How to plan an international trip with a baby
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International Travel with a Baby
Updated: March 17, 2022
A Guide to Planning International Travel with a Baby
Many families love the idea of traveling internationally with a baby but are intimidated by the planning, organizing and documentation needed for a big trip. We have explored many countries from 6 continents with our son and feel confident that with proper planning you can have a fun, successful trip full of memories with your baby!
The key to a successful trip is research! International trips are not planned in a day so, take your time and enjoy the process!
In this article we provide guidance and resources on how to plan an international trip with a baby!
Steps for successful trip planning:
- Research
- Build an Itinerary
- Before you Go
Why travel internationally with your baby?
First, let’s discuss why you would even consider traveling with your baby. They aren’t going to remember it right? While they may not remember the trip, you will and you will have the pictures to share with your child when they get older. Sharing the world with our children is one of the absolute best parts of being a parent! Watching them experience new flavors, scents, sites and people help make them well rounded little people and brings joy to everyone involved.
When you travel with your baby, your are not only sharing the world with them but, you are sharing them with the world. Not only is your child getting to meet people from other countries but, they are also meeting your child and it is honestly a magical experience all around.
International travel helps teach your child at a young age how to adapt and sleep in different places with different noises in the background. It also opens up your child’s pallet to new flavors and textures while learning to eat solids.
The first question we typically get asked about international travel is ‘How do you plan all that?’. Well, in this article we break down our process for researching and planning international travel with a baby!
So, check the expiration dates on your passports (baby’s too!) and let’s start planning!
1. Research
Before booking a trip, the logical first step is research! Each destination is different and may require research on other topics, but the following is a great place to start!
For the purpose of this article, we are going to assume that we are planning a trip to Lima, Peru in November which is exactly what we did a while back. The pictures in this article are from that trip and it was an amazing experience!
Flights
In some cases you may have an idea of where you want to travel but often, we find ourselves using Google Flights for the dates we have available. Google Flights is an amazing resource for obtaining a general idea of ticket prices quickly anywhere around the world.
On the Google Flights site, use the left sidebar and click ‘Explore’. If you keep the ‘Where to?’ blank, you can view ticket prices to anywhere in the world for your dates! This is such a great tool that we use all the time including for domestic travel.
In our example of a November trip to Lima, Peru this is what Google Flights shows us:
Weather
Once you have a few locations in mind, do some research on weather during that time of year (a great resource is Weather Spark). Many travel destinations have wet and dry seasons and your overall travel experience can be drastically impacted by visiting during the wrong time of year. Another consideration is which hemisphere to visit when. The seasons in the South are opposite of the North. Prices are often cheapest during the off season but, there is usually a reason why the peak season is peak. For instance, you don’t want to visit Costa Rica in the rainy season or Alaska in the Winter. If you are on a budget, research shoulder seasons for your destinations for the best prices.
When planning international travel with a baby, keep in mind that babies are easy to bundle up for warmth and there are ways to keep them comfortable in warm climates. In general, better weather makes for an easier time packing and a better time overall.
Let’s take a look at Lima Peru, in November for weather on Weather Spark. Once you’ve entered your destination on the Weather Spark main page, you can change the season/month in the right sidebar.
Travel Requirements
Once you have a location in mind (at the right time of year), start looking into what documentation you need to visit there. We use the U.S. State Department – Bureau of Consular Affairs (travel.state.gov) website for current requirements for countries around the world. On the Travel.state.gov website, use the ‘Learn about your destination’ search bar to search the name of the country.
On the following page you will find the current travel requirements for that country including entry requirements (passport validity, visa requirements etc.) If a visa is required, determine whether the visa is attained prior to travel or upon arrival. Some even require cash payment (typically in USD) upon entry to the country to receive your visa.
Another section to take note of is Safety and Security. This provides information on crime rates, what type of crimes and sometimes specific areas where crime is more prevalent. All countries have this section and even if petty theft is the majority of crime, it’s always good to be aware.
