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Flying Internationally with an Infant: The Complete Guide

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I think you will agree that the prospect of traveling with your little, let alone flying internationally with an infant, can be scary, overwhelming, and downright daunting. I do not want to discourage you from flying internationally with your children.  However, I want to be honest and encourage you to work through all your trepidations and not to be hindered by your fears. This is because traveling, and specifically traveling with your children, is so magical and inspiring and personally it feeds my soul.

Let me preface this post with this: Initially, for me, flying internationally with my infant was extremely overwhelming and anxiety provoking.  I still have some of that anxiety but I have been able to travel through it and I live for the next trip. I want to encourage you to try it and experience traveling internationally with a baby for yourself.  My hope with this post is to alleviate your anxiety and consolidate a lot of useful resources into one place. This post WILL make flying internationally with an infant easier and more palatable for you.

I have found that international plane travel with an infant is all about preparation and managing your own expectations.  Before my son turned two, I flew with him 18 times (9 round trip-trips). Four of those trips were domestic and five were international.   I did one domestic trip on my own and I did four of the ten international legs by myself.  So, I understand all of the questions and preoccupations that you may have, whether flying with a companion or on your own.

I have organized this post into seven parts, I hope that you read the entire post, but feel free to jump to the part that interests you!

• Booking Tickets
• Planning your stay and Packing
• Airport & Boarding

Disembarking

• Notable Considerations

Booking Tickets for an International Flight with an Infant

Lap baby vs. buying a ticket.

When considering how to fly with your baby, you generally have two options.  (1) If your child is under two, they can fly as a ‘lap infant.’ This means that you would not have to purchase a full-priced ticket for them and they would fly sitting on your lap.  Although you may have heard that lap infants fly free, they do not; you will typically pay 10% of your fare (or full price fare) for your infant.  Generally, you will need one adult per lap child.

The main benefit of having your child fly on your lap is that it’s a lot cheaper. The primary downside is that it can be cramped and it is less safe than purchasing them their own seat. If you gate-check your car seat then before you board you can ask if there are any empty seats on the plane. Provided that there are empty seats on the plane many airlines will let you bring your car seat on board and basically ‘give’ you a seat in which you can install your car seat (and your baby).  On many overnight flights, airlines will have a bassinette option (this is still part of the ‘lap infant’ option). Typically, you would purchase your ticket on the airline’s website and then have to call in to select the bassinette seat.  I will discuss the bassinette in more detail below, but this is a great option if available.

(2) The second option is to purchase your infant his or her own seat.  If you do this then you will pay the full price for your child’s seat, regardless of their age. Some airlines have ‘child’ fares; however, these are generally more expensive as they are typically refundable. If you purchase a seat for your infant then you will be able to bring your car seat on board and secure it to the seat with the seat belt.  Your car seat must be FAA approved.  This is beneficial as it is the safer option and your child will have their own space and you obviously will too.

Here are some considerations in deciding on whether to purchase a seat for your child or not:

• The duration of your flight.
• One trick here is: if you are flying with a companion, select the window and aisle seats and leave the one in the middle open.  People are less likely to select the middle seat and if someone does, they will gladly switch with you on the flight.
• The temperament of your child.

While my son was under two, I never purchased him a seat; he always flew as a lap child.  This was because I was cheap.

Documentation That You Will Need for an International Flight with an Infant

If you are flying internationally then you will need a passport for your baby. (Note: if you are flying within the United States you will not need a passport for your infant).  Flights to Hawaii, Alaska or one of the U.S. territories do not require a passport for your baby.  If you are traveling to a far-flung (American) destination and you have a layover in a foreign country, you will need a passport for your baby.   When you apply for your child’s passport you’ll want to get a U.S. Passport Book NOT a U.S.  Passport Card!  You cannot use a U.S. Passport Card for international air travel. You can use the Card at certain land and seaports, but I would recommend just getting the Book.

Here is a link to the U.S. Department of State’s website  which contains information for applying for a Passport Book for children under 16.

Here are some notable considerations when applying for your infant’s passport:

• Social Security Number: You will need your baby’s SSN before you can apply for the passport. Here are the average wait times, by state, for parents who have applied for their baby’s SSN in the hospital.   ( We live in Illinois and it took us 2 weeks to receive our son’s social security card).
• Birth Certificate: You will need your infant’s birth certificate to show that they are a United States citizen. Contact your county’s office for vital records to inquire about how long it takes to receive your infant’s birth certificate.
• If you have sole custody, one parent cannot appear or one parent cannot be located, please see the U.S. Department of State’s website to assess your options. 
• Processing Times: Routine processing is 4-6 weeks. Expedited processing is 2-3 weeks. If you need your passport faster than that, click here to see permissible reasons and application options. 

Other Things to Consider when Booking Tickets for International Flight with an Infant:

• No Layovers: I avoid layovers at all costs. I know that sometimes they are unavoidable, or it may be financially advantageous to book them but particularly with an infant, it’s just not worth it.
• Scheduling/Flight Times: I try and schedule my international flights (well, any flight really) around my baby’s sleep schedule. And what I mean by that is, for example, the Chicago → Dublin flight has two departure options, 3:50 pm and 8:20 pm. I once chose the 3:50 pm flight, with the idea that once we boarded, settled, ate dinner and the lights dimmed, that would be about time for bed.  Well, that backfired on me; the baby was so overstimulated that he just cried the entire time and I ended up bouncing him in the aisle for four hours, so as not to wake the baby in the next seat over. So, I always book the 8:20 flight now; he sufficiently tires out by the time we get to ‘bedtime.’
• Bassinette Option: Call the airline and ask if there are bassinette options; all other things being equal, an airline with an available bassinette seat may tip the scales.
• Baby Meals: Call and ask about baby meals. The only experience that I have with this is on Aer Lingus- they have baby meals (I saw another family get one). The next time I flew I called and requested one and the operator told me that those did not exist.  I pushed back and told her that they did so she went and spoke with someone and when she came back I magically had a baby meal!!
• Note: There may be other things particular to you that are important. I cannot overstate the importance of asking questions and advocating for yourself and your child. You can do this in a calm, measured, and constructive way.  Do not be afraid to do it!
• Good Resource: Have a look at Seatguru.com for airplane layouts; you can double check your airline’s site for plane models and then check ‘seat guru.’ This can be handy if you want to see if your airplane has a bassinette row and if so, where they are located.  You can also check out things like where the bathrooms are, where the Galley(s) are, etc.…  Please note that these are not always accurate; airlines do change out planes without notice (however, I have only had that happen to me one time).

• This is British Airways flight 294, Chicago → London, you can see where the bassinet options are (sometimes they can be spread out throughout the plane); there appear to be four in aisle 28.
• Please note that many times there are more than one version of a plane; you can check the different versions for bassinet seats (and other amenities) on seatguru.com. In our example above, version one appears to have four bassinets and versions two and three do not appear to have any. In this situation I would call the airline to verify my particular flight/date.
• Also note: I am not affiliated with Seat Guru, in any way. It’s just a great resource that I use often.

How young can baby fly?

Many airlines have policies on how young babies can fly; however, these likely will not be a problem for international travel as it will take as long to obtain your baby’s social security card and get their passport.  If you are flying within the United States you will only be bound by your airline’s policy (as you do not need a passport to fly domestically).  The other consideration that I have had has been that a lot of babies receive many of their *first* vaccinations (for example, in a series of vaccinations) at the two-month checkup.  If being un-vaccinated or under-vaccinated is a concern for you (it was for me) while flying on a plane, I would recommend that you speak with your pediatrician about your concerns.

Planning Your Stay and Packing: the most important thing is to plan ahead, even if you are the fly-by-the-seat-of your-pants type

So, when flying internationally with an infant, you need to consider three different packing situations:  (1) What food/drink are you going to pack for the flight?; (2) What items are you going to pack for on the flight (carry-on/diaper bag/personal item)?; and (3) What are you going to pack for your arrival at your destination? The third question is heavily dependent upon what your destination is (hot, cold, rainy, etc. …) and with whom you are going to stay (friends/family, hotel, will you be able to do laundry, etc. …).

Food & Beverage for the Flight

The Transportation Security Administration’s website will tell you what consumables you can and cannot bring on a plane and is found here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children.   In this article, I am just going to cover food and beverages, as it pertains to children.

The first thing to know is that whatever you thought you knew about TSA rules— as they pertained to your childless-self—no longer apply.  Keep in mind, though, that the same old rules still apply to you (no jug of water for you); on the other hand, you can pretty much bring anything through airport security for your child.

Below is an overview of what you can and cannot bring on the plane, for an infant and a toddler:

According to the TSA website, “an infant is defined as a child who must be physically carried by an adult throughout the screening process. A toddler is defined as a child who receives assistance in walking by an adult throughout the screening process.”

The most important thing to note is that liquids for the infant are exempt from the 3.4 ounce/100 millimeter limit.  In other words, you can bring liquids for the infant, in larger quantities, than is normally permitted.  The website states that you can bring these items in “reasonable quantities,” so don’t go crazy.  Just bring what you will need for the flight; any excess foodstuffs, you can pack in your checked bag. The website specifically mentions formula, breast milk and juice, however, I have also brought pouches and other ‘liquids’ that were larger than 4 ounces and not had a problem. You can also bring your sippy-cup with water through Security. They will test these items for explosives.

You should inform the TSA officer that you have these items with you and set them aside. I ‘pack’ all of my food and liquid items in a brown paper Starbucks handle bag and then when I get to Security I just hand that over. You do not want to be fishing out food items from the depths of your diaper bag with 50 hostile-looking people behind you.   You can also tell the TSA officer if you do not want your formula, breast milk or juice x-rayed or opened.

Honestly, this process usually goes so fast that I have never seen them open my food/beverage items. I’ve never seen it but it could have happened.  Sometimes items will come up positive for ‘explosives’ and they will re-test them and then they’ll come back clear. This sometimes happens with pouches; it must be something in the packaging (EEK). Just make sure to leave extra time to get through Security.  Below, I’ll discuss how to get through security without a hitch!

In Flight: Carry On, Diaper Bag, Personal Item

This may or may not be an overnight flight. If it is an overnight flight, you will have slightly different items than a daytime flight.  I cannot overstate this: DO NOT OVER PACK. I always over pack and it’s always horrible.

Here are the basics of what you need on the flight: a new toy, book or sticker pack—whatever— just something new and novel. The $1 bin at Target is great for this!  If it’s an overnight flight I bring a stuffed animal or something from baby’s crib, to put in the bassinette, so they know it’s for sleeping and that it’s something familiar.

In the diaper bag, for an overnight flight, I bring anti-bacterial hand wipes, two changes of clothes for baby, a pair of pajamas for baby, and a change of shirt for me.  People often overlook bringing themselves a change of shirt, but spit-ups happen, spills happen, body odor happens— it can’t hurt.  Also, if your child is prone to blow-outs, bring an extra change of clothes.  Additionally, I bring a muslin blanket—this has two purposes: if you are breastfeeding this can be used as a cover and when baby goes to sleep it can be used as a blanket.  Muslin is great because often at beginning of a flight, it is sweltering on the plane and then it can get quite cold during cruising. Muslin is a great lightweight, breathable fabric for those conditions.

Then you’ll also need diapers and wipes. I cloth-diaper my son but on long-haul flights I use disposables. I just bring one diaper for every 2-3 hours of total travel time the (from the time you leave your house until you will arrive at your ultimate destination)— if it’s an overnight flight, I’ll leave kiddo in the diaper for the ‘night,’ which is usually about 5 hours.

Packing for When you Arrive at Your Destination

What you will pack, for when you arrive at your destination, is largely dependent upon the weather and where you are going. Things to consider are: will you have access to a washer and/or dryer (lots of places around the world have washers but no dryers), duration of stay, access to a grocery store or corner store (example: I buy wipes when I get where I am going because they are heavy; however, if I were going somewhere with no store, I’d bring them).

My advice is to pack the bare necessities and buy the rest when you get there.  If you are on a budget, many times things will be cheaper at your destination.  If you want to save money and you think that bringing certain items with you will save you money, then get very specific about the quantities that you’ll need and pack accordingly.  Bags can get very heavy very quickly, especially when traveling internationally with an infant. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been that lady in the airport with her bag open, re-arranging stuff.  An overweight checked bag will result in a very heavy and overly stuffed carry-on bag. (unless you want to pay for baggage overweight fees—and who wants to pay that?)

General Note on packing food/beverage items

There are certain places in the world that will not permit you to bring certain food items into their country. So although you can bring these items on the plane they will not permit you to bring them into your final destination country.  One example is New Zealand.  New Zealand is very remote and they do not allow certain fruits, vegetables and seeds into the country.  This is to prevent the introduction of invasive and foreign agricultural items into their eco-system.  Check with the Customs section of your destination country to see if there are any country-specific restrictions on food items.  I’d hate for you to spend hours making the perfect trail mix and then have to pitch it when you arrive at your destination.

Planning Where to Stay While Internationally Traveling with a Baby

In deciding where to stay once you reach your destination, there are lots of considerations that you did not have pre-baby.  The first one that comes to mind for me is safety; the second is quiet.  You need to find somewhere that is safe and secure (read: a lock on the door).  For me, I also need somewhere quiet, as baby needs a good nap and/or a good night sleep. So, staying at the party-all-night hostel is no longer an option.  On our honeymoon, back in 2011, my husband and I backpacked around New Zealand for a month and we stayed in some dodgy hostels. Don’t get me wrong, those establishments have their time and place in the antiquity of my travel history— just not any more.

Other possible considerations are proximity to public transit (or other mode of transit), access to washer/dryer, air conditioning/central heat, closeness to children’s activities and whatever else is important to you.  I did not realize that air conditioning was important to me until we stayed with my five-month old in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park, in September, when it was 90 degrees and our air conditioning went out.   Now that’s a priority for me.  Also think about how you are going to get around. If you have a rental car, great, but do you want to have to park that in downtown Paris?  Or perhaps you’ll take the Metro from place to place; if so, you may want to look at options near public transportation.

