As an experienced mom, I’ve mastered the art of eating well wherever I go!!
Traveling abroad with a baby under two is a mix of joy and worry~
The joy is that the whole family can travel together, and plane tickets for babies under two are super cheap. But cheap comes with its own hassles—like how on earth do I pack all the luggage for a baby under two?! It’s truly a huge task~
And when you’re traveling, it’s hard to be picky about everything, so moms, relax!!~ We’re here to have a great trip!!
I’ve put together a list of tips to ease your worries. I really racked my brains, scoured the internet, and only after returning from my trip did I come up with these handy methods.
Hope this helps all you first-time moms planning to travel abroad...
Water~ I buy bottled mineral water locally. Hotels usually provide two small bottles a day, but that’s not enough because we need water for formula and porridge. If you want to boil water, you also have to check if the local water quality is good. I’ve boiled water before and it was full of impurities—I didn’t dare drink it~ So buying bottled water is safer!!
No need to worry about breastfeeding abroad because the portable breast pump is right there with me, making it super convenient. But remember to wear a nice nursing top so you can take cute photos, and bring a small cover for discreet feeding.
I use a nursing cover blanket—it’s two-in-one: great for breastfeeding and also works as a little blanket!!
Moms with engorged breasts or oversupply must pump, or else it’ll be painful!!
Store the extra milk in milk storage bags. At the hotel, keep it in the fridge, but if you’re out, bring your own ice packs or insulated bags for the milk!!
Also bring ice bricks or small ice packs in case the milk goes bad, and put it back in the fridge when you return to the hotel.
The volume is small—just put a few bags in the fridge the night before for each meal. Before feeding, pour it into a glass baby bottle and warm it up in a thermos or warmer.
Thermos for hot water + glass baby bottle or double-boiler container + glass baby bottle
It’s amazing to breastfeed for every meal, but just have enough, Up!! When traveling, sometimes you produce so much milk you can’t store it all. Don’t feel bad about discarding extra milk during a short trip—it’s okay because luggage weight is limited, and water and milk are the heaviest. If you have extra space and weight allowance, bringing some back is fine, but if you feel bad about wasting it and insist on bringing home a bunch of milk as souvenirs, it’s really a bit disrespectful to the trip, Up!! Traveling is for shopping!! Remember~ Relaxing is key to a great trip!! I’ve seen too many moms lugging ice bricks of milk back home!!
Actually, a mix of breast milk and formula is fine too. Before departure, you can train your baby to drink some formula—train for over half a month!! That way, traveling will be much easier!! But if your baby really refuses formula, then bring enough ice bricks of breast milk for the trip!!
If your baby eats too many meals, I bring disposable bottles—they’re the most convenient and space-saving. But if it’s just three meals and some snacks a day, I’ll bring two bottles.
When bringing bottles, I also pack cleaning brushes, detergent in small packets, and give the bottles a final rinse with hot water for sterilization!! (After one year old, the experienced mom says hot water sterilization for glass bottles is enough!! No need to bring cleaning tools anymore!!)
As a mom, I’m a bit worried about the inner lining of disposable paper cups, but it’s hard to be picky when traveling, so convenience comes first.
A great space-saving method—just bring as many meal packets as you need for the day. Super convenient.
But the experienced mom only uses disposable formula packets when it’s inconvenient to measure formula outside or on the plane, because it costs an extra NT$5 per meal. Otherwise, I use the regular formula tin.
I’ve also seen some smart moms using plastic bags—that’s another money-saving trick!!
The advantage is having a fridge and power supply, so you don’t have to change rooms constantly. Just head back to the room when needed.
Back then, my baby was only 8 months old. I didn’t trust Malaysian street food, so I brought homemade baby food that we ate daily.
I flattened and froze my homemade baby food to save space. For however many days we were traveling, I brought enough meals, packed them in a Styrofoam box, added some ice packs or plastic bags as ice bricks, and put everything in the suitcase before departure. Once at the hotel, I stored it in the freezer to keep it frozen.
Before heading out, I’d heat it in a thermos and bring it along for feeding.
The volume is small—just put a few meal packets in the fridge the night before for each day. Before eating, heat it in a warmer, and if you’re going out, pour it into a thermos to carry and feed. (You can also use a double-boiler, but bringing a container is more troublesome.)
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Things must be simple and easy to carry when traveling!!
*Thermos Cooked Porridge + Meal Kits: (Based on one day's portion for a child)
Thermos 350ml / Rice 40g = Eight-times-cooked porridge (split into two meals)
Meal kit 80g / I researched for a long time because I don’t like the ones with rice grains or noodles inside—the textures are all weird—and since my toddler, Tuzai, is used to eating porridge, I chose the Morinaga meal kits that can be poured over porridge or noodles. You can also buy some ready-made heat-and-eat meal kits to bring along.
