Traveling with an infant. Secrets of comfortable travel with an infant Travel abroad with an infant

Breastfeeding and a small age of the baby are not yet a reason to refuse to travel. To avoid troubles during the trip, you should carefully prepare for the process, collect the necessary things and develop a route taking into account several nuances.

Interestingly, children in the first year of life tolerate the road better than older children. They sleep most of the time on the road, and newborns do not get sick in transport. Another advantage is when the baby is fully breastfed. The baby needs his mother and mother's milk to be nearby. Then he will be full and calm. Therefore, traveling with a baby with the right organization will be easier than you expect.

The baby may not remember a trip to the sea or abroad, but he will always be next to his mother. And this is a guarantee of peace and well-being for the child. In addition, traveling with a baby will help establish contact between mother and newborn.

15 rules for traveling with a baby

• Before traveling, be sure to consult with your pediatrician to see if your baby has any contraindications. Be sure to take out high-quality health insurance for your child and, if necessary, get vaccinations;
• Pediatricians do not recommend sudden changes in climate and time zones for children under three years of age. Choose places with similar weather conditions and preferably in the same climate zone;

• If you live in cold regions and go to the sea, do it in the cool season.
• Go to a civilized country to minimize the risk of contracting an infection or disease. In addition, it is important that the country provides qualified medical care;
• The best choice would be a trip to the sea or to cities with a small number of attractions and a compact location. Please note that walking long distances around the city with a baby is tiring and not always realistic. Remember that your child needs to change his diaper and feed him regularly;
• For hiking and excursions, use special devices for carrying children (carriers, slings, backpacks, etc.);
• Carefully select the wardrobe of mother and child. For mom, things should be comfortable. It is important that a woman can easily feed her baby without changing clothes or unnecessary movements. For your baby, take clothes for different occasions, because the weather can change dramatically;

• Take your child's favorite toys; if necessary, they will occupy and calm the baby. You can also take new toys, which will take more time to learn;
• Plan your route carefully. Read reviews, find out about places, whether there is a room for mother and child, playgrounds, etc. Plan a route with stops so that you have the opportunity to feed and change clothes, and when traveling long distances, to take a walk and get some fresh air;
• Relax in the mother and baby room. Similar premises exist in modern airports and train stations. Don't be afraid to ask for help;
• Try not to change the nursing mother’s usual diet while breastfeeding. Remember that new and exotic foods can cause bowel problems, allergies, poisoning and other negative consequences in the baby. Read more about the principles of nutrition during breastfeeding;
• Monitor your child's nutrition. Due to the trip, the intensity of attachments and feedings may change from usual. However, pediatricians recommend maintaining the diet to which the baby is accustomed;
• Try to maintain your baby’s usual sleep and walking routine;
• Do not take perishable food products if it is not possible to comply with storage conditions while traveling. If necessary, bring a portable cooler;
• Be sure to take a thermometer, medicinal and protective (against bites, ultraviolet, etc.) products on the road.

What to take with you: things and documents

When traveling, do not forget to take the necessary documents, including a passport, birth certificate, tickets and medical insurance. If you are traveling abroad, you will need to obtain a separate passport for your child. However, even if the baby has a foreign passport, be sure to take a birth certificate as well!

To travel to countries with a visa regime, you must also obtain a visa for your child. Please note that in order for a child to travel abroad accompanied by only one parent, a certified power of attorney for consent from the other parent is required. If the baby is traveling with other relatives, a power of attorney from both parents is required.

When traveling with a baby, diapers, wet wipes and a bottle of water are always handy. In addition, breast wipes and a change of jacket will come in handy if the milk suddenly leaks. All of the above items should always be taken with you on a trip, on excursions and walks, to the sea and the beach. To carry things comfortably, use a backpack or shoulder bag.

A sling and a “kangaroo” will replace a stroller and make walking around the city and feeding during a trip easier. However, keep in mind that if you are carrying your baby in a carrier, it is better to use shoes without laces and additional fasteners, since bending over with a sling is difficult.

If the child is already receiving supplementary feeding, take jars of vegetable or fruit purees, dairy products, cereals and everything that the baby is already accustomed to and eats with pleasure. Food should be familiar and familiar. Please note that when traveling by plane, due to the difference in pressure, jars of baby food may explode, and jars of yogurt or cottage cheese may swell. But the quality of the food will not suffer.

Don't forget about a first aid kit for travel. Below are lists of things you should definitely take when traveling with an infant, as well as medications that will be useful on such a trip.

List of necessary things and medications

Features of the trip depending on the type of transport

Transport plays a big role in travel. If you are planning a long-distance or international trip, an airplane is a suitable means of travel. Choose tours that do not require a long flight and, if possible, without transfers. A direct flight will cost more, but it will save your nerves, time, well-being and mood. Be prepared for flight delays!

When traveling by plane, be sure to feed your baby before takeoff. Take the necessary things for your baby on board in your hand luggage. This will also help if your luggage suddenly gets lost. If possible, choose a seat on the plane near the window, then during feeding the legs will be turned towards the window, which will not cause disturbance to neighbors. During the flight, the child is fastened with an additional belt to the adult's seat belt.

If you have a choice between going by bus or train, choose the second option. This is a comfortable type of transport where you can lie down and walk. In addition, there is always access to boiled water on the train. To make your train ride comfortable, take seats on the bottom bunk.

Traveling by car has its advantages even when traveling long distances. You can stop at a convenient moment, choose a suitable schedule and adapt to your baby’s routine. When traveling long distances by car, you can always stop and spend the night in comfortable conditions or just take a walk and get some fresh air.

