Going on Vacation with a Baby for the First Time: Our 10 Golden Tips!
Our vacation looked very different from our ‘normal’ trips, but with some adjustments, vacationing with a newborn baby worked out very well for us. We went island hopping in Greece, and that was also a very enjoyable vacation with a baby. And with the right preparations, you can make it a little easier on yourself. That’s why I’m happy to share my tips for going on vacation with a baby for the first time!
Apply for a passport for your newborn baby in time
In the past, a baby could be added to the passport of the parents, but that is no longer the case. To apply for a passport at your municipality, you also need to have a passport photo of your baby taken, where you have to hold the baby upright, no hands should be visible, and both eyes should be open. This is usually a challenge with a baby who cannot hold their head up yet, so take your time. How long it takes to apply for a baby passport depends on your municipality, but count on at least a week.
Don’t make a vacation plan: just go with the flow
A vacation with your baby should be focused on enjoying your new family, not on seeing and doing as much as possible. As a traveler at heart, you naturally want to see something of the surroundings, so make a list of sights in the area beforehand. If there is a moment when you want to do something, you can go out without having to search first. Definitely don’t make a day-to-day plan, as this will only stress you out, as it is probably unattainable with your newborn. Just go with the flow is the motto of this trip!
First vacation with your baby? Go by car!
It’s wonderful if you don’t have to choose which items to bring during your first vacation with a baby. When you opt for a flying vacation, the amount of luggage you can bring is limited. During a car vacation, you can simply load up the car with everything you might need. A car vacation is therefore an ideal vacation with a baby! Stroller, baby carrier, changing pad, car seat, bouncer, bathtub, play mat… just take everything with you, and you can unpack everything at your vacation destination. Minimalist traveling can wait for another time.
Our First Flight Vacation with a Baby
This allowed us to have a bit of adventure and variety by visiting different islands, while also providing peace and routine for our baby through self-sufficient accommodations where Tom could sleep at fixed times. Plus, we had a rental car available on each island, This made the vacation very relaxed for all of us!
Flying with a Baby? Here’s How it Works!
We flew with Transavia and brought our car seat along with the stroller base. We were allowed to take these items all the way to the plane. And when it turned out that the plane wasn’t full, we even got a free seat for Baby. We were then able to take the car seat on board. That was super comfortable, and we were very lucky with this. On the way back, the plane was full, and we had to hold him on our lap. You get a special baby belt that attaches to your own belt. That also went fine. We were ready with a bottle to give during takeoff and landing (this is recommended for ear pain), but Tom slept through takeoff and landing! So, you see, no matter how worried you may be about the flight beforehand, it can also turn out to be just fine!
Choose a Comfortable Car Seat with Reclining Function
Buying a car seat for your baby seems simple, but there are many different brands and models available. It wasn’t until after our first two vacations that we discovered that there are car seats with a reclining function. If only I had known this earlier! During vacation, you use the car seat intensively, both inside and outside the car. You can attach the car seat to the stroller base for a walk, but your baby shouldn’t sit in the seated position for too long, as this isn’t good for their back. So, a reclining function on the car seat is ideal.
Our New Car Seat: the Cybex Cloud Z i-Size
The car seat we have now, the CYBEX Cloud Z i-Size, can be easily reclined. Even if your baby falls asleep in the car. In practice, this means that you drive a bit with your baby in the seated position, take the seat out of the car, recline it, and attach it to the stroller base. Then you can take a stroll through a village or town, for example. And all this while your baby keeps on sleeping.
Large Sun Canopy with UPF50 Protection
In addition to the reclining function, the Cloud Z also has a very handy feature for travel enthusiasts: the sun canopy. A standard car seat usually has a sun canopy that only reaches to the top of the seat. This means that it’s essential to bring a separate sunshade (like the Dooky) to sunny destinations, as your baby shouldn’t be in direct sunlight. However, the downside of the Dooky is that it flutters in the wind, and the sides remain open. If the sun shines from the side into the stroller, you have to move the shade. Plus, you have to untie the strings of the sunshade when you put the seat back in the car, which is very annoying. For all these reasons, I find the sun canopy of the Cybex Cloud Z i-Size ideal. You can completely close this sturdy sun canopy to the front, so your baby lies wonderfully protected from the sun and wind. And the sun canopy also offers UPF50 protection. So, the sun canopy is a big plus in sunny destinations.
