Having six kids age 11 and under means that we’ve traveled with a baby for every family trip for the past 11 years. When we just had our son we often flew to our destination. As we’ve had more children and moved closer to family we’ve turned to driving more. We’ve experienced everything from short weekend getaways a couple hours away, to epic roadtrips cross country. Today I’m sharing some of the tips we’ve discovered for traveling with a baby.

traveling with a baby advice

Plan for nursing breaks. This is perhaps the most frustrating thing when we’re traveling with a baby. It’s easy to feed our children or supply them with water and snacks while we’re driving. A nursing baby though? Despite what my husband has been trying to pitch for year, I can’t simply sit in the backseat next to her and “lean over” to feed her. Don’t worry–he was kidding, I think. To not waste time and keep baby happy we try to time nursing breaks with other stops. Fill-ups and potty breaks for the older kids at the gas station is a great time to nurse and change your infant. Even if they’re sleeping, since chances are they’ll fall back asleep quickly once the car gets rolling again.

Consider driving over flying. If your destination isn’t too far you might want to consider driving rather than flying. Driving means you don’t have to worry about checking your infant car seat. You also won’t have to worry about being stuck on an airplane with a potentially fussy baby. Of course, every family and every trip is different so do what works best for you. It can be a little scary to think about driving long distances with a baby, I know. I promise you though, I’ve traveled from San Antonio to northern California as the only adult in the car with a two year old and two month old–you can do it! Most babies are actually pretty awesome travel companions.

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more travel tips

Be flexible with your plans. Flexibility is important on any family vacation–whether you’re traveling with a baby or a teenager. Actually, just any trip in general will go a lot more smoothly if you can go with the flow. I was recently talking with my friend Jenny and she mentioned that it’s important to prioritize your plans. She was specifically referring to a day at Disneyland, but I think it’s a good practice no matter where you’re traveling. Think about what destination, attraction, restaurant, etc. is most important to your family. That’s what you focus on and make sure it happens. Anything else is just bonus.

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Be prepared for anything. Traveling with a baby means you need to expect the unexpected. Like a good Boy Scout you should always “Be Prepared”. Find out about the crib situation at your destination ahead of time. Do you need a stroller or will a baby carrier suffice? Make sure you have plenty of diapers, a change of clothes, extra snack, a back-up binky, etc. Of course, you can always purchase more items at your destination if you need to (assuming you’re not camping in the middle of nowhere). However, you don’t want it to be midnight when you realize your child is teething and you didn’t pack the infant Tylenol–ask me how I know.

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Have you often traveled with little ones? Do you prefer to fly or drive to your destination?