Tuzai usually eats about 250ml per meal, so a portion of porridge plus meal kit is roughly 250ml per meal as well.
If you start cooking it in the morning and open it at noon, it’ll still be warm. Pour out half, add the meal kit, and if you’re at a restaurant, you can ask them to heat up the other half and put it back in the thermos—it’ll still be warm by dinner.
But even if you cook it in the morning and only open it at dinner, it’ll still be slightly warm because plain white porridge doesn’t spoil easily. I’d ask the restaurant to reheat it for Tuzai, and she’s perfectly fine with it. But if you’re worried, you can also buy some local meal kits for dinner, heat them up, and they’re good to eat too.
Soak the rice in water the night before.
*In the European countries I visited, there weren’t any, but in Asia, there are hot water kettles. It’s best to bring your own just in case.
(I also thought about an electric soup spoon—it’s small and easy to carry, but you need a container. The hotel containers are limited to just cups, and if you’re lucky, you might find an ice bucket. These concerns led me to just bring a small pot myself, just like a hot water kettle!! And kids run around and pull things—I was worried about safety!!)
On the day, add boiling water in the morning and let it steep for 15–30 minutes, then pour out the water, add the soaked rice, pour in freshly boiled water, and let it steep until around noon—about 3–4 hours—and the rice will be soft enough.
*But eating porridge every day gets boring, so I switch it up with small Italian tubes or QQ noodles: but don’t steep them for too long. I usually pour out the water after about an hour, tighten the thermos, and let it steep. (Because noodles get mushy if left in water too long.)
(Two packets a day + a wide-mouth hot water kettle can fit the meal kits directly, or bring a bowl for heating the meal kits in a water bath.)
One glass and one plastic—glass is safer for microwaving if needed, which makes me feel more at ease. Honestly, whichever is easier for mom to carry is fine.
Common baby food items available on the market can be bought cheaper when purchased at the destination.
All the above methods work—moms, choose the one that’s convenient and that you feel reassured about for your little one’s meals!!
Food scissors, spoon, bowl, bib.
Abroad, just eat what the adults eat. You can ask the restaurant to specially prepare something for the child, like egg fried rice or lightly stir-fried noodles. Order the same dishes as everyone else, and for Western food, you can choose pasta and cut it up with food scissors.
PS. Eating Tips: (Bring lots of small clear plastic bags)
At the hotel breakfast buffet, you can pack some bread or cookies for the child to have as dry snacks on the go. (But don’t overdo it—I only take the portion meant for the child!!)
For fruits, pick ones with peels that you can take with you. If you’re staying at a fixed hotel, cut-up fruit can be taken back to the room and chilled. After playing, you’ll have cool fruit waiting in the room!!
Pack clothes based on the season and number of days, and remember to check the recent weather forecast.
For 3–5 day trips: one outfit per day, plus 2–3 extra outfits.
For 5–12 day trips: take half the number of daily outfits, plus 2–3 extra. In between, I’ll use a coin-operated washing machine once or wash by hand. Handwashing leaves things wetter, so wrap clothes in a towel and twist to absorb moisture, then hang them in a ventilated area. (If you plan to use a washing machine, remember to bring a small packet of detergent.)
Clothes: Actually, in summer, it’s fine to bring lots of thin layers because it’s hot—you wash clothes at night and they’ll be dry by morning.
Thin jackets: Useful for big day-night temperature differences, or when it gets chilly in malls while shopping.
Swimwear: I bring 1–2 sets. If there’s a chance to swim, you’ll keep swimming and can swap them out. (Applicable for island countries.)
Clothes: Winter clothes take up a lot of space, so I pack strategically. Also, winter clothes don’t dry easily, and since there’s no sweating, I don’t wash them daily unless I’m staying at a hotel for more than two days, in which case I’ll do laundry. So some items get worn twice.
Thermal wear: Must be layered like onions. Peel layers off if it’s too hot during the day, and bundle up again if it’s too cold at night.
Pants: If it’s really cold, I’ll have the child wear two pairs of pants.
Jacket: Bring one windproof jacket—watch out for day-night temperature drops to avoid catching a cold. Catching a cold abroad is a hassle.
You can bring your own or buy them locally.
I usually bring some diapers and then buy larger or smaller packs based on how many days we’ll be staying after arrival. I think the prices don’t differ much.
Diaper sizes: In Europe and America, they are divided into 1, 2, 3, 4; in Southeast Asia, they are S, M, L, XL, XXL (they all indicate the weight in KGs, so just choose according to your baby’s weight!!)