But everyone is different; evaluate what items are indispensable to you and those that you would like to have but could do without and go from there.

Another thing that I learned the hard way is that if you book a standard (one room) hotel room, then you are pretty much going to sleep when baby goes to sleep.  If you are the type of person who likes to read, watch tv, have a night cap or just not go bed at 7 or 8, then I recommend getting a hotel room with a separate bedroom or looking for an Airbnb.  A hotel with a separate bedroom is a good option, as you can put baby to bed and then retreat into the room and not disturb baby. The downside to this is that these can get pricey, fast.  Another thing that I have heard of is to put the baby’s pack-n-play in the bathroom; however, this means that you will have to use the lobby bathroom.

Another great option is using a service like Airbnb or HomeAway.com. When we do this, I put ‘minimum 2 bedrooms’ as a search-filter and go from there.  These are usually cheaper than hotel rooms and they usually offer more options. There are similar services available, depending on what country you are traveling to, so Google your destination to see if they have any ‘house sharing’ sites available.

Navigating the Airport & Boarding the Plane with an Infant

WEAR THAT BABY!!!  I cannot understate the idea of baby-wearing your infant to and around the airport.  Whether you bring a stroller or not and whether you gate-check the stroller or check it at check-in, my advice is to wear that baby!!  When you wear the baby that allows you to have your hands free and your child contained, which are the two most important things at this juncture.

Checking In

They will issue a ticket/boarding pass for the baby, even if you did not book a ticket for him/her.  (for example, on Southwest you book nothing for a lap child; you just show up with the child and proof that they are under 2).

Stroller and Car Seat

Stroller: the question is to check your stroller during check in or to gate-check the thing? Personally, I always gate-check my stroller because I can’t afford to buy another one if it gets damaged or lost during transit. I also advocate gate-checking the stroller because you can always plunk the kid into it or use it to carry your bags through the airport (diaper, personal and/or carry-on).

Car Seat: this is a bigger question. The first question is whether to bring one at all or get one from your rental car company.  The second question is: if you do bring one, do you bring it on the plane, do you gate-check the thing or do you check it during check-in?

• To bring or not to bring your own car seat: I always bring a car seat because you have no idea what the car rental agency will have and I have seen car rental agencies have only forward-facing car seats.  You also do not know the history of the seat that you are given; you do not know if it has been in any accidents or if it has any structural deficiency.  With an infant car seat this may be an easier question as you can usually click into the stroller.  For the convertible car seat we purchased the Cosco Nextera convertible seat that we use just for traveling.   Here is a link to the seat that we have for traveling.   It’s light, it received great safety reviews and it was inexpensive enough that if it gets damaged, we can afford to replace it.
• Taking your car seat on the Plane: This is the ideal scenario, for safety. You can install the car seat directly into the plane seat, and secure your child into the car seat.  This is the safest thing for your infant and also the safest option for the car seat.  If you have booked a lap infant this will not be an option, unless there are empty seats.
• Pros to Gate-checking: if you gate-check the car seat, there is a lower possibility that your car seat will be damaged (than if you check it at check-in). It’s the kind of thing that you need when you arrive at your destination because you’ll need it for whatever car/taxi, etc… that you get into. If it is damaged, you will have to replace it prior to leaving the airport, which could be a PITA. Chances of this happening are low, but you never know. For the car seat,  we put the car seat in this bag , whether we gate-check or regular check.  And for the stroller, we use this bag .  The bags are big and red so our items are easily identifiable.  If you gate check it or check it at check-in, always inspect it thoroughly for damage upon arrival.
• Downside to Gate-checking: you’ll have to lug it through the airport. If the car seat clicks into your stroller, like if you have a stroller/car-seat system, this is less of a consideration. This is more of an issue when you have a convertible car seat (vs. an infant/baby car seat). When our son was an infant the travel system that we used for everyday use was clunky.  The stroller was big and handled like a tractor-trailer and we did not want to lug it on an airplane; we opted to get this smaller, cheaper stroller frame for flying and just attached our infant car seat into the frame.  It worked very well and if the stroller got damaged, no biggie.  With a little bit of research, you can find a cheapie frame to snap your car seat into.
• Checking the car seat at check-in: In my opinion, this is the least preferable option. If you check the car seat at check-in, the likelihood is higher that it will be damaged in transit. If you do check it at check-in, you should inspect it thoroughly for damage upon arrival.

Getting through Security with an Infant

Navigating security can be an overwhelming experience.

• If you are baby-wearing, you can wear baby through Security and you do not have to go through that X-ray machine (as an aside: you can opt out of that big scanner machine even without a baby).  The website states that you should remove your baby from the carrier; however, I have never been asked to do that.  Under no circumstances should you be separated from your child.
• Wear shoes that you can easily slip on and off; children under 12 are not required to remove their shoes.
• You should collapse your stroller, if it will fit through the baggage X-ray machine. As an aside, you should know how to collapse your stroller (security is not the place to figure it out) and preferably be able to do it with one hand.
• You should have your liquids/food/sippy-cup, etc. … in a separate bag (even a plastic grocery store bag), so you can just hand that over to the TSA agent.
• As soon as I get through Security I usually let my son out of the carrier so that he can run around and stretch his legs.

Boarding with an Infant

Families usually get to board after first class-boarding. But every airline is different. Another consideration is sometimes you will have to obtain a gate-check tag for your stroller and/or car seat, from the gate attendant.  When I get to my gate, I always ‘check in’ with the desk to ask when we get to board and if there is anything else that I will need to gate-check my items. If you have a lap infant this would also be the time to ask if there are any empty seats and if so, can you bring your car seat on the plane (if you want to).

Flying with an Infant

You should be able to board fairly early and thus get settled into your seats.  If you’ve gotten a bassinette seat you will most likely be along the bulkhead, which typically has 3-5 seats across.  You will have a lot of leg room in this row and typically two bassinettes can be affixed to the wall, side by side.  I have gotten the bassinette seat for every international flight that I have taken; however, my son has only slept in the bassinette once.  Nonetheless, I strongly believe that even if your kid does not use the bassinette to sleep, it is still a great amenity.  You will have a lot of leg room, in which they can play, or roll around, etc. … You can also use the bassinette to put your things into.  It just gives you an extra area to use.

Notes on the bassinette seat:

• You will be the primary seat holder with the ‘bassinette seat’; the seat next to your seat is your ‘companion’ seat. If you are flying with another adult you can reserve this seat for him/her.
• When the bassinette is installed, it can come down into your personal space.   This can be problematic for a few reasons: (1) you may not be able to open/close your tray table or release/hide your television and (2) you may be confined to your seat.
• In the bulkhead row your tray table generally folds down into your arm rest and the in-flight entertainment (television) folds down under the seat (these are generalizations; every plane is different). You should check to see if these things can be deployed while the bassinette is installed; if not, make sure to get them out if you will want them before the bassinette is installed.
• Typically, the two other seats in the row are occupied by a family or are empty. On occasion the airline will sell these seats to adults.  On one trip to Dublin there were three adults in the row, along with myself and my baby.  That was awkward. On the other hand, the guy next to me ended up being wonderful!  He had kids himself and was very empathetic to my plight.  By the end of the flight, people thought he was my husband– HA!

Crazy baby contained in the bassinette!

On Board for the Long-Haul

• Using the bathroom on board : If you have managed to get your baby to sleep, you will not want to use the bathroom. I try and avoid beverages, at all costs, when I know that I’m going to be putting baby to sleep. On one occasion BB passed-out in my lap, and I was stuck for 4 hours with my legs jammed against the wall to support him. There was no blood flow for the last 3.5 hours of that experience!  If you are alone, and the baby is awake, do not be afraid to pawn that baby off onto a flight attendant or some random passenger.  I mean, read the person, but most people love that sort of thing.  Long-haul, monotonous flight… who doesn’t want to play with your bouncing bundle of joy for 5 minutes?!!
• Crying baby on board: Don’t worry about it, seriously. I don’t subscribe to the “bring treats” school of thought.  Most people are so nice, generous and comforting, more than anything else. You’ll get way more pity than eye rolls if your kid is bawling their eyes out.  There will be some grumps on the flight but generally just be positive, smile and wave at people and they’ll smile and wave back, even if your kid is crying hysterically.  The only time I *worried* about it was on an overnight flight to Ireland and there was a family next to me who had managed to get their kid to sleep in the bassinette.  I DID NOT want my crying kid to wake up their kid and then we’d have two crying babies. So I stood in the aisle for 4 hours and bounced my kid up and down, which calmed him down (although did not put him to sleep).

Don’t get me wrong, when my child cries on a plane it stresses me out to the nth degree and it makes me very anxious. What I mean by ‘don’t worry about it’ is try not to worry about what other people will think or about disturbing other people.  Because you know what? You really have no idea whether your child is disturbing them or not and all you can do is what you can do. There’s no sense in putting more stress on yourself for something that you have absolutely no control over.

• Breastfeeding on a Plane: My approach to this (if there is someone sitting directly beside me) is to just politely tell them, at the beginning of the flight that I will be breastfeeding my son at some point on the flight. No one has ever had anything negative or nasty to say.  Honestly, most people are a little caught off guard by it but most people say something like, “Oh, my wife breastfed our children until they were 2” or something comforting about some relation they have, who breastfed.  I imagine they are trying to relate, but it’s actually reassuring to me when someone says something positive as their response.

When disembarking I usually wait until everyone else has disembarked (unless I am in the front bulkhead of the plane). You likely have a lot of stuff, or at a minimum, it’s going to be awkward for you to get your stuff down and off the plane.  When you do make it off the plane you will likely have to wait, with all your stuff, just outside the plane doors for your stroller and car seat (if you gate-checked either of them). It gets real awkward real fast when folks are streaming off the plane and you are standing there with another human being strapped to you and 2-3 ‘smallish’ bags. I just wait.

I fly Aer Lingus pretty regularly; occasionally, with that airline, the gate-checked items do not come up to meet you at the gate (another reason to wear that baby!!). If you’ve been waiting a while, politely ask an airline official and they’ll give their best guess as to where your items are (read: they’ll tell you if you are standing there in vain). If it becomes apparent that your items are not going to come to the gate, the stroller and/or car seat will likely show up in the oversized baggage section, near baggage claim. This can be a little unnerving because typically, once you reach your baggage, you have already cleared customs, etc. … and there is no going back for your long-lost stroller or car seat.  Not to worry or get in a panic state (which I have done a few times); just talk to customer service and they’ll tell you where you’re likely to find your items. If they don’t appear, in say, 15-20 minutes, check back with customer service so someone can hunt these things down!

Jet Lag with an Infant

I have written a separate post on jet lag because there is not enough time here to go over all of my experiences with this beast. Also, check out the ‘Tales from the Trenches’ section of the website to read actual people’s accounts of dealing with jet lag with their infants!

But some notable things to remember are: if you are flying east (USA to Europe) when you arrive in Europe your infant will likely wake up for the first few nights at 11 pm and think it’s party time. You will have to just go with it for a few nights. Also, if possible, try not to have to be anywhere important the day after you arrive.  Everyone is exhausted and if you need to be on some sort of schedule, it’s going to be tough to convey that memo to your infant.

Another thing that I will note: on every international trip with my infant, it has been my experience that if baby is on 2 naps (for example) then he is going to want two naps, no matter what time they are.  For example, if your flight gets in at 9 am but baby has only slept 4 hours, if he sleeps for another 4 in the car to wherever, when he wakes up at 1 pm, he is going to think that he just woke up for the day. And he is going to be looking for 2 naps before his next ‘night sleep.’

What this means practically is, when you put him down for bed at 8 pm, he will wake up at 10 pm thinking that he just had his last nap. How you deal with this will vary by baby and by age.  You can try to coax him back to sleep or you can get him up for a few hours and then try to put him down for the night. For me, personally, I have found that the younger the baby, the more difficult it is to disrupt this rhythm.  The older my baby has gotten, the more easily I can coax him back to sleep at whatever ungodly hour.  Most important thing is to be flexible and just roll with it!!

Notable Considerations for Flying with an Infant

• Ask Questions: ask all questions you have and then ask some extras. There are no stupid questions! I still ask questions and I’ve done this a bunch!
• Ask for help!! Especially if you are on your own. People are happy to help!!  Read people; you can get a good sense of someone by making eye contact.
• Give yourself extra time. For everything. This is key. You already know that things take forever with an infant and they’ll take even longer when you’re on the road.
• You won’t be able to use the bathroom. I’m going to reiterate this one. In the airport, if you are wearing your baby, you can wear him or her to the bathroom. But on the plane, once the kid falls asleep, you may not be able to go.
• Visas- this will vary from country to country and depend on the nationalities and citizenships that you hold, but be sure to know whether you need a visa to get where you are going. And even if your infant flies as a lap infant, he may need a visa to get wherever you are going.  If you need a visa to enter your destination country and you don’t have one, they will not issue you a boarding pass or let you on the plane, so plan ahead on this one.

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Great article with lots of helpful info! I love when friends and family visit us from Canada with small kids, it’s the best way to meet Italians.

This guide is so complete! There are so many things I never thought of in it. I always check seatguru, though… everytime we fly. This guide is wonderful for anyone with a baby that needs to fly, especially internationally. I wish we could do non stop flights, but we need to connect just to get out of the US.

Just great information! Luckily, I’m now out of the baby stage, but this is such helpful info for anyone flying with littles!

Thank you so much for sharing, this is really helpful! I will be saving this post for reading again and again, we’ll be starting to travel with an infast next year. That will be an adventure for sure but I am so looking forward to it 😀

SUCH good tips! Especially the ones about purchasing them their own ticket, and about infant passports. It is always good to read up on this information. Thanks!