Some countries require a copy of your child’s birth certificate for entry. We bring a printed copy (in addition to a digital copy on our phones) on every single trip.
Traveler's Health
After you have determined where you want to go, when you want to go there, and the requirements for getting there, the final consideration is health. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has an excellent and up to date Traveler’s Health page on their website. Things to consider are vaccine requirements, bug born illnesses and water quality. If you are researching a country that has a malaria risk, take a look at the CDC Malaria Information and Prophylaxis, by Country. You can also find current malaria maps via other website including Malaria Atlas.
We always recommend a call with your baby’s pediatrician to discuss specific travel destinations and any concerns you may have.
We have never been asked for vaccination status (besides COVID-19), but we keep an updated copy of our son’s vaccination record on our phones.
Once you have these major topics researched, you can safely start booking and building an itinerary!
2. Booking
Now that you have done the research and determined where and when you want to travel, it’s time to book! Every trip is different and has different booking needs, but the basics are flights, rental car, and hotels.
Every family and every baby are different. If your child does not sleep well in the car then, a road trip at home or abroad is probably not the best idea. Don’t let that stop you! There are endless options when it comes to travel and babies are so easy to take with you! You could travel somewhere with a robust train system for instance. Also, take into consideration your personal interests! Your baby will be happy to be with you wherever your travels take you. This is a great time to explore museums and cities that an older child may not be excited to visit.
As you are planning your daily itineraries use resources like Google Maps, Trip Advisor (including forums), and You Tube to determine which specific destinations to visit during your stay.
Booking Flights
After your initial research the first step to booking your trip is booking flights. We typically use a travel reservation site like Orbitz to check flights for our dates. If prices seem high, play with the dates a bit by shortening or lengthening your stay by 1 day. Sometimes flights are much less expensive on certain days of the week. Once you find the flights that work with your schedule, have good connections (aim for 2 hours if possible), at a reasonable price, check that airline’s website for the same flights. Sometimes you can find them cheaper there.
A few last considerations when booking flights: Do you need to purchase a seat for your baby? We did not purchase a separate seat for our son until he turned 2. We had no problems with him sleeping/playing in our laps regardless of the duration of the flight. Some families prefer to purchase a separate seat and bring a car seat on the plane. This is definitely an option, but confirm that your car seat is FAA approved.
Make sure to sign up for frequent flier miles for each airline/alliance you travel with! Even if you aren’t sure you will ever use that airline again, it doesn’t hurt to gain miles. Most booking sites have rewards programs as well so, make sure to sign up for those too!
Booking a Rental Car
Once you have booked your flights, the next big expense is a car rental if you plan to drive on your trip. We find that having our own car while traveling internationally with a baby provides extra flexibility, a different perspective of the country you are visiting and provides a great place for naps.
Our strategy for booking rental cars is the same for any travel, domestic or abroad. We search our location and dates in a travel booking site (like Orbitz) then find the best price for the car we need. In some situations a 4×4 is required while, smaller vehicles are beneficial in metropolitan areas. We always book with well known and well reviewed companies. Once you find the vehicle that suites your travel scenario, search for coupon codes for that company and plug them into their website. Sometimes you get a great deal and sometimes the travel booking site has the better deal. It pays off to check!
When renting a car seat for a baby make sure to select the correct option on the website.
Make sure to research if an international driver’s license is required for your destination. If required, it’s easy to get one! Here is an example of a site that offers them: International Driver’s Document
We never pre-pay for insurance, but we do research insurance recommendations for each country. Many credit cards include CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) insurance if you use your card to pay for the reservation. Often this is the only insurance needed but, do your research and decide based on your comfort level.
Building an Itinerary
Once your flights and rental car are booked, it’s time for the fun part! Building an itinerary.
When we start this part of the process we use the Word Document template below and fill it in as we go.
