26 August 2026 · Little Rei

Tips for Travelling With a Baby

Babies are, counterintuitively, the easiest age to travel with. They do not need entertaining, they sleep in transit, and they have no opinion about the destination. The difficulty is entirely logistical, which means it is solvable in advance.

Before you book

• A baby needs their own passport, and it takes longer to obtain than most people expect. Start early.
• Check visa and entry rules for infants separately — they are not always the same as for adults.
• Under-twos usually fly as a lap infant for a small fee. On long flights, buying a seat and using an approved car seat is safer and vastly more comfortable, and is worth pricing.
• Book the bassinet position at the time of booking, not at check-in. There are very few, they go early, and there is usually a weight and length limit.
• Check the airline's rules on carrying milk, formula and expressed milk — these are generally exempt from liquid limits but the process varies.
• Take out travel insurance that explicitly covers the baby.

The take-off and landing question

Ear pain during descent is the main source of distress, and it is caused by pressure change rather than noise. Swallowing equalises it.

• Feed on the way up and, more importantly, on the way down — breast, bottle or dummy, whatever they take.
• Descent matters more than take-off. It typically starts 30 to 40 minutes before landing, which is earlier than most people prepare for.
• Do not wake a sleeping baby to feed for landing. Swallowing happens during sleep too, and a sleeping baby is rarely in pain.
• Avoid flying with a baby who has a heavy cold or an ear infection if you can. Blocked tubes are what turns discomfort into real pain — ask a doctor if it is unavoidable.

The cabin bag

• Nappies: one per hour of travel, then double it. Delays are the norm, not the exception.
• Two full changes of clothes for the baby and one top for you. This is the item people leave out and regret.
• Wipes, nappy bags, and a changing mat that folds small.
• More feeds than the journey requires. Formula pre-measured in individual pots; hot water is available on board.
• A muslin, which does duty as sunshade, blanket, burp cloth, privacy screen and something familiar that smells of home.
• A dummy if they take one, plus a spare, plus a clip.
• Infant paracetamol, correctly dosed, and any regular medication in hand luggage.
• Hand sanitiser and a few antibacterial wipes for tray tables and armrests.

Sleep, which decides everything

The trip is usually made or broken by sleep rather than by transit. Two principles cover most of it: keep the sleep environment recognisable, and adjust to the destination time immediately rather than gradually.

• Bring the familiar parts — the sleep sack, the same short routine, the same phrase. The room will be strange; the sequence should not be.
• Blackout matters more than anything else in an unfamiliar room. Portable blackout blinds, or bin bags and tape, are worth the space.
• Use a travel cot rather than a hotel bed, and check the surface is firm and flat. Safer-sleep rules do not go on holiday.
• Switch to destination time on arrival, using daylight to help. Babies adjust faster than adults, usually within a few days.
• Expect the first two nights to be poor, and plan nothing demanding for the first morning.

Car and road travel

• A rear-facing seat, correctly fitted, every time — including in taxis. If a taxi cannot take one, wait for one that can.
• Break the journey every two hours, and do not let a baby sleep in a car seat for prolonged periods outside the car. The upright position can restrict a young baby's airway.
• Never leave a baby alone in a car, even briefly. Interior temperatures rise dangerously fast.
• If you are hiring a seat abroad, check what you are getting rather than assuming — bringing your own is often easier and free on many airlines.

Sun, heat and health

• Under six months, keep out of direct sun entirely. Shade and clothing, not sunscreen.
• From six months, sunscreen alongside shade and a hat. Reapply far more often than feels necessary.
• Babies dehydrate quickly in heat. Feed more often — breastfed babies do not need water before six months, but they will feed more frequently.
• Find out before you travel where the nearest medical facility is and what your insurance requires you to do.
• Check any vaccination requirements for the destination well in advance, since some cannot be given to young infants.

Lower the expectations, deliberately

A holiday with a baby is childcare in a different location with worse equipment. Booked in that spirit it is often lovely; booked as a rest it disappoints. Pick somewhere with a short flight and a kitchen, do less than you would have done, and treat one good afternoon as the win.

Questions parents ask

Sources

• NHS — Travelling with children
• The Lullaby Trust — Safer sleep away from home

This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions — it is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.

Keep reading

• How to Make Travel With Toddlers Easier
• Moving With a Baby
• A Guide to Sweet Dreams for Your Baby

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