The best guide for new moms traveling for the first time. You explained everything so clearly and thoroughly. Thank you so much for this guidance. It helps alot!

Thank you Tulsi, I really appreciate that!

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Tips & Tricks for International Travel with an Infant

• September 2, 2023
• Family Travel , Travel Tips + Planning , Travel with Baby
• Comments Off on Tips & Tricks for International Travel with an Infant

As Kaia passes the 7-month mark, she’s visited 10 countries, been on 15 flights (including 4 transatlantic), and stayed in nearly 20 hotels across the globe. She’s adjusted to time changes and had formula from a market purchased in the mountains of Oman. There’s no doubt that traveling with infants is different and requires flexibility, resourcefulness and a bit more pre-planning… not to mention more checked bags than you’re used to. Below, I’m sharing insight on international travel with an infant. I’m focusing largely on air travel with an infant, plus things to keep in mind, but also a few notes for prep for arriving and staying in a new country.

I should also note – in the vein of transparency – that international travel with an infant is not easy and does take a bit to adapt to. Many Instagram accounts paint a picture of glamorous travel with baby, easy moments sharing new cities with a little one, and tiny tots noshing on international cuisine like pros. That’s only part of the picture. Babies, like adults, have to adjust to time changes (more on that below) so that may mean a few difficult nights during the adjustment period. There are new realities to adapt to with dining time, some adults-only places you’ll have to tearfully pass on, and knowing baby’s needs (obviously) come before yours. There are lots of beautiful moments and memories to be made, but also the new realities of how travel has changed with a little one in tow. If you find the first few trips a bit difficult, just know you’re not alone! It gets easier with time as baby gets a bit older and as you get more used to your new travel companion.

In the Air with an Infant

First and foremost, I’m sharing details about air travel with an infant as this is probably where I get the most questions from first-time jet setters heading out with the baby. I get it and believe me, I get a bit of anxiety every time we’re heading to the airport with Kaia, but every trip does  get easier as you find your new rhythm. One thing to just keep in mind when planning is that it’s not  just  the flight to keep in mind — this isn’t to scare anyone, but just to remind and inform! For us, a 3-hour flight to London from Rome, for example, isn’t just a 3-hour flight to Rome. It’s a two-hour drive to the airport, 2+ hours at the airport, and then a 3-hour flight pending no delays (more on that below). The 3-hour flight ultimately ends up being a 7 – 8 hour journey, not counting landing, clearing immigration, etc. All that to say, when you’re mentally planning your day and air travel with your infant, you’ll want to keep the bigger picture in mind and pack accordingly. More details, tips and tricks below!

Booking Your Infant Seat – What’s Included

First and foremost, let’s talk about booking your infant’s seat. If you’re traveling internationally with an infant, you need a passport. That seems like a given, but I’ve seen the question asked. Your baby is a person with their own identity and you’ll want to be sure you have their passport prior to travel. There’s a lot of talk about lap infants traveling for ‘free’. To be accurate, infants don’t travel for free as they do have to pay for taxes and sometimes there’s a small infant fare. On international trips where we’ve flown Business Class (on points), we’ve had to pony up upwards of $300 – $400 for her despite the fact that she doesn’t have her own seat. Some smaller, budget carriers charge a fee for an infant (sometimes €25 or so on budget European carriers). A follow-up note to that: sometimes airlines don’t have an infant option when you’re booking. Or  perhaps you’re booking airfare for the future and your baby is still in utero at the moment. The best approach is to call and  add  the infant to your booking. They’ll assign the infant to the mother usually and this will appear on your booking. The infant receives their own ticket but will show as INF vs. showing a seat number.

All of that said, your infant is expected to sit on your lap and share a seat with you which means this approach does  not  guarantee that you’ll have a seat for your baby in any way. If luck is on your side and an adjacent seat is available then yay! You can ask the agent upon check-in or the attendants when boarding but it’s really a gamble. If you want your child to have a seat, you’ll have to book them a child’s fare. Now, your infant fare includes a carry-on for your child and gives you the ability to bring formula (more on this below); liquids that typically wouldn’t be allowed for a normal flyer. I’m sharing more insight on this below in terms of packing and prepping as this was one of my main concerns!

The Bassinet — The Inside Scoop

You’ve heard of the elusive bassinet. It’s like a unicorn add-on that every new mom is in awe of. These exist?! How did we never notice them before becoming pregnant or having a child?! It makes sense! We never needed them before and truth be told, they’re not available on every flight. Not to mention the fact that each bassinet is different. Here’s the inside scoop: bassinets are free and they’re first come, first served. Generally speaking, the agents I speak to over the phone when booking air cannot guarantee them.  If a flight has a bassinet, it’s set up at a bulkhead seat and you have to let your flight attendant know to allow it to be set up prior to take off. When you’re looking at a plane configuration online, you may notice a small drawing of an infant (in your previous pre-parent life you may have not noticed this or thought it was a bathroom symbol). These seats are designated bassinet seats. Again,  not all flights have them  and not all classes of service have them. I’ve been on flights where economy had bassinets but Business Class didn’t. Each bassinet is different but they’re generally very useful and allow you to be hands-free for a bit when your baby sleeps. On our earlier flights, when Kaia was 6 – 14 weeks old or so, we found these helpful as she slept frequently and was comfortable in the bassinet. Piece of advice: bring their favorite/go-to blanket from home! It gives them some comfort and allows them to cozy up faster.

Take Comfort – There’s White Noise on the Plane

It’s your first time traveling internationally with baby and you’re concerned about the long flight… I’m going to remind you of one fantastic truth:  there is so much white noise on planes.  You know the white noise machines moms swear by for helping baby fall asleep at night? The plane is basically a big white noise machine so babies are lulled easily by that! Add to that the fact that there’s a lot of ambient noise on a plane (more than you ever realized before) so if baby is whining, fussing or crying a bit, the likelihood is that you  notice it far more than anyone around you.

Take Off and Landing

One of the big conversations with babies is around take-off and landing. Every parent traveling by air with a baby for the first time is aware of this and fearful of it. The common sentiment/approach is to allow the baby to nurse or to provide them a pacifier upon take-off and landing to help with their ears and any pressure. If they’re sleeping,  let them sleep.  I wouldn’t advise waking a sleeping baby to have them nurse or provide them a pacifier. Another added comfort: I had a very difficult time nursing due to some issues during my birth experience and Kaia never took to a pacifier. She’s now been on 15 flights including 6  – 8 that were 7+ hours. We have never had an issue with her ears. Even if she isn’t having a bottle, nursing, etc. she’s never shown signs of pain or fussiness. I share that to just note that not  all  babies have issues. There’s a constant fear that your baby will be in pain, screaming for the flight due to pressure, but that’s not necessarily true. Of course if you can preempt the issue by nursing or providing a pacifier then go for it!

Prepping Your In-Flight Baby Bag

If you’ve followed my adventures in the past, you know that we’re generally light packers. We travel for a month in a carry-on and think nothing of it.

That’s past tense now (insert crying face).

Babies take a shocking amount of stuff — and it’s very difficult to pare down when they’re very young depending on your personal situation. You will have the ability to bring a carry-on on board for your infant. Pack wisely and thoughtfully. Big things to consider:

• Formula . If you’re like us and need to use formula or choose to use formula, bring enough (more details below).
• Diapers, Wipes and Changing Pad.  Bring plenty of diapers – plenty! – just in case. I brought a dozen on our first transatlantic flight from London to Miami and a friend scolded me about being ill-prepared. He had been in a similar situation and dealt with flight delays, a baby with a bad tummy and a whole host of issues and a dozen was barely enough to make it out unscathed. Generally speaking, I think a dozen is fine. Do what’s best or you but be generous. Also bring a changing mat (we bring disposable ones AND a padded one), along with wipes. I prepare what I call a ‘nappy changing kit’ before travel. I take the changing pad (the non-disposable, nicer, cushioned pad), insert a disposable changing pad, put in two diapers, and a package of wipes and then fold it up so it’s ready to go. When I need to use the lavatory to change her, I pull the changing table down, the pack is ready to go and I unfold. I bring the second diaper to use as a pad for her head just in case!
• Backup Outfits.  Always bring backup outfits for obvious reasons. If you don’t, Murphy’s Law dictates that you’ll deal with the world’s worst blowout and have no way to recover. Also, bring a backup outfit for yourself!
• Toys and Entertainment:  Bring toys your baby loves to entertain them. For us, that’s Sophie (the ever-present giraffe), our Sea Tails crinkle book, a few rattles, a flexible mirror, and a couple of other toys just to mix it up in case.
• A go-to blanket:  As i mentioned above, whether your baby is sleeping on you or in a bassinet, a blanket that their go-to is a piece of home and gives them some comfort in new settings.
• Any medications, specifics for baby:  Whether it’s Tylenol or something your baby needs more critically, obviously be sure to pack meds for baby in the carry-on.

Formula Packing and Options

This was my biggest worry! How would I bring formula on board and what was my best approach for traveling with a formula-fed baby internationally? People have different takes on this, but this is what works for us: I have 5 – 6 bottles that we travel with. Generally speaking, at 7 months old, our baby eats about 150ml/5 oz. 5 times per day. I usually have 3 bottles  filled, one with a ready-to-eat portion, then 1 – 2 empty. We have trained Kaia from her early early days to not expect warm formula. My mom gawked at this like it was some form of child abuse, but honestly — babies don’t need  formula to be warm, and if they accept it lukewarm or even slightly chilled – gasp! – your life will be easier for it. The filled bottles that we carry with us go in a cooler bag with ice (you can take the ice through security since you have an infant) which keeps them safe for consumption. I usually take a bottle out (it’ll be  freezing  when you remove it) and allow it to warm with my body heat or request hot water from a flight attendant (or get hot water in the airport lounge depending on where we’re at). Kaia doesn’t require formula heated to a particular temperature so as long as it’s not absolutely freezing, she’s happy enough to have it. Also, in the spirit of being prepared for any circumstance, the worst-case scenario is running out of food for your baby. If you’re a mom that is not nursing, this means you rely on formula. In addition to our prepared formula, we bring two 500mL ready-to-drink formulas that are shelf-stable. We’ve opened them before on planes when needed. They do need to be kept cold after opening so your cooler bag will come in handy again. Note that flight crew often cannot put your items in their fridge per FAA regs but they CAN provide ice, which they’ve kindly done for us in the past. In addition, I bring powder formula in my carry-on just in case we get stuck somewhere and I need to prepare more. That’s a super safety precaution but always makes us feel safer in case things change unexpectedly.

With younger babies, the biggest concern is sanitizing bottles so bring extra, pre-sanitized bottles with you so you’re ready to go. We have travel-friendly microwavable sanitizer bags but these aren’t useful on the plane. If you’re in a major bind at some point, boiling water run through bottles usually is fine as bottles don’t need to be sanitized after every  use though they do need to be cleaned properly shortly after use. I also bring a bottle brush when I can remember!

Is Business Class Appropriate?

We searched for answers to this ourselves before flying Business Class with her on a series of international flights. Is it appropriate to book Business Class with a baby? There are so many threads and so many personal anecdotes here, but let me just say that if you can  book Business Class, do it. Our Business Class flights with baby were so  much better than economy. I’m a petite person (5’1″) so I usually have plenty of room in a spacious Business seat which means I can happily share with baby. With full lay flat beds, I’ve sat with her to play, to cuddle, and to sleep. We shared a seat while she snoozed so while there wasn’t a bassinet available, we had plenty of space to be comfortable. I’ve been side-eyed when walking into Business Class with baby, but really? As someone on a forum noted (astutely, I might add), someone’s worried about my baby making noise during the flight… what about the guy next to me snoring? And reality check: there are usually good headphones in Business Class so they can cancel noise out pretty easily. Also note my comment above about white noise.

What if your baby cries for half the flight?

If you travel often, the reality is that this will probably happen at some point. Kaia fussed for at least 30% of our flight from Cancun to San Francisco (teething plus recovering from tummy issues). It was shitty. I felt terrible for the other passengers. I felt stressed in that moment. I did all that I could to comfort her. You know what? The flight is over now. We made it. We survived. It wasn’t our greatest flight experience but it was in no way indicative of future flights either. On the following flight we took with her from SFO > Rome (12 hours) she was fantastic. Other passengers fawned over how wonderful she was and complimented us on having a chill child. So, that is to say, if that does  happen, a friend reminded me: you won’t see these people again. Do your best and that’s all you can do. Infants are infants. You can’t ‘control’ them and there’s no behavioral issue (it’s not like they’re a 4-year-old screaming and running amok). They’re babies — and guess what? We were all babies once. I need to remind myself of that same advice a lot, but I think the most important thing is to not have PTSD after a flight like that. One bad flight doesn’t mean that your future flights will be bad. Sometimes babies (and adults, for that matter) have bad days.

What To Bring For Baby

Above I mentioned that we were such light packers once upon a time. With baby, things shifted quite dramatically, though admittedly, I do feel that the first six months of traveling with her were the most difficult in terms of her needs. As babies become stronger and more capable, the infant needs become less stressful. When they’re tiny (our first international flight with Kaia was at 6 weeks old) they’re fragile. Their immune systems are fragile and their bodies are delicate so you’re naturally more concerned about having their comforts -and yours – with you.

If you’re traveling to a country in the developed world, remember that babies exist EVERYWHERE. So, diapers, for example, are not something you need to pack en masse. We bring enough to get us through flights and a few days but usually stop at a pharmacy or similar to buy more in the destination. Formula can be trickier so I do try to pack enough to get us through a trip. We use Aptamil which has been universally pretty easy to procure. Travel anecdote: we were running out of formula while in Jabal al-Akhdar during our two weeks in Oman . As you can imagine, a mom is pretty quickly in a panic realizing she didn’t pack enough food for baby and that she’s also in the middle of a mountain town in Oman with about three restaurants, a gas station, and a minimart. Lo and behold, the minimart had Aptamil.  I quickly procured two containers, counted my blessings, and vowed not to risk that again. When Kaia was tiny (before she could sit on her own) we also traveled with her Baby Bjorn baby bouncer to give her a place to sit and play without having to always lay on her back. We no longer need that given she can sit independently. Blankets are a piece of home – bring baby’s favorite to put on the bottom of the crib and to put over baby as well. We travel with our portable baby monitor by Nanit (a must for us), along with a portable router for our Nanit, and a white noise machine. Depending on the destination, we may also bring things like swim diapers, floatation devices for infants, etc.

