Baby Travel Essentials: Packing List & Top Tips

Traveling with a baby? These are the essentials you need.

Your travel adventures don’t have to stop when you have a baby. My baby took her first international flight at 2 months and before she was a year old had been to three continents and 10 countries.

There are some things that have made that travel so much easier and I’m here to share it with you. All the essentials that will make you know that you can do this and start exploring the world with your little.

Baby Travel Essentials Packing List

How does something so small (and adorable!) require so much stuff? And how are you supposed to bring it all with you on a plane? And carry it?

In this list we’re going to work through both the items that you need and the items that are great to have but you can survive without.

1. Passports and other documents

Yes, your tiny bundle of joy needs various travel documents depending on where you are going.

• Flying internationally they will need a passport
• Going between US and Canada by land you need proof of baby’s US citizenship to re-enter the US
• Some cruises will only require a birth certificate
• If you are going out of state and out of country with only one parent you should have a notarized letter with you from the other parent giving you permission to take the baby out of state and/or out of country. This is required by some countries, including Canada.

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2. Baby Carrier

Whether it is to keep your hands free through security or navigating the narrow sidewalks of Moroccos a good baby carrier makes a huge difference.

We’ve been traveling with the ErgoBaby 360 since she was about 5 months old, now at 15 months it still provides comfort for me and her. It’s easy to adjust the sizing, the straps are comfortable, and it has lots of extra features like a rain/sun cover, and adjustments for back, front, and world facing carries.

3. Travel Stroller

Some folks won’t opt for a travel stroller. Either they bring their full sized stroller with them or they opt to rent a stroller at their location through companies like BabyQuip. Some cruise lines will also let you rent a stroller onboard.

Why would you get a travel stroller then? A travel stroller is narrow, lighter, and more collapsable with many being able to go in overhead bins on airplanes. Here are some other reasons:

• somewhere with narrow sidewalks (such as most of Europe)
• will be using public transportation a lot
• want to be able to bring your stroller onto the plane and store in the overhead bin and avoid gate checking all together
• will be going on a cruise ship (as most cruise ship cabin doors are more narrow than your standard stroller)

We opted for the Cybex Eezy S-Twist as it offers both parent facing and world facing in a pretty compact stroller. While it doesn’t fold down as compact as some and doesn’t have a carry strap, I have put it in an overhead bin before.

4. Travel Crib + Always Bring a Sheet

Most family friendly hotels will have a crib or pack n’ play available for use. So far I’ve had good luck with these. I always bring my own sheets as sometimes they’ll tuck a regular sheet around the mattress instead of a fitted sheet or like the one in Quebec they forgot to give us a sheet. (Whoops!)

If you’re flying you do have the option to check your traditional Pack-N-Play (this would count as a checked bag/be subject to the checked bag fee). Or, if you are roadtripping or going somewhere that you’re not sure if you’ll be able to get a crib, there are some great very compact and comfortable travel cribs.

If you need to bring a travel crib with you – this is the best one out there.

5. Car Seat

We travel often enough getting a designated “travel carseat” and travel bag for it made sense for us. It is approved for use by the FAA, lightweight, easy to install (both with straps that attach to the fixed points in the car but also with a seatbelt).

So far I’ve been able to install it in cars and taxi’s in Italy, Spain, Scotland, and the US – up next is Argentina. There are no bells and whistles on this, but it’s an inexpensive option to keep your kid safe on the go.

What if the airline loses your car seat?

Our last time flying our car seat ended up on a different flight than ours (by about a day).

We went to the baggage services team at the airport and they were able to provide us with a loaner car seat (at no charge) until ours arrived.

Our car seat was then delivered to our house and we gave the loaner to the delivery driver.

6. Sound Machine

Drown out those ambient noises and give your baby some calm for sleep – or maybe you’re in the newborn stage and still surviving off of the 5 S’s (if you don’t know about the 5 S’s get this book and thank me later).

A portable sound machine will help provide some serious comfort for those nights away from home. This sound machine also has some different music settings, so when your little ones gets into the “bust-a-move” stage of things you’ve got the tunes at the ready.

7. Diapers

Yes, it should go without saying – but it is one of the most important things to remember!

Most places you’ll be able to buy diapers, so you don’t need to pack for months at a time, but you need to have at least enough to get you by to start your trip.

