Tips And Tricks On Traveling To Ireland (Or Anywhere Overseas) With A Baby
Traveling with a baby is always adventurous, isn’t it? Parents, you know what I’m talking about. There’s just so much to think about, and so much to pack. God forbid…
We have taken two trips out of the country with our son. Here are some tips and tricks for other parents who might be traveling with kids for the first time. Did I miss anything?
Photo By Dral PhotographyTraveling with a baby is always adventurous, isn't it? Parents, you know what I'm talking about. There's just so much to think about, and so much to pack. God forbid you leave anything at home. But then on the other hand, don't overpack! Sometimes it feels like there's no winning. But, I'm here to help in any way that I can with some tips and tricks.
In February we traveled to Ireland with our 18-month-old son, Barrett for eight nights. It was a lot of fun, but honestly, a lot of work. Let's start with how I picked our hotels.
Pick Hotels That Will Accommodate You
When picking hotels along our journey, it was important to select hotels that had free cribs available. We found all of our hotels on Hotels.com. When you're looking for specific properties you can filter your selections to find hotels with cribs. That was a must for us because he's still too small to sleep in his own bed.
The next important thing when traveling to Ireland was to purchase Barrett his own airplane seat. Let's be honest, these airplanes are small, and with three people to a row, it gets tight. While he's under the age of 2 and could have technically flown for free, it would have been a nightmare for other people if they were sitting in the same row as us. Because of his size and very mobile age, it was important to purchase a seat for him. It set us back a bit on our budget, but worth it.
Just another friendly reminder when flying with a child. The airlines don't automatically book you in seats next to each other. I made the mistake thinking that they would set us all in the same row. Come to find out, they don't put families in seats next to each other unless you purchase specific seats for even more money. I think it's completely ridiculous that they do this, but what are you going to do, not sit together?
Other Pointers For Traveling With A Baby
This isn't our first time traveling with a baby. Last year we went to Mexico with Barrett. It was his first time on a long flight, or any flight for that matter. We learned so much. So here are some tips and tricks for traveling with a baby!
Traveling With A Baby? Don’t Forget These 11 Essential Items!
It was our first time traveling with our baby on a plane so I'm hopeful that this blog will help other parents pack effectively for their kids.
Rob, Barrett and I went to Mexico as a family and had the best time ever. We stayed at Bahia Principe Grand Tulum. We stayed there for seven nights, but it really seemed like the days flew by. There were so many activities to participate in at the resort. Of course the buffets were a hit, and traveling with a 6-month-old is always adventure. Scheduled nap times went completely out the window, and he just slept on the beach underneath shade.
When you travel, it may seem like you're packing a TON when you have a young baby. In reality, you are because babies needs lots of things, especially when you're in another country. Now that we we are back from the adventure and have had a second to breathe and unpack, I wanted to write a list of absolute essentials.
Do me a favor and don't forget anything on this list. It can be really difficult to buy items in other countries. If you don't have enough baby formula, for example, it would be very difficult to go off the resort to buy some. And then of course, packing your baby's passport is a top priority. Because if you forget that and you're going out of the country, you ain't going! But regardless, bringing some form of ID for your baby will be important because the TSA will need to know if your baby is your baby.
And then don't forget the diapers, wipes, stroller, bag... I could go on and on, and I will! Here's the 11 most essential things you'll need to travel with if you have a baby. Enjoy, and travel safe!
11. Big Suitcase
Don't forget to bring the largest suitcase you can find. You'll need to fit things like diapers, wipes, clothes. And then there's all of the swimming essentials too!! A big suitcase will be very important.
I would get a bag that's long enough and big enough for EVERY SINGLE ITEM on this list. If you don't have a big enough bag, buy one now. Your baby needs a lot, so get a bag that will travel with enough space for them.
10. Baby's Passport
I know it sounds obvious, but don't forget a passport for your baby if you're traveling out of the United States. It takes about 5 weeks with expedited service. You'll need your baby's birth certificate when applying for a passport and a check. We completed the form at a US Postal Office. Baby's passports last for 5 years. If you are traveling within the USA, bring your baby's birth certificate.
9. TSA Approved Travel Liquid Containers
You can only bring 3.4 fluid ounces on the plane if you're carrying on. So we took these four bottles and filled one with our baby's body wash. The second we filled with shampoo for us (because it's always hit or miss with hotel shampoo). The third bottle we filled with the baby's bottle dish soap. And the fourth we filled with liquid laundry detergent. We used every single one of the bottles and the liquids inside them during our trip. And it was super cheap to buy.
8. Electric Tea Kettle
This is the exact tea kettle we brought with us on our trip. We always filter and then distill our water at home. But in this case we wanted to at least distill the bottled water in Mexico. This was a game changer. Do NOT use the tap water in other countries for your formula bottles. I just don't trust it unless it's completely distilled.
7. Formula
If you're breastfeeding this won't apply to you. But since I'm not anymore, I had to remember to pack formula. I brought two full boxes of our HIPP formula. Thankfully, it was enough for the trip. The older your child gets and the more formula they need, the more you'll have to pack. It's very difficult to buy formula in countries like Mexico, so make sure you have enough with you.
6. Diapers & Wipes
I am so mad at myself. I was ONE DIAPER SHORT on my trip and had to buy another package of diapers at the resort in Mexico. So, definitely don't forget your diapers. Of course they were overpriced, and not great quality. Same thing with the diapers, I was just a TAD short on the baby wipes. I brought two packages of these wipes, but forgot to take into account the amount of them I'd be using to wipe my baby's face after eating purees and mangoes. So, I needed to buy one more package of diaper wipes at the hotel, and they weren't great wipes.
5. Beach Blankets
I almost didn't bring these, but they were really nice to have for the baby to lay on while on the beach. The pool towels weren't very wide, but these were. I will admit, they're not 100% necessary, but we liked having them on the trip.
4. Burp Cloths/Bibs
I used so many bibs for my baby that I've stared sewing my own for him (and anyone else who wants to buy one!) I brought 7 bibs and 7 burp cloths with us on the trip. When we started running out of them, I washed them with the laundry detergent that we brought with us on the trip.
3. Stroller/Stroller Bag and Car Seat, Base and Base Cover
We can't say enough about our UPPAbaby stroller. The same seat that is used in the stroller is also his car seat. So we could clip that off and put it in the car to go to and from the airport. The Vista2 is also big enough in the bottom to store his portable chair, his backpack, both beach towels, and more. Having a great stroller is essential for life, but especially for travel. But if you're doing a lot of city walking, I would suggest a smaller stroller. Also, the stroller bag will protect the stroller from any damage, scratches, etc. on a plane. I would definitely invest on that.
Don't forget your car seat ANYTIME you travel! You're going to want to bring your car seat, the base that goes with it (if needed), and it's a plus if you have a set cover to put your base and car seat in when you're not using it. The cover will protect it from dirt, scratches and more.
2. Hat & Sunscreen
The sun is strong in Mexico, so head protection is a must! Don't forget a hat. We brought many different types of sunscreens, but we prefer putting only organic, mineral-based sunscreen on our baby. It goes on thick though! But I guess that's better than not, right?
1. Clothes
We brought only 5 pairs of PJ's, and any onesies that we needed to re-use, we washed them in the sink and hung them out to dry outside. But we did pack enough adorable dinner outfits for every night of the week.