Look~ such a thoughtful country, where you can get free diapers in various sizes, and there are even changing tables for babies.
The changing tables have padded tissues for diaper changes~ super thoughtful!!
So when you travel with a baby, you’ll find that every country has such considerate designs that really touch your heart!!
1. You can request a baby crib, but some hotels may charge extra for it.
2. A king-size bed allows the whole family of three to sleep together more comfortably.
These two things are very important for ensuring good sleep quality for the next leg of your journey, and some hotels go the extra mile by providing bottle warmers, baby bathtubs, and baby bath kits.
3. Voltage issues: Please check the voltage carefully and ensure that the electrical appliances you bring are rated for international voltage to avoid damaging them.
4. Plug types: There’s a universally compatible voltage converter plug that works worldwide. Buy one and bring an extension cord so you can plug in multiple devices.
P.S. Moms, remember to bring your baby’s comfort items—pacifiers or blankets... etc.! Because moms know best what their babies need.
Everyone recommends a stroller that folds up quickly—those are lighter and more convenient for getting on and off buses. (But there’s a risk of damage during air travel.)
Highly recommended!! The French BABYZEN YOYO stroller (it can fold up and go on the plane, no worries about it getting damaged!! I think you can rent strollers in Taiwan too!!)
I’ve heard of many moms having their strollers broken and having to buy a new one at their destination. This one was passed down to me by my aunt—it’s been through two kids and has six years of history!!
Counting my trips abroad with my aunt, we must’ve taken it on over ten trips, and it’s been dropped just as many times. All I can say is this stroller is super tough~!!
Never leave home without the stroller—if not, carrying the baby will make your arms sore, and carrying shopping will make your hands ache. It’s really better to have a stroller.
Avoid suitcases that open in the middle—if you do, you’ll need a huge space just to open them, and if you pack too much, they won’t close properly. It’s super troublesome, and I gave up on these after having kids.
Using a nested suitcase setup is like having one suitcase—it’s easier to move around when traveling, with one suitcase, one stroller, and one little runner. Two people can handle it just fine~ but on the way back, you’ll definitely be coming home fully loaded!!
Get a large, lightweight tote bag to hang on the side of your suitcase. That way, if you buy too much stuff, you can use this bag to carry things—it’s fine for both carry-on and checked luggage. If checking it in, just put non-important and unbreakable items in it. I’ve put clothes and shoes in there, and locked the important stuff in the suitcase.
For smaller babies, but if the kid gets restless, just carry them in a baby carrier and walk.
Kids at this age think they can conquer the world just because they can walk, so I still prefer to carry them in a backpack and hold their hand—I feel more at ease that way.
My dog and I are definitely the same type—let’s go!! Luckily I had him on a leash the whole trip, as he kept chasing after big dogs.
General airlines: adults 20-30KG / children 10KG.
Budget airlines (buy extra baggage yourself): usually starts at 15KG, and the price varies by airline. Some charge 500 TWD for an extra 5KG, others 250 TWD, so check carefully.
If buying extra weight isn’t cost-effective, split the weight among travelers—for example, two people with 20KG each totaling 40KG.
If buying extra weight is worth it, get one person up to 40KG and don’t buy extra for the other.
Remember, when traveling abroad, don’t try to pack everything just to avoid wasting space. The simpler and lighter, the better.
I once saw a family of four—a couple with two young kids—bring three full suitcases when traveling freely around Europe. They also had to manage three suitcases and a stroller while transferring on the metro. Luckily one kid was older and could help with the luggage, but I think it was still a great experience and memory for them.
Only bring the luggage you need, or use a nested suitcase setup to have an extra empty suitcase for souvenirs, because how can you not buy any while traveling abroad? Haha~
So remember to take your little one for a full check-up before departure, and ask the doctor to prescribe some just-in-case medications, such as for high fever, common colds, diarrhea... and so on.
Mom, I’ll bring some heat patches, an ear thermometer, mosquito repellent, wound ointment, and band-aids!!
I actually ran into this kind of situation myself—on the fifth day of our trip to Germany, oh my goodness!! And it was roseola—what bad luck that it had to happen then!! I’ll share with the moms how I managed to handle it with Little Rabbit later!!
PS. Remember to confirm whether you need a visa (apply in advance if required).
If it’s a visa-on-arrival, be sure to prepare a passport photo and cash!!
(Bring a pen: for filling out the visa-on-arrival form or white card—having your own pen saves you from asking others.)
Phew~ Turns out there’s so much to keep in mind when traveling abroad with kids. My hands are sore from typing!! If there’s anything I missed, moms are welcome to share with me too!! Kneeled-down mom hopes every mommy has a happy and wonderful trip!!