I usually pack what we need for 3 days and then double it plus a couple extra for good measure. This helps deal with potential challenges like delayed or cancelled flights, or maybe the day you land there is a freak storm and all of the stores are closed so you can’t buy more.

It is so much better to have more diapers than you need than not enough.

8. Dirty diaper bags

I thought these were silly at first but they are quite useful when traveling. Need to do a change in the middle of the park with no trash nearby? You can put that dirty diaper (potentially stinky, explosive diaper) into a baggie and tuck it away until you can get to a trash.

Or, in your hotel room you won’t have a diaper genie or other diaper specific disposal. A dirty diaper bag helps keep the smell a bit at bay until you can get the trash taken out. These bags are actually super helpful.

9. Wipes

Wipes for days! I typically go with at least two packs of wipes. One in the portable changing mat and then a full one in my carry-on. I’d rather have too many than not enough.

After accidentally buying a refillable set of wipes I needed to get a refillable wipe holder, we ended up with this one from OXO and it’s turned into our go-to for travel.

10. Hand sanitizer

While good hand hygiene is important regardless the age of your baby, it’s even more critical when your little bundle of joy is really little with a less developed immune system. Doing a quick wipe down of your seating area on planes, trains, or long bus rides can help keep your baby safe.

I like the pocket sized hand sanitizers that you can just attach to your backpack or diaper bag to keep them easily accessible.

I used to bring a set of sanitizing wipes with me, too. There’s already so much to carry so now I use a baby wipe but put a bit of hand sanitizer on it. Is it a perfect strategy? Probably not, but it saves me carrying extra things and possibly making a mix up between wipes that would hurt my little ones tush.

11. Portable Changing Pad

One of my most used baby items. This makes changing so much easier as you have the option to just bring this into the toilet/changing room with you instead of the big bag.

Opt for one with a bit of cushion, and I like one with enough pockets for wipes, diapers, and an outfit change.

12. Laundry Detergent

At some point you’ll need to do laundry. Whether that is doing a hand wash in the hotel sink or if you are able to do actual full loads. I love Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets (seriously – been using them at home and traveling for years now).

They look like pieces of paper and fit into a small envelope. This detergent has been gentle on my babies skin but strong enough to get out stains. One of my travel must-haves. Read my full review by clicking here.

13. Baby Monitor

We went with a no-WiFi monitor that uses a USB-C charger. It seems that most of our devices now can charge with a USB-C (phone, laptop), and bringing an entirely different type of cable (to inevitably forget) seemed impractical.

This camera from Momcozy has worked great for us with travel and at home. It’s got a good range, great night vision, motion detection, cry detection, plus it also has some extras like music.

14. Pacifier clips (even if your baby doesn’t use pacifiers)

Pacifier clips can be used for so much more than pacifiers. My little one has a favorite stuffed animal – it’s always a risk to take it out in the stroller with us, but if I wrap that pacifier strap around the little doggies arm and clip it to the harness we can go out and about without a catastrophe happening.

It also works great for things like rattles and really any small toy that you can wrap the little strings around the end for.

While I’ve had the cute silicone clips with little bears (Itzy Ritzy) they do not hold up to the yank of more than a newborn. The ones that hold the tightest I’ve found are the Parent’s Choice brand.

15. Toys

Which toys are needed and make sense is really dependent on your little ones age and development and which type of travel you’re doing.

On an 8 hour day flight with my 13 month old our toy game needed to be perfection. While cruising there’s a lot to see and do and room to explore so toys weren’t quite as important. On a car ride sometimes the toys can make or break it.

Here’s a selection of toys that have worked wonders for us.

A good trick with toys is to either get a new one before the trip or to take the toys you are going to bring out of rotation about at week in advance.

This will make the toys you are handing out seem exciting and new. I tuck a small toy here and there – a small car in the diaper bag, a little rattle in my laptop bag – and then have a separate toy bag.

• Busy Book
• Interactive Books/Favorite Books
• Favorite stuffed animals
• Teething rings
• Stacking toys
• Reusable stickers

16. Sun and Hot Weather Gear

Baby’s skin is super sensitive and sun protection is important. Making sure you have an umbrella with you (they aren’t just for rain!), some SPF rompers for long days in the sun, plus hats, and sunscreen will help keep your little safe.

I love these SPF play suits from WalaBaby and they included a great hat. For swimsuits I’ve just gotten SPF ones at Carter’s, although there are lots of great options online as well. While I got sunglasses, she has pretty much never been willing to keep them on.

