With the happy news of a couple of new babies joining the i-escape team in recent months, we thought a few suggestions and recommendations to make the most of travelling with newborns wouldn’t go amiss.
We are big advocates of travelling with babies. While the idea can feel daunting to new parents, there are many advantages to taking your little bundle on the road. And, having brought up two worldly youngsters myself, I can tell you – you don’t need to completely change your lifestyle when adding a baby to it. Adaptation is the name of the game.
When to Travel
We think the sweet spot is probably around the 3-10 month mark when they’re portable and amenable to your wishes – before they become mobile and temperamental toddlers – when they are alert and cute (very helpful when smiling at strangers), and still on the breast or easily bottle-fed.
We went travelling around South America for two months with our 6mo old and while we did encounter the odd unplanned adventure/bump in the road/unforeseen change of plan, none of it was anything to do with him. He was the most easy-going travel companion on a long trip (although I was sleep-deprived at times). Admittedly we didn’t get to enjoy (as m)any nightclubs, cocktail bars, gourmet tasting menus or high octane adventure sports as we may have done without him, but we did see the Carnival parade in Rio, take a boat trip around the islands off Paraty, get wet under Iguazu Falls, gaze at condors soaring in the Andes, laze on the beaches of Uruguay, stay on a ranch in Argentina, eat shrimp in a coconut in Bahia, and saunter along the streets of Buenos Aires. And if we hadn’t taken that trip at that time we still wouldn’t have got to South America to this day.
Before kids go to school, you are blessed with 4 years of travelling outside the school holidays. It’s a shock when you see how prices for everything go up in an inverse ratio to availability for these peak times, and you can get fined for taking your children out during term-time. So take advantage of those lovely European shoulder seasons of May and June, September and October, and – as young as you dare – make family memories. We still reminisce about pre-school holidays and the kids claim to remember them (we’ve bored on about them too long, no doubt).
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Travelling to and from your destination is probably the most worrying issue for new parents. While babies often don’t cry for as long and as loudly as their parents believe they do, it is understandable that you don’t want to annoy your fellow travellers, and feel daunted by the prospect of setting out from your front door on a daily stroll – never mind onto an aeroplane.
Do remember that babies are free both on transport and in hotels. In addition they tend not to make unreasonable demands such as ice cream in the middle of a sight-seeing tour or to unerringly choose the most expensive item on the menu/in the shops/at the watersports centre. This is a short window of opportunity you should capitalise on as children and then teens become ever more costly and demanding travel companions, for whom you need to book suites or separate rooms to accommodate.
Travel Tips
Getting There:
– All airports of any size will have family lanes so you can get through security faster
– Keeping a baby on the breast or sucking a soother will mitigate changing ear pressure as planes ascend and descend
– Aeroplanes provide bassinets for long-haul flights and will seat you accordingly
– On shorter haul flights you may want to book the aisle seat so you can walk up and down easily to soothe any fretting
– Bring a carry on bag with vital supplies in it (spare nappies, couple of changes of clothes, spare hat, approved medication if the baby is teething/has colic, a couple of favourite soft toys etc) so that if your luggage should be delayed (as happened to us in Italy one year when we were 48 hours without all baby’s belongings) you have the essentials with you
– Book to travel in the mornings if possible as transport delays usually build up over the day
– All car hire places offer baby seats, make sure you book yours in advance in case they only have a limited number
– Resist the urge to bring absolutely everything with you (as we did embarrassingly one year to see relations for Christmas with our new 3mo old) There will be shops and most hotels have laundry services!
– If a big amount of time away or lengthy travel to your destination after the flight feels too much to take on, city breaks are great for a short getaway and it’s usually straightforward to get about in urban destinations
Getting Around:
– Use a carrier/pouch rather than stroller – when we took our baby to Lisbon we were very thankful we did given all the hills and cobbled streets – and baby is calmer being close to your skin than separated from you
– If on a city break, walking and taxis are easy alternatives – babies like being outside and feeling the motion of walking
– If travelling by train, walk up and down the aisles if baby is finding it hard to settle
– Do accept help! Everybody is so accommodating if you have a little one with you and they are all eager to assist. One time in Mexico we came upon a town square where all the old timers were dancing, and we lingered, charmed by the sight. Two old ladies insisted they would look after our baby who was wide awake with big eyes at so much excitement, so we could join in the dancing – a really delightful moment
– Time your lunch/dinner in the local eatery for when baby is asleep in a basket under the table; we enjoyed a few such, and if your baby wakes up, you’ll find the other diners will be charmed to see him or her
Where to Stay
Still Seeking Tranquil Grown-up Luxury?
