When we first started traveling the world while pregnant, my biggest concern wasn’t the heat or jet lag – it was tap water. In Germany, where we lived, tap water is potable – meaning it’s safe to drink. In most of the places we’ve lived or visited since beginning our journey as digital nomads, tap water is considered nonpotable- meaning it’s not safe to drink. While the adults in our family were quickly able to adjust our routines, babies famously love putting everything in their mouth. Including bath water!

After 3 years of parenting on the road with a very curious baby, and no cases of food or water poisoning (so far!), here’s what we’ve learned works in the fight against waterborne illnesses.

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Basics of Baby Hydration

Babies under six months don’t need water to stay hydrated—they get all their fluids from breast milk or formula, even in extreme heat. Offer more formula or breastfeed more often, but don’t change your baby’s diet to include water without first talking to a doctor or pediatrician.

💡 Worried about unexpected healthcare costs abroad? Me too, that’s why we use SafetyWing. Their nomadic health insurance keeps us all covered in case of accidents, heat stroke, and childhood illnesses.

Although they don’t need to drink water, babies under six months of age are still susceptible to waterborne illnesses. If you suspect your infant has an infection, go to the doctor immediately.

My personal tip? When possible, use bottled or distilled water for baby-related cleaning tasks. If you’re a formula family or diluting pre-made purees with water, use bottled or distilled water for that.

💡 Boiling tap water in a kettle does not clean or sterilize the water. A full 60 seconds is needed.

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Research Water Quality Before You Travel

Before boarding the plane, my family and I research our local water quality and safety standards. I check the Yale Environmental Performance Index, or EPI, to learn about our destination’s water.

This quick step saves us time, money, and stress. Once, while traveling to Spain, my friends and I spent hours schlepping bottled water back to our apartment. We assumed the water wasn’t safe – it was perfectly fine!

Knowing which destinations have safe drinking water helps you pack smarter, avoid unnecessary worries, and avoid unnecessary risks.

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Choose Accommodations with Potable Water

When booking hotels or vacation rentals in areas without potable tap water, it’s worth scanning the descriptions for places that offer filtered water systems, use private well water, or arrange bottled water delivery.

Some hosts will even organize weekly bottled water delivery for you, making it one less thing to worry about when traveling with kids.

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Boil Water for Bathing and Cleaning

When my son was born, we lived in house that had terrible water quality. As in, brown water. To keep the risk of exposing our son to a waterborne illness low, without purchasing a 15-liter bottle of water a day simply to bathe our son in, we decided to boil his bath water.

Every morning, I’d wake up and boil the largest pot of water we had for 60 seconds. Over the day, it slowly cooled off and by night time, it was the perfect temperature for a bath. It’s a simple, no fuss routine that guaranteed our baby wasn’t exposed to contaminated water during bath time.

Boiling water for a minute is a great low-cost way to sterilize baby bottles, utensils, diaper rags, pacifiers, and silicone toys when bottled water isn’t available, too expensive, or your baby products are due for a deep clean.

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Bring a Portable Sterilizer

Keeping bottles and pacifiers clean enough for your baby while traveling can be challenging. Especially if you’re staying in hotels without access to a stove – and you can’t trust the tap water. Here’s what my family did to keep ourselves safe, healthy, and sane.

Bottles, pacifiers, and baby toys can be safely rinsed with soap and regular water, then rinsed with boiled water. Once a day, we’d gather everything and sterilize it using these microwave bags.

We wash bottles with soap and regular water, rinse them with boiled water, and sterilize them after each use. It’s an easy routine that helps prevent stomach issues and bacterial infections.

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Invest in a Filtered Water Bottle

Our filtered water bottle is one of my favorite investments for our travels. This Lifestraw Water Bottle removes over 99.999999% of bacteria and parasites. Using this filter bottle allows us to safely drink from taps, rivers, streams, and wells—even untreated water is perfectly safe for the whole family. Although the $70 price tag is hefty for an insulated water bottle, these filters last at least 2 years, providing my family and me with 2 years of clean drinking water.

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Don’t Forget a Mini Travel Pharmacy

If there’s one universal rule about traveling with families, it’s prepare for the unexpected. Even with all the precautions in the world, the safest AirBnB, and the best family-friendly hotel, things will happen. Never travel without a family first aid kit.

I pack baby medications, basic travel remedies for stomach bugs, allergies, and fevers. Basically, everything you want to have on hand.

To make it easier, you can download our free Travel Medicine Cabinet Checklist here:
👉 [Download the Family Travel First Aid Checklist]

This printable guide helps you pack confidently for your next family adventure.

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Final Thoughts: Staying Healthy on the Road

Traveling with a baby in countries without potable tap water might sound stressful—but it doesn’t have to be.

With a little research and a few smart tools (like a filtered water bottle and sterilizer), you can keep your baby safe from contaminated water while exploring the world.

The key is simple:
Boil it. Filter it. Ask questions. Stay cautious.

After traveling full-time as a digital nomad family, we’ve learned that water safety is just another small part of the adventure. And with a bit of planning, it’s one you won’t have to worry about again.

Safe travels, and here’s to clean water and happy babies—wherever your family goes next.

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