Vacation with infant?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

My husband and I would love to take a little vacation with our baby in April or May. We're thinking maybe 4-5 nights somewhere. We've not traveled with him yet; he'll be 6 mos. in early April. He is our first child.

We're debating the wisdom of doing this - we'd really like to get away, and we want to become accustomed to traveling with our child. But we'll need to bring all his stuff (plus he'll be eating some solids by then), we'll need to feed him and let him nap, of course - is it possible to go away and keep him happy and still have fun ourselves? : ) Also, he goes to bed around 7:30/8 so I guess we'd be stuck in our room after that point.
We were thinking of either driving somewhere (maybe within 5 hours of DC), or flying and going to a resort-type place in the Dominican Republic or somewhere similar - where we'd just stay on the resort and not need to drive.

If anyone has suggestions about any of these points, that would be much appreciated:

-has anyone taken a young infant to a beach resort - how did that work out? Did you just hang out at the beach or pool, go for walks, etc?
-is it more trouble than it's worth to fly for a 5-day trip with a little baby - with all the stuff you need to bring, the airport, etc?
-what do you consider the essentials to bring on a trip with an infant - pack n play (or did you use hotel crib), stroller, carrier, some sort of sunshade if at the beach, what else (besides the obvious like clothes, diapers, etc)?
-any suggestions for a location within driving distance that we might consider?
-any thoughts about what type of place to stay in that would make this as easy as possible?
-any other tips about traveling with an infant?

TIA - I'm sure there are many savvy parents here who can help us make this fun!

[Anonymous]

I saw go for it. I traveled to the middle east with a 12 month old. Not exactly the same, but I did pack all his food, just in case he wouldn't eat the local stuff.

I would absolutely take your own portable crib or pack and play. He's familiar with it, plus ones at hotels, especially foreign, can be so old they are no longer within safety codes, they could be broken, or just plain dirty.

You will be tied to his schedule to a certain extent, unless you feel comfortable leaving him with day care services at the resort. I've never done that, so don't have great advice. We did our meals out for lunch, etc., instead of at night, and just took him along.

Have fun.

[Anonymous]

We have taken our daughter on a few trips already. By 6 months she had been on several flights lasting up to 4 hours and car rides up to 5 hours. I will make comments in red below:

If anyone has suggestions about any of these points, that would be much appreciated:

-has anyone taken a young infant to a beach resort - how did that work out? Did you just hang out at the beach or pool, go for walks, etc? We took our daughter to Mexico for the weekend. Unfortunately, she and I both got sick, but it still wasn't a bad trip. We stayed within the resort grounds visiting the beach and pools. The most excitement was when she crawled off the beach towel and grabbed a handful of sand to put in her mouth. Those were some scary minutes as we tried to clear her nose and mouth of sand. Watch out for that!

-is it more trouble than it's worth to fly for a 5-day trip with a little baby - with all the stuff you need to bring, the airport, etc? My husband and I shared one suitcase. The baby had her own suitcase. It was a lot of stuff, but we carry half that stuff in her diaper bag anyway so it didn't seem like that much extra trouble. We cloth diaper and just washed diapers daily in the hotel.

-what do you consider the essentials to bring on a trip with an infant - pack n play (or did you use hotel crib), stroller, carrier, some sort of sunshade if at the beach, what else (besides the obvious like clothes, diapers, etc)? We co-sleep so the baby slept in our bed with us. I put a wool pad down under her just in case she leaked out her diaper. Instead of packing a stroller we carried her in a moby type carrier. We used the beach loungers and a towel to create our own shaded area for her to play in and she wore a floppy hat with baby sunscreen. Pack some medicine just in case. We took our thermometer and baby Tylenol. Good thing we did since she did get sick there. I think it was just teething and you may be at about the same age for teething issues. Bring his favorite teething toy and quiet toy for the airplane. For our Mexico trip we didn't take a car seat. The baby sat on our lap for the flight. Ask the flight attendant to alert you before descent so you can start to nurse or get the baby to suck on a pacifier and avoid ear pain. We rode a shuttle bus in Mexico and there was no way to buckle a seat in anyway. For domestic trips I did buy a Cosco Scenera car seat and wheely bag.

-any suggestions for a location within driving distance that we might consider? We've only driven to visit friends in nearby states. No vacation destination suggestions from me.

-any thoughts about what type of place to stay in that would make this as easy as possible?
I think it really depends on what you need. We breastfeed so didn't need a bottle warmer. We didn't need a fridge or microwave for any reason. We've made do with what we had on our trips.

-any other tips about traveling with an infant? I'd go check out some travel forums, they have lots and lots of advice for destinations and packing.

[Anonymous]

We found the Outerbanks to be a really, easy relaxing vacation with young kids. It was driveable, and we rented an oceanfront house so that when the kids needed to nap, we just hung out on the porch. It was simple and relaxing but a getaway from life.

