Ultimate guide to travel with a baby

Whether you’re hitting the road, packing up the family in a tent, or hopping on an international flight, we’ve got the hacks that will make travelling with your baby a breeze.

Plane trips with young children don’t have to be the horror stories they’re made out to be. With a little preparation and lots of distractions for your little ones, plane trips can be smooth sailing. And when kids can fly for free (minus taxes and certain charges) when they’re two and under, it’s all the more appealing to hop on a plane with bub.

Snacks are your friend when it comes to plane travel—or any kind of travelling really! They serve as a great distraction for tiny tots, prevent them from getting too hungry (and subsequently cranky) between meals and can also help with any ear pressure discomfort during take-off and landing, thanks to the chewing. Whatever your baby or toddler loves to eat, pack a stash of them in your carry-on, plus a few other treats to keep them happy and occupied.

Note: Avoid too much sugar—you don’t want to deal with a sugar crash mid-flight!

Many parents remember to pack a spare change of clothes for bub for a flight, and forget to pack a spare set for themselves. But if your baby ends up spewing during the flight, you’ll be glad to have a fresh set of clothes to change into.

Flying with babies is all about the art of distraction, so while it’s a great idea to pack your child’s favourite toys to give them a sense of comfort and familiarity, it’s also worth popping a few new toys and activities in your travel bag too. Dole them out throughout the flight when your child gets restless. Avoid anything that makes too much noise. No one, least of all you, wants to hear the rainbow xylophone singing the alphabet for nine hours straight.

This is to help with any ear pressure discomfort during take-off or landing, as the sucking motion helps ease the pressure. If you’re travelling with older children, you can give them a hard-boiled lolly to do the job, but for infants and toddlers, a bottle of milk, formula or water will do the trick.

Most airlines have a bassinet that you can request if you're travelling with an infant. This is ideal if you’re doing a long-haul flight and need somewhere for your baby to sleep. There’s a few stipulations and it varies between airlines: Qantas, for instance, lets you request a bassinet if the infant is under the age of two, can lie down flat in the bassinet, and weighs less than 11kg.

If you’ve booked a flight with an infant under two, most airlines let you bring three pieces of checked luggage for your child: a pram, a car seat and a travel cot. It is only these items though—while you can have a piece of carry-on luggage for your baby usually, you cannot bring a checked bag of luggage for bub. Yep, their stuff will need to be packed into your checked luggage!

We know, easier said than done when you have a screaming baby thrashing about in your arms, but if you can stay calm and composed, your baby will pick up on your energy. Likewise, if you’re stressed, frustrated and anxious, that’s likely how your baby will feel too. If you are feeling stressed, request some water, practise some deep breathing, and if you can, ask someone (your partner or cabin crew) to hold your child for a few minutes while you take a breather.

If your preferred mode of transport is the wide open road rather than up in the skies, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to ensure your road trip with little ones won’t drive you crazy. Ba-doom-tish.

If your baby has a favourite playlist on Spotify (especially one that helps them drift off to sleep!) make sure to download it onto your phone before you hit the road. There’s nothing worse than running out of reception right at nap time and having nothing but static and silence in between the screams of an overtired baby.

Or, go old school with CDs (if your car still has the capabilities) and reception won’t be an issue.

No one likes to be bundled in the car for too long - especially babies. Try to plan your road trip with plenty of breaks so you can stretch your legs and give your baby a change of scenery. For older kids, try and plan to stop at a town or park that has a playground so they can run around and dispel some energy before jumping back into the car. By breaking up the trip, it’s also a good way to see little towns that you might not normally stop at. Plus, the NRMA says you should be stopping every two hours anyway to rest and revive.

Now that you’ve arrived, there are a few things you can do to help make your stay as peaceful as possible (aka, getting bub to sleep in a new environment).

White noise machines can also aid in bub’s sleep, and a portable one means it can be used in the nursery/bedroom as well as on-the-go in the pram.

If you’re swapping city lights for starry nights over a campfire, there’s a few items you can buy to help make your camping trip extra fun for little ones.

Mosquitoes and the like are the common enemy of the camper, and products like DEET are too potent for the delicate skin of babies. Pop into the chemist before you go and get an insect repellent designed for children.

You can also burn citronella candles and mosquito coils around your campsite—just make sure they are out of reach of little ones.

No matter your holiday plans, there’s a number of things you can do to ensure your holiday with your family is child’s play.

While your idea of a perfect holiday might be hiking the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, backpacking through Bolivia or snorkelling off the coast of Indonesia, if you’re travelling with small children, it’s worth thinking about a family friendly destination that makes travelling a bit easier, especially if it’s your first trip with bub. Fiji, New Zealand and Japan are widely regarded as great baby-friendly international destinations, while Tasmania, the Sunshine Coast and Byron Bay are great Aussie family-friendly destinations.

Travelling with a baby might mean doing less things on holiday than you’re used to, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By slowing down and not being in a rush, you can really savour places and moments.