It is better to start traveling by car in the first half of the day. Plan your route so that the road starts when your baby is sleeping. The best time to travel by car is after the first feeding.

In the first year of her life, my daughter visited 16 countries, made 30 flights (5 of them transatlantic), sailed on a ship, traveled by train, traveled several tens of thousands of kilometers by car and conquered more than one mountain. We made half of these trips just the two of us.
I decided to put my experience in writing. Most of these things are pretty obvious, especially after traveling ((: And personally, I would be glad if someone shared this with me before.

1. The most important thing is sleep mode.
This is much more important than food and a clean diaper. At one time, it became a discovery for me that children do not know how to fall asleep on their own and until a certain age they need help with this. There are a whole bunch of books on sleep norms and wakefulness time. Even half an hour of wakefulness beyond the norm can disrupt the regime and subsequently result in many hours of attempts to put the child to sleep. Most likely with hysterics.
On the other hand, a well-rested and happy child will support you in any of your adventures, including the most daring ones, such as a four-hour trek across the Arizona desert to The Wave.
The easiest way to keep track of your regimen is to use specialized applications for your mobile phone. There are many of them, everyone will find something to their liking. Personally, I use Baby Tracker, it allows you to track your sleep even when changing time zones.
War is war, but sleep is on schedule (:

2. The second most important thing is your own Zen.
Relax and don’t fuss (: Growing Zen is our main weapon. The child has gone too far and is yelling at the whole plane, and the neighbors are making comments - unpleasant, inconvenient, but not scary. The child will soon calm down, and you will never see these people again, thank them affectionately everyone for their advice and forget it ((% Someone put on a crooked diaper and now everything around is covered in baby poop - well, it happens, I’ll soon wash myself and change clothes.
Children perfectly read all moods. So the main principle is simple: calm parents mean a calm child.
And you should never take it out on a child. Even at the age of 1 month, he is already a living person and a full-fledged personality. And while he is not the one who buys tickets and plans travel, he has every right to get tired of queuing at passport control after several flights and report this in every way available to him. Relax, the line will end soon, you will get to your home/hotel, pour yourself a glass of wine and go to bed (:
All problems are divided into easily fixable and ending on their own.

3. Don't take a lot of things with you.
A little traveler will need a lot of luggage; you can start preparing for this mentally. ((: But it can and should be optimized as much as possible. For example, it is not necessary to take sippy cups with you. You can teach your child to drink from sports/children’s bottles. And then you can only carry with you a neck that fits any bottle from the nearest store. In addition half of the sippy cups, in my experience, leak mercilessly, which is especially pleasing when you discover this when you take it out of the bag, where it was lying with a bunch of other things, a la a camera.
Also, you don't need to take a bunch of toys with you on trips. After all, there will always be a lot of new and interesting things around. Babies find toys and trash all equally interesting (garbage is even more so)). You can take one super favorite toy. And buy another one on the trip, so that, for example, you can give a new one on the plane on the way back.
There are also children's stores with diapers, food and clothing everywhere. I take only the essentials; if you need anything else, you can always buy more. And in general, how can we do without this mimimi of children's shopping ((: So you need to leave room for it in advance.
The energy saved on carrying excess luggage will still be needed when dragging a stroller or car seat.

4. Luggage.
The suitcase must have 4 wheels. Good. I'm ready to adore our Samsonites (all three, different sizes) - they roll very easily, in any direction and in any position. It’s better to overpay for a good suitcase than to find yourself in a situation where your Chinese misunderstanding is torn or has lost its wheels, and you are alone with a child in one hand and a carsite stroller suitcase and a couple of carry-on bags in the other ((:
In my luggage I take a supply of diapers and wipes for the first two days. In case we are too lazy to look for stores, we won’t have time to find our way, etc. The same thing with baby food - a mandatory supply for the first two days, the rest is at will and the amount of free space in the luggage ((: A child’s favorite plate and spoon do not add much weight, but we are not tied to anything.

5. Things to take with you.
For children's things (diapers, wipes, food, toys, change of clothes, etc.) on the plane and in the car you need a separate bag. But you don’t need any fancy dipper bags with a bunch of pockets and a special compartment for a box of wet wipes. The simpler and lighter the better. Ideal - a soft shoulder bag or a soft backpack. It will fit into any free space and will take the shape of exactly the crack where you try to push it.
A must-have set of children's bags that go with you on a flight and in the car. A double set of diapers, a pack of wet wipes, a bedding for the changing table, a favorite toy, several pacifiers, a change of clothes, a bottle of water (with a special neck or a sippy cup) and baby food. You can take water and food for your child on the plane in almost unlimited quantities.
I like to take a couple of shopping bags with me (for example, from IKEA): they are weightless and compact, but can accommodate any heavy load and are much better than simple bags. Just in case (:

6. Diapers and wipes.
It's surprising that someone still manages to neglect such wonderful inventions of civilization as disposable diapers and wet wipes for the butt. Therefore, a separate point about the fact that you don’t need to complicate your life, especially when traveling.
Pampers and haggis are sold all over the world. For example, there are no excellent Japanese diapers in Europe. Not in the USA either, but there are others there that are no less wonderful. So you need to check in advance whether standard brands are suitable for your child. If not, you will have to carry a supply with you for the trip, alas.

