10 Best Baby Travel Essentials for a Safe and Happy Journey

by Christine McFadden March 9, 2021

Travelling with your baby can be a very exciting yet tiring activity. In order to enjoy your travel to the fullest, packing the best baby travel essentials is crucial. Preparing necessities beforehand is a great way to strategize for your travel in advance. When you are travelling with your baby, chances are you can be preoccupied with a lot of things. Forgetting some stuff can be a source of worry or panic during your travels. Your travel woes can be lessened by packing the most essential things for your baby.

1. Baby Friendly Destinations

One of the best preparations that you can do is to look for baby friendly travel destinations to ensure the safety of your baby. To guarantee that you can receive the best baby travel essentials, look for hotels, suites, resorts or spas that can offer special accommodations for your baby. Remember that it helps to look for places that offer the warmest welcome for your baby as you create memories. Hotels that take care of guests by providing special cribs or baby products are a must for ensuring comfort. Before deciding on a specific suite or resort, you can conduct preliminary research to find out what they can offer. Some suites have high chairs and cribs available and others are equipped with rooms that have bathtubs and kitchens.

Aside from hotels or suites, you can also look for resorts that provide baby care with childcare experts. Search for suites that can ensure your baby’s safety by providing special baby care services at the beach or at the pool. Resorts that have trained specialists in child care is also a must for a carefree travel destination. It is also worthwhile to consider some baby friendly travel destinations at Tuscany in Italy or Norfolk in England. These places are known to be baby friendly because you can stroll at ease while enjoying the scenery.

2. Baby Travel Essentials for Bookings

One of the baby travel essentials that you should never forget when travelling to other countries is your baby’s passport. In order to prepare for the passport picture-taking, you must make sure to schedule an appropriate time first. Choose a specific time in which your baby is the calmest to ensure comfort during picture-taking. It is also advisable to read the requirements of your country when travelling with an infant as these may differ compared to others.

3. All Purpose Disinfectant Wipes

Always pack all purpose disinfectant wipes for disinfecting seats when boarding buses or planes. This is one of the crucial baby travel essentials because it can help you and your baby avoid unwanted viruses or germs when travelling. It is nice to pack extra wipes to prepare for any accidents or spills.

baby in passenger plane photo for best baby travel essentials

Photo by Octav Cado on Unsplash

Wipes can also be used to clean surfaces that your baby can reach, touch or lick. Make sure to wipe such areas surrounding your baby before settling down on a car or plane. Look for brands that are specially made for babies to ensure safety and to avoid any skin allergy reactions. You can also pack these wipes neatly and store it in a Ziploc bag if you can’t find any travel sized ones. Disinfectant sprays are also a must-have when travelling as it works as a great substitute when you can’t find any soap or water.

4. Pacifiers and Clothing

To ensure that your baby gets comfortable during a flight, it is advisable to dress your baby in layers of clothing. Choose breathable comfy clothing that can keep your baby warm throughout the flight. Bring extra pajamas or clothing for your baby and yourself in preparation for any spills that may happen. Pacifiers should also be added to your baby travel essentials list in order to help your baby cope during plane takeoff or landing. The change in pressure may cause discomfort such as ear pain to your baby. To help your baby prepare for these ordeals, you can have your baby drink from a bottle or suck on a pacifier. It can also be a challenge to encourage your baby to sleep during the flight so choose a time that your baby will most likely fall asleep naturally.

Another way to provide comfort and safety to your baby during travel is by packing all-purpose balm or cream for your baby’s skin. Babies tend to play around and in the process scratch their skin, having an all-purpose balm keeps your baby’s skin protected. Such balms are also great for skin rashes or during very dry weather conditions. Do not forget to bring nail clippers tool for trimming the fingernails of your baby. In addition, you have to make sure to bring enough diapers to last your baby throughout the flight and at the start of journey. Do not be pressured into thinking that you have to bring tons of diapers as these are largely accessible everywhere. A good way to gauge how many diapers you have to prepare for the flight is to bring one diaper per hour within the duration of your flight. Baby wipes can also help you take care of your baby during transit but bring only a suitable amount in order to avoid over packing.