On the Ground with an Infant

You’ve made it to your destination – yay! There’s major comfort when the final 30-minute countdown is on and you’re more or less clear. You made it!

Be Prepared for International Arrival – TSA, Global Entry, etc.

Reminder to frequent fliers new to traveling internationally with an infant: just because you’ve been jet setting for years with Global Entry doesn’t mean that this is transmitted to your baby. I have found that TSA Pre-Check actually was assumed by the baby when traveling, but Global Entry is not. If you’re flying into a major US hub there’s often an option for an interview upon arrival but you must submit the application prior.  If you’ve submitted your app, you can go to a window where your infant will be ‘interviewed’ (formality, obviously) and then can finalize their own process.

Airport Arrival – Special Family Lines

Piggybacking on the above, one of the benefits of international travel with an infant is that you often have access to special family lines and stroller-friendly pathways. I used to feel bad zipping past lines of people, but they’re just as happy to get a baby moved through to avoid noisy infants and crying while waiting for passport control. Babies obviously still need to go through passport control (see above somewhat obvious – but apparently not-so-obvious – point that babies also need passports to travel internationally).

Hotel Bookings with an Infant

As a frequent traveler and as a hotelier, I can tell you that no request is too weird and where possible, hotels will do their best to honor your requests and needs. My common requests:

• A crib: Some people travel with a Pack n’ Play. I prefer to take as little as we can (which is still too much) so we request a crib when on the move. Kaia has slept in 20+ different cribs so is very flexible but my must  is taking a blanket that is familiar so there’s a sense of continuity for her.
• A Kettle:  We use formula so a kettle is important for preparing baby food (water must be boiled as formula isn’t sterile).  Some rooms are equipped with a kettle but many are not and can be delivered upon request.
• Microwave or Sterilizer:  If you’re traveling with a young infant and using bottles, you’re likely still sanitizing as well. I’m not strict about a ton, but I was very strict about sanitizing to avoid any tummy issues. You have three options here depending on what you have access to: 1) Sterilizer bags + microwave, 2) a sterilizer, or 3) pieces boiled in a kettle. With the first option, you’ll need a microwave to be accessible (though you can sometimes as hotel staff to microwave for you). The bags allow you to put in about 60mL of water, plus bottles, caps and nipples and microwave for 1.5 – 4 minutes (depending on microwave strength) to sterilize. With option 2, the hotel kindly provides a bottle sterilizer that gets plugged in and requires no microwave or special equipment from you (we do this at Borgo but it’s not a common amenity). With option 3, if you’re in a bind, you can boil some parts in the kettle to sterilize. It’s the less safe/secure/proper approach but in a bind, it’s the best solution. Bring your bottle brush if you can.

Luxury hotels will sometimes provide baby-friendly bath products, baby robes, baby amenities, etc. but I’ve found that true at very luxe properties like the Ritz in Dubai, the Ritz. in Muscat and the Belmond Maroma in Riviera Maya.

International Medical Needs

It’s every parent’s hope that their baby never gets sick and that they never need medical care internationally. We were 9 for 10 until we got to Mexico where Kaia got a virus (not bacterial/water-based). Babies touch everything and put their hands in their mouths constantly so it’s just a matter of time until they get a tummy bug. Obviously, make sure that you have medical insurance and that your baby is covered under your plan. If necessary, get travel insurance as well. Keep a scan of your baby’s vaccination records and of course know what medications they’re taking, if any, and bring extras if they’re on regular medications. In Kaia’s case, we had telemedicine included with our insurance. After speaking with a doctor over the phone, we were advised to find a pediatrician to look at her in person. If a pediatrician wasn’t available, we were to go to the ER to have her looked at. With infants, doctors are very conservative with their approach as babies can become easily dehydrated and affected since they’re so small. We found a local pediatrician, got in quickly, had her examined, and visited a pharmacy to collect prescribed medications. It’s frightening when babies get sick, especially when you’re away from home, but know that developed countries (and developing countries, for that matter) will likely have a nearby facility for medical care and babies exist around the world so there will more than likely be a pediatrician to assist. Our insurance includes airlift in case there is a major issue requiring us to seek medical care away from the country we’re visiting. It’s not a bad idea to travel with baby probiotics and infant Tylenol to help with stomach issues and for fever and pain regulation.

If we’ve learned anything since beginning our parenting journey it’s that it’s the most humbling learning experience, it’s an exercise in flexibility, resourcefulness, and selflessness that yields the most rewarding moments. When parents talk about the rewarding side of travel with baby, there’s no doubt that watching some of your little one’s firsts unfold overseas is one of the coolest and most rewarding things imaginable and it’s those little moments, hearing tiny laughs that make all the extra suitcases and missed rooftop bars somehow worth it. ✧

Have you begun your international travel with baby? Tips, tricks, or reassurances to add for other parents out there?

More about Shannon Kircher

Shannon Kircher is the founder and editor of The Wanderlust Effect. Founded in 2009, she has continued to document her international escapes as an expat in Europe and the Caribbean. Additionally, Shannon is the founder of Compass & Vine, a luxury boutique travel design firm, and is the Director of Marketing for the Frangipani Beach Resort. Shannon holds an MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and is a current candidate for WSET Level 3 in Wines & Spirits.

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Thousands Protest in Israel After Recovery of 6 Hostages Killed in Gaza

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[Follow our live coverage of strikes in Israel.]

Protesters across Israel demand a deal for the release of hostages.

Protesters flooded the streets of Israeli cities on Sunday in mass demonstrations demanding that the government immediately accept a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza. The furious protests, some of the largest the country has seen over months of failed negotiations, came after the Israeli military announced that six of the hostages had recently been killed in Gaza.

In Tel Aviv, protest organizers put the number of people in the hundreds of thousands. Hostage families and a crowd of supporters carried six prop coffins in a march through the city. They swarmed in front of the Israeli military headquarters and clashed with the police on a major highway.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli police fired skunk water, a noxious crowd control weapon, and forcefully removed a crowd of hundreds who rallied at the city’s main entrance. In smaller cities too, including Rehovot, in central Israel, people blocked traffic and chanted, “We want them back living, not in coffins!”

Protesters in Jerusalem Demand an Immediate Hostage Deal

Israelis demonstrated outside prime minister benjamin netanyahu’s office after the military recovered the bodies of six killed hostages from a tunnel underneath rafah, gaza..

“We’re grieving the death of six hostages. They should have come back alive. They could have come back alive. We need a deal now.” “We demand the deal to be right now. That’s why we’re marching for. That’s what we’re shouting for. There are many family members of the hostages here, saying words against the government, and calling: ‘Just bring them home.’”

The national uproar built on months of protests and increasingly aggressive actions by the families of many hostages, who have been attempting to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to accept a deal to little avail.

The frustration of the families, who have accused Mr. Netanyahu of sacrificing their loved ones for his own political gain, appeared to reach a boiling point on Sunday after the Israeli military said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages killed in Gaza. The Israeli health ministry said they had been shot at close range sometime between Thursday and Friday morning.

Their blood was on the hands of the Israeli government, said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group that represents some of the relatives, and it called on the public to “bring the nation to a halt.”

The message was echoed by Israel’s largest labor union, which declared a strike beginning Monday morning, and by Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader.

The Families Forum said hundreds of thousands of people were protesting around the country on Sunday evening, but it was not possible to verify the figure. The Israeli police declined to provide any estimates of crowd sizes.

More protests were planned for Monday, the Families Forum said on social media.

Several family members of the hostages directed their anger squarely at Mr. Netanyahu as they agitated for public action.

“Whoever accepts the murder of civilians for the Prime Minister should stay home,” Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was one of the hostages found dead over the weekend, said on the social media platform X . “Those who don’t: in memory of Carmel, take to the streets — stop the abandonment, bring the state to a halt, get a deal.”

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son Sagui is still held in Gaza, said in an interview that Mr. Netanyahu was “not only endangering our national security by refusing to complete this negotiated settlement, he’s also tearing apart this country by its seams. The country is aware that this government doesn’t exist for the service of the country but the service of itself.”

In Tel Aviv, where some of the largest crowds gathered, tensions escalated as night fell. Protesters blocked the main highway, pushed through security barricades and lit bonfires in the streets while the Israeli police carried out violent detentions and fired water cannons into the crowd. Naama Lazimi, a member of the Israeli Parliament, said on social media that the police had also thrown stun grenades at a close range, knocking her to the ground.

After hours of demonstrations, the Israeli police said it had arrested 29 people in Tel Aviv and cleared the highway. Five protesters were also arrested in Jerusalem, and two in Haifa, according to police officials.

Protesters expressed a mix of grief and rage, many carrying photos of the hostages and waving yellow ribbons in solidarity.

Shiraz Angert, a 23-year-old design student who was protesting in Jerusalem, wore a shirt bearing the photo of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the hostages whose bodies were recovered on Saturday. “It was possible to save them in a deal,” she said. “These are people who were sacrificed because we didn’t do enough.”

In Tel Aviv, Dan Levinson, a 59-year-old high school teacher, said he hoped the night’s protest would be a watershed moment.

“I feel that tonight is the last chance for a turning point — people out in the streets tonight understand that what we have not been able to achieve so far into the war, we will not be able to ever reach unless a decision is made,” he said.

“If it does not happen now,” he added, “it never will.”

— Anushka Patil Gabby Sobelman and Natan Odenheimer Gabby Sobelman reported from Tel Aviv and Natan Odenheimer from Jerusalem.

Many Israelis direct their anger at Netanyahu over the hostage deaths.

The discovery of the bodies of six dead hostages found in Gaza has prompted a furious reaction among Israelis on Sunday, many of whom blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to secure a cease-fire deal that would have paved the way for their release.

By Sunday evening, protests were being organized and held across the country. Israel’s largest labor union declared that a “complete strike” would begin on Monday morning, a dramatic reflection of the anger that has been growing among advocates for the hostages and Mr. Netanyahu’s political opposition.

“For 11 months, the government of Israel led by Netanyahu failed to do what is expected of a government — to bring its sons and daughters home,” a group representing the families of hostages said in a statement. “Netanyahu: Enough of the excuses. Enough of the spin. Enough of the abandonment.”

Israel’s health ministry said on Sunday that a forensic examination showed the hostages had been shot at close range sometime between Thursday and Friday morning. The Israeli military blamed Hamas for the killings, and the raw responses to their deaths put into focus the stark divisions within Israel over the war.

Many hostage families and their supporters have called for a deal with Hamas without delay, even if it leaves the group intact. Mr. Netanyahu and his allies have said a bad deal with Hamas could put Israel’s long-term security at risk.

On Sunday, Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, appeared to protest Mr. Netanyahu’s approach to the cease-fire negotiations. On the social media platform X, he responded to news of the dead hostages by calling for the reversal of a cabinet decision last week to keep Israel’s forces in the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land along the border of Gaza and Egypt that Israeli officials say Hamas has used to smuggle in weapons.

Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister and a right-wing ally of Mr. Netanyahu, was critical of Mr. Gallant’s comment, saying that the cabinet would not allow for a “surrender deal” with Hamas that forsakes Israel’s security.

“Hamas murdered our hostages in cold blood in order to make us surrender, accept its demands and permit it to survive and rebuild its capabilities,” he said on X in response to Mr. Gallant’s post. “During difficult, heart-rending moments, common sense and national responsibility need to prevail and lead in our decision-making.”

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that in the cabinet meeting last week, Mr. Gallant had strongly opposed the decision to keep Israeli forces in the Philadelphi Corridor, insinuating that it was tantamount to abandoning the hostages. Hamas has demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including from the corridor.

Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, publicly accused Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday of turning his back on the hostages and called for a strike on Monday.

“They were alive,” he said in a video statement. “Netanyahu and the cabinet of death decided not to save them. There still are living hostages there, and it’s still possible to do a deal. Netanyahu isn’t doing it for political reasons.”

Arnon Bar-David, the head of the Histadrut, Israel’s largest labor union, later called for members to take to the streets on Sunday night and on Monday morning.

“I came to the conclusion that only our intervention here might shock who needs to be shocked,” he said.

The Histadrut announced that workers at Israel’s biggest commercial airport, Ben Gurion, would join in the general strike starting at 8 a.m. on Monday. Eyal Yadin, chairman of the Transport and Port Workers’ Union in the Histadrut, said the shutdown would halt departing flights, with some exceptions. Arriving flights, the Histadrut said, would be not be affected.

Opponents of Mr. Netanyahu have argued that the Israeli leader has undermined efforts to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas because doing so would anger his right-wing coalition allies and potentially collapse his government.

Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States have made several attempts in recent weeks to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas, without success.

Both Israel and Hamas have been blamed at times for obstructing progress toward a cease-fire, but Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to set new conditions in July raised questions about whether the Israeli prime minister was truly interested in a deal.

Hamas, for its part, has requested its own extensive revisions throughout the process and has refused any truce that would see it give up overall power in Gaza. It has also defied international calls to release the hostages unconditionally.

Mr. Netanyahu spoke with the parents of one of the six hostages found dead, Alexander Lobanov, on Sunday, according to his office. It said in a statement that Mr. Netanyahu had apologized to the family and asked for “forgiveness for not succeeding in bringing” their son back alive.

