7 Tips for Vacationing with a Baby

As I write this we have just returned from a successful first vacation with baby Forest. 

This was a big milestone for us as parents. While we adjusted to life with a baby (while also moving internationally) traveling was put on the back burner for the past 7 months and we were itching to get back to it. 

We were a bit anxious to see how Forest would respond to having his carefully crafted routine interrupted but he was pretty stellar. The first night brought a brief middle-of-the- night waking when I’m sure he looked around and thought ‘where the heck am I????’ but otherwise it was pretty smooth sailing. I’ve got so much to tell y’all about our escapades in the Monterey Bay/Big Sur area but first I wanted to share a few general tips for traveling with a baby. 

1. Don’t stay in a standard hotel room. If you can, try to rent a self-catering condo or small house. Most babies have obscenely early bedtimes and if you’re limited to a one room situation, this will mean that you are tucking yourself in at 7 pm every night. Even if you share a bedroom, you’ll want a separate living space where you can watch TV, sip wine, play scrabble, etc without disturbing your sleeping babe. Forest is a crazy light sleeper so we opted for a 2 bedroom cottage which was perfect. 

Also, a self-catering rental gives you the convenience of a kitchen and usually a washer and dryer. Eating every meal out with a baby is less than ideal so it’s nice to be able to prepare 2+ meals a day in the comfort of your own space. Plus, you’ll save lots of money vacationing this way! 

And having laundry services allows you to pack less since you can easily clean clothes/sheets/etc.   

2. If possible, go somewhere within driving distance. Flying with a baby is do-able, but such a drag! They require so much stuff- portable cribs, highchairs, car seats, strollers, carriers, etc; it’s just easier to pack up a car than try to haul all that junk to an airport and then load it all into a rental car. 

Of course, we are super fortunate that our past 2 assignments have been in locations surrounded by worthwhile destinations within driving range so we are a bit spoiled with easy access vacations. Still, if there is a desirable locale within a 6 hour drive of you, I’d say that’s easier than a one hour flight sometimes. But then, I’m a control freak so I’d always pick driving over flying if at all feasible. If you are driving, try to time your road trip to fall over the baby’s naptime, that way they get a good nap in the car. 

3) Pack light…for yourselves. There’s essentially no way to pack light for a baby unless your destination has all the amenities you need (crib, highchair, car seat, stroller, etc). Since your baby items will be taking up most of your trunk space, just bring the bare essentials for yourself.  Your baby will be getting most of the attention anyway, so people won't notice if you aren't wearing the perfect outift with the perfect accessories.

Let's be honest...ain't nobody looking at me when I'm toting this handsome guy on my hip.

4) If the baby is on a routine, try to stick to it, or you’ll pay the price when you return home. I've read enough sleep-training books to know that vacations can often throw a wrench into a good sleep schedule. What we did with Forest was to make sure that our first and last day on vacation was spent pretty close to our cottage so that we could put him down for his usual morning and afternoon nap. This sent him the message of: different place, same rules. 

Some babies are super adaptable…ours is not so much. Any little change throws him off balance so by at least keeping his routine the same, it eased him into a different setting. One he settled in, we felt more comfortable letting him take an afternoon nap on the go or catching 10 minutes of sleep while hiking in the carrier, but for our final day, we went back to the routine so that he could ease back into ‘home’ mode before our departure. 

5) Keep it simple. Babies are easily over stimulated and as they get older they stop being able to nap in any environment (well, some of them…like Forest.) His limit for an outing is generally 2 hours so that’s how we planned our excursions. We wouldn’t go two hours without taking a break for him to snooze in the car or just have some quiet, chill time. We still got to do everything on our list, we just had to build in a few nap breaks along the way…which actually made the vacation pretty relaxing for us! 

6) Go to bed early. Vacations can be tiring, at least the way Jonathan and I travel. Add in a baby, and they can completely deplete your energy. Try to nap when the baby naps or head to bed 30 minutes early. This way if the baby wakes up at night due to being in a different environment you at least have some padding to keep you afloat the next day.  

7) Bring any items from home that might help comfort your baby, especially items associated with sleeping. We never go anywhere without our Fisher Price Soothe&Glow Seahorse and a ziplock bag full of Forest’s preferred MAM pacifiers. He also has a tiny stuffed bunny and silk lamb snuggie that he cuddles with at night. Bringing these small items along was crucial for all of us to get a good night sleep and help him adjust to new sleeping quarters. 

I’m sure there are things that I am forgetting! What tips do you have for making a vacation with a baby a successful one?