7. Clothes.
Firstly, you need to take a change of clothes for both your child and yourself on the plane. One perky pfff of puree and you turn into a local scarecrow, which also smells. And poop leaking due to a crooked diaper can generally become a local disaster (% On the Internet, I have seen recommendations to buy a set of white Gerber bodysuits and, if they leak, throw them in the trash. This is convenient, especially when you can buy them for 8-10 pieces for $10, and it’s difficult to wash while traveling.
Secondly, your own clothes should be as comfortable as possible. Especially if you are traveling alone with a child. You need to forget about belts with tricky fasteners and jeans with a thousand buttons. No one will help you unfasten them at the moment when you are standing in the toilet cabin of an airplane with a child in an ergo hanging on your stomach, and there is also turbulence ((%

8. Ergo backpack.
The most necessary thing for flights (and in life in general) is an ergo, and not a cradle ordered in advance. Yes, a stroller is great (especially ours, which folds down to micro-size and can be taken with you to the cabin) and it is also needed on trips and at the airport. But in the ergo you can put the child to sleep before boarding and not wake him up with various fastenings and movements (not always, but most often). You can go to the toilet without the help of flight attendants. Yes, and one’s hands don’t fall off while walking around the plane if there is no opportunity to let the child freely roam around (:
If the flight is at night, and you are a dad, then it is better for the child to sleep in an ergo rather than in a cradle. With a cradle, you will either stay awake all night, or you may not wake up on time (the wet nurse's sleep is about the mother).

9. Stroller.
It is needed (provided the child has a good attitude towards it, of course). We use the stroller both as a means of transportation, as a bed for naps (so as not to depend on hotels), and as a high chair.
You can take any stroller on the plane for free. Even if it is a huge cradle consisting of two parts. It’s possible, but it’s better not worth a huge one ((:
Most often (but not at all airports), the stroller is checked in at the airport at the plane's steps, if you want, or you can immediately put it in your baggage. Even if the child is sitting in an ergo, you can put all the rest of the trash in the stroller and not strain yourself. Receiving a stroller at the gate upon arrival depends on the willingness of local loaders to work and the rules of the arrival airport.
We have a wonderful babyzen yo-yo that you can take with you to the salon. This eliminates unpleasant surprises in the form of loss of the stroller (at the maximum), breakdown or dirt (at the constant minimum - before the advent of the yoyo, we flew with a buggy and had to wash it every time). And we also collapse/expand it when it’s convenient for us, and not when other people want it. This stroller fits in any car and is generally super cool ((%

This is our bugabushka, also beautiful, but not for traveling

10. Car seat.
I hope no one needs to explain the need for this device (:
In most cases, it is better to bring your own infant seats. Firstly, so as not to pay hellish sums for them at the rental office (it is often cheaper to buy them on the spot and then throw them away) and so as not to run into surprises when the ordered chair is not available at the rental office. Or it will be in the wrong category. Or simply done (and sometimes kids feel sick, yes) or broken. The car seat is checked in for free or goes into the cabin if it is certified for flights and the child has a separate seat.
You can also take a set of chassis + car seat instead of a stroller.

This is ours

And this is what I received at the box office in Montenegro: dirty, torn, of a completely different category and inappropriate for its age.

11. Pacifier.
Nowadays the trend is to criticize this device. But I don’t really know how to breastfeed a child when, for example, you’re driving along the highway, and he’s crying in the car seat in the back seat. So we have a whole mandatory supply of nipples.

12. Buy and throw away.
It’s convenient to purchase many devices locally for pennies, without having to carry them home. For example, we bought a baby bathtub in the states for $5, washed our two-month-old baby in it for two weeks of the trip, and then just threw it away.
An umbrella and an inflatable pool worked well on a beach trip.
I think we will do the same with the potty and booster in the future.

13. First aid kit.
I prefer to carry a supply of essential medications with me. Because in a new country you don’t know the opening hours of pharmacies, prescription medications, instructions in another language, etc. There are not many basic medications - salt water in the nose (such as Salina or Aqualor), a thermometer, antipyretic (paracetamol and Nurofen), rehydron and smecta, something for allergies (ointment and drops).
While traveling, my child suffered from roseola with an unbreakable temperature of 39-40, rotavirus and ARVI. Usually it all started at night and the medicines stored were very useful.

14. Children's cosmetics.
Cream for butt irritations. Bepanthen ointment. If we go to the sea, then sunscreen for babies with maximum protection. With the first tooth, toothpaste and a brush were added. The rest can be purchased locally as needed.

15. Insurance.
We always buy health insurance for ourselves and our children. We usually take the cheapest one and don’t bother reading reviews. Fortunately, we have never used it yet.

16. Documents.
Of course, the child needs a foreign passport, preferably a separate one. It makes no sense for infants to get a new passport for 10 years, because according to the rules, the passport must be changed as soon as the photo no longer looks like a person. If you make a passport in one month, then in a good way you need to change it within a year. So for 5 years it is quite enough, and it is officially done in Moscow in a couple of days.
My child and I have different surnames, so it is mandatory to bring a birth certificate with us. It is almost always asked at passport control when departing from Russia. They asked several times when crossing the borders of other countries.
No further documents are required for the child if he is traveling with at least one of the parents.

17. Baby without a place/with a place.
Children up to two years old fly for 10-30% of the cost of an adult ticket (sometimes, but rarely, and completely free) in the arms of adults. You can order a bassinet on the plane (from those airlines that offer this) if you are flying without a seat. Even if the baby does not sleep there or exceeds the weight limit (11 kg), the bassinets are attached to the hard walls behind the business class. These are always places of increased comfort, with plenty of legroom and living space (: You can put all your trash in the cradle ((:
If it’s hard to hold your child in your arms for the entire flight, but you have the means, you can buy him a separate ticket. Up to 2 years of age, you still need to be in the handlebars during takeoff/landing, but for the rest of the time, you can take a car seat certified for flights on board and secure it in a separate place.
European airlines provide a special child seat belt during takeoff/landing, while American airlines believe that it is safer without a seat belt. Therefore, if you are flying on an American airline, you can simply put your child in the ergo, sit in the seat and fasten yourself with a regular seat belt. And if you are flying on a European airline, you should not let a child sitting in an ergo fall asleep before departure and boarding the plane; anyway, they will most likely wake him up, force him to pick him up and fasten him with a child seat belt.

