Let Your Child Be the Perfect Travel Companion: 4 Key Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Carol’s Mommy

This trip to Barcelona, Spain, was our little troublemaker’s sixth journey just after turning one—and their second flight. Mommy loves to roam around, but Daddy’s “German discipline” means we have to pay close attention to many details and plan carefully. So while our little troublemaker isn’t exactly a “perfect travel companion” (after all, they still take up quite a bit of energy from the adults...), they’ve definitely become an experienced traveler now.

From past trips with our older child and these recent ones with the little one, Carol has some tips and suggestions for parents who want to travel the world with their babies:

Recommended travel modes—start with car, then train, then plane. Travel durations can range from under two hours, to 4–20 hours, and even longer. This helps both parents and baby gradually get used to the inevitable “issues” that arise during trips, so you won’t be caught off guard.

Personally, Carol loves train travel in Europe because on trains, you don’t necessarily have to stay seated. But if you’re in a car, and the baby needs a diaper change, feeding, or a cuddle, you’ll have to stop (since babies must stay in their car seats the entire time while driving!). Airplanes usually have limited space, and the baby is often “strapped” to the parent, which can be quite challenging for a little one who likes to wiggle (and even more so for the parents).

That said, if the train ride is under four hours, it’s manageable—last time we took a six-hour train from Hamburg to Munich, and the baby started getting bored. So our rule is: if the train ride is over four hours, we take a plane instead. For trips to Italy and this one to Spain, flights lasting about one and a half to two and a half hours are quite efficient.

The most terrifying “boss level”? Flying back and forth between Taiwan and Europe... It has to be by plane and always takes over 14 hours. For Taiwanese moms living in Europe, it’s an unavoidable nightmare. So this time, we opted for a two-leg flight with a longer layover in between—long enough to lie down and sleep before the next flight—so we’d have the energy to deal with our little troublemaker.

Traveling with a baby means you can’t watch the sunrise, enjoy the night view, or drive through three cities in one go. In the past, to save time and money, many travelers liked to wake up early, rush around seeing sights, and then go out at night. But with a baby, that’s not possible. Babies don’t care if the adults are on vacation or at home—their routines are pretty much the same.

Some destinations are baby-friendly (like cities with great public transport or safe, clean nature spots), while others are better suited for when kids are a bit older (like hiking high mountains or places where you can’t use a stroller and have to carry the baby the whole time). These are all things worth researching. Parents with energy might need to adjust their previous travel styles—perhaps “slow travel” with your baby could bring a whole new perspective.

One magical thing about travel is that no one can fully take the lead—you have to cooperate. Whether it’s physical strength, interests, or biological clocks, parents must remember to align with the baby’s schedule and choose suitable activities, or the baby’s “protests” could ruin the fun.

Our little troublemaker goes to bed at eight o’clock sharp, so to avoid pushing around a tired, crying baby that spoils the mood, we stick to a regular routine and head back to rest after dinner. Honestly, it’s not bad—we can even plan tomorrow’s itinerary together or go to bed early to recharge. Because at seven the next morning, our little troublemaker will be up right on time again.

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If mom and dad haven’t traveled together much in the past, suddenly adding a baby can lead to lots of potential blow-ups. Because “chemistry” isn’t built through communication alone—it takes some collisions to learn how to complement each other. That’s why Carol recommends traveling as a couple more often—because you’ll see a lot about each other during trips.

Older children can be either a bonus or a challenge. Their expectations and needs for travel are naturally different from those of a baby. If you insist the older child always accommodate everyone, they’ll eventually protest too. But they also need to understand that traveling with a baby is different from past family trips—and some adjustments are needed. Everyone must help each other, and these are things that should be discussed before the trip.

Our 12-year-old sister already has her own opinions about travel, and we have to get her approval on the itinerary for everyone to be happy. So there are always a few days or periods where we let her plan, and the rule is: once decided, we go along with it—no sulking or complaining. This is also great experience for the older child—they’re no longer the ones being “taken care of,” nor can they treat mom and dad like a “travel agency.” They have to be flexible and take responsibility for their own luggage, schedule, and even emotions.

On our trips together, there are always things that can’t please everyone, but mommy’s little secret is “switching the main and supporting roles.”Sometimes when the older child feels like they’re always accommodating mom, dad, or the younger siblings, we let them decide what to do next—unless it’s truly impossible, we’ll all happily go along with it. After a few times, our sister understands the effort we put into planning and also gets to enjoy the travel style she prefers.

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I also make time to spend “alone” with my sister during each trip. Like this time at the beach in Barcelona, we played in the waves and sand together, or shared lots of heartfelt stories while pushing the stroller. These are moments we’ll both remember forever.

Working together keeps everyone’s energy and mood in the “green light” zone. Though the trip may have its tough moments, there will also be plenty of wonderful memories.

To be honest, we really miss the carefree, relaxed trips as just the two of us. But I also believe that“the best parenting happens during travel.”Though traveling with a baby means packing twice as much, exerting extra effort, and aligning with the baby’s routine and suitable itineraries, it would be a shame to leave the child at home just because of the hassle—or not travel at all. Hopefully, this little sharing can help families who love travel as much as we do.

[Carol’s World] Authorized reprint | Original article source: [Traveling with a Baby Under One Year Old]