For baby sunscreen I go with one that has the most basic ingredients – interestingly this is usually zinc oxide which is the same primary ingredient in diaper cream. Go figure. Coppertone Pure and Simple has worked well for us but if you have any specific skin concerns for your little talk to your doctor.

➡️ Shop WalaBaby at Walababy
➡️ Shop SPF/UPF rated swimgear on Amazon
➡️ Shop Coppertone Pure and Simple on Amazon

17. Winter Gear

You can’t put baby in a car seat in a full winter coat but that doesn’t mean you can’t pack for the weather. If you’re heading somewhere cold you want to make sure your little is bundled up for the elements.

If you don’t want to shell out on all new winter gear for a one week jaunt up north try second hand shops or online sources like ThredUp.

Remember car seat safety, baby can’t wear those cute poofy coats in their car seat.

18. Sleep sack / Swaddle for the climate you’re going to

Sleep sacks, or baby/infant sleeping bags come in different weights or TOGs. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got the right weight for where you are going. I’m in Vermont right now where it is consistently way below freezing so if I was heading to the Caribbean I want to make sure my baby’s sleep gear is the right weight.

My favorite sleep sack I’ve found so far is Kyte Baby with it’s buttery soft bamboo and intelligent zipper placement.

19. External Charger

A good external charger can do wonders. Nearly everything that needs power or charging on this list can be charged with a USB-C. You never know when you end up with an un-planned layover or you accidentally leave your baby monitor screen on in your bag and it’s battery is dead.

Do yourself a favor and have at least one fully charged to get you through a crisis.

20. Travel dish soap

This is one you can likely grab when you get where you are going, but some travel soap is so helpful and necessary with all the baby gear you’ll have in your life. Just bring along a small one and you’ll be golden. I typically just bring a small size of Dawn or a standard liquid soap.

With that said there are some great powder soaps out there that I’ve used while traveling with my friend.

Baby Feeding Items for Travel

Having a feeding plan while traveling is critical. Baby food items and the needed supplies to go with them are not readily available at airport layovers and depending on where you are traveling to they might have an entirely different selection of things like formula.

Every form of feeding your baby is such a personal journey. For successful travel with a baby you’ll need to have a plan. Here are some things to consider:

21. Breast pump

Whether you are exclusively pumping or nursing and pumping to increase supply you might be needing to pump while you travel.

What you will need depends on your individual pump journey. When traveling I like to take the least amount of gear I can and still be successful. I was not exclusively pumping though. If you need to bring your Spectra with you because your body responds best to that, that’s what you need to do.

We’ll go a bit more into detail in the Air Travel section, but pumps and pumping related items are considered medical equipment and don’t count towards your checked bag limit and you’re also able to bring breastmilk through security (plus what you need to keep it cool).

For traveling I have used my Elvie Stride as well as KissBobo (individual wearable pumps), and then also the Boon Trove milk collector.

For a travel day it depended on the type of travel. The Elvie was great while driving a car but for air travel the extra tubes were a bit much.

I did use the Boon Trove during long flights – that for instance my baby was sleeping on a slightly different sleep schedule and I needed a bit of relief but didn’t want to fully pump and empty for when she woke up. These work similar to a Hakaa but can go under your nursing clothes.

I also always had a manual pump in my roller carry-on. Maybe the motor on your other pump dies or you can’t charge or whatever could break on it. Always bring your manual pump (or be prepared to hand express if you need to).

Make sure you’re also bringing what you need for sanitizing and cleaning on the way.

Best Wall Equivalent Breast Pump

*likely available through insurance

Awesome Portable Wearable Breast Pump

In-Bra Milk Collectors

22. Breastmilk Cooling Thermos

It took me so long to get one of these. Why? Because I am cheap and hate spending money, but with a 30 hour travel day on the horizon I broke down and bought one.

I’m also now in the weaning stage of my breastfeeding journey which involves more bottles and less nursing and I am here for anything that makes the journey easier.

These thermos style coolers are great for a day out to the beach or a big travel day. There are quite a few that have ice packs in it already, but on a really long travel day you won’t have access to a freezer mid-day which is why I opted for an option that you can put ice cubes in. Also, at some hotels you won’t have access to a freezer but 9 times out of 10 will be able to get ice. Absolute winner 10/10.

If you are needing to transport a lot of breast milk or frozen breast milk, you’ll want to go with a cooler and ice packs. (All of which can go through security at the airport).

