I cringe whenever I go on holiday and find myself sitting near to a family with a baby or small children on the plane. I know I shouldn’t be negative about families travelling with babies but I can’t help it. I have seen it so many times before that the baby cries almost non stop it seems but in reality that is never the case !
I think the older you get the less tolerant you become but even though that might well be the case I still admire families taking small children or baby’s on holiday because they seem determined that their lifestyle should not be changed. The reality, however, is that baby’s change the way you have to take a holiday and the holiday destinations that you can go to safely with a baby. I should know as I have gone through the same thing myself ….many years ago …..and have lived to tell the tale !
The fact remains though that if you intend to take a small baby on holiday you need to do a lot of planning and expect that your holiday won’t quite be the same as it was before you had babies !
Firstly, you need to find a baby friendly holiday destination. Trekking along the Inca Trail is obviously out but also you need to think about the health situation. For instance, I would advise against going to a holiday destination where there is a Malaria risk or where there is poor sanitation.I can think of plenty of baby friendly holiday destinations. Many years ago I went camping in France with a baby and that worked out quite well although I didn’t enjoy getting up in the middle of the night, but that is going to happen at whatever holiday destination that you decide on. I can also remember that we took my one year old baby to the beach and she used to sleep under a parasol on the beach – she was well trained !
There are plenty of baby friendly holiday destinations but you need to do your research before booking to make sure the hotel is suitable for children. You may also want somewhere which is suitable for pushing a baby buggy, so a holiday destination with no hills might be a good idea. Speak to a good independent travel agent about the best holiday destinations for travelling with a baby.
Preparing to go on holiday with a baby
If you are taking a baby on holiday and you are travelling by car then you will find that your car fills up sooner than you thought. Take as much as you can to keep your baby as happy as possible and to help you deal with as many situations as you can think of. You will be able to take plenty of nappies and a plentiful supply of baby food. Calpol is also a useful addition to your luggage together with any other baby medicines that you might need. Taking your babies favourite toy might also be a good idea for those occasions when you need some distractions.
Taking a baby on a plane
If you are travelling by plane then you need to do far more planning as you have to take account of luggage weight restrictions. Most airlines will allow you to take a pushchair at no extra cost but it is a good idea to check with your airline. Going through security with baby milk and other drinks is also something for your to consider. Again, most airlines will allow you to take a reasonable amount of baby milk but you should check with your airline about this.
You should enjoy yoursleves too !
In all probability your young baby is not going to remember the holiday he/she has just been on, but you are ! Your need to find a holiday destination that you are going to enjoy rather than what is good for your baby, but, of course, it’s a compromise. Don’t go somewhere you won’t enjoy just because its good for babies. Also, it’s a good idea to find a hotel where they will let you use a microwave for warming baby milk or if you go self catering make sure there is a a microwave. Don’t forget that babies normally like to go to bed early so if the hotel or apartment you are staying at has somewhere for adults to watch TV, read or whatever then that might be a good idea.
Taking everything into account, I would say that it is worth taking a baby on holiday with you. After all, you are giving your child an early education and a introduction to a world of travel and that has got to be good !
Call Global Holidays on 0845 299 4450 to speak to a holiday expert about the perfect holdiay destination for families with babies.
Global Holidays is the online travel agent for cheap holiday bargains
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