Infant Travel Essentials

My family recently returned home to Costa Rica from a 2 1/2 month stint in Francavilla del Mare, Italy with our sweet (now) 8 month-old girl. Craziness, yes,  I know.  We get that a lot.

Let me tell you, I know a thing or two about travelling with an infant. Summer Elizabeth is a star traveller, behaving like a princess even through 22 hour days. Really. She set the bar very high for our future children, and with these infant travel essentials, we were well-prepared for a long time away from home. I’d love to share with you the infant travel essentials that worked for me.

Nursing Tops

I lived in these babies almost daily. If I were travelling next time, I think I’d pack these exclusively along with a dressy cardi  or scarf for special occasions. This is my favorite top, by Glamourmom.

Toys 

Infants are easy to entertain with most anything: boxes, kitchen spatulas, plastic bottles. Their curiosity means you don’t need to pack the entire toy box. A few will do.

It’s great to take along two types of toys: the beloved and the forgettable. The beloved can help your child stay calm during long travelling hours and help them get to sleep. The forgettable toys are great to introduce to keep your baby occupied when they’re getting bored with the beloveds or when you’ll be out and about in a place where the “beloveds” could be lost. Older infants (at least mine) love tossing toys from the stroller. The forgettables can also be left behind if your luggage full of souvenirs tips the scales.

Baby Carrier

Nothing makes a walk through the city easier than a baby carrier. Strollers have their place, but even the best deluxe 3-wheeler ultra fancy schmancy deal of a stroller makes toting luggage from a metro station to a hotel a big deal. Don’t even get me started on Rome’s metro system’s lack of elevators and how I managed to get the stroller down a WAY steep and really long downward-moving escalator. If you don’t know the quality of sidewalks you’ll be encountering, please heed my warning and steer clear of strollers. Especially in Costa Rica. ..and Rome.

Up-Sized Clothing

via Wild Things Dresses on Etsy

If you’ll be away from home for more than a month, it’s a great idea to pack a few outfits and pjs one size larger than what your baby is currently wearing. If baby is close to growing out of the current size, by all means pack only the larger size and roll up sleeves & pant legs. No big deal.

Layered Clothing

No matter where you’re heading, pack a few pieces that you can layer to keep baby warm. In warm summer cities, air conditioning can mean that baby’s sweater just might come in handy. Not to mention airplanes. I can count one hand how many times I’ve been hot on a plane.

I sure hope this list helps you plan your next family trip with an infant in tow.

What is your #1 infant travel essential?

Read part II here.

Hugs,

 

 

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