The most recent proposals under negotiation for a cease-fire deal have involved a multiphase agreement, with the first phase involving the release of hostages categorized as women, children, the elderly, female soldiers and the ill and wounded.

Four of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered over the weekend were included on a list of those who Israel was demanding be released in the first phase of a three-phase agreement, according to an official Israeli document shared with mediators in late July and reviewed by The New York Times.

Israel’s list placed Eden Yerushalmi and Carmel Gat in the category of civilian women and children, while Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Almog Sarusi were included in the ill and wounded grouping, the document shows.

The Times reviewed the documents and confirmed their authenticity with officials from Israel and other parties involved in the negotiations. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to a full withdrawal, Hamas has demanded that Israel agree to end the war. Mr. Netanyahu has said he wants a “partial deal” that would allow for Israel to resume the war after freeing some of the hostages.

Mr. Netanyahu has consistently blamed Hamas for blocking progress toward a deal. On Sunday, he accused Hamas of not negotiating seriously since December, and said the group’s acts “required Israel to do everything so it can’t perpetrate these atrocities again.”

Natan Odenheimer contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

— Adam Rasgon and Ronen Bergman Adam Rasgon reported from Jerusalem and Ronen Bergman from Tel Aviv.

Israel’s military says the hostages were killed by Hamas shortly before being found.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that six bodies found in Gaza were hostages who had been “brutally murdered” by Hamas, setting off a wave of nationwide grief mixed with anger.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesman, said the bodies had been recovered a day earlier from a tunnel underneath the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, close to where a seventh hostage, Farhan al-Qadi , was found alive last week.

“They were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists a short time before we reached them,” Admiral Hagari said.

Israel’s health ministry said later on Sunday that a forensic examination showed the hostages had been shot at close range sometime between Thursday and Friday morning.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “shocked to the depths” of his soul by what he called the “coldblooded murder” of the hostages.

“The heart of the entire nation is torn,” he said in a statement.

In an initial statement, Hamas did not directly address the accusations, but said responsibility for the deaths lay with Israel, which it blamed for the lack of an agreement to stop the fighting in Gaza. Hamas later claimed in a separate statement, without providing evidence, that the hostages were killed by the Israeli military’s bullets.

Some people in Israel also angrily blamed the government for the deaths, calling for protests over the government’s inability to secure a deal to bring the hostages home.

Israeli military officials had said on Saturday that six bodies were found during a military operation, without specifying whether they were hostages’ bodies.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said Sunday on CNN that the grim discovery was not the result of a “specific mission to release hostages,” but that Israeli forces had “some idea of hostages being held in the area.”

The dead were identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino. They ranged in age from 23 to 40, according to a group representing families of hostages.

Five of those captured had been at a dance music festival in southern Israel . The sixth, Ms. Gat, was taken from the nearby village of Be’eri .

Before the Israeli military’s announcement, President Biden issued a statement saying that Israel had found the bodies of six hostages, identifying one as Mr. Goldberg-Polin, a dual Israeli American citizen whose parents had campaigned around the world for the release of the captives.

“I am devastated and outraged. Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel,” Mr. Biden said. “He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’s savage massacre. He had just turned 23.”

Mr. Biden vowed to keep working toward an agreement to secure the release of the hostages. But he also issued a warning: “Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.”

Mr. Goldberg-Polin was among the roughly 250 people who were abducted by Hamas and its allies during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He was last seen in a video released by Hamas in April.

On Sunday, the Goldberg-Polin family confirmed his death “with broken hearts.”

The Israeli military said that the bodies of the six hostages were returned to Israeli territory.

More than 60 living hostages, and the bodies of about 35 other hostages believed to be dead, are still in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Adam Rasgon contributed reporting.

— Vivek Shankar and Gabby Sobelman

Here’s what to know about the six hostages killed in Gaza.

Tributes poured in on Sunday for the six hostages who were found dead in southern Gaza over the weekend.

The hostages, who the Israeli military said had been “brutally murdered” by Hamas, ranged in age from 23 to 40. Five had been at a dance music festival in southern Israel when they were taken captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and its allies; a sixth was taken from the village of Be’eri .

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group of their relatives, identified the dead as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Ori Danino. It also provided ages.

Here is what we know about the six whose deaths were confirmed on Sunday.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23

Mr. Goldberg-Polin was a dual Israeli American citizen who was taken hostage from the festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7. His mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, had traveled the world since, advocating the release of the hostages.

“Hersh is a happy-go-lucky, laid-back, good-humored, respectful and curious person,” she said last month, when she spoke at the Democratic National Convention with her husband, Jon.

“He is a civilian,” she added. “He loves soccer, is wild about music and music festivals, and he has been obsessed with geography and travel since he was a little boy.”

Mr. Goldberg-Polin was born in Berkeley, Calif. His family moved to Israel when he was in elementary school. Grievously injured during the attack, Mr. Goldberg-Polin lost part of his left arm and was last seen in a video released by Hamas in April.

President Biden was among those who expressed condolences to Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s family. “I am devastated and outraged,” Mr. Biden said in a statement , adding, “He planned to travel the world.”

Carmel Gat, 40

Ms. Gat lived in Tel Aviv but was staying at her parents’ house in Be’eri, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, when she was taken hostage on Oct. 7 . Her mother, Kinneret Gat, was killed in the attacks .

“Carmel was an occupational therapist, full of compassion and love, always finding ways to support and help others,” the forum wrote in a post on X . “She loved solo travel, meeting new people, live rock music concerts, and was particularly fond of Radiohead.”

Haaretz published a profile of Ms. Gat in January that said her closest friends had been holding regular yoga classes in her honor in Tel Aviv in what has become known as “Hostage Square.”

They also created a Spotify playlist of her favorite songs, Haaretz reported, calling it “a humorous, eclectic mix.”

“I remember us coming back to the kibbutz on weekends, putting music on and dancing,” Adi Zohar, a classmate, told the news outlet. “That’s her. Making a party out of things. Taking it easy.”

On Sunday, a cousin, Gil Dickmann, posted a photograph on X of a young Ms. Gat, wearing a pink shirt and holding a young baby, grinning at the camera. “Sorry Carmeli,” he wrote, adding, “If only you saw how your friends fought to get you back alive.”

Alexander Lobanov, 32

Mr. Lobanov, who went by Alex, lived in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, according to the forum .

It said that he was working as a bar manager at the festival when the attack began and that witnesses said Mr. Lobanov helped evacuate people.

He and his wife, Michal, had two children: Tom, who is 2, and Kai, who is 5 months old and was born when Mr. Lobanov was in captivity in Gaza, Haaretz reported .

Mr. Lobanov also held Russian citizenship, according to Russia’s ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov.

“We mourn together with the entire family,” he said in a statement.

Ori Danino, 25

Ori Danino was from Jerusalem and was planning to study electrical engineering, Haaretz reported .

The oldest of five children, Mr. Danino had escaped the music festival but had gone back to help other people when he was captured, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on X .

“He was a fighter,” his partner, Liel Avraham, said on Israeli radio after learning of his death, The Jerusalem Post reported Sunday. She called him a “hero” who “excelled in everything he did.”

Ms. Avraham had posted about Mr. Danino on social media during his captivity. On April 7, she shared a picture of him kissing her on Instagram and in the caption teased him for losing to her at Backgammon and for letting his morning alarm ring.

Four weeks ago, she posted a photo of the two of them with the caption: “I’m waiting for you.”

Almog Sarusi, 27

Mr. Sarusi was from Ra’anana, a city north of Tel Aviv, according to Haaretz. It said he was at the music festival with his longtime girlfriend and had stayed by her side after she was wounded in the attack.

She died, and he was captured.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum described him on X as “a vibrant, positive person who loved traveling around Israel in his white jeep with his guitar.”

Eden Yerushalmi, 24

Ms. Yerushalmi was “a vibrant young woman with many friends and hobbies,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on X. “Eden loved spending summer days at the beach playing paddleball, attending parties, and was studying to become a Pilates instructor.”

In November, Ms. Yerushalmi’s sisters lit candles for her in New York City at the gravesite of a major spiritual leader in Judaism. They giggled at the time, trying to explain her nickname — “Opossum” — an old inside joke the sisters could no longer recall. Relatives of Ms. Yerushalmi had also traveled to Paris and Washington to press for the release of the hostages .

In a video posted in April , Ms. Yerushalmi’s sisters said she was a waitress in Tel Aviv who loved to make TikTok videos, rode a motorcycle and was “always the life of the party.”

“She’s very friendly,” they said in another video , posted in July. “She lives life to the fullest.”

Aaron Boxerman , Gabby Sobelman and Myra Noveck contributed reporting.

— Amelia Nierenberg Reporting from London

In the race against polio, Gaza begins a vaccination drive.

Health workers on Sunday began a polio vaccination drive in Gaza aimed at preventing an outbreak of the quick-spreading disease — a daunting challenge in a besieged enclave shattered by 10 months of war and dependent on commitments by Israel and Hamas to abide by pledged “humanitarian pauses.”

Israel, facing international pressure to prevent a wider outbreak of the crippling disease, moved with relative speed to allow agencies of the United Nations, supported by local health officials, to tackle the crisis in Gaza, where it launched a war in response to a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

Although the vaccination drive officially began early Sunday, Gazan health authorities gave some doses to children on Saturday at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to reports in Palestinian news media. Videos showed doctors and health workers squeezing droplets of the poliovirus vaccine into the mouths of children who were being treated at the hospital.

“I knew about this campaign by chance. I was frightened when I heard the word polio,” said Maysaa Abu Daqqa, a mother of a 9-year-old, Habib Nizam. Ms. Abu Daqqa was waiting in a patients’ room at Nasser Hospital. “When I saw other women accepting the vaccinations for their children, I was encouraged to follow them,” she said.

Both Hamas and Israel agreed to the pauses in the fighting to allow the vaccinations to take place, but the campaign will be tricky to execute. With much of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed, and some 90 percent of the enclave’s roughly two million residents having repeatedly fled Israeli bombardment, it may be impossible to ensure the immunization of all of the enclave’s estimated 640,000 children under age 10.

“This is a race against time,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the main U.N. agency in charge of aiding Palestinians, said in a post on X .

For families seeking to get their children vaccinated, the challenges are layered and fraught: Not only must they trust that the cessations in fighting will hold, but many will have to find transportation, navigate blocked and broken roads and expose themselves to danger and widespread lawlessness to reach the vaccination sites.

The 2,100 people trained to conduct the vaccination drive will face risks, too, including anxieties over a history of deadly assaults on aid workers since the war began.

At a news briefing at Nasser Hospital on Saturday, Dr. Bassam Abu Hamad, a member of the polio campaign committee in Gaza, tried to encourage families to get their children vaccinated.

Acknowledging potential concerns some parents might have, he said that the vaccine “is safe and rarely has any side effects,” and urged mothers to “convince each other” to vaccinate their children.

“At first, we were warned by some people that this would harm our children,” said Yousif al-Saqqa, a 31-year-old displaced father who first heard about the campaign on social media. But after listening to encouraging remarks by the Palestinian health minister in Ramallah, Mr. al-Saqqa took his 4-year-old daughter, Alaa, to receive it on Sunday, even though she was vaccinated at 2 months old, he said.

Poliovirus, which is highly contagious, can cause paralysis and death in the unvaccinated. Largely eradicated around the world by decades of public health campaigns, it can thrive in unsanitary conditions and in places where vaccination rates are not high enough. Such rates in Gaza, which health officials have said were at about 99 percent as recently as 2022, have dropped significantly among babies because of the war .

The vaccine drive will be conducted through staggered pauses of fighting in different regions of the Gaza Strip, a process that is intended to allow aid workers to try to vaccinate children at roughly 700 medical facilities, mobile clinics and shelters.

Israel will “allow a humanitarian corridor” for vaccination personnel to travel and will establish “designated safe areas” for them to administer vaccines during certain hours, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement on Saturday.

“Israel views with importance the prevention of a polio outbreak in the Gaza Strip, including for the purpose of preventing the spread of diseases in the region,” it said.

The campaign is expected to last for three days, with each humanitarian pause in place from early morning until midafternoon. There will be an option to extend the vaccine drive if necessary, and then local health officials will shift their focus to southern Gaza. The northern region of the enclave will be treated last, according to the staggered schedule announced by global health officials on Thursday .

Gazans received a text message from the health ministry on Saturday, announcing the beginning of the vaccination drive for children under 10 years old across different parts of the strip starting on Sunday.

The vaccination campaign kicked off in central Gaza, where the health ministry said clinics, hospitals and U.N. schools would be offering the vaccine during the hours of the humanitarian pause, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Early indications suggested that Sunday’s vaccinations were carried out unimpeded. UNRWA, the main U.N. agency in charge of aiding Palestinians, said on Sunday afternoon that the humanitarian pauses “were respected” in the areas where vaccinations were taking place.

“The turnout for the first day of the campaign was positive and thousands of children and families were seen lining up ready to receive their vaccine,” it said in a statement.

Yet Israeli strikes continued across the strip, including in central Gaza later in the day, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense, the emergency services agency. It said that at least 34 people had been killed across Gaza as of Sunday evening, including 11 killed in an Israeli strike on a school building sheltering displaced people in Gaza City.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF, the U.N. children’s fund, have rushed more than 1.2 million doses of oral polio vaccines to the region, and say that another 400,000 doses are on their way.

Dr. Majdi Dheir, the head of the campaign against polio in Gaza, said more than 2,700 people had been trained by experts from the health ministry, the W.H.O. and UNICEF to carry out the vaccinations.

Once the first round of vaccinations is complete, a booster round of immunizations will need to be administered four weeks later. Israel has agreed to repeat the staggered humanitarian pauses for the boosters as well.

The scale, ambition and logistics of the vaccination campaign are unprecedented in the Gaza war. The fact that the plan for it came together in only six weeks of negotiations after the virus was first detected is a sign of just how serious public health officials believe an outbreak could be.

