The beginner’s guide to travel with a baby
So many things are new when you’re a new parent, let alone the thought of jumping on a plane with your baby. And with so many people ready to say you can’t/shouldn’t/must be mad to even think about it, it’s not surprising lots of new parents are put off travel with a baby entirely.
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But I firmly believe the first flight is the hardest – not actually because it’s particularly difficult (in hindsight, travelling with a young toddler was tougher than a three-month-old) but because it’s a leap into the unknown.
So don’t be put off – there’s a whole world to discover with your baby. And if you’re wondering just how to do it, what to pack and how to carry it all, here’s my beginner’s guide, a ‘travel with a baby checklist’.
Flying with a baby: Know before you go
Airlines will all have their own rules on luggage allowances, but infants are usually allowed to take at least two items (including travel cot, buggy, car seat) free of charge. They also have a small hold allowance, although not usually a hand luggage allowance.
What else do you need to consider? Here’s my top 10 things to know before you fly.
Packing for travel with a baby
If you’re going for a long trip, it’s not usually practical to take all the nappies and wipes you’ll need – but there are babies everywhere, so unless there’s a particular reason to stick to a certain brand, it’s often easier to stock up on arrival.
If you’ve got access to a washing machine, or even basic handwashing, take half as many clothes as you think you’ll need… plus some Vanish. And a few extra bodysuits.
Here’s my essential baby packing list. Don’t forget to keep spare clothes for the baby and yourself in hand luggage as often their sense of timing is less than impeccable when it comes to leaky nappies or sudden sickness.
Do save room for a first aid kit as well and make sure you keep Calpol sachets in hand luggage (when they’re above the minimum age to be able to take it).
If you’re travelling with younger babies, you can keep toys to a minimum – even just watching faces at the airport will be an experience. Fabric books, finger puppets and cuddly animals are great to have on hand, but avoid anything which makes too much noise.
For older babies and toddlers, here are my suggestions for travel toys to pack.
Travel with a baby: Food, drink and sleep tips
Babies and children aren’t subject to the normal 100ml rules, so you’re only restricted to what’s ‘reasonable’ for the journey – it’s worth packing slightly more in case of delays.
New technology at UK airports means you’re unlikely to be asked to taste food and drink any more, although it may still happen both here and overseas.
If you’re bottle-feeding, airports and planes have more facilities for warming milk so cooled boiled water and pre-measured formula is fine, or order premixed cartons in advance from Boots airside. If you can get your baby used to room temperature milk, that’s even better. Here are some of my other tips for flights if you’re formula feeding.
For older babies who are weaned, food pouches like Ella’s Kitchen are much easier to spoonfeed or suck out, weigh less and won’t break. Again, you can order in advance to pick up at the airport.
And sleep? On the plus side, the white noise of planes can often send babies right off to sleep once you’re on board. If you’re travelling long-haul, try these tips for combatting jetlag in babies.
Baby travel essentials
Always check with your accommodation before you travel to see what baby kit they have – travel cots are very common, albeit normally basic models and you’ll need your own bedding. Some hotels have a much more extensive range from baby monitors to black-out blinds.
If you are taking a travel cot, my favourite was the lightweight Baby Bjorn Travel Cot, but here are a few things to bear in mind when you buy.
Consider a lightweight umbrella stroller as a travel buggy once they’re over six months and don’t need to lie flat. My Maclaren Volo travelled the world with us, complete with Buggysnuggle universal footmuff to make it a bit cosier.
You’ll be able to leave it at the gate or plane door, but often won’t be able to pick it up until baggage reclaim at the other side (often on the outsize belt), so a baby carrier or sling is hugely helpful.
This way, you’ll have your arms free as you’re boarding and when you’re trekking through immigration at the other side. My favourite, again, was the Baby Bjorn range including the Baby Bjorn One.
Baggage handlers are not known for being kind to luggage, and that includes checked buggies and car seats. Although you can’t do too much to protect them, a buggy bag is worth the investment.
I used a Koo-di buggy bag which packed down very small and was impressively hard-wearing – this buggy bag is similar. I did also try something a bit more structured but it wasn’t as long-lasting.
One of my most useful multitasking essentials was a huge muslin. This doubled as a sheet, a blanket, a scarf, a sunshade, a towel, a breastfeeding cover – and a muslin, as well. Cuski muslins are incredibly soft and I’ve lost count of how often they were used over the first couple of years.
A black one with stars on also worked well as a snoozeshade for the buggy, and let air in to keep her cool – the colourful designs were also lovely though.
Lastly, a few tips for eating – if you have a microwave, steriliser bags are light, take up hardly any room and can be used more than once to sterilise bottles, dummies and teethers. Otherwise, sterilising tablets such as Milton are often simplest.
And once your baby is weaned and old enough to support themselves, a Totseat is an incredibly useful buy. Small enough to squash into a change bag, it works on any chair, so it’s also great if you’re eating somewhere which doesn’t have a high chair.
So those are my top tips for when you first travel with your baby – and the most important tip of all? Go! You won’t regret it.
*First published 2015, last updated 2026*
PIN FOR LATER: THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO TRAVEL WITH A BABY
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Ordering two totseats (one for my little’un and one for my nephew) is on my pre Greece checklist. They look fab! And the Boots airside order collection is a total life saver. We’re not needing as much formula now, but picking it up in the airport is so convenient. Luckily Holiday Baby will guzzle it at any random temperature, so warming is something we don’t need to worry about.
