Taking a trip with a baby is a task that can lead to many headaches, especially if the parents are first-timers and therefore have no previous experience. Doubts about how the changes of scenery will affect the little one, the climate of the destination and many other aspects, including what to pack in your luggage for a few days away from home.
Baby’s sleep is often one of the first concerns when traveling. Whether it will sleep well with the changes or where it will be better for him to sleep now that he is leaving home, are some of the questions that may be on the minds of parents who are faced with a new situation.
Normally, if the child uses the carrycot, he will sleep in it. If not, a travel crib will do. To do this, it is recommended to first fold it and check that it will fit in the trunk of the car before buying it. Another option, for cases in which it is not possible to travel with a lot of luggage, is for the baby to sleep in bed with its parents.
In order for the baby to relax and rest as well as possible during the trip, it is also a good idea to take along objects that he/she usually uses to comfort him/her, such as a rag doll, a teething ring, a favorite blanket or a piece of clothing from the mother that gives him/her confidence.
As far as toiletries are concerned, you can carry a bathtub or, if you prefer to save space, a small inflatable pool can be used as a bathtub during the trip. The must-have item is the folding changing mat, as useful and recurrent as it is easy to transport due to the small space it takes up.
For hand luggage during the trip, parents should take along basic necessities such as a bottle, a few diapers, a pack of wet wipes, baby cream, a complete change of clothes, a blanket, a cloth changing mat, a sponge, sunscreen, a hat and some food and drink prepared for any contingency that might occur during the trip.
Other items that are useful during the stay are an intercom for when the baby sleeps during the day or does not sleep at night in the same room as the parents, a portable highchair to make mealtimes more comfortable, a blender to prepare baby food and purees, and baby cartoons for when you need him to pay attention at mealtimes or simply to calm him down if he gets nervous.
As far as health is concerned, you should always travel with a small first-aid kit with children’s painkillers, antipyretics, a thermometer, plasters, small scissors and antiseptics.
In any case, parents should calculate before packing which items, among those that are not absolutely essential for the day of the trip, are worth taking from home and which ones are better to buy once they arrive at the destination.
If you are going abroad, it is not superfluous to have the family book, but you will also have to give the baby the DNI or the passport, depending on which document is required to reach the country where you are traveling. In some cases, you will even have to ask the embassy or consulate for a visa for the passport if required by the country in question.
In case the baby is the child of separated parents and travels with only one of them, an express authorization of the parent who is not accompanying the baby on the trip is required. This document can be certified at the Police, the Civil Guard, a court or a notary’s office.
Regarding the health aspect, consult if in the country of destination, it is necessary that the parents carry the baby’s international health card. If the family has private health insurance, it is also worthwhile to travel with the cards proving it and that before leaving for the trip, the parents inform themselves about the coverage they have in case they are going to travel abroad.
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