[Anonymous]

-has anyone taken a young infant to a beach resort - how did that work out? Did you just hang out at the beach or pool, go for walks, etc?
**We took our son wherever we wanted to go. Just know that they can't spend too much time in the sun. Consider having an unbrella or shaded area wherever you go. Also, we didn't spend much time at the beach, just because of nap schedules.

-is it more trouble than it's worth to fly for a 5-day trip with a little baby - with all the stuff you need to bring, the airport, etc?
*I did it for an even shorter trip. We vacationed in Miami where you can rent the majority of what you need. I didn't think it was too much stuff to bring.

-what do you consider the essentials to bring on a trip with an infant - pack n play (or did you use hotel crib), stroller, carrier, some sort of sunshade if at the beach, what else (besides the obvious like clothes, diapers, etc)?
*We rented a crib, exersaucer, and high chair. We rented a car and bought diapers, wipes, formula, and food when we got there.

-any suggestions for a location within driving distance that we might consider?
*I just know that Miami isn't too long of a flight and you can rent baby stuff from several agencies down there.

-any thoughts about what type of place to stay in that would make this as easy as possible?
*I've rented a house or condo. It was OK for convenience sake, but we couldn't get the room dark at all, which was a huge problem for his sleeping. I've stayed in a hotel with DS, which was easier for sleeping. Usually you can get the rooms really dark. It was just cramped and I was pretty worried about all the germs in hotel rooms. He did end up getting a cold.

-any other tips about traveling with an infant?
*Flying ended up being really easy for us. Just gave him a bottle on the way up and tried to time it so it would be nap time in the air. He slept almost the whole way there and back. Bottle on the way down helps with the ears too.

[Anonymous]

other than trips to the in-laws (6 hour drive) we resisted vacations with our little one, too. finally, last summer, when our boy was 10 months, we decided we needed a get-away. we packed up our car and drove to rehoboth beach. it was only 3 hours away, we rented a condo (thus, had access to a full kitchen). we had days on the beach and early evenings on the boardwalk....no, we didn't party at night like we used to, that's for sure. but it was still relaxing, to a point (son was a terrible sleeper back then and i hate cosleeping with him).

you are right---there is too much stuff to take!!

do whatever you think will provide the most relaxation (and lease amt. of stress) to suit YOUR personality!

[Anonymous]

We took our DS to Key West when he was 9 months old and had a blast. I shipped the pack-n-play and portable high-chair via FedEx in advance. I also ordered formula, diapers, baby food, wipes, etc. from JetSet babies, and they delivered everything directly to the hotel so it was all there when we arrived. We got a suite so we had a small fridge and a microwave. On the plane, we used an umbrella stroller up to the gate and then gate-checked it. I also bought the Cares harness (as DS was big enough to use it), so didn't need to bring a car seat. DS had his own seat (needed for the harness), so we all had space on the plane. The last day, the hotel took care of shipping everything back via FedEx including the leftover diapers, etc., that were delivered. It made the trip much easier.

Good luck and bon voyage1!

[Anonymous]

We have traveled several times with our DD, including to the beach and on a week-long camping trip. You're right to start early so you can all get used to it. Two things that worked for us were to be ruthless in cutting down what you bring, and to use a carrier a lot. You think you need a lot more than you actually do. Sure, some things are nice to have, but the hassle of carting it all around wasn't worth it for us, so we have gone as sparse as clothes, diapers, some food items, a soft carrier, and a few select toys/books. Being stuck in the room after they go to sleep can be a drag, but one option that worked when our DD was a younger infant was to carry her in a soft carrier (we used a Mai Tei) and she would sleep in that on one of us while we enjoyed a late dinner or walk (even a few outdoor movies). In many ways, it's "easier" to travel with them at that age than once they're more mobile (I know, hard to believe now), so take the plunge and enjoy.

[Anonymous]

I'm taking my 5 month old twins to my parents' house in FL in 5 hours. (Not the same as a vacation but we still have to get them and their stuff there.) I'll report back. Wish me luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We took our DS to Key West when he was 9 months old and had a blast. I shipped the pack-n-play and portable high-chair via FedEx in advance. I also ordered formula, diapers, baby food, wipes, etc. from JetSet babies, and they delivered everything directly to the hotel so it was all there when we arrived. We got a suite so we had a small fridge and a microwave. On the plane, we used an umbrella stroller up to the gate and then gate-checked it. I also bought the Cares harness (as DS was big enough to use it), so didn't need to bring a car seat. DS had his own seat (needed for the harness), so we all had space on the plane. The last day, the hotel took care of shipping everything back via FedEx including the leftover diapers, etc., that were delivered. It made the trip much easier.