23. Travel Bottle Cleaning Set

If you are doing any bottle feeding on your journey you’re going to need to clean them at some point. Make sure you’ve got some soap with you but you’ll also need brushes. Enter this awesome bottle cleaning set with a little drying rack for the win – space saving and efficient.

24. Portable High Chair

If you’ve got the space in your luggage a portable high chair can make a huge difference – whether you are going to visit out-of-town family that don’t have a high chair, or will be traveling where high-chairs aren’t readily available. This makes feeding your babe a breeze.

This is also a great option to just keep in your car at home – so when Grandma or your second cousin invite you over for dinner you’ve got a high chair easily available.

Side note: There are also these kind of seat support options that a lot of folks love but I haven’t tried yet. Could be a good option for you though depending on the age and wiggle-ability of your little one.

25. Sippy Cup

Depending on the age of your baby you’ll need to bring a sippy cup. So many choices out there each for different stages of development.

Bringing two isn’t a bad idea, but for travel days I like a sippy cup with a handle and that’s designed with a retractable cover for the straw like these ones from OXO Tot.

I can put a pacifier clip around the handle to help keep it from going everywhere. Having the retractable cover gives less chance for germs to get all over the part they are drinking. Less overall germs to worry about.

I also bring a cup style sippy cup as well, but that’s more for once we are in our location.

26. Baby plate

A suction plate can make the difference of you holding your hand out for what feels like hours at a time with food on it waiting for them to grab it or not. I’ve tried a few and some stick better than others. I like these suction stick and stay plates from Oxo Tot because they tend to stay a lot better. They’ve got whole plate and divided options.

27. Silicone Wipe Free Bib

When you don’t want to have to change clothes a lot and you want to catch all the stuff your little one is dropping – pop one of these silicone bibs on them. The bonus is they don’t have to be fully laundered like cloth bibs, instead they rinse right off.

28. Bottles

Bottles! Depending on your travel days and traveling you’re doing will determine if you’re bringing pre-made bottles or just some empty bottles to have on hand.

29. Small Ready Made Formula Bottles

These are so expensive for how much is in them but before my little one turned one I always had 3-4 of these in my carry-on. I support whatever feeding journey you are on, but even if you are breastfeeding – do you have a plan if you end up in the hospital and can’t be there to feed all the time and you’re on vacation so you don’t have that freezer stash readily available?

There’s a whole lot of variables in life that could happen which is why I always had at least a days worth of sustenance to get my baby through.

30. Snacks!

The baby journey encompasses so much. You go from this little nugget just drinking milk to these mini-toddlers with ever changing snacking needs.

When packing for a trip bring a variety of snacks. Ones you know they like (because guess what, tomorrow they might not!), ones that might be new and different – variety is the spice of life here.

We have a snack cup we love that doesn’t make too much of a mess.

Baby Airplane Travel Essentials

Each time you travel on an airplane with a baby it’s a different experience because their development changes so much. You might be traveling with a sleepy 2 month old (or a colicky 2 month old) or maybe a very active 12 month old.

Remember that your baby has every right to be there. If they cry, they cry. The other passengers had the option to bring noise cancelling headphones or fly private and they chose to use public transportation.

You’ve got this. Let’s get flying.

Baby Carry-On Packing List

Essentials to absolutely bring on an airplane:

• Baby carrier
  • most airlines do no allow you to wear your baby during take off and landing
• Car seat
  • if you have paid for a seat for your baby, or gate check/checked
• Snacks/bottle/nursing during take off and landing to help pressure in babies ears

31. Change of clothes (for baby and you!)

Baby’s spit up, they blow out, and they cause all sorts of other fluid related chaos in life. You want an extra change of clothes for your babe and you. My first international flight with my little one we went through 3 baby outfits.

Pack the extra clothes in an easily accessible location. I always keep at minimum either a onesie or jammies in my portable changing pad, plus another extra outfit in the diaper bag. In the roller carry-on I will have an extra set of jammies plus another outfit. Baby clothes don’t take up much space and you do not want to be without on a travel day!

32. Toys

Toys for the plane will be a bit different than other toys because space is at such a premium and you are going to want as easy access to these toys as possible. I typically have a toy/snack bag as one of my carry-ons and then will progressively bring toys out throughout the travel day.