18. Flights.
During all the flights, we never once had blocked ears (even when the child was sick with enterovirus). I read somewhere that until the fontanel is overgrown, the ears don’t get blocked, but the pediatrician said that this was nonsense and had nothing to do with it. However, the breast/pacifier/water bottle, although not useful, was always at the ready.
When flying, it is better to choose regular flights and avoid charters. Charters always mean departures/arrivals at the wrong time, this is always uncertainty - according to the rules they have the right to move them within 24 hours. It's almost always a trashy cabin with an uncomfortable layout and rude flight attendants (probably they don't hire them to work in decent places, yeah). These are people flying on vacation, who often begin to celebrate their vacation already in duty-free.
Better with a transfer than a long direct flight. During the transfer you can stretch your legs, walk around the airport, and get new impressions. Of course, if the flight is not overnight.

19. Time of day for the flight.
For babies, everything changes so quickly that each flight, even a week apart, is different. But in general, with Aliska we and everyone around us are lucky so far, tfutfutfu ((% Early morning flights are the best: the baby has already slept for some time, he was woken up at night closer to the morning, he stared around in surprise for 2-3 hours on the way to the airport and at the airport (the mood for active exploration of the world has not yet appeared) and sweetly passed out for several hours of the flight. If there is a transfer, then it’s generally great: the child crawled around the airport, received new impressions and is ready to continue to sleep sweetly for some more long time. At the same time and time zones disappear.
On daytime flights, parents have to show more imagination to entertain their restless child. But there is a significant plus - the parents themselves slept well and are ready for exploits.
But on evening and night flights there is a big risk that the child will not be able to fall asleep on time due to the abundance of impressions. And this, as we know, is fraught. Plus, the impossibility of parental sleep (one parent will keep watch so that the child does not fall out or crawl away at night).

20. At the airport.
At the airport, passengers with children have the right to go through security and passport control without queuing. In practice, you need to look at the situation: when you arrive on a charter, then even trying to walk through this whole crowd of angry people (half of whom, by the way, are also with children) is not worth it to save your own nerves (: What can I say if sometimes even standing in your place and not moving anywhere, you still run into the disapproving exclamations of some tired woman... In other cases, most likely, the people around you will let you go forward themselves, without any additional questions.
For inspection at the airport, it is not necessary to fold the stroller and take the child out of it to push it through the scanner; you can insist on manual inspection. Moreover, when you fly alone, it is very difficult to do this - you need to give your child to someone to hold, and security personnel, for example, have no right to touch him without permission. But here, again, it’s all about the human factor. Lazy workers don’t want to move for the sake of a manual search, so they will start grabbing you and force you to wake up a sleeping child... But trying is not torture.

21. In flight.
I always try not to create inconvenience to others. Therefore, I never leave a child unattended (or entrust him to his dad). If the child is not sleeping, then no one should know that he has become bored (: In distant infancy, the breast was enough for entertainment, then just look around. Every year we spend our entire waking hours walking/crawling around the plane. We look at in-flight magazines, eat rice cookies and other food, we play with paper cups, airplane headphones/slippers/remote control - anything that comes to hand. We try to drink more water.
If you want to go to the toilet, but the ergo/sling/dad is not at hand, then you can ask the flight attendants to hold the baby.

22. Change of time zones.
We flew to the USA and Canada several times a year, and this meant a radical change in time zones, jet lag, etc. It’s quite difficult, but in a maximum of three days the regime is rebuilt. The main thing is to monitor your waking time and sleep (:
For example, now we live according to the 2-3-4 pattern (two naps during the day). So after the flight, the main strategy is not to let the child sleep for a long time during the day (maximum two cycles of 40 minutes each), and to spend his waking hours actively, walking as much as possible. At night, do not allow yourself to stay awake for more than 3 hours, preferably in dim light and with a minimum of games. In the USA, everything usually changed on the first or second day; returning home is a little more difficult.

23. Food.
We were breastfed until six months and had no problems. Then we started feeding with cans, by the year cans + a common table.
The situation with baby food is different in different countries. For example, I did not find one-component vegetable purees in Europe (this is important when introducing complementary foods), but in America I did not find milk porridges (there is a separate porridge, a separate mixture). No children's kefir or cottage cheese outside the ex-USSR countries. It will be difficult to read the ingredients in the local language. And the price of 2.5 euros per jar is a bit steep, especially when there are 4-5 such jars per day. So save some space in your luggage (: At least for the first few days, until you get to know the locals. In Europe, there is Hipp everywhere, in the USA - Gerber. Check at home whether the food of these companies is suitable for you.
With most airlines, even a child without a seat can order special food - baby food - for free. Usually this is a set of cans, milk, juice. This order does not affect the provision of regular meals to an adult (:
This is how we dealt with food on trips for adults: we tried to take the hotel with breakfast (or a cafe nearby), and porridge for the child. Lunch/lunch is better than sandwiches/takeaway and eat in the park while the baby is crawling/breathing air, after lunch canned food. And for dinner in a cafe - at first we went when the child was sleeping, but as we got older we had company and complementary foods from our plates (: By the time the child was one year old, they already ordered separate food for the child.

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24. Rice cookies.
We bought this wonderful invention in the USA. You can order to Russia, for example, from iHerb. Free of sugar, milk, gluten, etc. They come in different shapes (big and small, like finger food) - a great activity for a child, for example, while we eat our plane lunch or we need to drive another half hour in the car. With the same success, you can use dryers or corn flakes. But rice cookies dissolve in the mouth and it was not scary to give them to a child already at six months old.

