Some say that a vacation with a baby isn’t real freedom, but a change of atmosphere - even if you need to be on-task and care for your baby - can still be relaxing.
What should you take into account before you book a family vacation? Here, we highlight several categories to really pay attention to.
Accessibility
Check that you can freely move a stroller around the hotel or resort grounds. Have you ever longed for a secluded Galilean rental cabin with a panoramic view? Make sure that the path to the cabin is smooth and you can easily push a stroller along, and ask if you can park the stroller inside the cabin if you want to. Also, rural hotels or those with units scattered over a large area can be fun for older children as they are transported in a small open-air car. With small babies, this can be difficult, so take this into account.
Attractions
Babies under the age of one don’t need specific activities. What’s appropriate from birth? Here's what you can do: Beach, pool, (of course, first check with a doctor that it’s ok to take the baby into a pool and hold onto the baby the entire time), easy hiking trails that are suitable for babies in a carrier, etc. As your child grows, you can start going to places like big playgrounds and petting zoos.
Food
Besides for breastfeeding or formula, if the baby has already started on solids, prep before vacation. Check cafe menus online to be sure they have foods kids like, make sure the guest house will have something to give your baby to eat or taste and bring with you jars of baby food, smoothies or things you made yourself at home.
Hotels
Does the property provide a crib or playpen for the baby? Is there also a mattress? Ask these questions, but for babies and toddlers, the safest option is a foldable pack and play. Be sure to keep pillows and large blankets away from babies and young kids.
Getting there
If long trips are hard for your babies, go somewhere up to two hours drive away. For longer drives, stop every hour to stretch. If your vacation includes a flight, take a night flight so that the baby will hopefully sleep through it, bring several small sleeping mats and prepare a comprehensive list of things your baby will need during the trip.
Recommendations
Experience brings wisdom, so ask parents for recommendations of places to go and things to do. Find out where their successful vacations with babies were, which challenges they faced and what you need to pay attention to.
Have a fun family vacation!
This article was written in partnership with the JAMA parenting app,