Because polio can strike and spread rapidly, it is not only a risk to Gazans but also could spread to neighboring Egypt or Israel, and potentially beyond. Whether the disease can now be contained is impossible to determine, health experts have said.

Israel has begun to offer booster vaccines for soldiers operating in Gaza. .

Polio is transmitted by contact with the feces of an infected person, or consumption of water or food contaminated by fecal matter.

Aid and rights groups say Israeli strikes have badly damaged access to sanitation and clean water in Gaza, not only risking the spread of preventable diseases but also possibly constituting a war crime . In June, the aid organization Oxfam released a report accusing Israel of destroying more than two-thirds of the enclave’s sewage pumps and all of its wastewater treatment plants.

After the virus was detected in sewage samples from Gaza in July, the W.H.O. director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned that the conditions created “the perfect environment for diseases like polio to spread.”

Such warnings became more urgent when, two weeks ago, Gaza confirmed its first case of polio in 25 years, in a nearly 1-year-old boy.

Facing repeated displacement, tens of thousands of Gazans have crammed themselves into camps with little access to water and sanitation. As a result, some 340,000 tons of solid waste have accumulated in or around populated areas, according to a U.N. assessment.

“My daughter already got that vaccine, so I was hesitant to take this step,” said Mohammed Abu Hashish, a 31-year-old Arabic teacher sheltering in a tent in Deir al Balah in central Gaza. But he said he decided to go forward with it on Sunday out of fear for his 2-year-old daughter’s health and the risk of infection between her and her cousins.

Mamdouh Abu Nadi, who also took his 2-year-old daughter, Ikhlas, and his 10-year-old son, Kareem, to get vaccinated in Deir al Balah on Sunday, said that all of the children in the area where they are sheltering went to get the vaccine.

He added that he had also encouraged his extended family members to do the same “for the safety of all the children.”

Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

— Bilal Shbair Erika Solomon and Hiba Yazbek Bilar Shbair reported from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

Three Israeli police officers are killed in the West Bank.

Gunmen killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday morning as they drove through the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the latest episode in the spiral of violence in the territory that includes attacks by Palestinian and Israeli extremists, as well as ongoing raids by the Israeli military in Palestinian cities.

The officers were shot and killed as they drove along a highway in the southern part of the West Bank, close to a major checkpoint where traffic is screened before entering Israel, according to statements from the Israeli police and Magen David Adom, the emergency medical service.

One of the officers was the father of a police officer who was killed during Hamas’s Oct. 7 raid on southern Israel that started the war in Gaza, according to the police.

The episode followed two attacks on Friday night by Palestinian militants, one of whom attempted to detonate a car bomb at a busy intersection in the southern West Bank, according to the Israeli military. In the second attack, a Palestinian drove into a nearby Israeli settlement, prompting a car chase and a shootout that caused an explosion in the Palestinian’s car, the military said.

The Israeli military raided three major cities in the northern West Bank last week, killing at least 22 people, according to the Palestinian health authorities. The military said the operation was aimed at quelling armed Palestinian groups, but critics warned that the death and destruction caused by the raids risked encouraging the same violence that they aimed to reduce.

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 after capturing it from Jordan during the Arab-Israeli war that year. Israel has since built hundreds of settlements in the territory, which are considered illegal by most of the world. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish Israelis now live under military protection in the West Bank, interspersed among roughly three million Palestinians who generally want the territory to form the backbone of a future Palestinian state.

Since Wednesday, hundreds of Israeli soldiers have surged through the Palestinian cities of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas, clashing with militants and churning up the streets with bulldozers in search of improvised explosive devices. The chaos left many people trapped in their homes without running water or internet.

The Israeli military said it had killed more than 20 militants in those raids, and militant groups said many of the slain were members of their organizations. One family said that a relative with mental illness was shot dead during the raid, his body left untended for hours during the violence.

By Sunday morning, troops had withdrawn from Tulkarem and Tubas.

In Jenin, they were still surrounding one of the city’s major hospitals, closely inspecting everyone who arrived and left, for the fifth consecutive day, said Wissam Bakr, the hospital director. The Israeli military said it had deployed troops around the hospital to prevent militants from entering it in an attempt to seek cover.

With the power cut, the hospital was making do with backup generators, said Dr. Bakr. Scores of patients, particularly those on dialysis, were being transferred to other hospitals, as the generators were incapable of powering all of the wards, he added. Before the raid, there had been roughly 180 patients in the hospital; now there were about 50 left, according to Dr. Bakr.

In the early 2000s, Dr. Bakr was working at the same hospital when Israeli forces swept into Jenin, part of a major crackdown in response to a surge in Palestinian suicide bombings that were planned by groups based in the city, he said. At that time, Israeli soldiers also surrounded the hospital for nearly two weeks before withdrawing, Dr. Bakr recalled.

“History is repeating itself,” he said.

The tense atmosphere across the territory has been exacerbated in recent weeks by rising violence by Israeli extremists, some of whom have also attempted to seize land used and owned by Palestinians. In mid-August, a group of Israeli arsonists surged through a Palestinian village, setting fire to vehicles and property .

Natan Odenheimer contributed reporting.

— Patrick Kingsley and Aaron Boxerman reporting from Jerusalem

Death of Israeli-American hostage prompts outpouring of grief across the U.S.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin loved soccer and music. He was curious, respectful and passionate about geography and travel, according to his mother. He was born in the Bay Area and moved to Israel when he was 8.

Some 15 years later, he became one of the most internationally recognized hostages among the 240 who were taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. For months, his parents made pleas to bring their son and the other hostages home.

But he was among the six hostages whose bodies were found in a tunnel in Gaza over the weekend. In a statement , President Biden said they were killed by Hamas.

“With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh,” his family said in a statement. Family members declined to be interviewed for this article, asking for privacy.

On Sunday, tributes to Mr. Goldberg-Polin, who was 23 and a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, poured in from many pockets of America. People who knew him expressed immense grief and recalled moments they shared. To many across the country, he had become a symbol of hope.

Andy Feig, a rabbi in Los Angeles, grew up with Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s father and later spent time with the family in California. He said Mr. Goldberg-Polin “exuded the best traits” of his parents: caring, fun-loving and kind.

“In Yiddish, you say ‘mensch,’” meaning a person with integrity,” Rabbi Feig said, adding, “Hersh was that kind of kid.”

Jeffrey Abrams, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Los Angeles, recalled a fond memory of Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s family in 2010. Mr. Abrams was visiting Israel with his wife and three young sons, and after meeting Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s parents through a mutual friend, the family invited them to their apartment for a Sabbath dinner.

“Out of nowhere, this nice, lovely young family, with similarly aged kids, expressed one of the core Jewish values, which is to welcome the stranger,” Mr. Abrams said. He remembered Mr. Goldberg-Polin, then 9, as a “boy with big curly hair riding his tricycle with glee.”

Orly Lewis, chief executive of the Weinstein Jewish Community Center in Richmond, Va., which has a preschool Mr. Goldberg-Polin attended, also remembered him as a fun, open-minded child. Ms. Lewis said that she and others in the city’s tight-knit Jewish community had admired his parents’ advocacy in the past several months.

“There’s a saying in Hebrew: Who saves one life, it’s as if they saved the entire world,” she said. “I think the whole world was watching how much they tried to bring Hersh home, and the rest of the hostages.”

Mr. Goldberg-Polin was abducted while attending a music festival, and he lost a part of his arm while defending an emergency shelter from Hamas gunmen. In the 11 months since he was taken captive, his parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, became two of the most outspoken advocates for the hostages’ release. They have delivered speeches, met with elected officials and the Pope, and even addressed the Democratic National Convention in their hometown last month. At the convention, Ms. Goldberg and Mr. Polin each wore a piece of tape on which the number 320 was written, representing the number of days their son had been in captivity.

“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you,” Ms. Goldberg said at the convention. “Stay strong. Survive.”

For Yael Nidam Kirsht, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, the news felt personal. Her sister and brother-in-law were abducted from the kibbutz where they lived on Oct. 7. Her sister was released in November, but her brother-in-law was killed in captivity this year, she said.

Ms. Nidam Kirsht had continued to find meaning in something Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s mother often said: “Hope is mandatory.” Just last week, Ms. Nidam Kirsht joined dozens at a vigil honoring Mr. Goldberg-Polin in Berkeley, where he was born.

“I was really hoping that what happened to us wouldn’t happen to Hersh,” she said.

To many who didn’t know Mr. Goldberg-Polin or his family personally, the news still cut deep. Susan Gordon Newman, a 52-year-old marketing professional in Chicago, where Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s parents were born and raised, said that as a mother of two, she was “devastated” for the family.

“There was so much hope for almost a year and now there’s no hope,” she said.

Some Americans lamented the ongoing war and its overall impact. Christine Blevins, a 50-year-old property manager from Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, said, “All of it is horrible and has gone on way too long. It has created further division in our country.”

There are still seven U.S. citizens in captivity by Hamas. Israeli authorities say more than 60 living hostages and the bodies of about 35 people believed to be dead remain in Gaza. The Israeli military on Sunday said that the six whose bodies were found this weekend were fatally shot at close range by Hamas.

Hamas initially did not directly address the accusations but said in a statement that responsibility for the deaths lay with Israel. Later, without providing evidence, the group said in another statement that the hostages were killed by the Israeli military’s bullets.

In the Chicago suburb of Skokie, where Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s family once lived, Alfred Aghapour, 70, who lived two doors down from the family and attended the same synagogue, said he had been praying for Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s release. “It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Rabbi Leonard Matanky, head of Chicago’s Ida Crown Jewish Academy — where Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s parents both graduated from — has known the family for decades. Tragedy in the world often seems to be anonymous and far away, he said, but for the Ida Crown community, Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s capture was “very close.”

After Oct. 7, Rabbi Matanky said, the school displayed a photograph of Mr. Goldberg-Polin and a prayer for the safety of the hostages around the building. When students return this week, his photo will still be there.

At a vigil Sunday night in Manhattan near Columbus Circle, hundreds of people gathered to light candles, say prayers and sing. One of the songs, “Kol Ha’Olam Kulo,” contains a line that can be translated as “the whole world is a narrow bridge, but the most important thing is not to fear at all.”

There, the families of Edan Alexander and Omer Neutra, two other Israeli-American hostages, described the despair after learning of the deaths of Mr. Goldberg-Polin and the five others.

“It’s been a really, really tough day,” said Orna Neutra, Mr. Neutra’s mother. She said that Mr. Goldberg-Polin was close in age to her son, and that her family had become extremely close with Mr. Goldberg-Polin’s parents. But despite their grief, she added, they still inspired strength and faith that an agreement would be reached to bring the remaining hostages home.

“The news of Hersh’s death is devastating,” she said. “And yet, even today, Rachel chose to share words of hope with us, praying that this tragedy stops the madness and brings the deal now.”

Robert Chiarito and Olivia Bensimon contributed reporting.

— Isabelle Taft and Soumya Karlamangla

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How to pack — and prepare — for travel with a baby

About to take your first trip with a new baby ? Or maybe this isn't your first time traveling with your little one , but you'd like to pack more efficiently this time around.

It can be hard to know how to prepare and pack when you have a baby in tow. Babies often change so quickly that anticipating their needs can be complicated — especially if you're planning a longer trip.

In addition to typical packing concerns, such as the weather in your destination or luggage size restrictions, it's not always clear what you can carry on or must check when it comes to your infant. Here's our advice to help you prepare, pack and travel better with your baby.

Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel advice .

Choose accommodations wisely (and pack accordingly)

If you're traveling by car, you can easily pack a travel crib and other larger baby items.

However, if you're flying, choosing the right accommodation is the key to packing lighter, which is the goal. Toting around an infant is strain enough — staying somewhere that provides baby items means you can leave the extras at home.

Check with your hotel to see if it offers cribs or other baby items, as well as if it provides laundry services or facilities where you can do your own. Some hotels will even provide an extra fridge for milk storage upon request.

Often, a home rental might be a better choice than a hotel, assuming you pick the right one. Airbnb allows you to filter properties by items such as "crib" and "high chair." You can also message hosts to see if they have any other baby-friendly items available.

For example, I recently filtered an Airbnb search in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to show only rentals that included a crib, high chair, washer and dryer. I ended up picking a rental that included not only the aforementioned items, but also a bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer and a few other infant-friendly items, which allowed me to pack less.

Some rentals I've stayed in even provided baby toys, books and cutlery. The key is communication. Don't hesitate to message and confirm the equipment again with hosts as you pack. You can also request or confirm that everything will be set up and ready for the baby upon your arrival.

Access to a washer and dryer is important since babies tend to have accidents or leaky diapers. Being able to do laundry also lets you pack fewer clothes. Also, if your rental is not a stand-alone house or a unit on the first floor, check that there is an elevator. A five-floor walk-up in a multi-unit building can be difficult with a stroller, shopping bags and baby in your arms.

Call your airline to understand the regulations

Depending on your airline, fare class and destination, you may have to adhere to different rules when it comes to traveling with an infant.

Those regulations can also vary depending on whether you've purchased a lap ticket versus a separate seat for your baby. In almost all cases, airlines allow travelers with an infant to gate-check a stroller or buggy, and some may also allow a car seat. Check with your airline ahead of time to understand baggage rules for your little one to avoid getting caught off guard at the airport or paying extra, especially when flying low-cost carriers like Ryanair or Spirit .

Flying with an infant in a car seat and hoping to bring it on the plane? Make sure it's approved for air travel. You may also want to request a bassinet for your baby, if the aircraft you're flying offers one (check the weight limits, however). Ask for an aisle seat, as it makes standing up with your baby much easier.