25. GV.
I’m writing about my experience, but for us it’s exclusively about breastfeeding for up to six months. It's convenient and free. There is no easier way to calm (and put to sleep) a child.
At some point I stopped being shy. Get yourself a nursing cloth and special clothes. Then everything will be simple and without damage to the psyche of others, even in line at Disneyland.

27. Traveling by car is a good time to sleep.
It is a rare child who is able to maintain a good mood in a car seat for a long time. So we try to make all moves happen during sleep. And you need to leave not at the minute when the child should already start sleeping, but about half an hour before. The child will smoothly rock until the situation reaches the point of overexposure.
You must understand that when traveling with a child there cannot be any clear plans. With the same chances, you can only manage a third of what you planned, or you can do three times more. Yes, it would be nice to sketch out an approximate route and go on a car trip while you sleep. Just don’t be surprised if the child, instead of two hours of sleep, decides that 40 minutes is enough ((%

28. Life is on the move.
I allow the child to move whenever it is appropriate. Let him crawl around the airport before the flight, and not sit in a stroller. There is a boring flight ahead, but now there is an opportunity to get more new impressions. We go to the children's room (all decent airports have one) to see new toys and other children.
We definitely go to the park while walking around the city and crawl on the grass. Let the child explore the world - if he gets dirty or eats sand, it's not scary.

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29. Vaccinations.
There is no need to fall for these obscurantist anti-vaccine sentiments. Especially if you are traveling. When a child vomits at night (rotovirus) it is scary. When you are not allowed on a plane because your child has a rash (chickenpox, rubella) - this is not only unpleasant, but also expensive. Even if you travel only to prosperous developed countries, this will not save you from airports, train stations, crowds of tourists, migrant workers, and refugees. Whooping cough and flu are very common in Europe and the USA.

30. Environment.
In general, everyone around us is happy about our baby, most of them tried to help (to let us go forward in line, help with luggage, get into public transport), even if we are the whole family with dad ((: European old ladies constantly grab the baby by the legs and cheeks. And lisp all over the street (: And if “they don’t like us,” then they will never tell us about it. But not in Russia. Here it’s considered normal to get in with your comments, which are very necessary at this moment, yeah. And they can also start doing dirty tricks. If one A flight attendant can be touched by how the child plays wonderfully and doesn’t bother anyone, then another will easily come and forbid him to sit on the floor or walk around the plane. Or not give the child a glass of water/juice because he is without a seat and he is not supposed to. You just need to be careful about this. ready. And remember that you and your child are traveling and are happy, but they are not happy with their life and are trying to take it out on a weaker and seemingly unprotected person.

31. Is it necessary?
In general, of course, a child at this age doesn’t care about all these new countries and cities. And yes, this is an extra hemorrhoid for parents (: The child feels good where his mother is. And if the mother cannot sit still and feels much better in constant movement and travel, then the child will be better off. I, for example, cannot stand it at home all day (when the weather is bad, for example, and we don’t go for a walk), I just don’t have enough imagination to entertain a restless child. On a trip, you don’t need to invent anything special - the whole world is in front of the child (:
Of course, it is incorrect to compare a traveling child with a child who is not allowed to travel abroad. But I think that such active knowledge of the world has a very positive effect on development. We learned new skills while traveling. As soon as you arrived in a new place, arms and legs were immediately found, the child sat down, began to walk and poke his finger at new objects.

APD. Experienced people suggest (:
I completely forgot to write about the mother and child room at the airport, although we often look there. It happens that it is combined with a children's playroom. There is usually a microwave, kettle, beds, and sink. Sometimes even a shower. Very convenient (: You can take a break at the docking, warm up food, drink tea. Except that the whole family is not always allowed there, usually one child + one adult.

I am writing this post specifically for crazy travel lovers like me. Useful articles have already been written on the topics of budget travel, booking hotels and flights, and solving all sorts of problems while traveling. So I decided to leave a little useful legacy for future travelers. Over the past few years, my wife and I have traveled to many different countries and interesting places, and in April of this year our daughter was born. Of course, after the birth of a child, one’s views on life and worldview change, but nevertheless, after a month and a half, when we got used to our new role as parents, I began to think about further travel, because life does not end there, but is just beginning: ) In this review, I will tell you about my experience of traveling to Europe with a baby, which may be useful to young parents like us. I’ll immediately make a reservation that everything said below will be subjective, since everyone’s children are different, as well as their parents’ reactions to certain events.

Geographical choice and moral preparation
So, first, I was able to communicate with those who already had experience traveling with infants. Special thanks to Sasha alexcheban for moral support. In fact, even on the Internet you can’t find much information about traveling with infants. Mostly people limit themselves to trips to the beach, where they have the opportunity not to go far from the hotel. We wanted to go to some interesting city.
The main conditions should have been:
1) Not too long a flight, non-stop if possible
2) A civilized country, in order to minimize the risk of catching some exotic disease, and also to have the opportunity to receive qualified help if necessary.
3) Relatively small volumes of attractions with a compact location. So that you can leisurely see everything without running around the whole city, as happens in Paris. And of course, I wanted to discover a new place for myself, where I had never been before.

And so, in June, everything comes together into a single picture. At the beginning of September we take tickets to Latvia to visit my wife’s parents, and from there, according to tradition, we decide to fly somewhere. The choice fell on Copenhagen, and besides, three tickets (yes, now there are three of us) came at a ridiculous price of 200 euros in both directions. Now the training camp is coming!

