Tips for Traveling with a Baby

Traveling is something my husband and I always enjoyed. When we decided to start trying for a baby, we knew the way we traveled would change. In the Summer of 2021 our beautiful rainbow baby was born and we were excited to start sharing the beauty of this world with her. So we set out on our first adventure as a family of 4 when she was just shy of 3 months old.

What I learned during our travels:

Determine distance:

Start with a distance you’re comfortable with. Pre baby we could put in 12-14 hours of driving a day, now we aim for 4-6 hour days with pit stops in between. We know 4-6 hours is not doable for every family so start with a distance you are comfortable with that will work for your family!

Example of our travel itinerary:

Day 1: San Diego to Phoenix (6 hour drive)

Day 2: Phoenix visit with family

Day 3: Phoenix to Sedona (1.5 hour drive)

Day 4: Hiking/exploring Sedona

Day 5: Sedona at leisure (pool, lunch etc)

Day 6: Sedona to Lake Havasu (4 hour drive)

Day 7: Lake Havasu at leisure

Day 8: Lake Havasu back to San Diego ⅘ hours

Tip: When traveling long distances we leave around 4am so we can tackle most of the drive while she is still sleeping.

Take your time!

Stop when you need to and enjoy the pit stops. Sometimes a 1.5 hour drive can turn into a 3 hour drive. We just went with the flow and took our time and enjoyed the journey. Find rest stops that are like mini adventures, if you wish to avoid gas station rest stops instead try:

Stopping at historic landmarks

Picnic at neighborhood park

Visiting a local museum or something unique to that specific town

Pro Tip: Use Tripadvisor app for local points of interest like food, entertainment and activities!

Our random pit stops along the way(left to right-Convict Lake, Lake off highway near Alabama Hills, CA, neighborhood park in San Jose, CA)

Don’t be afraid!

Try the things you enjoy also with your baby. For us that meant hiking & swimming. You can modify these activities to your baby's schedule and adjust as needed. We started out on a short easy 2 mile hike while in Sedona. She was big enough to front carry and loved experiencing all the sights and sounds.

Pro Tip- Use the All Trails app to filter hikes by location, length, path accessibility, kid friendly and many more options!

Have fun!

Enjoy the experience and adventure with your little one. There will be bumps and learning curves along the way but the memories and experiences will outshine it all.

Tips for Formula fed babies

If your baby refuses cold formula, heat up water before leaving your house or hotel and place it in a thermos that keeps liquids warm or hot. This saved us!

Happy Exploring!