For a basic itinerary we include information that our family would need in case of emergency. This includes our passport numbers, trip insurance policy, flight information and where we are staying each day. We then send this itinerary to our families so they know what we are up to while traveling!
Once this information is complete, we duplicate the document and create a very detailed itinerary for our personal use. This includes snap shots of maps, restaurants, drive times, day to day activities, hours of operation for activities etc.
When planning travel with a baby, build in nap times in the morning and afternoon. That can be a drive or time in the stroller/baby backpack carrier. Having a place and time for your baby to nap during the day are critical. We also recommend maintaining their regular bed time routine while traveling. This makes for an overall happier baby!
Itinerary Template Example
Booking Hotels
Depending on your budget, you can book anything from large resorts to small bed and breakfasts. We typically book something in between. When booking a hotel we look for great reviews (Google Maps/booking site reviews) walkability to restaurants/sites, breakfast (with great reviews!), and crib availability. Most hotels will list whether they have a crib available or not. Once we book, we always send a message to the property confirming that a crib will be in the room when we arrive.
airbnb/Vrbo can be great options if you plan to stay in one location long enough to meet the minimum time requirement.
When booking with a site like Hotels.com make sure to sign up for their rewards program because you earn free nights!
3. Before you Go
Here are a few tips for before you leave on your trip!
- Book travel insurance! We have had to use ours a few times and have been so glad for the peace of mind even when we didn’t need to use it. We use Travel Insured International for our travel insurance. Children are free! Make sure to read the fine print and if you can benefit by booking within a certain number of days of initial trip deposit do so. Also, when asking for the trip cost, most companies ask for ‘non-refundable’ costs. Make sure to take that into account.
2. Create a folder on your computer for your trip. Save a copy of every reservation, correspondence, map snapshot etc. We also include a list of in-network hospitals just to be safe! Before you leave for your trip create a ‘master PDF’ with all of these files in one PDF.
Include the detailed itinerary as your first pages. Save this document in a notes app on you and your travel partner’s phones. Make sure it’s saved in an app that does not require internet access. You will be amazed at how often you refer to this document for proof of reservations etc.
3. Copy and print your passports and child’s birth certificate. Save these documents to both phones and take a printed copy on every trip.
4. Create contacts in your phone for everything! Airlines (include your frequent flier mile numbers in the notes section), Banks, Travel Insurance, Health Insurance.
5. Register with STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). This is a U.S. State Department program that allows you to register your trip including destination, dates, and what hotels you are staying in. We always create a line for each hotel with phone number included. STEP sends email updates from the local embassy and provides a way for the U.S. Embassy to contact you in case of an emergency. We register every international trip and appreciate the peace of mind it provides.
6. Download FREE offline maps. We use Maps.me on our phones and have successfully navigated countless countries. You simply load the app on your phone then download the maps you need by country and sometimes by region. Maps.me includes offline turn by turn instructions including GPS. Another great option is to load google maps for your particular route.
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How to Plan International Travel with a Baby - Summary
In summary, planning an international trip does take a lot of research but, with each trip the planning gets a little easier because you take similar steps each time. Each destination is different and requires unique research, but the more prepared you are for your trip the less time you spend researching while on your trip, which makes for a more relaxing vacation.
Remind yourself that planning an international trip typically happens over months not days so, while it may seem like a lot to cover you just do a little bit at a time as you have time before your trip.
Keep a look out for additional articles from The Kid Packer on ‘How to Pack for International Travel with a Baby’!
Travelling internationally with a baby is the perfect way to spend quality time with your child! It exposes them and yourselves to new experiences while developing your child’s sense of wanderlust and satisfying yours!
About The Kid Packer
Here at The Kid Packer, we want to help you live your best life. A great baby backpack child carrier can help you do just that. After having used a child carrier backpack for over 1,500 miles of adventuring and exploring, we have a passion for them and know what makes a great pack that both you and your child will love. We hope our comprehensive research allows you to confidently find the right backpack for your needs!