Sit with Your Baby on the Way
If you opt for a car vacation, make sure to leave a free spot on the back seat when packing the car. There’s a good chance that one of you will want to sit in the back with the baby occasionally, and it’s annoying to have to rearrange the car during the trip. Sitting in the back is most convenient when your baby is a little restless; you can easily give them a pacifier or comfort them to sleep. This way, you don’t have to stop at every gas station, making the trip much more enjoyable!
Opt for a (spacious) self-sufficient accommodation
Make yourself as comfortable as possible during such a first vacation. An accommodation that is spacious and self-sufficient certainly contributes to this. Of course, you can easily dine out when your baby sleeps easily, but it’s nice not to be dependent on this. When you can cook for yourself, you can do it quickly in between and you are not dependent on anything. A cottage or apartment is very suitable for this. Preferably choose a cottage or apartment with multiple rooms so that you don’t have to tiptoe around because the baby is sleeping in the same room. An outdoor space is also really nice, so you can enjoy a good book in the sun during naps, or take a dip in the pool. So, definitely bring a baby monitor, or install a baby monitor app on two phones.
Plan activities around feedings and naps
When you go on vacation with your newborn, you naturally have to deal with a lot of feedings and naps, often every 3 hours. If there is already some regularity in this, you can plan your activities around them and even make handy use of them to get your baby to sleep. A beautiful walk in nature with the stroller or baby carrier, or a car ride to a nice village or sightseeing spot often makes it easy for your baby to fall asleep, and you get out and about at the same time! Ideally, you ensure that you are ready to leave just before a feeding, so that you are immediately on your way after the feeding and back in time for the next feeding. Or you simply take a thermos of water to make a bottle. Are you breastfeeding? Then you always have it with you!
Bring a night light for night feedings and use white noise
Because you don’t know how the lighting is in the accommodation you book for the vacation with your baby, it’s best to bring a soft, dimmable night light for night feedings. This prevents you from having to feed the baby in bright light at night and everyone being wide awake. Another handy gadget is a white noise machine. This is a device that you can place near your baby and can play different continuous sounds, such as ticking rain. There’s a good chance your baby will fall asleep to this sound, and it prevents your child from waking up to every other noise. This white noise machine from Numsy can play for 14 hours straight and is wireless, so you can also attach it to the stroller. Handy on a busy terrace, for example.
Nap During the Day
The first weeks with a newborn are intense. Everything is new, and you get little sleep at night. So, use your vacation to rest during the day, simply nap along with your baby! Tip: bring a hammock to relax in yourself! Not in the mood for daytime naps? You can also use your baby’s nap time to delve into the world of babies. A book I would definitely recommend reading is ‘Sleep, Baby, Sleep’, about a baby’s sleep rhythm. It’s valuable information to absorb when you want to teach your baby good sleep habits, so that your sleepless nights become a thing of the past as soon as possible!
Carry Your Baby on Vacation in a Wrap or Carrier
Newborn babies especially often love to be carried in a wrap or carrier. They also often sleep well during a walk in it. It’s also convenient for you to have a wrap or carrier, especially for walks on unpaved roads or in the mountains. You’d rather avoid stairs with a stroller too. There are special carriers that newborns (from clothing size 56) can also be carried in. I have the Tula Free To Grow myself and find it very comfortable. And I also have the Tula Explore Coast now, which is ideal for warm countries because it has a breathable mesh front panel. The advantage of the Tula Explore is that you can also carry your baby facing forward when they are a bit older, something our baby turned out to really like. In any case, choose an ergonomic carrier, one with a flexible back so that your baby can sit in the M position. This is important for the baby’s back and hips.
Embarking on a vacation with a newborn may seem daunting at first, but with careful planning and the right mindset, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for the whole family. By following these tips, you can ensure a smoother and more relaxing trip, allowing you to focus on creating precious memories with your little one. So, pack your bags, embrace the adventure, and get ready for an unforgettable journey filled with love, laughter, and new discoveries.
Our vacation looked very different from our ‘normal’ trips, but with some adjustments, vacationing with a newborn baby worked out very well for us. We went island hopping in Greece, and that was also a very enjoyable vacation with a baby. And with the right preparations, you can make it a little easier on yourself.…