As a digital nomad mom, I’ve never not traveled with my baby. He was born in Thailand, and by the time he was 2 years old, we’d visited five continents, been on over 60 flights, and stayed in 100+ accommodations.

Each stage of development creates unique challenges and benefits. Sometimes it feels like we mastered traveling with our baby when he suddenly leapt forward developmentally, and we had to learn how to travel with him all over again. But traveling as a family has been the most rewarding way to parent. We’ve discovered new strengths, new weaknesses, and a new love for ourselves, our son, and our family.

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Traveling with Newborns (0–3 Months)

We lived in Thailand when our son was born, and when he was 5 weeks old, we flew to Bangkok to file for his first passport. This trip was chaotic, at best. Yes, our son was teeny and slept through his entire first flight, but his parents were nervous, overstimulated, and exhausted. We didn’t experience anything in Bangkok and felt out of sync for the whole trip. If I were to do it again, I would still have to file for baby’s first passport in Bangkok, but I wouldn’t travel with a newborn unless absolutely necessary.

I’d also splurge for a fantastic hotel room. We rarely left ours!

Best For: Short trips, all-inclusive stays, hotel Mama, relaxing trips.

Tips:

• Prioritize restful trips. Now is not the time to go on a hiking trip. If you travel with a newborn, I highly recommend all-inclusive hotel stays and relaxing destinations.
• Fly direct. Our only issues when flying at this stage were at takeoff and landing, so limited the amount of takeoffs and landings is vital.
• Avoid dramatically different climates. Babies’ bodies cannot regulate their body temperature, and different climates can shock their systems.

Here’s a packing list for newborn travel.

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Traveling with Infants (3-6 Months)

When our son was 3,5 months old, we had his passport and first round of vaccinations under our belt. We flew from Thailand to Germany and began the baby’s first world tour. Our flight was good – baby was still small enough to sleep for almost the entire flight. His lack of mobility meant he was happy in our laps, and we only encountered nice and helpful strangers.

If I were to do it again, I’d start traveling right around the 4-month mark. We felt confident in our parenting skills, sleeping for slightly longer stretches, and capable of exploring the world with our son. His lack of mobility made hotel and VRBO stays hassle-free.

Best For: International trips, longer stays, hiking trips

Tips:

• Travel slowly. I like to spend at least a week in a new location, if not a month. Traveling with a baby means more downtime and relaxing than pre-baby travels.
• Splurge on the hotel room. Naps, avoiding the heat of the day, and early bedtimes mean you, as the parents, will spend more time in the room than ever before.
• Prioritize your wishes. Don’t go on a baby-centric trip just yet. Your baby doesn’t care about Disney characters or a great baby pool. They care about you, milk, and sleeping.

Here’s a packing list for 3-6-month-olds.

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Traveling with Babies (6-9 Months)

If you’re hoping 6-9 months is the absolute sweet spot for baby travel. At around 6 months old, babies adopt a predictable nap schedule, sleeping twice daily. This is perfect for taking day trips, hiking, and exploring. Baby can stay up until 8 pm, allowing mom and dad to enjoy a meal in a restaurant, and baby’s lack of mobility (not crawling yet!!) means VRBO and hotel safety is not a huge hassle.

Best For: City trips, beach days, nature hikes

Tips:

• Create Flexible Routines. Instead of having a home-specific good night routine, experiment with flexible routines that work anywhere in the world.
• Baby Led Weaning. Instead of feeding the baby exclusively from purees, try baby-led weaning and give the baby manageable amounts of food from your plate.
• Bring Teethers and Tylenol. If your baby starts teething while traveling, you don’t want to have to run to the pharmacy for pain relief. Pack a teether and Tylenol to cover your bases.

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Traveling with big babies (9–12 Months)

Honest talk here – this was, by far, my least favorite stage to travel with a baby. Our son started crawling when he was 9 months old, and was running by his first birthday. His increased mobility meant that our days of sitting down were over. At least, for the next 13 years!

Suddenly, VRBOs became death traps. Hotel rooms became costly and hazardous, and our luggage exploded – we had to pack outlet covers and baby gates.

Best For: Longer stays, slow travel, family reunions.

Tips:

• Slow down. Try basing yourself in one location for longer. Instead of hopping through Europe, book a VRBO in one city and explore it in depth.
• Baby-Proof Accommodations. Your days of chic hotel stays are over. Pools and glass tables are now death traps. Prioritize safety and location over appearance.
• Plan Less. Try alternating adult activities like museums, churches, and eating in restaurants with kid-friendly activities like hiking, parks, and playgrounds.

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🧳 Travel Gear: What You Need (And What You Don’t)

Every time I open social media, there’s a new trendy baby gadget perfect for traveling parents. But the first thing we learned about traveling with a baby is that less is more. We’ve tried out different travel accessories, and only a handful were deemed valuable enough to take up precious space in our two suitcases.

Useful 👍	Waste Of Space 👎
☑️ Travel Bassinet	❌ Pack N’ Play
☑️ Soft Carrier	❌ Travel Stroller
☑️ Hiking Carrier (for specific trips)	❌ Pull-Behind Suitcase
☑️ Sterilizing Bags	❌ White Noise Machine
☑️ Feeder	❌ Black Out Curtains

This list is what works (and doesn’t work) for our family.

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💡 Want More?

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