Keeping a couple toys that you can get to easy is essential. Here are a few winners:

• Busy Book – so many activities all in one book.
• Suction fidget spinner – if you have a window seat – there are not that many places on a plane the suction actually works
• Stacking cups – cups in general are fun, add in some that stack and nest and have animals on them and you’ve got a winner
• Favorite stuffed animal
• Books with “lift the flap” type interaction

33. Snacks

Snacks are so critical! Depending on your baby’s development will depend on which type of snacks to prioritize. Snacks are also great for take-off and landing as chewing and swallowing will help your babies ears adjust to the pressure.

I like to bring a mix of things like yogurt melts, veggie straws, and small basics like cheerios. I had brought some biscuits that kind of like “melt in your mouth” and then my baby threw part of the “melt in your mouth” biscuit on the person next to me’s jeans. Did not go well. So, avoid those melty messy snacks if possible. A snack tub can be great, too.

34. Nursing Pillow

This is really a personal preference. I haven’t flown with one before and nursed through 14 months, but I was also okay using the provided pillows on long haul flights. It can be used outside of nursing as well to keep them comfy while holding them when they’re sleeping.

Airport Pro Tip:
Some airports have Baby Rooms, nursing stations, or little play areas. If you’ve got a long layover check ahead of time if your connection airport has any of these areas.

I’ve found them to be much quieter and nicer both for nursing as well as letting my little one stretch out. Even better than going to one of the lounges (and yes, I’ve done that, too).

Baby Cruise Travel Essentials

There is a lot to cruising with a baby. The rooms aren’t as big, you’re away at sea, and there’s some extra rules like that babies can’t cruise until almost 6 months old on nearly every cruise line.

Check out everything you need to know about cruising with a baby by clicking here.

When I cruise with my baby it isn’t for a week or a weekend – my husband is a cruise ship engineer and we spend anywhere from a few weeks to a few months sailing with him.

To go along with a lot of the other items, here’s some cruise ship specific items that have made my life cruising with my little one so much better. Here are my top picks.

You’ll want some of the items from earlier in the list:

• Baby carrier
  • A baby carrier on a cruise ship is great! Take the stairs and skip waiting for an elevator. Make it through the busy Lido with ease.
    ➡️ Shop ErgoBaby 360 Carrier
• Travel stroller
  • hallways and cabin doors are more narrow on cruise ships and space is at a premium. A stroller that folds down small and is narrow enough makes a big difference
    ➡️ Shop Joolz Aer
• Car seat
  • getting to and from the port, taxis in port, etc
    ➡️ Shop Cosco Scenera Next

35. Over the Door Organizer

Storage is at a premium in a cruise ship cabin and this makes organizing all those adorable baby clothes (and the endless supplies needed) so much easier. They fold up pretty much flat and easily hang over a door or cabinet.

36. Inflatable Bathtub

A lot of cruise ship cabins only have showers and if your little likes baths like mine does, they’d be missing it at the end of a week. Yes, you could shower with them, but the showers are sometimes tiny. Enter the inflatable bathtub.

37. Slumberpod

This is very, very dependent on how dependent your baby is on a fully blacked out sleeping environment. The slumberpod gives you the chance to be able to do things like have the light on in your cabin after the baby goes to sleep or maybe even watch TV.

On a ship you don’t have any separate space in most cases, so the slumberpod really helps to give baby their own “room” so to speak. It does take a bit for your baby to get used to it though so try it out at home first.

➡️ Shop SlumberPod on SlumberPod.com (free shipping!)
➡️ Shop SlumberPod on Amazon

Baby Car Travel Essentials

Each type of travel has it’s own joys and challenges. Car travel can be great because you have more control over when you need to stop and stretch your legs in general.

However, if you’re doing a long trip solo with your little it can be hard because those stops can be super frequent and you find yourself just using any toy possible and singing baby shark for hours. Here’s some tips to make your trip go better than my first attempt a long road trip with a baby.

38. Sun Shades

Sun safety is important in the car, too! If you’re getting a rental car make sure you’ve got tinted windows.

If tinted windows aren’t an option then you’ll need to bring sun shades with you. These ones pop into place easily and are UPF rated with UVA and UVB protection.

39. Have baby music ready

Whether you have a Spotify playlist ready to go or music downloaded on your phone, music can help keep your little one focused on the fun music and less on the monotony of endless hours in a car.

40. Toys

Toys for a roadtrip are so critical! Smaller items that are easy to grip – or for the littlest are fun to look at – will do the best for you.