Invest in travel-friendly baby items

Having a dedicated (foldable) travel stroller will be useful beyond air travel. It's the perfect item to have when exploring a new city. Other key travel baby items to consider taking along are:

• Travel diaper backpack.
• Portable changing pad.
• Travel car seat.
• A bag for a car seat or stroller so these items aren't damaged if checked.
• Portable baby monitor.
• Baby carrier or wrap.
• Swaddle or baby blankets.
• Inflatable bathtub .
• Pack 'n Play or travel crib.
• Travel neck pillow (use it while feeding your baby).
• Baby chair strap.
• Disposable bottle liners.
• Disposable bibs.
• Portable blackout shades for travel cribs or strollers.

Purchase (or preorder) diapers, formula and more at your destination

Depending on how long your trip is and where you're headed, calculate (and it's always best to over-calculate) how many diapers you'll need for the trip.

If your baby uses a specific formula or baby food, make sure you know where to buy it at your destination. Amazon and other delivery services can be useful for ordering these items -- and remember, these services are available internationally, too. You can also compare ingredients to see if you can get a similar formula or food at your destination, so you won't have to load up your suitcase with diapers or formula.

Don't worry if you forget baby socks or another basic item. Babies live all over the world, so you'll likely find many basic items available for purchase wherever you are. If your baby requires something specific, though, pack it just in case.

There are also companies that rent baby gear in many destinations around the world. Research ahead of time to find out exactly where and how to obtain these necessary items, especially when traveling abroad .

Carry on the essentials (and extras)

Always pack your baby's key essentials in your carry-on . This includes comfort items like their favorite toy or pacifier, and extra clothes for both your baby and you (in case their wardrobe disaster becomes yours, as well). You should also pack enough food, diapers and other key items to last you through the trip, plus more for any possible delays and/or cancelations.

Here's a list of items you may want to keep in your carry-on bag :

• Extra clothing for you and your baby.
• Layers of clothing or blankets (plane temperatures are often extreme).
• Pacifier and clip (and backup).
• Comfort toy(s) or blanket.
• Extra diapers.
• Breast pump.
• Snacks (for you and your baby).
• Baby wipes.
• Sanitizing wipes.
• Extra bibs.
• Ziploc bags for stowing soiled clothing (or a reusable, waterproof bag).
• Baby Tylenol or any infant medications.
• A basic first aid kit.
• Small toy(s).

The rest of your baby's items, like additional clothing, blankets and more, can go in your checked bag. If you're checking more than one bag, split your baby's items among different checked suitcases. That way you'll be covered if the airline loses one of your suitcases.

Know the security regulations and have a backup plan

On a recent call to Iberia Airlines , I was told I could bring "reasonable quantities" of formula and breast milk through security. However, the representative also told me that in some cases during security checks, certain agents might not allow me to pass these items through security at the Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) . What?

Not all security checks, Transportation Security Administration agents or customs agents are alike, and each country, airport or airline may have specific regulations. Call ahead of time and prepare for things to not go as planned. If you do use formula, take your bottles already mixed, but also bring extra powder in case you need to prepare new bottles on board.

If you're pumping, it might also be a good idea to bring both a hand pump and an electric pump in case you have limited access to electricity or encounter issues with electrical outlets or voltage when traveling internationally.

Arriving at the airport early is always a good idea, because you may not breeze through security as you might have in your pre-baby days. Everything takes longer with an infant, so having that extra time can ensure a low stress travel experience. Take advantage and board the airplane first to give you extra time to get settled. If your airport has a family security line, use it.

Make sure you understand any remaining COVID-19 regulations

As mask rules and COVID-19 testing, entry and vaccine regulations continue to evolve in countries around the world, stay on top of exactly what you need to know and bring for your baby to get to your destination (and back home again). It's important to understand whether you'll need masks for your 2-year-old or need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 tests upon arrival at your destination or re-entry into the U.S. when traveling abroad.

Remember that airline staff members also struggle to keep track of ever-changing rules, so if you know something has recently changed or a rule seems specific, make sure to bring along proof of this information and whatever documentation you need in case you have trouble when boarding.

Photocopy important documents and always have extras. I loathe having to take paper documents along when traveling. However, having them may mean the difference between getting through customs, being able to board or being stranded at the airport. This is especially true if your phone battery dies or you're left without service for any reason. While being denied boarding is always dramatic, it's even worse with a baby in tow.

Download the right apps

Mobile phone apps can help you anticipate what you need, as well as keep your baby (and yourself) comfortable during travel.

A white noise app is key for better sleep for your baby — and therefore better sleep for parents — and allows you to leave a white noise machine home. Nightlight apps are also helpful during travel.

You can also connect most modern baby monitors to your phone and use an app to access the video of your baby so you won't need a separate viewing device.

Parents may find an app to track sleeping and feeding especially helpful during travel, particularly when switching time zones. A general packing app could help you keep track of what you need to bring for your infant, as well as the entire family. Make sure these apps are accessible offline if you need them while flying.

Don't forget their passport

This one is obvious, but you'd be surprised. Don't forget your baby's passport when traveling.

Look into identity and consent documents, as each country has its own requirements, especially if your partner isn't with you. If you have any older children, make sure to check that their passports are valid, as children's U.S. passports expire in just five years.

Traveling with a baby might seem like a lot. However, once you get the hang of it, packing, prepping and traveling with your infant becomes second nature. Ask for help when you need it and accept help when offered.

And when things don't go quite right, stay relaxed (remember, baby can feel your moods) — you'll figure it out. While it may seem tragic in the moment (like that major diaper blowout on board a plane), it will be an epic story to share one day.

Bottom line

When in doubt, bring enough baby supplies for a few extra days or a flight delay, but don't overpack. Make sure to be clear on any and all regulations that will cover your travel, from having the right documents to understanding what baby items you can bring through airport security . With these tips, packing and traveling will be a more enjoyable experience for the entire family .

27 Best Places to Travel with a Baby (Safe + Baby-Friendly)!

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Home » 27 Best Places to Travel with a Baby (Safe + Baby-Friendly)!

Are you wondering where to travel with a baby?

Our youngest daughter, Avalee, was just 2.5 months old when we embarked on our very first trip with her. Our first trip with her took us to Bali, Lombok, and the Gili Islands.

After Indonesia, we ventured further afield to Australia and explored Perth and Sydney.

We then set off to Asia visiting Japan and Europe for a big extended road trip that included France, Switzerland, and Italy – all before Avalee had reached her first birthday! As seasoned family travelers (we have 3 children) we’ve learned a lot about what works best when traveling with babies in tow.

With input from other parents who have traveled with their babies too, we’ve compiled a list of the best places to travel with a baby along with practical tips based on our experiences on how to choose the perfect baby-friendly holiday destinations. 

Just because you have a new baby doesn’t mean you have to be stuck at home. Now is a great time to make memories with your little one and travel the world!

It might not always be easy to travel with a baby, but in my opinion, it is always worth any challenges.

Here is a list of the best baby-friendly countries to visit to ensure your trip will run as smoothly as possible.

27 Best Places to Travel with a Baby in the World

Wondering where to travel with your baby?

We love traveling with our baby as we scout out the best places to visit with an infant.

In our opinion, the best countries to visit with a baby in USA, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Italy, and the UK, but you can find more ideas on our list down below.

But first! Sign up for our ‘Wanderlust Storytellers Family Tribe’ newsletter to get loads of helpful information about how to travel with a baby! 

1. Tuscany, Italy

For one of the best holiday destinations with a baby or even older kids, head to beautiful Italy!

Children are adored in this country, and you will find that Italians will often go out of their way to help parents. And expect them, to come to say hello to your little ones too.

Italy is one of the best places to go on holiday with a baby. It is easy to find some beautiful family-friendly accommodation options.

We chose Tuscany for our list because it has plenty of stroller-friendly destinations.

I recommend you choose either Florence or Lucca for a home base. Both cities are great for strollers, although we recommend a stroller with large cushioned wheels to handle bumpy or cobble-stone roads.

Florence has plenty of playgrounds for older babies and toddlers, and the restaurants typically can prepare a small plate for younger kids or a simple pasta dish (when Avie was a toddler, she often had simple pasta and butter).

If you decide on Florence, be sure to have a look at the best neighborhood to stay in Florence .

You can also find many beautiful small towns scattered through Tuscany that will allow you to explore this region of Italy without the masses of tourists.

Recommended attractions in Tuscany that you should see with your baby include the Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Boboli Gardens.

If time permits, you should also visit Capo Sant’Andrea on Elba Island (make sure to take baby beach shoes if you are planning to spend some time on the beach).

Personally speaking, Italy is arguably the best place to travel with baby options for us so far, as well as one of the best baby-friendly travel destinations and baby-friendly countries.

• Bring your baby carrier along, as you will often find stairs at the main attractions in Italy.
• Always have a baby change mat on hand, as change tables in public restrooms are rare.
• You can rent a stroller in Italy, and check out sites such as TravelBaby.It and BabyGuest.com.
• Pre-book your taxi online , that way, you can request a baby car seat for the transfer as well.

Where to Stay in Tuscany with a Baby:

We recommend basing yourselves in either Florence or Lucca (cheaper) and then planning your day trips from there.

Best Place to Stay in Florence with a Baby:

• Best Hotel: For a fantastic stay I would choose  MyFlorenceHoliday Gold Bridge . Their family room includes a cot and high chair and has a kitchen area where you can prepare bottles etc. The hotel is located 100 meters from Ponte Vecchio.
• Best VRBO: I love The Time Machine apartment which is located next to Palazzo Vecchio. It has 2 bedrooms and includes a travel crib, high chair, and dishes & utensils for kids- it also has a lift to the apartment which is on the second level.

Best Place to Stay in Lucca with a Baby:

• Best Hotel: The 4-Star Hotel Ilaria has a triple room that includes a cot. This popular hotel is located in the historic centre of Lucca.

Further Reading:

• Visit Tuscany with Kids (Tips and Information)
• See our full blog post with helpful information about traveling to Italy with a baby
• Watch our Video on YouTube: Italy with a Baby or Toddler .
• Florence with Kids

Wondering where to travel with a baby in Asia?  Japan is one of the best places to travel with an infant in Asia.

This destination is very baby-friendly. You can easily choose from some of these great destinations in Japan perfect for first-timers .

“ Baby Cafes ” located throughout Tokyo have childproof areas and food for mom and dad to purchase.

There are also family rooms throughout (mainly in the larger supermarkets) around, the larger cities where moms can nurse or change their babies.

Baby supplies are available from pharmacies, and let’s not forget how clean the country is (you won’t see rubbish anywhere!).

• Bring your baby carrier along and leave your stroller at home.
• You will typically find beautiful baby rooms in the larger supermarkets.
• Public restrooms should have change tables and a parent-friendly toilet with a baby highchair, so you have somewhere to pop baby while you do your business.
• Choose Airbnb over small hotel rooms.
• For toddlers, we can highly recommend some popular theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan.

READ MORE: See our helpful post on how to visit Japan with a baby

3. London, England

London is one of the best places to travel in Europe with a baby.

This city has parent rooms and changing facilities readily available, making it a great place to visit with a baby.

Many sights can easily be accessed by public transportation or on foot. We love how easy the city is to navigate with a stroller; simply use the   step-free Tube map to navigate the underground with your stroller.

Breastfeeding in public is accepted and considered perfectly normal. Children under five can travel for free on public transport, and there are plenty of family-friend restaurants.

If your bubs is a bit older, he/she might also really enjoy outings to a  baby disco, one of the children ‘s  theatres, the city farms, zoos, or a day out at one of the many parks.

• Top 10 Things to do in London with Kids
• Make sure you download NCT’s Babychange app, which will show you all the baby-changing facilities in your vicinity, and the Wowmum app, which lists baby change areas, as well as child-friendly activities, parks, and more.
• Book your taxi online. Book Taxi London is a reliable website that you can use to quickly and easily book your taxi (you can even select to have a car seat for your little one)!

After one of the most affordable places to visit with your baby?

With rice paddies, waterfalls, beaches, and great people, Bali certainly has it all.

This dreamy vacation is very baby-friendly, and nannies or babysitters are super affordable.  You can also very easily rent baby gear and equipment for super low prices if you need them.

Hotels and resorts will be equipped with baby cots and high chairs, and with a bit of effort, you can also pre-book transfers with baby car seats.

Avoid Kuta and head to more family-friendly areas such as Canggu, Ubud, Legian, Jimbaran, or Nusa Lembongan.

We love to combine some time in Ubud to soak up the peaceful rice paddy atmosphere with some luxury and relaxation at one of the beachside areas such as Canggu or Jimbaran.

Bali might be the best place to travel with a baby for those living in Australia.

• Bring your baby carrier along and leave your stroller behind
• Always have a baby change mat on hand
• Book a cheap nanny to tag along with you on your outings
• Pre-book your transfers if you wish to have a baby car seat
• Don’t forget to bring along your  sun tent for baby , as well as some handy and essential  beach items for baby

5. Tulum, Mexico

One of the best travel destinations with a baby if you are after some beautiful beaches and warm weather. This city can make for a very relaxing vacation.

Many family-friendly beaches and hotels accommodate those traveling with babies, as they often provide cribs and strollers.

If you are wondering if it is safe to travel to Mexico with a baby, you will be glad to know that it is.

What you will need to consider is taking enough baby formula if you are not breastfeeding your little one as the variety of formula available is limited.

If you do use baby formula, make sure to use bottled water when making your baby’s milk.

If you do take a baby stroller, take one that can fold up and will fit easily into any taxi that you may take whilst on holiday.

If you are planning on venturing out and about, a baby carrier is a great choice as you will be hands-free, and is perfect for any hikes are strolls on the beach.

Top places to visit include Sian Ka’an Biosphere and Playa Paraiso.  Mexico offers some of the best baby-friendly travel destinations for those in the USA.

6. Chicago, Illinois

One of the best places to travel to with a baby in the United States is Chicago. This city is so baby friendly making it hands down one of the best cities to travel with a baby and one of the best travel destinations with baby options.

The great thing about Chicago is that it has a ton of baby sights, attractions, and tours to enjoy.

