You made it! You managed to go through the first tough few months of parenting and now you are going on a well-deserved break! Good on you! Your first holiday with baby may be a bit daunting (Where to go? What to pack?). To make sure you enjoy your first holiday with your little one, I’ve put together a list of baby holiday essentials to remember when taking your first family holiday.

First of all… passports! If you are a UK citizen, you now need to have a separate passport for baby. Check with your country’s passport office if you are a non UK citizen as some country’s require you to have baby added to yours. Either way, allow plenty of time to get that sorted before booking your far away dream escape.

Some say you’ll need to pack the entire house, from enough nappies to last a siege to clothing covering all four seasons. I’d say use common sense and don’t overpack to avoid creating too much work for yourself (who’s going to carry all the toys and nappies?..). My advice is to only pack the essentials and buy the rest at your holiday destination. Unless you are going on a very secluded part of the world you will be able to find similar nappies, sunscreen and other baby essentials.

The accommodation

AirBnB, luxury resort or caravan park, no matter where you’re staying make sure you inform the host that you’ll be staying with a baby so that they can accommodate you. Most places have cots and highchairs available. It’s better to check and reserve items before booking.

Another good tip is to hire your baby gear directly at the destination. Baby gear hiring has been a growing trend for the last few years. You could hire a cot, a buggy, a car seat, a high chair or even toys and a breast pump.

Feeding baby

If your little one is drinking formula, make sure you pack it. Airlines will allow you to take baby formula onto the flight, although best to check the rules of the country you are flying from. Also, you may not find the same brand depending on where you are going, so bring enough to last the trip. Pack a few handy snacks for the trip as well.

Toys & games for travel

Don’t forget to pack a few of baby’s favourite books and toys, not too many either, depending on her age, she may be happy just playing with an empty water bottle!

Baby carrier or buggy?

As mentioned before, you may be able to hire a buggy at your holiday destination. However a baby carrier would be handy both during the journey and at your destination. If you’re staying in a big city or planning to be active and visit many different places while on holiday, I would suggest you bring along the carrier. It would be easier for you to carry baby in public transport and busy cities,than managing a buggy between hordes of tourists.

A few other items to remember to pack may include a universal bath plug if bub loves a good bath, her night light and some travel black out curtains to enjoy some sleep-ins…. One can only hope!  

Don’t forget to pack (and keep it handy) a first aid kit. No need to pack too much, here again, but a few band-aids, a heat/hot pack and some paracetamol should be enough. Make sure you book travel insurance if you are traveling to a foreign country and do your research to know where the local doctor or hospital is located.

Lastly, depending on the place you’re going to, you may be able to enjoy a date night while away! Some resorts offer babysitting services or you could hire a local babysitter (my tip here: word of mouth!)

City escape, beach holiday or adventure journey, no matter where you’re going remember to pack your baby holiday essentials. But most importantly of all, immortalise your trip by taking a few pictures and have some fun!