Preparing for the trip, packing your suitcases

Here, first of all, you need to collect the child. If you are used to traveling together with one suitcase, you can safely take out another one, or even better, pack a separate small suitcase or bag for your child. As it turned out, the volume of our baby’s things took more than each of us individually. The situation was complicated by the fact that we were traveling to the rather deceptive climate of Northern Europe, where in September it is alternately cold and warm. So I had to take more different things

It is advisable to take with you some diapers just in case, disposable diapers and extra clothes. A few of your child’s favorite toys and, of course, a first aid kit, about which you should consult a doctor.
If your child is still very small and does not sit on his own, then you need a stroller with a recumbent position. In principle, I heard that you can rent a stroller, but we preferred to buy our own. For this reason, I bought the Maclaren XT, the main advantage of which is the recumbent position (from 0 according to age), as well as excellent wheel shock absorption and a weight of only 7 kg.

All that remains is to pack your bag for the plane. You may find it useful there:
- two replacement diapers
- wet and dry wipes
- disposable diaper
- a bottle of water
- rattle
- blanket

Don't forget to get insurance before your trip!
Well, we seem to be ready, it’s time to go to the airport.

Airports and flights

At Odessa airport, oddly enough, we were treated even better than in Europe. We were let in at the front of the line and weren’t particularly inspected.
By the way, our daughter did not have a passport, so we received such a return certificate from the embassy

Since we’re on the topic of airports, I’ll say right away that in Europe you have to fold the stroller everywhere and pass it through a metal detector, while simultaneously taking off your shoes and all that. So it is advisable to keep carry-on luggage to a minimum.
The stroller goes as hand luggage, but is checked in at the boarding ramp. It is picked up there upon arrival
Photos at Copenhagen airport

By the way, usually, in addition to the stroller, the child’s ticket includes another 10 kg. free luggage. At airBaltic, not everyone knew about this at check-in, so we had to explain it clearly.
The most unpleasant thing will come next. First you need to board a crowded bus with a stroller, and then settle into a cramped plane. So, if possible, book VIP boarding. They say that for long distances on large planes there are special bassinets for children, but we had to hold the child in our arms or something like that. A separate seat belt for the child is attached to mom or dad's belt, depending on who will be holding the child.
Meet our Limochka

Our flight from Odessa to Riga lasted 2 hours 40 minutes, and during this time, even taking turns, we got tired of holding the child in our arms in a confined space. The flight from Riga to Copenhagen is shorter - an hour and a half, which is undoubtedly better. All flights were non-stop; for a small child, the less time on the road, the better.
Our Lyma endured all the flights with honor, although I was worried that my ears would get blocked during landing. It is for this case, if the child does not sleep, that you should give him a bottle of water or a breast. Changing a diaper during a flight is generally not difficult. Besides us, there were other passengers on the plane with children, and some of their children were crying, so this is also subjective.

On the scene

There is no point in talking about our stay in Latvia, so I will move on to our trip to Denmark and Sweden. So, after the flight, everyone quickly wants to go to the hotel. The rain and the awakened child did not give us the opportunity to get from the airport to the center by metro, so we had to take a taxi. Surprisingly, although in Europe there are large fines for transporting children without a child seat, none of the taxi drivers had one, and no problems or questions arose.

It is best to choose a hotel in the center. Perhaps it was the right choice of hotel that became the key to a successful trip. It is very important that if something happens, you can quickly return to your room, and all attractions are as close as possible, within walking distance. So it’s better not to save money here. Our hotel, which I will tell you about later, was located in the very heart of Copenhagen - on Nyhavn.

Usually, all children do not like to wear warm clothes, especially when the room is hot. We wore warm overalls in the hotel lobby, very comfortable

If you want to calmly walk around the city, see something and even take photos, then it is best for the child to sleep during the walk. When our daughter fell asleep for 2-3 hours, we could see quite a lot and have a nice walk. Ideal position for baby while walking :)

Nyhavn not only charmed me with its atmosphere and beauty, it became our home for four whole days, because our hotel was located just behind the main events, as a result we often walked here together

It turned out to be very difficult to take a family photo. I don't really want to wake up the baby

Copenhagen has many pleasant places to walk with children. There are not so many cars here, the environment is good and the paths are clean.
This is a park near Rosenborg Castle. Silence, fresh air and birdsong, what else do you need for walking with a stroller?

But going shopping or going to a cafe, this can be a problem. Firstly, if there is fresh air outside and the stroller is constantly in motion, then the child sleeps well, but the room is always quite hot and noisy, which is why the child wakes up and no longer wants to sleep, but begins to be capricious. That's how we sat in the restaurant

Once again I remember our wonderful hotel, where we were fed not only for breakfast, but also for dinner. This helped not only to save money in a rather expensive city, where a meal for two would cost around 50-60 euros, but also to avoid difficulties with the whims of a child. By the way, about restaurants, next to our hotel there was an excellent restaurant with a Michelin guide mark, but infants are not allowed there. It’s understandable, it’s quite cramped, leave the stroller only outside, silence and idyll, which will be disturbed by children’s crying. We were not offended.

One day we even managed to go to Sweden. The nearest city of Malmo, which I will definitely write about separately, is only 25 minutes away by train. We quickly walked to the central station, and then we were once again convinced that in a developed country everything is done for the people. There are elevators everywhere for people with wheelchairs and disabilities. So getting down to the platform is not difficult. The trains also have separate carriages for people with bicycles, strollers and suitcases.
There are clean changing rooms everywhere. It’s very convenient, you can close yourself and do all the necessary procedures. This helped us a lot on our way to Malmo.