While you may be bidding adieu to adults-only establishments for a little while, there are some places which welcome babies but not children. These are the perfect compromise if you’re after a romantic escape but don’t want to feel out of place when your baby gets fussy. Try contemporary-chic design-focused Metafort, in a quiet Provencal village, which has a stunning infinity pool and in-room Jacuzzis. Or head to Marrakech and stay in intimate and stylish Riad AnaYela which also offers flexible mealtimes to suit your schedule.
Baby-friendly Places to Stay
There are plenty of properties that do cater specifically for families with babies, here’s our full list of partner places which will warmly welcome you and your little one.
If you’d like a night out, look for somewhere which offers babysitting, such as these ones.
Some hotels also offer complimentary daytime childcare, do take them up on this! Fowey Hall and Moonfleet Manor in the English West Country give you 2 hours per day for free in their Ofsted-registered Dens, along with baby gear to borrow including baby monitors if you don’t have your own.
Self-catered Escapes
If you want to stay in your baby bubble, a self-catering stay may be the way to go. You won’t have to worry about noise or disturbing other guests at odd hours of the night – and you get more space and facilities in an apartment or villa than a hotel room, including bathtubs and blenders in the kitchens. Both Girona Old Town Apartments and Berlin Boutique Apartments can add a baby cot to all of their studios and apartments; Residence Hilda, centrally positioned in Florence, can do so in every one of their suites. See here for our pick of self-catering hideaways which are great for babies.
Apart-hotels
There’s also a growing trend for hotels that offer suites and apartments with kitchenettes, which gives you all the benefits of more space and flexibility to eat when you want, along with the services and facilities of a hotel. Martinhal Lisbon Chiado is configured to give you the perfect city break with a baby. Discover more recommended apart-hotels here.
Kitted-out Stays
For new parents that want as much taken care of as possible, we can recommend these two part-catered mini-resorts as being wonderful for new families. Both Caserio del Mirador, on a mountainside above the Costa Blanca, and Imagine Roussillon, 15 minutes from Perpignan in Languedoc, have thought of everything, including meal times and parent time, and have all manner of baby equipment for you to borrow so you can pack light.
Mousses Villas close to the beach on the Greek island of Lefkas has the perfect set-up, including a creche from 6mo which runs date nights so parents can have evenings out. Rural retreat Country Kids in Languedoc has a comprehensive programme of activities, facilities, baby kit and babysitters all included in the price, and come highly recommended for parent pampering and peace of mind.
These oases of calm and care are also terrific for toddlers so you may find yourself returning to stay year on year.
Family Resorts
Family resort-style hotels are a godsend for many a family when it comes to having a relaxing holiday as they have so many facilities and amenities designed around babies, toddlers and kids. There’s no need to inwardly shudder at the prospect of too much brightly coloured plastic as there are plenty out there which are stylish and cater brilliantly for stylish parents too!
Many of these offer baby concierge services. In Portugal we rate Villas Martinhal Sagres who have superb family facilities across the board. Stylish Puglian retreat Borgo Egnazia gives you both hotel rooms and villas to choose from as well as a wealth of baby gear and qualified nannies.
Sister Cypriot properties Almyra and Anassa have a useful Baby Go Lightly service so you can pre-book any baby items from buggies to bathtubs, nappies and swimming aids in advance. These two also have excellent creche facilities starting from 4mo old, as does elegant beachside Eagles Palace in Greek Macedonia.
And you may want to bounce your baby in a heated toddler pool, such as the one at Paradis Plage – many will also provide pool inflatables.