I keep a bag of toys in the front seat and as needed as the drive goes on hand back toys. This could be because she’s bored with them or it could be because she’s tossed it somewhere she can’t reach.

I also keep a “the world is falling apart” toy. The toy you give that will make her smile even when to her, the world is falling apart. For our little one lately it has been the press-a-button and it makes so many noises fox – like this dinosaur one – whatever that toy is for your kids save it to use when the situation is dire.

41. Mirror

If you are renting a car it’s not going to come with a mirror to see your little nugget hanging in the back. Bring an easy to install mirror with you to make sure your little one is safe and sound.

Packing Tips For Babies

How you prioritize packing for your baby will depend on their specific age, the trip you’re going on and your parenting style. It’s an adventure! Remember, if you forgot something most of the time you’ll be able to buy some version of it wherever you are going.

Have snacks and toys readily accessible

When your baby is screaming at take-off from their ears hurting and you need the bottle that is in the bag in the overhead bin – that’s not going to help. There’s a few things you’ll want to have readily available throughout your trip regardless of what kind of travel it is.

A variety of small toys available is golden for air travel and car travel. In the car snacks can’t help too much due to choking risks in car seats, so your toy game needs to be that much better.

Stroller, Car Seats, and Diaper Bags don’t normally cost extra to fly

There are so many rules with air travel and then you toss in a baby and all the baby gear with it and it can feel like a lot. There’s a few basics to know though.

• Strollers and car-seats do not count towards your checked baggage allowance. Sometimes these will be gate checked and other times they’ll get checked at check-in.
• If you really need your stroller for a connection make sure you get one that fits in the overhead bin. The most widely known one for this is the YoYo Travel Stroller. It is ubiquitous with fitting in the overhead bin.
• If you have a separate seat booked for your baby your car seat can come with you.
• Most of the time a diaper bag doesn’t count towards your carry-on allowance but not always.

Breastfeeding & Baby Feeding Equipment & Supplies do not count as a carry-on when flying!

Your pump, pump bag, and breastmilk storage cooler do not count as a carry-on bag (in the US). They are considered medical equipment. While the specific rules for some baby feeding items differ between countries, here’s a round-up of rules in the US.

• You can fly with frozen breast milk, liquid breastmilk, pre-made formula, powdered formula, and sterilized baby water for making formula
• You can fly with ice packs and cooler bags, etc
• You can fly with baby food including purees
• You should expect that going through security will take longer as they will do extra checks on nearly everything

Didn’t book a seat for your baby? Still ask if there are extra seat open

If your baby is under 2 years old they can be a lap infant. This means it’s expected you’ll be holding them for the entirety of the flight.

However, sometimes a plane isn’t full. When you’re checking in it is worth asking if there are any open seats and if it’s possible for you to be seated next to it and then bring your car seat onboard. It might only work one out of ten times, but it’s better than nothing.

Baby Travel FAQs

When I first did a big trip with my bundle of joy – at 2 months old from Boston to Edinburgh, Scotland – I had about a million questions. Then, when I did my first international flights with her at 6 months old by myself I had even more. I’ve learned a lot along the way. Here are a few big things to know about before you start traveling with your baby.

When can I travel with a baby?

This depends on which type of travel you plan to do.

For air travel most airlines do not have an age requirement. Though different airlines have different policies. For instance JetBlue requires a baby to be 3 days old, others will not let a baby fly until they are one week old without a letter from their doctor or a medical reason, or in the case of Southwest, they need to be two weeks old.

We were recommended by our physician to wait to fly until our baby was 2 months old so they could have their first immunizations. Some immunizations are not effective until after 2 weeks. Regardless, it’s best to chat with your doctor about your travel plans to make the most informed choice for you and your babe.

If you plan on cruising, every cruise line except MSC has at minimum a 6 month age requirement to sail with some cruise lines and some itineraries requiring your baby to be one year old.

For road trips and long road travel there is no specific age requirement, but again you should discuss with your medical team your travel plans to make sure you’re keeping in mind specific concerns that exist with little ones.

For instance, you might get guidance to not have your infant in a car seat for too long, stopping at intervals between a half hour and an hour.

How much does it cost for my baby to fly?

If you are flying domestically within the United States your under 2 year old can sit on your lap for your flight for free.

If you are flying internationally though you should expect to pay approximately 10% of the fare for your ticket. 10% is a rough estimate as it is really down to taxes and fees. For instance, we recently purchased a ~$1,200 ticket to Argentina but our baby was only $87. Whereas we’ve flown to Europe with her and it’s been more or less right at the 10% range.

