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flying to Brazil with 13 month old
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Anonymous
| We are trying to decide whether to go to Brazil for a week with our 13 mo old. My husband will be there for work and we're deciding whether we go along. We are concerned about the 10 hour flight and his sleep once we're there...Our son is very active and doesn't really sit still. I am not even sure if he'd be able to fall asleep on the plane. We have taken shorter, couple of hour flights with him and most recently those have not been fun. Also, his sleeping got disrupted on those trips, so I am not sure whether it's woth putting everyone through the discomfort. Any thoughts? |
Anonymous
| Where in Brazil are you going? Although it's a really long flight, there is no time difference for Rio (if I'm remembering correctly - if not, the time difference is only an hour), so the only thing that will throw him off is the long flight. That said, I personally wouldn't do it, but I'm not one to take baby everywhere even when we're home, so I definitely wouldn't take him to Brazil. When I was in Rio, it didn't seem particularly kid-friendly. |
Anonymous
| When we went it was very nice for adults but dirty and gross. I would not bring a child that was not fully immunized. There is theft, germs, sewage depending on where you go. |
Anonymous
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By all means go! The flights tend to leave in the evening, which means your child would almost definitely fall asleep at some point, as the flights are all night and arrive the next morning.
Rio's supposed to be beautiful and if your husband's going for work, you'll likely be staying somewhere nice. The PP's post made me laugh - Rio's a modern city and if you follow basic precautions about water and perhaps get a Hep A vaccine, your child will be fine. At any age, travel to another country is great for child. As for safety/cleanliness, use common sense. We went to Central America (not Costa Rica) for a family vacation this past summer and traveled all over the place and were totally fine. |
Anonymous
The OP said nothing about Rio. Many places in Brazil are as bad as the border towns in Mexico. We visited many places in Recife and Rio that were very poor, dirty and not so modern. Much worse than the worse places in big american cities. |
Anonymous
| 10:12 poster here - pp's post made me think of something - definitely find out where you are staying if the trip is to Rio. There is a surprising dearth of very nice hotels in Rio (at least along the beaches). It's weird. If you're going to stay on the beach, make sure you're in Ipanema or Leblon, not Copacabana - it's much busier and less kid-friendly. Also, whether you're going to Rio or somewhere else, keep in mind the hotel rooms are smaller than most here - more along the lines of those in Europe. |
Anonymous
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We are going to Brazil next month with our one-year old! I say do it if you can. We will be in Rio and Sao Paulo visiting family.
First, there is currently a three hour time difference because of the change in season (before daylight savings ended, it was only one hour). Second, Leblon and Ipanema are definitely the areas to stay if you will be in Rio and, of course, follow any safety precautions you normally would when staying in a big city. Finally, if you will be in a metropolitan area, you likely do not need any additional vaccines. We already cleared this with our pediatrician, but you may want to ask because it can depend on what region you will be visiting. |
Anonymous
| One other consideration - you need a visa to enter Brazil. I forget the details, but it was a little bit of a hassle and cost some $$. Not sure if DC will need one though. |
Anonymous
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Oh yes, good reminder about the visa! You and your child must both get one. Here are the requirements:
http://www.brasilemb.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=167&Itemid=1 |
Anonymous
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Absolutely go! I go every year with my children, they have been going since birth. Rio / Sao Paulo do have their flaws, (crime); but the beauty outweighs the faults.. If in Rio, careful on the beach, dont walk around like a tourist.. If you go to Sao Paulo, stay in the Jardins neighborhood, several beautiful hotels (Emiliano, Faisano, Mariott Reniassance), all walking distance to the best shops and restaurants.. Sao Paulo is a very diverse city! Have fun!! As for the flight UA has two flights out of Dulles, 9-10 hrs, easy, all night.. sleep the flight down!! and once again, go and have FUN!! p.s. get your visa quickly! 
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Anonymous
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Just a tip from another mom of a very active one-year-old: buy him a seat on the flight. If he's in his carseat, he'll sleep much better than if he's on your lap, and you might be able to entertain him in his carseat (reading, DVDs on your laptop) as well. If he's squirming in your lap for ten hours -- sleeping or not sleeping -- it'll be a nightmare!
It's obviously very possible to travel overseas with young kids. If you have concerns about health issues (some PPs have raised them), it might give you peace of mind to contact the local U.S. embassy in advance (ask for American Citizen Services) to identify a pediatrician who speaks English (and is American-trained) in case you run into anything while you're away. Go, go... |
Anonymous
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Sorry I don't mean to hijack the post but I am taking my 8 month old to Rio late November. We are staying in a suite at the border of Ipanema and Leblon.
Since some of you have been there, are there things I should be very careful about beyond using bottled water? Are there great place I should take my baby to? |
Anonymous
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Honestly, I would just stay home. We moved overseas with a one year old and did more transatlantic flights and attempts at sightseeing than I ever would have attempted with a toddler if not for our circumstances. Yes, we have great memories but it was usually more trouble than it was worth and we *always* got to the point on our "vacations" where we'd look at each other and laugh and say it would've been easier to stay home! :0)
Not to be a downer but you couldn't pay me to fly to Rio with a one year old - save your $$ and sanity and do some fun travel when your DC is 5 or 6. |
Anonymous
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I think it depends on long you'd be staying. I'd go if it were at least 2 weeks.
I have travelled frequently with my son including to Europe and the Caribbean. It's definitely doable. You can search the archives for tips on travel but the main things for me that worked were to schedule the flight early in the day so that everyone is well-rested. My son usually napped at least 1.5 h during the flight. Then make sure there are plenty of snacks and things to do - DVD player, books, new toys. Have enough diapers in your carry on if your child is still in diapers in case the flight is delayed etc. If you are going to Rio, I would take some precautions regarding crime. Of all of the places I have travelled to, it's the only one where my luggage was broken into and money taken. I was never worried about personal safety though. |
Anonymous
I completely agree. The baby won't remember a thing, the trip can be extremely frustrating, and a 10 month old is probably still taking a couple of naps a day so you will need to be cognizant of this when sight seeing. Not to mention an early bedtime will prohibit you and your husband from going out later in the evening. The trips we have taken were just a huge hassle, even though our daughter was a pretty good traveller. Wait till they are older and you all will have a much better time. |