Good luck and bon voyage1!

Must be nice to have $$$ - it definitely makes life easier. For the rest of us schmucks that have to watch every penny:

Our vacation with our 6 month old was ok - not great. One of us had to stay in the hotel during baby's naps (way too hot to sleep on beach). Baby went to sleep at 8pm. We were bored being stuck in the hotel room (and yes, we had sex, but when that was done, it was boring). Plane travel for short trip was fine. We don't co-sleep but had a king bed so we all fit fine. Eating out was ok, but not relaxing since baby would fuss periodically. It was good for a change of scenery, but I wouldn't call it exciting or terribly relaxing. In the end, I thought it was more trouble than it was worth.

[Anonymous]

Much easier to go away after they are sleep trained - otherwise imo holidays with infants are more trouble than they are worth.
Holiday with a 9 month old was OK (not the best holiday ever...), holiday with a 3 month-old was just very unpleasant.

I agree with the advise to minimise what you need.

[Anonymous]

One tip I'd add is if you don't do a condo rental, see if you can get a hotel room big enough to tuck the pack n play or crib in another "room" so you don't have to turn the lights off at 8pm! One hotel we stayed in had a HUGE bathroom so we just stuck the crib in there and tip toed when we had to pee.

[Anonymous]

I took my 4 month old twins and then 15 month old twins on vacation. Beach. Hotel.

Much easier to travel when they are less than a year. So do it now.

Have low expectations, and go from there. Sorry, but it is tough but it makes you value home more and the kids do get something out of it.... All of my kids, hubby and I, got sick on both vacations despite colorox wipes and sanitizer. House keepers are often sick so the germs can be in your room (even at the cleanest hotels). Good luck. It's not easy but very worth it (my situation might be tougher since i have two, the same age).

[Anonymous]

I second the poster who suggested Miami. We just got back from there this week. It's only a 2-2.5 hour flight from DC, the weather is warm now, a nice beachfront hotel is convenient and reasonably priced this time of year, and there are lots of places you can rent/purchase baby items. Plus you don't need to worry too much about drinking the water (e.g., mixing formula, washing hands, etc.). There are also a lot of places to walk to.

I just got back from taking my 2.5 month old on a 5 day trip to Miami with my parents. We stayed in South Beach, and the trip was wonderful...we walked miles every day with the stroller on the boardwalk, and got a lot of fresh air and sunshine (Vitamin D!). The flights were easy...DD nursed on takeoff and landing and slept the entire time. We were able to get her car seat on one flight, which was a breeze. On the return flight, I carried her in the baby bjorn and then she slept on my lap. We did not rent a crib...I swaddled her and had her sleep in the bed next to me (I removed all blankets and pillows). There are also lots of outdoor restaurants/cafes which are a bit more baby-friendly.

Must-have travel items: stroller was a MUST for getting around and carrying items. We used our snap N Go and car seat. Nice large basket for carting drinks, snacks, etc. We didn't rent a car, so a stroller was key. Make sure you bring a couple of lightweight light-colored blankets to throw over the stroller to shield your baby's eyes from the bright sunlight. Also, another great must-have for me was a portable changer like a skip-hop pronto changer, which was great on the plane, in restrooms, on the hotel bed, etc. I'm breastfeeding, so the nursing cover was also necessary for nursing by the pool and on the beach. The nursing cover was also good to use on the plane to shield baby from germs (I tossed it over her carseat as a shield from the air). Finally, lots lots lots of antibacterial wipes, spray, gel, etc. I went through 2 boxes...used them to wipe down everything on the plane (trays, seatbelt buckles, seatbelt strap, taxicab seatbelt buckles and straps, etc.). Also good for wiping down things at the hotel.

One thing to thing about in advance is how to sterilize and warm bottles...that could be challenging if you're not breastfeeding.

Also, remember that Miami is the good ole USA, so if you need anything, there's usually a CVS or Walgreens within walking distance. We probably made at least 4 trips to Walgreens to pick up things we needed.


DD has never slept so well after getting so much fresh air and sunshine. We just kept her well-covered with a rented cabana, beach umbrella, and lots of baby sunblock.

also make sure to bring a thermometer just in case and some childrens tylenol/advil.

[Anonymous]

This is the PP again...for the record, our trip to South Beach/Miami cost $459 per person for flight and hotel for 4 nights/5 days (booked via a travel website/package deal). So...it can be done inexpensively! I would definitely go again...and she is only 2.5 months, so traveling with a 6 month old could be more fun because they can appreciate the surroundings more, e.g., water, sun, etc. Even my LO was smiling away on the beach! I just made sure I nursed her MUCH more frequently (e.g., every 1.5 hours) so she stayed hydrated, and we didn't overdo it in the sun. We rented a cabana on the beach for $15, which was wonderful!