For many airlines to book a lap infant on international flights you will need to call in to do so (looking at you Delta). Most airlines domestically you are able to add the infant through the online booking system.

How many diapers to pack for 3 days?

It depends on how old your baby is – diapering needs for a month old baby versus a year old are very different things.

When packing diapers I go by two rules:

1. Pack twice as many diapers as I think I need (and they are split between my roller carry-on and diaper bag)
2. Even if I can buy more diapers at my destination/am traveling home I pack enough diapers for (travel time + three days)x2. This will likely be about 6-8 days worth of diapers (30-40 diapers)
   • You never know when a flight will get delayed or cancelled and you’ll end up overnight in some connection city at midnight and I promise you want to be figuring out how to get your baby to sleep in that moment and not “where can I get more diapers”

Can I request the bassinet seat even if I won’t use it?

Yes! Most airlines will say bassinet seats are “requested” but not guaranteed.

For our next flight we requested the bassinet seat and they moved us to that row. That row also happens to be an “economy plus” seat and they did not charge to move us there (thanks, United!)

I doubt we’ll use the bassinet (she’s right on the edge of too big), but there is so much more leg room in these rows! If your baby is itty bitty they might use the bassinet, or it is a great place for storage.

Can I wear my baby through airport security?

In the US you can, as explained on TSA’s website. You will walk through the metal detector and they may do a bit of additional screening so expect it may take a moment or two more.

Globally the answer is a bit different. So far I have only been asked to take my baby out of her carrier in Cadiz, Spain and London, England.

How do I protect my baby’s ears from flying?

The change in cabin pressure while flying is a big concern for parents and rightfully so as if you don’t know how to relieve that pressure it can be painful.

The best thing you can do to relieve that pressure for your baby is to have them eat during take off and landing or when there is significant pressure changes. This can be nursing, drinking from a bottle, a sippy cup, even having some snacks works. You want to make sure that they are doing the swallowing motion.

In terms of the noise level of the plane and your baby’s ear health – they do make ear plugs as well as baby ear muffs. A plane typically registers at about 80 decibels and it is recommended for baby’s to not have prolonged exposure to noises above 50 decibels.

If this is a concern for you, try these earmuffs by Alpine – they come in a few different colors and are comfortable enough that our little one doesn’t throw them off when we put them on her.

It’s also worth talking with your doctor about these concerns as well as your child may have additional considerations if for instance they have a history of ear infections.

Does a diaper bag count as a carry-on?

It can depend on the fare for your baby. If you’ve paid for a ticket your baby is eligible for a standard carry-on allowance. Otherwise it might depend on if it’s an international or domestic flight.

From personal experience though, I have only once had someone question the number of bags I brought on and whether or not the diaper bag was one of my allotted carry-on items.

Here’s a quick run down of airlines diaper bag rules, plus links to those airline pages to help you on your specific journey.

Airline	Does Diaper Count Toward Your Carry-On Allowance?
Alaskan Airlines	Yes
American Airlines	Yes
Delta	Yes
JetBlue	No – does not count towards your allowance
Southwest	Yes
United	No – does not count towards your allowance

If I’m flying solo with my baby – how do I sleep?

Here’s a tough love answer for you – you don’t really. Do your best to get a good nights sleep before you leave (I know, easier said than done), and do your best to have a plan for you to be able to sleep once you get where you are going.

As hard as that will be, remember if you are holding your baby they are at a significant fall and suffocation risk if you fall asleep like that. Keep the caffeine coming.

How do I use the toilet if traveling solo with my baby?

It depends on what kind of travel you are doing and what you’ve brought with you. This ends up being a big reason why I bring my travel stroller to the airport is so that I have a place to strap my baby in for when I need to do things for myself.

Aside from a safe stroller option while traveling, get comfortable baby wearing while doing what you’ve got to do.

Final Thoughts on Baby Travel Essentials

You can do it! Say it to yourself over and over again until you believe it and then go do it! Traveling with a baby is exhausting and wild and it’s insane the amount of gear their is out there.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, think of it like any other time you leave the house with your baby – you need a plan to feed them, diaper them, their sleep – and likely to entertain them. Trust your gut. The first time you will overpack. The second time you will overpack. That’s okay! Have a great time exploring the world with your little nugget.