How to Travel Light with a Baby

As the travel season approaches, families all around the world are planning their summer vacations and let us tell you, it can be a hassle. Creating wonderful memories with your kids and enjoying the amazing summer weather as a family sounds great of course, but like most trips, planning is the hardest and most stressful part of going away. Add the airports, flights, fussy babies, waiting, layovers, or other forms of travel until your destination: you have a tension headache already. 

Don’t worry though, with proper planning and traveling light, you can minimize the stress and spend your energy on soaking up all the sun and enjoying your summer vacation with your family. Here are our best recommendations to travel light with a baby:

• Check the “baby rules” of airlines

Different airlines might have varying rules for traveling with children, especially with babies. Check the rules for necessary documents, seats, boarding, bassinets or sky cots, and possible fees. Another good idea is to check the local authorities of your destination about some vaccination requirements that they might have. 

• Pack Light & Smart

It is difficult to pack for even one person, let alone a whole family with kids. Of course, the holy grail solution would be travel with a carry-on only, but it is not possible for long vacations with kids. When you’re packing for a family vacation, remember to be smart about your choices. For example, bringing clothes that you could mix & match during your trip is a great idea for all members of the family, all around the year! If any top can go with almost any bottom, your number of choices for outfits will multiply!

Also, remember to pack practical favorites, not new things that you would like to try on. A vacation with limited items is not the time to test out new shoes, new fabrics, or new fits. Pack the stuff that you know your kids love, and are comfortable in. 

If you’re staying at an AirBnB, you will most probably have a laundry machine at your accommodation. Most hotels also have laundry service, and you can find local laundromats in most cities as well. Being able to wash & reuse items during your vacation will be the biggest help to your travel-light suitcase. 

• Buy at your Destination

Remember, especially if you’re going for a city break or near a town, you can buy pretty much anything you’ll need at your destination. You don’t need to carry two weeks’ worth of diapers, wet wipes, sanitizers, shampoos, baby formula, or soap. Make a packing list, and cross out the things that you can find at a local supermarket near your destination. This will make your bag so much lighter, and you more relaxed! Remember to pack the necessary stuff for at least a couple of days though, in case of something going wrong, flight cancellations, or an emergency. 

• Rent Baby Gear for your Vacation

Don’t bother carrying all the bulky and heavy baby equipment like strollers, car seats, travel cots, or cribs that you might need during your vacation. Yes, they make your life so much easier when you use them, but let’s be honest, carrying them around at an airport is one of the biggest difficulties of traveling with babies. Instead, rent any baby equipment you need at your destination! As soon as your travel dates and location is settled, you can start looking for which baby equipment you’ll need and rent them on Babonbo! 

With more than 100+ destinations around the world, you can make your travel experiences lighter, easier, and more sustainable. Our wonderful Babonbo providers are local families just like you, and they rent out their baby gear to traveling families. All baby gear is checked and sanitized before and after each rental, and you can get your baby gear delivered to airports, hotels, or train stations. Visit our website to learn more.

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