They are genius – we used our Totseat so much. And fortunately a friend had advised me to offer milk at different temperatures to get my daughter used to it and so she never had a problem – made travel a lot easier!
I remember how daunted I was before the first flight I took with my baby – if only I’d had this to reassure me! Another tip is to take a supply of plastic bags in your hand luggage for soiled clothes etc.
Thanks! Same here – it was probably the most nerve-racking flight I’ve taken (and went incredibly smoothly in the end). That’s a really good tip about plastic bags as well, or I had a fold-up wet bag which usually lived at the bottom of the change bag too.
I’m not a mum yet but I can imagine this post being like gold dust for anyone who is! I definitely agree with you that travelling with your child is something that SHOULD be done. My sister has a little’un and he’s been on flights plenty of times in his short years… he knows how to behave now :). And I can imagine the experience of travelling with your child is well worth the stress. Great post Cathy :).
Gabby
Thanks! And I do hope so – I agree that the more you do it when they’re little, the easier it is as it’s not such a weird experience too. My daughter gets really excited about the thought of going on a plane, and even the longest, most tiring ones have been worth the trip.
Really, really good tips. I was so, so nervous about the first flight with Monkey, so much so the first year he was born I didn’t fly! But you’re right – once you’re past the leap into the unknown, it’s becomes so much easier. Preparation is key. The tot seat is a brilliant idea, I hadn’t heard of them. We loved the snooze shade too, great for blocking out sunlight for nap times in the day.
Thank you! It really is all about planning and not believing the doom mongers, I think. I know a lot of people rave about the Snooze Shade too, and they always seemed brilliant – Minnie seemed to treat it as an incredible game, something to fight her way free of and escape from, so I had to switch to the lower-tech muslin instead!
We’ve been travelling with our kids since they were babies and this is great advice. We try to minimize the amount of gear we take but there are definitely some things that are essential!
Thanks! And absolutely, there are a few things I wouldn’t want to get on a plane without, although there’s a few items we’re finally not needing now she’s turned three which is good. More room for me in the suitcase!
Thanks for the heads up about the Totseat, they look great! I just re-entered the world of flying with babies and the thing that I had forgotten was just how much stuff a little person needs! Thanks for these tips, I will be referring to them before our next flight on Monday! #globalkids
They were SO useful – and you’re right, it’s incredible how fast you forget just how much babies need. Definitely a relief to need a bit less now. Have a good flight!
So many useful tips here Cathy, I need a refresher as I await the arrival of baby no. 3 in a few weeks time! 😀 You are so right about not letting it stop you though, my first two had their passport pictures done at 2 weeks old and it wasn’t much after that that we were off on their first adventures! 😀
My pleasure – and congratulations! Same here, I think my daughter was about three or four weeks old when I had her passport photos taken, and we were off almost as soon as the passport came through. Looking at her now, I can hardly believe how much she’s changed in about three years, and how many places we’ve managed to visit! Have fun on your travels with number three 🙂
Funny – I swear by all the same travel essentials as you! Totseat, Baby bjorn carrier and travel cot, sterilizer bags… Definitely agree, don’t let it stop you – I always tell people who are about to embark on a long haul flight with a baby “it’s never as bad as you think it will be!”
Thanks – exactly! Although thank goodness for some very useful paraphernalia…
What a great list – the hardest step is that first one, once yu get going it gets easier and easier! Thank you for linking up to #GlobalKids
Thanks! And definitely – once you realise it’s not as bad as you feared, it’s so much easier to keep going.
So I avoided traveling with my son until he was 6 months old. His first flight was to Las Vegas from Florida ha! I know, why on earth right? Well his father and I married there. That said, he slept like a bear on the 5 hour flight, not even a peep. He was so chill the whole time… then we got stuck at the Hoover Dam in some security checkpoint for 3 hours…. he crapped all over himself, was screaming and just went cray the whole time. (TOTALLY PAYBACK FOR BEING AN ABSOLUTE PRINCE). HA!
I know exactly what you mean – on my first trip with my daughter, the flight was a breeze, she dozed happily throughout. The enormous nappy explosion just as we were going through security was less fun!
Hi Cathy, great tips. I completely agree. That first step is quite daunting, (even if you have an aviation background!) But once you get out there, it’s great isn’t? I remember my husband learning the hard way about bringing a spare top! And a baby carrier to just so useful, especially if flying long haul solo. I love hearing about babies that have travelled so much since they were born. It’s lovely to see the Airmiles book fill up with all the destinations – certainly helps them settle when they are older. Thanks for linking up with #myfamilytraveltips
It really is – I can’t imagine how many flights I’d taken before my daughter (hundreds?!) but that first with her was nerve-racking. Once we’d survived (in retrospect, it was easy peasy, she slept most of it) I had so much confidence to carry on. And I think that practice makes it much easier flying with her now.
Some great tips here! We just got a Totseat and it is very handy. Also love taking our baby carrier with us, no matter how we travel (plane, ferry etc)
Thanks! And the baby carrier was so useful – I don’t think I appreciated at the time how helpful it was to have an easy way to carry her (and one which would send her to sleep)… The Totseat was brilliant, we used it so much.
We didn’t take enough nappies when we went to Majorca and oh my goodness, they were expensive! So if you’re going somewhere aimed at tourists I’d make sure you have enough or be prepared to pay double. Apart from that, agree with them all 🙂 #MyFamilyTravelTips
Oh ouch – yes, I can imagine small islands might be trickier. I think I looked in the Algarve and France and neither was eye-wateringly bad. And thanks!