5. Sun Hats

One of the baby travel essentials that are often overlooked are sun hats. This is very helpful for protecting your baby against the harmful rays of the sun. Babies have the most fragile and sensitive skin, so make sure that your baby will always wear a sun hat. Stay out of direct contact with the sun outside during 10am – 4pm to avoid your baby’s skin from being affected by harmful rays.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

You can do this by planning most of your activities during morning or evening, so make sure to have a comprehensive list of the places you plan to visit throughout the day. Don’t use sunscreen if your baby is under 6 months old as the chemicals used can be harmful. If you are going to the beach, donning your baby in UV protective clothing is one of the best choices for an all-encompassing skin protection.

6. Baby Toys

Long flights can lead to boredom and babies can often become uncomfortable during long periods of sitting time. Bring toys that babies know and love in order to keep them entertained throughout the flight. Having toys that your babies love will keep their attention and can distract them for a period of time. Lightweight and flexible baby products that they can wear are one of the best baby travel essentials that you can pack before hitting the road. Comfortable baby booties, flexible headband accessories, snuggly toys are a must for your baby girl. For baby boys, you can also prepare their favorite toy or plushie to accompany them during the flight.

7. Baby headphones

Purchasing baby headphones is one of the needed baby travel essentials for boarding planes. Planes can emit loud noises especially if there is some sort of turbulence which can cause harm to your baby’s ears. This is important because babies start to develop their senses during the developmental stage. Choosing comfortable baby headphones that can actively block out outside noises is essential for protecting your baby’s eardrums. Baby headphones can also be used in restaurants or during musical events.

8. Baby Nasal Aspirators

Anything can happen during your travels and your baby might get sick with a clogged nose. Packing baby nasal aspirators for your trip saves you a lot of trouble because these are helpful for unclogging your baby’s nasal area. It can also be used during flights when your baby has a plugged nose for relieving pressure. Allergies, colds, or teething can result to a runny nose and can be mitigated by using nasal aspirators. This will also help you defend your baby from viruses because it can trap mucus and germs in its washable filter.

9. Blankets

One of the must haves for any travel destination with your baby are blankets. Pick the blanket that your baby is most familiar with or better yet, your baby’s favorite. Bringing a blanket that reminds your baby of home will give a sense of security and calmness.

baby lying on bed with white blanket photo

Photo by Michal Bar Haim on Unsplash

You can also bring a larger one that can double as a carrier or a sling. Blankets can also be used as a sitting pad or a helpful prop for helping your baby’s posture.

10. First-aid Kit

Bringing your baby’s personal first aid kit is one of the baby travel essentials you can’t ever go without. This can be overlooked when you are rushing to pack everything but having one can save you and your baby from a lot of trouble. Travelling to other countries cannot guarantee enough protection for your baby if you need some specific baby safe medications or aids. Asking your baby’s personal doctor regarding the needs of your baby before travelling is key for avoiding serious situations.

Travelling to other countries will expose you to a new environment or a new language and finding the correct medications for your baby can be challenging. Worse, you can’t be a hundred percent sure that the medication you just bought is the correct dosage for your baby. This is why talking to your baby’s pediatrician should be integrated in your travel preparation plans. Remember to bring documentations regarding your baby’s medications too in case someone asks you for any papers. Be sure to map out the nearest hospitals and jot down or save the emergency number of the country or place that you are visiting. This will help you keep your calm during unexpected situations which may arise.

Preparing all these things for your baby before travelling will greatly contribute to a happy and secure journey. After all is said and done, relax and remember to create joyous memories with your precious child by providing the best support at all times. Creating a checklist before travelling will enable you to have a worry-free mindset. Trust in your instincts and try to organize everything by mapping out any possible scenario to help you plan more comprehensively. Lastly, give your baby all the love that you can provide by cherishing all moments big or small.