Travel doesn’t need to stop when you have a baby. Or even two.

You can and should travel with a baby.

Honestly.

Before I set off on my last childless round-the-world trip in 2011, a pregnant colleague said to me “Let me know all about your trip. We’d love to do something similar.” I glanced quizzically at her expanding belly. “I hear babies are quite portable,” she added.

Fast forward two babies later and I’d love to reply to her – yes, you were right! They are!

In many ways babies are easier than toddlers, school-aged children and teenagers combined. Travel with a baby is easy, rewarding and shouldn’t stop you having new adventures.

Here are my 11 reasons to travel with a baby:

1.  Babies are portable.

They are small and barely weigh a thing. You can sling them, cradle them, push them, carry them for ages and they can sit on your lap without squashing your bladder!

 

2.  Babies can’t run away.

Some can roll. Older ones can crawl, but none can run faster than you!

 

3.  Babies often spend a long time asleep.

You can enjoy afternoon drinks or a romantic meal whilst your baby snoozes. Time their naps to coincide with museum visits or slow meanders along promenades. Take them out sleeping in their stroller at night. Meander, wander, sip wine and, apart from the mountain of baby paraphernalia (stroller, nappy bag) parked up next to your candlelit table for two. You can almost forget you’re exhausted, parents. That is until the baby wakes up again.

 

4.  Babies don’t have expensive tastes

Generally, they only eat easy, cheap foods like deconstructed crustless sandwiches or demand Cheetos for breakfast. They drink milk: breast or bottle. They can even drink it on the go from a bottle. If they’ve started on solids then a jar of puree or a rice cake is an easy food to carry in your daypack and restaurants won’t expect them to order. That makes a cheap eat!

Already booked your trip? Check out our Get your Tits out! Breastfeeding whilst Travelling article.

 

5.  People LOVE babies

Strangers coo. People love to give babies kisses and gifts. In Italy, waiters and shopkeepers would just wander off with our baby whilst we looked around or studied the menu. In North Cyprus, young people stopped us on the streets to take pictures of themselves with our blue-eyed, blonde-haired son. One very sweet lady sat H on her lap on the flight back to London and sang him Greek nursery rhymes.

 

6.  You can entertain babies with anything

Another kind lady spent half a flight entertaining H with an empty plastic wine bottle. Remember Peekaboo is a very portable game.

 

7.  You can put their cot anywhere

In the hallway, bathroom, living room, anywhere it fits. If you are in a hotel room then park them wherever’s convenient like the bathroom, the open closet, the hallway.

 

8.  There are gadgets and gizmos and a plethora of travel accessories that you can buy

I hate buying things yet I have a travel cot (although most places provide one), a travel tent, a travel sling, a fabric highchair, a lightweight foldable stroller and a Bumbo (don’t even ask). If you have a baby-related problem, believe me, there is someone with a solution that they want to sell you!

9.  Babies are FREE (bar taxes) on most flights, railways, local buses and coaches

Here is Zizi sporting a new outfit in a museum she and H got in for free.

 

10. They also get FREE entrance to almost ALL museums, art galleries, tourist attractions

Disneyland with a baby and toddler under 3 saved us a lot of money.

 

11.  Babies wake up early, so take advantage of it

Imagine wandering the quiet streets of beautiful Florence in the morning light as the locals slowly begin their day. Amazing. Well, you too can do that because when baby wakes up at 6 am you can be out by 6.30am and miss the crowds of tourists, long lines and touts. You can arrive places as the doors open – having already had breakfast and a mid-morning coffee!

 

Travelling with a baby? Really??

OK, let’s be honest, sometimes these adorable little monsters vomit (three times outside one restaurant in San Marino – poor mite had reflux) or their nappies leak during long coach journeys with no bathroom facilities (sorry fellow Newport-London Stagecoach passengers) or sometimes it’s just the witching hour and they shriek like a banshee for 45 minutes until they collapse into your exhausted arms. But, OVERALL babies are pretty awesome travellers. I have two toddlers now so, believe me, I know how appalling travellers behave!

So don’t let parenthood quash your backpacking dreams of travel with a baby, just pick them up, strap them to your front and go!

Sensible end note

Before travelling overseas with your baby, please make sure that your precious little one is up-to-date with their vaccinations and that you’ve taken out good medical insurance. If you need a certain kind of formula milk, cream or medication take it with you. Take or rent a car seat if you plan on using private transport. If you are to travel with your baby, keep them safe and you will have an amazing time!!

If your little one is all grown-up now, check out The Mother of All Tantrums: Why you SHOULD travel with your toddler.

Need help deciding where to travel with your baby? Check out our Destination pages.