It is worth noting that there are a lot of paving stones - this is of course not so convenient when moving with a stroller, although it certainly looks beautiful

Malmo is a very beautiful city, small and cozy, where you can go for a walk for a few hours

Another practical tip is to try to avoid large crowds of people, such as on Strøget, which is a shopping mecca in Copenhagen. Although we met a lot of people there with strollers and children.

Results and conclusions

Here I would like to separately note the merits of my beloved wife, who showed maximum courage and attention to the child, which certainly had a positive impact on the entire trip.
You can travel with a child, it is quite possible, you just need to take into account your own characteristics and be prepared for all the ensuing difficulties.
The central object of attention will, of course, be your baby, and not the architectural beauty of the city, which will make the experience different from usual trips without children.
You will see as much of the city as your child will allow you to.
To make the walks go better, it is still worth returning to the room every few hours for an hour and a half so that the child can rest. Our baby just needed to lie on her stomach without warm clothes.
Unfortunately, we were not able to see everything we had planned in Denmark. But Copenhagen turned out to be much more extensive and interesting than I thought. Therefore, it is better to budget more time for accommodation. For traveling with a child to the city, small cities such as Riga, Tallinn or Lubeck, for example, are more suitable.
Traveling by plane probably has its advantages, but there are also many disadvantages. Next time we travel in a car, we’ll try to tell you separately.
I hope that my experience will be useful to someone. I would like to emphasize once again that experience in such matters is a subjective thing, just as there are different opinions on this matter. If anyone has questions on the topic, I will be happy to help and share my experience.

A baby has appeared in your family, and you, of course, are incredibly happy! Life has changed significantly: new worries, worries, habits... You have to give up something. But is this justified when it comes to travel? What to do if you really want to go on vacation, but there is a baby in the family? Let's try to figure it out.

Is it possible to travel with a baby?

“Life does not end with the birth of a child! Parents should lead an active lifestyle, and not shake over the baby like a crystal vase! Traveling with a small child is very easy and pleasant, even better than later when he grows up!” – only one is sure. Others answer no less convincingly: “What about acclimatization, the possibility of catching an infection, the difficulty of providing medical care? And then, travel will inevitably lead to a change in regime and comfortable conditions for the baby. Is it really impossible to wait at least a couple of years? Traveling with a baby is pure selfishness.”

Which of the disputants is right? Probably both. If the baby is breastfed (and therefore protected from many dangers), and mom and dad love and want to travel, and moreover, do not doubt for a second that such a vacation will be wonderful for the whole family - most likely it will be so! But it’s still not worth denying the existing risks. The parents themselves will have to decide whether to travel with an infant. If you are sure that there will be a trip, your main task will be to thoroughly prepare for this event, taking into account the needs of a recently born family member.

Traveling with a baby by car: perhaps the easiest option

The first car journey with a baby usually occurs a few days after its birth - this is the road from the maternity hospital. For the little ones, traveling by car is not too tiring: they usually just sleep in it.

A child older than 1-2 months becomes more demanding of external conditions. Of course, all children are different, and they all perceive trips differently, the new sounds, smells, and fluctuations in daily routine associated with them. Some people continue to fall asleep immediately after the car starts moving, while others are capricious and anxious in unusual conditions. In any case, if you go on a trip with a child, try to match the time on the road and his sleep. This will make it easier for everyone.

To make traveling by car with a baby easy, take care, first of all, to have a car seat in which the baby should sleep comfortably, and to follow the usual daily routine. Don’t start right away with long trips - it’s better for kids to first go to a dacha or to a village to visit relatives, located 1-2 hours away from their parents’ house. Later you can take longer trips. The advantage of traveling by car with a child is that you can stop at any time to feed or change him, just take a walk in a place you like, or return home if necessary. If you are traveling far, take breaks for at least 1 hour every 3 hours.

In addition to the main luggage loaded into the trunk, take wet wipes, several diapers (depending on the travel time), spare clothes, dishes, water and complementary foods, if it has already been introduced, and toys. Do not wrap a child in a car.

Is it worth traveling with a baby on an intercity bus?

Traveling with a baby by bus is much more problematic than by car. Firstly, it won’t be very comfortable for mom to sit on the seat with the baby. Secondly, the child may get motion sickness. Thirdly, if your child bursts into tears, some passengers will perceive it negatively. And finally, the bus will not be stopped just at your request.

However, from about 3 months of age, a child can try to master this type of transport. If you decide to travel with a baby on an intercity bus, be careful when purchasing tickets. Choose a travel time that coincides with your baby's sleep and select seats in the front of the cabin.

Traveling with a baby by train

Choosing a transport such as a train for traveling with a baby has significant advantages: babies are quite comfortable in it, there are no problems with motion sickness (as in a car, ship or plane), and, in addition, train tickets are relatively inexpensive.

But this type of transport also has serious disadvantages. A long road can be tiring, temperature conditions - summer heat or cold air conditioning, drafts - are often stressful, neighbors are noisy and dissatisfied with the scream of a small passenger...

The solution is to travel as a group of three, or even better, as a group of four, purchasing a separate compartment for your family. When the train stops for long periods, you can take a walk with your baby along the platform.

With a baby - on a boat

A boat cruise with a small child can be a wonderful time of relaxation. But - provided that the baby’s vestibular system is all right. It is not advisable to immediately go on a long voyage; a short boat trip is enough to get started. Fortunately, problems with motion sickness in infants are rare, since they have not yet gotten used to “swimming” in their mother’s belly. According to academician Eduard Mantsev, the problem of seasickness becomes relevant after the child’s 2nd birthday. But you should start water travel at least after the baby is 6 months old.

