MYP

Hello there!

I am currently pregnant with our first child (due in April) and my husband and I are starting to think about a week long trip with our then 3 month old child to somewhere in western Europe that is a direct flight from Chicago.

A few potential destinations (we would only visit 1 country) we were thinking about were Ireland (driving along the western coast), Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Portugal, England (few days in London, then the Cotswolds or thereabouts), or France (Paris and Normandy). If I hadn't just spent 8 days in Holland last year, that would have been my top choice!

A few questions - should we bring a stroller, or would a baby carrier be sufficient? If we bring our stroller, it has a removable bassinet, that our baby could sleep in - while on the road, as well as at night. Would 2 cities in 8 days be too much with a young baby? We tend to travel at a faster pace (the sad thing about not getting too much vacation time), so I think 8 days in one location would be too much for us. However, we understand that the pace will be dictated by our child. We tend to be outdoorsy and low key (hiking, taking photos, happy eating at a local hole in the wall, staying at budget places). Should we opt for staying in an apartment, or go for a hotel?

This is all theoretical trip planning and we'll pull the trigger after the little one is born, assuming everything goes smoothly and whatnot!

I will do research into the different places (we've been to Ireland, I used to live in London, been to Paris), but wanted to get your general thoughts on traveling with a young one.

Thank you!
M

MmePerdu

My personal experience is that a 3 month old is quite happy and easy traveling. I was married to a musician who was on the road in the summer so after our son was born in June I caught up with him in Hawaii when the wee one was 2 weeks old. By 3 months we were all old hands at it. It was so nice being in a hotel with absolutely nothing required of me. Dad was a very good helper. And I think 2 locations, if the logistics are relatively simple, will be fine. Take the stroller.

MmePerdu

Don't forget to get the baby a passport.

longhorn55

Yes, traveling with a 3-month old will be easy (except for all the gear you have to schlep.) We took our baby to Hawaii and then on to Thailand when he was 3 months old.

I'd be tempted to go back to Ireland again. (You can never go to Ireland too many times, in my book!) Doing a driving trip will mean that you can stop whenever you want for a walk/hike and there are so many neat things to see along the western coast. The baby can sleep in the car or can sleep in the baby carrier while you hike. I don't even see that you would need to restrict yourselves to 2 locations. There's no reason you can't stay in a different location every night if you want. And I can't see why you couldn't stay in B&B's in Ireland, especially since you have a stroller with a removable basinette.

One thing to remember is that the trunk space in rental cars in Ireland are notoriously small. If the car rental website says the trunk holds 2 large suitcases and 2 small suitcases, don't believe it. You'll probably need a larger car just to hold all the baby stuff.

justineparis

I think its a perfect age to travel with a baby, they are not too heavy to carry around in a carrier( good for crowded museums) and can sleep happily in their strollers( I would just bring a small foldup one or the type that is a carseat that can be set in a rolling base, good to have a carseat as you can use it as a place for baby to sleep, and if renting a car you will have a carseat, and for on plane. Or even just a regular stroller, you can change baby in it, etc.

I think babies up to about crawling age are great travellers ( especially breast fed ones, and before food) and children after 3.5,, I think inbetween say 9-11 months and 3.5 they can be little pains, lol ( and yes had three )

StCirq

At that age, they're easy, just like another piece of baggage. Yes, bring a stroller.

Lawchick

If you are breastfeeding, stay in a hotel. If you are bottle feeding an apartment is often handier for heating up/sterilizing bottles.

Bring a stroller. The bassinet part will take up a lot of room in an irish car. If you have a stroller that reclines fully, I wouldn't bring the bassinet. Hotels and apartments will provide a travel cot ("pack and play")

goldenautumn

If you are bringing a car seat and are planning on renting a car, make sure the car seat you are bringing meets the European requirements for infant car seats.

If you are planning on road-tirpping, you should look for hotels or b&bs that are baby-friendly, and you should make it plain when you reserve that you are bringing an infant. Not long ago, I was reading guest reviews for a b&b in the south of France where one guest wrote a scathing review of a b&b that was visibly upset when the family showed up with an infant. A lot of B&b owners do worry that an infant can wake up other guests in the night and don't welcome kids that small. Apparently a lot of travelers also don't mention they are bringing an infant when they book, and it creates problems.

There are websites devoted to European travel with babies that you can find with google searches. I think you will find that most people are very welcoming and you will probably never encounter anything negative. But I think it is a mistake not to look for hotels and b&bs that advertise themselves as family friendly, and certainly a mistake to book for 2 people when you are really 3. A baby isn't a piece of baggage.

emily71

I agree with golden autumn. Look for family friendly hotels and mention that you have a baby and ask about what kind of cots they have before booking. Congrats.

steviegene

I would go now! Travel pregnant, so much more fun than traveling with a baby.

Fra_Diavolo

I would consider postponing the trip seven or eight years.

capxxx

The only thing I would add is to maybe skip towns/cities that have lots of cobblestone walkways -- they can form a bad combination with strollers.

Bitter

We did it at 6 months. We took a normal sized stroller, not an umbrella stroller. Granted it was a pain to get there and back, but it had storage, shocks for cobblestones, and could be reclined (that probably matterer more in future/older trips).

We packed our own water heater (with adapters) for feeding issues. Give some thought of how and in what the child will sleep in. Cribs can be available, though in our experience sometimes they are no more than a pack and play.

MYP

Thank you all for your comments. We will take our stroller (which has a bassinet, so the baby will be able to sleep in that) and will look into either renting a car seat, or just bring our own (if we end up going somewhere where we will need to drive or take a taxi). Good thing to remember about the size of cars over there...thanks!

Bitter

Unless you aren going to hold the baby for the entire flight, which I don't recommend, I think you may need a car seat for the flight. (Ours then fit into the stroller).