Research pediatricians/urgent care at destination and order your GHIC
- Start a packing list or use mine!
One Week Before:
- Begin packing non-essentials
- Download offline entertainment
- Make copies of insurance and IDs
- Get any prescriptions
Day Before:
- Pack nappy bag with travel-day essentials
- Prepare bottles/formula
- Charge ALL devices
- Print / load boarding passes if flying
- Get good sleep (lol, try)
Travel Day:
- Extra change of clothes in your personal item
- Snacks for you and baby
- Patience for yourself
- Low expectations activated
- Sense of humour engaged!!!
Ready for Your First Holiday With a Baby?
Some of my easiest trips were the ones I took before kids. But the moments I remember most are the ones I’ve shared with Roman and Reggie.
Embrace the whirlwind and give yourself a massive high-five when you make it back home.
Don’t forget to download my baby travel checklist for your first baby travel adventure!
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