If you want to go on a river or sea cruise, first of all check with the tour operator whether the presence of children on the selected ship is allowed.

Traveling abroad with a baby

The desire to change the environment for young parents is quite common and normal. If you decide to fly to relax at the seaside or visit some interesting European city with a baby, know: there are many difficulties ahead, but they can be overcome.

When can you take your child on their first plane trip?

First of all, adequately assess the baby’s age, the characteristics of his health and possible difficulties during flights. Pediatricians do not recommend airplane travel for children under 6 months of age. Until this age, it is better to get by by ground transport.

The disadvantages of traveling with an infant on an airplane are dry air in the cabin and a large crowd of people, whose health status can only be guessed at. The baby’s immunity is just developing, and an attack by microbes on his fragile body is extremely undesirable. The first flights abroad should not be long (more than 4.5 hours). And, of course, ideally you need to fly non-stop.

Choosing a place to relax with your baby

Where to go on vacation with a baby? You shouldn’t suddenly change the climate zone - for example, go to a hot tropical summer in winter. It is better if you choose a country with similar weather conditions for your trip. The notorious acclimatization takes an average of three weeks, and can proceed in completely different ways. Therefore, it is recommended to leave for just such a period - approximately 21 days, so that the body gradually adapts to the new conditions. Upon returning to the usual climate, the reverse restructuring will begin. Another reason not to travel to a hot country is that in a calm, civilized place there is less risk of catching some exotic disease, and it is easier to get qualified medical care.

For a comfortable holiday with a baby by the sea, choose a hotel near a good sandy beach with a gentle slope to the water. It’s better to go to quiet, “family” places where the loud music of a youth disco will not disturb you.

If the purpose of your trip is not relaxing on the beach, but sightseeing, choose a city where interesting places are concentrated in one place, so as not to run out of breath with your baby from morning to evening. And the hotel should be located within walking distance from your walking areas.

The nuances of traveling by plane with a baby

Choose seats in the front of the cabin for more space and comfort. Some planes have special bassinets for infants - check to see if your airline provides them.

During takeoff and landing, the pressure in the aircraft cabin changes sharply, which causes discomfort for passengers. To help your breastfed baby, give him the breast. As an option - some water or a pacifier. The child will swallow saliva and get rid of unpleasant stuffy ears.

You can change the diaper in the toilet on a special folding table.

Be careful with baby food - glass jars can explode in flight.

If you are flying to a much warmer country, take lighter clothes and shoes with you in your hand luggage so that you can change your baby immediately after arrival.

What else do you need when traveling with a baby?

1. Sling or ergo backpack will make your travel life much easier. The child next to his mother will feel calm, and you will have your hands free.
2. A cane stroller is a great option instead of or in addition to a sling. The main selection criteria should be lightness, good shock absorption and the presence of a lying position (180 degrees for the smallest).
3. Clothes for children for different weather conditions. Consider whether you will have the ability to do laundry.
4. Baby food and dishes if you are already feeding your baby. If you take perishable foods with you, a cooler bag is essential.
5. Care items (dry and wet wipes, diapers, bibs, etc.).
6. First aid kit: products that help with indigestion, antipyretics, antihistamines, cotton wool, bandages, adhesive plaster, antiseptic (iodine, brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide), insect bite repellent.
7. Toys (favorite ones and a few new ones) will keep your child entertained and happy on the go.

We wish your family a great holiday! We hope that your first trip with a baby will be a positive experience for you that you will definitely want to repeat!

Hello, friends!

As paradoxical as it may sound, your trip with a small child (up to one year old) can turn out to be pleasant and moderately carefree.

Why?

The answer is simple: kids at this age can handle simple flights or transfers quite well. As a rule, children sleep most of the time. In addition, small children do not suffer from.

Important: Try to arrange a comfortable place for your child to sleep and, if possible, stick to the usual daily routine.

If the baby still has enough mother’s milk, this is another plus in favor of the trip. A breastfed baby will always be full and calm. The only condition is that troublesome preparations and all sorts of worries do not lead to a decrease in the amount of milk in the mother.

With a bottle-fed baby it’s a little more difficult. You need to take a thermos with boiling water and dry mixtures with you.

Do not forget: the finished milk mixture can be stored for no more than 1 hour.

It is better to prepare several bottles of dry formula in advance in quantities sufficient for one feeding. If necessary, the mixture can be diluted with warm water and lunch (dinner, breakfast) for the baby is ready.

If your little one is already receiving complementary foods, baby food in jars, juices, and instant cereals will help you out. The main thing is that this food is already familiar to the child and he likes it. New food takes getting used to. And on the way, the child’s appetite may deteriorate.

Note:

• If you are flying on an airplane, jars of baby food may explode due to pressure differences at altitude. Due to low pressure, jars of cottage cheese and yogurt may swell, but the quality of the product will not be affected.
• If you don't have a bag — refrigerator, do not take perishable foods on the road that can cause poisoning in a small child.
• When choosing jars and boxes of baby food, check at what temperature they can be stored (in your case, this is from 0 to 25 degrees).

• If you plan to walk a lot on vacation, purchase in advance. This could be a comfortable backpack (better if it is a model with a visor and raincoat) or (by the way,).
• On the road, you may need baby bottles, a sippy cup, disposable bibs, diapers, wet antibacterial wipes, a travel first aid kit with medications recommended by the pediatrician, and others.
• Carefully consider your baby's wardrobe. Clothing should be suitable for all occasions, as the weather can change dramatically.
• Don't forget to pack a few of your baby's favorite toys in the bag to keep baby calm and occupied.

So be brave! Go on your first trip with a small child. With good preparation, your vacation will be unforgettable and bright.

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