Taking your baby out and about during the day is great for you and the baby and in Chicago, they celebrate that.

The town of Chicago has free stroller tours at some of the area’s major museums, including The Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Museum of Contemporary Art.

Besides the museums, you can also visit the Shedd Aquarium and Navy Pier.

If you are explicitly wondering where to travel with a newborn, this would be one of our top picks.

7. Montreal, Canada

After stroller-friendly places to visit with a baby? One of the nice things about Montreal is that it’s very stroller-friendly.

Numerous kid-friendly festivals occur throughout the year. Popular attractions include Jean-Talon Farmer’s Market, Clock Tower Beach, and The Botanical Gardens.

If you visit Montreal outside of these festivals do not worry because there is still lots to do. Experience much of the cultural scene in Montreal by visiting many of the galleries and museums. Kids under 12 can go free to many of these local Montreal attractions.

In summer there are many parks and open green spaces that you can enjoy as a family. Enjoy a picnic and the many playgrounds that can be found in the parks.

Montreal boasts a large variety of baby-friendly and welcoming cafes and restaurants, so when it comes to enjoying a bite to eat, you and your baby can relax.

8. Tasmania, Australia

Definitely, one of the most baby-friendly countries to visit.

Australia is another brilliant country to visit with a baby. While there are many baby-friendly places to travel to in Australia, we love Tasmania.

This Australian state is an excellent destination for children of all ages. You can easily find high chairs in restaurants, which typically have special kids’ menus to keep toddlers happy.

You can easily find all baby supplies in small or large grocery stores. Hotels have cots available (typically free of charge), and destinations are all stroller-friendly.

One of the nice things about Tasmania is that you don’t have to haul a stroller with you on your flight if you don’t want to because plenty of stroller rentals are available.

Many activities here are nature-based, including a visit to the Bay of Fires and Russell Falls. A great activity during the summer months is to head to one of the beautiful sandy beaches for some much-needed relaxation.

9. Wales, United Kingdom

Wales is another one of the best places to travel with a baby in Europe!  People love babies in Wales and will bend backward to ensure you enjoy your time here as much as possible.

Hotels will provide everything from cribs to baby gates and can even recommend babysitting services if you need some alone time. Good places to visit with your baby include Cardiff Castle, Tenby Harbour, and Bodnant Garden.

When you are out and about enjoying the lush Welsh countryside, be sure to take a baby carrier with you.

If you plan to spend more time exploring the Welsh villages and towns, a baby stroller will definitely come in handy. If you can, a stroller that folds up compactly is best as you are guaranteed it will be able to travel in your taxi.

10. San Diego, California

This is one of the most baby-friendly destinations on the list. There are a lot of boardwalks, walking trails, and plenty of beaches.

If you take a stroller with you when you travel to San Diego with a baby, you will be able to move around with ease.

If you are looking for some great baby-friendly activities then a visit to the Birch Aquarium, Mission Beach & Boardwalk, or the San Diego Botanic Garden are all great choices.

Be sure to also make your way to the San Diego Zoo. This huge zoo has so much to see and do and is a huge amount of fun for everyone.

If you visit during warmer months, be sure to pack sunblock and a swimming costume so you can take a dip at the many beaches.

Pack some kids’ beach toys or grab a set from one of the local shops on the boardwalk as all kids love to play in water and sand and most of all build sandcastles.

For kids big and small, head to Legoland which is under an hour’s drive from San Diego. The best part about the rides at Legoland resorts is that they do not have height restrictions so even the shortest of visitors can enjoy the rides when visiting.

Is it any surprise that Hawaii happens to be one of the best places to vacation with a baby? This island is a dream vacation for many due to the many resorts that cater to families.

So it is probably no surprise that Hawaii happens to be one of the best places to vacation with a baby!

If you do not want to explore the island and just need to relax and take it easy, then staying at your beach resort is great as you can lunge around the pool or on the beach.

Head to the beach for some sand and fun and when baby is tired and ready for a nap, the room is only a short walk away. If you want to do an activity that is a bit more strenuous, many of the resorts do offer activities at the resort that you can enjoy.

The best way to get around this island is with a rental car. You will be able to see plenty of amazing sights that will allow you to take unforgettable pictures of yourself and your baby.

Exploring Hawaii by car also means that your baby can take a nap when traveling and not be tired to enjoy the sights.

Baby-friendly places include Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail and Valley of the Temples.

12. Cape Town, South Africa

Not many people associate good places to travel with a baby, including South Africa. However, those who’ve been to Cape Town know it’s one of the best places to visit with a baby or even older kids.

Cape Town is also one of the best cities to visit with a baby because baby facilities are readily available everywhere.

There are plenty of picturesque views and things to do, visiting the penguins, heading out on a boat to see the seals, or having a picnic in a vineyard.

If you want to travel around Cape Town then make sure to rent a car. Many places that you will visit may be an hour or so drive out of the City center.

You do not need to take a car seat with you as many of the car rental companies will be able to offer you car seat rental.

Cape Town is known for its many wine farms. If you think that visiting is not great for kids, you will be pleased to know that many of the wine farms cater to all ages, with most offering children their own version of a “wine-tasting menu “with treats and kids’ drinks.

Nearly everywhere you visit a baby chair will be available to use. Most wine farms have play parks for kids to enjoy with swings, slides, and jungle gyms. If you are traveling with older kids.

Head to one of the many beaches, the most renowned being Camps Bay and enjoy a sunset picnic.

You can find our full guide on how to travel South Africa with a baby here. We visited South Africa with our youngest and two older kids and spent 5 weeks exploring various parts of the country and we loved it!

Further Reading

• Grab some ideas of what to do in Cape Town with kids here.

13. Taipei, Taiwan

Another popular destination for family travelers in Taiwan. This destination is very safe and the people of Taiwan are very welcoming of babies and children.

Many places in Taiwan have mothers’ rooms, similar to those found in Japan, but this city is a great place to travel with a baby because of its many attractions.

Unlike other places, you can easily strap a baby into a stroller and walk around, as the terrain isn’t tough to maneuver making it super easy to get around and explore.

This allows families to see a lot of exciting sights like Longshan Temple or Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

The city of Taipei is exciting and colorful and at night looks a lot like Times Square in New York.

Head to the 101 Building which cannot be missed when you arrive in the city. You can go up this building and it is strongly recommended to buy tickets in advance rather than queuing.

Head out of the city and you will find the Silver Stream Cave which is a temple carved into the rock face behind a stunning waterfall. The nerve-wracking walk-up is definitely worth the trek and be sure to pack a baby carrier for this to make the walk easy.

Belize is one of the most baby and kid-friendly places to visit. It has so many different attractions and activities that everyone can enjoy.

One of the other biggest perks for families visiting here is its affordability.

The country is also English-speaking, so you don’t have to worry about the need to whip out your language translator while trying to balance a baby on your hip.

There are a lot of great places to take your little one in this country, including the Blue Morpho Butterfly Farm and the Mayan Ruins.

If your trip to Belize is to have some downtime and not be out and about too much, be sure to stay at one of the many resorts that offer guests all they need from horseback riding to pools and a health spa.

You can easily find what you need in the stores in Belize however if your baby is drinking formula, it is best to take your own with you as you may not be able to find the same make in Belize.

15. Ecuador

Ecuador may not be the first place you think of when traveling a with baby however you will find that this country is very welcoming of children and is affordable for a family vacation.

Ecuador is one of the best places to visit in South America, so you can’t go wrong with this destination!

The safest way to get around Ecuador is by renting a vehicle. Although there is a lot of public transport like taxis and buses, seatbelts are not always readily available and the maneuvers that the drivers take along the winding roads are quite hair-raising!

When it comes to mealtimes and feeding, you will be pleased to know that breastfeeding is very acceptable and normal. If you need baby formula, this is readily available however you may not find your usual brand.

The terrain is challenging to get around with a stroller, so you will need to use a baby carrier instead. You can even take a backpack carrier as this will be the easiest way to get around and carry your baby.

It’s worth exploring the city as much as possible with your baby as there’s a lot to see. This includes The Otavalo Indigenous Market and the Manabi Coast.

It can get pretty noisy at night too so you may want to bring along something to create white noise. Top tip – book hotels and places to stay that is away from main roads to help reduce the noise at night.

Wondering where to travel with your baby in Greece?

Those who visit Greece can tell pretty quickly that the culture is family-oriented. Often children can eat free at restaurants, stay free at hotels and ride public transportation for free.

While we recommend you leave the cliff-top towns such as Santorini for another year, you could visit many other beautiful destinations in Greece with your baby in tow. 

There are many islands that you can visit in Greece offering you and your baby warm beaches to enjoy like the infamous Mykonos.

Another great place to visit in Greece is Crete and the great thing is that this is not the first place most people think of visiting in Greece.

This makes it a great destination as it is not crowded and Crete also has a range of activities to do with kids.

Greece is also a very safe place to visit so it is a definite for any family vacation. If you want to explore by walking, a stroller may be difficult to use so a baby carrier may be best. Or a stroller with larger wheels will be ok.

Make sure you and your baby visit the Plaka District of Athens and The Castles Of Rhodes.

How To Get Around

Of course, the best way to get around Rhodes is with the locals. Get your local Rhodes taxi here.

And if you are staying in Athens (check out our list of the best hotels with rooftop pools in Athens here ), the best way to get around town is by taxi! Book your taxi here !

• The Best Places to Visit on a Family Holiday To Crete
• Where to visit in Greece for first-timers

17. Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is full of incredible sights to explore; it would be a shame not to discover the elegant harbors because you have a baby. Instead, Stockholm is one of the best places to travel with a baby.

One of the best things about Stockholm is that you can walk almost everywhere. It is an incredibly safe city and is the perfect size for a family to explore.

Sweden is one of the best places in Europe to visit with kids , because there are plenty of age-appropriate entertainment spots, such as;

• Old Town – the quaint part of town with fantastic toy stores
• Vasparken – a massive park with a lovely playground
• Skansen – a giant ocean-air museum and zoo

It is a legal requirement for all city buses to ensure space for wheelchairs for disabled people and prams for children. This makes it easy to get around if you push a stroller.

A trip to Stockholm is one of the best baby-friendly vacations you can plan.

Tip: One of the best ways to check out Stockholm is from the water. Take a look at our list of best Stockholm boat tours here.

The USA is one of the best baby-friendly vacation spots in the world. There are so many different places in the USA that it is a hard choice of where to go when visiting the USA with a baby and young children.

Washington, DC, is such a vibrant, beautiful city, and it promises to be a memorable and enjoyable experience for the whole family. It is an icon of democracy, full of history and progressive happenings.

There is so much to see and do – a lot of which is free. The best time to visit Washington, DC, with your baby is during spring (March to May), as the temperature is pleasant, with the pink cherry blossoms blooming around early April.

Avoid July and August, which can get uncomfortably hot and cause your baby to fuss.

The city has an excellent public transport system, making getting around easy. While the law doesn’t require car seats for cabs, you can pre-request one for a taxi or Uber.

Florida is another great place to visit and has so many family-friendly resorts to choose from. Florida is well known for all the amusement parks for toddlers such as Disney World, Magic Kingdom Park, etc.

Your young children and even baby will love the splash pads inside Magic Kingdom

Take a trip to Utah to see Zion National Park. There are short hikes inside the park which will be enjoyable for the whole family.

If you do decide to hike in Zion National Park, make sure to take a baby hiking carrier. Find more tips for visiting Zion National Park with kids here.

The same applies if you visit Colorado and the Rocky Mountain National Park.

North Carolina has many fun activities for the family. There is the North Carolina Zoo which is bound to make your little one smile.

Spend a night or two under the stars in the Uwharrie National Forest. There are many activities that you can do from swimming to fishing and boating. Make sure that you put safety first and use life vests for water sports and activities.

If you happen to travel to New York, make sure to take a stroll around central park. It is perfect for walking with a baby stroller or baby carrier.

19. Reykjavik, Iceland

Due to the chilly temperatures, Reykjavik and the rest of Iceland are often overlooked when deciding where to travel with a baby.

However, the city is breathtakingly beautiful, and if you bundle up your baby, you can enjoy the Northern Lights, geothermal hot springs, and fascinating history without the fuss!

Boasting surreal landscapes and fascinating natural phenomena, your little one may be lucky enough to capture a memory.

Reykjavik is fast becoming a trendy tourist destination, so there have been increased tour options. Many of these tours are family-friendly and remove all the fuss when planning your trip.

Make sure you pack in a few extra warm goodies, and you and your baby are good to go.

20. Runaway Bay, Jamaica

Jamaica is known as a paradise getaway, and no reason having a baby should change this experience. Runaway Island in Jamaica prioritizes an atmosphere of relaxation and is one of the top places to travel with a baby.

As a fabulous family vacation destination, Runaway Bay boasts many villas, resorts, and accommodation options focused on the family. Many of these resorts offer family-sized rooms that can comfortably sleep up to three children.

Many of these resorts also help arrange the services of a nanny or babysitter to help you better relax on the beach. Some resorts even have a baby club where trusted employees mind your child during nap time.

If we can give you one little piece of advice, it’s to pack a lot of sunblock (keeping in mind that babies under six months can’t use sunblock). Chances are, your little one will enjoy the sun, sand, and clear waters as much as you.

21. Cascais, Portugal

Cascais is a quaint village in Portugal full of culture, history, and, most importantly, families. The laid-back destination promises one of the best vacations with infants possible.

There is a tangible warmth in the air reflected in the locals’ cheery expressions, and it is sure to be a holiday you will never forget.

If you don’t choose to push your stroller on the wide, open streets, you can be comforted that child seats in taxis are not mandatory, making taxi cabs easily accessible.

There is a wide selection of parks, calm beaches, and historical sites to explore. One thing to remember is that the rich traditions in the seaside village mean that local restaurants don’t necessarily serve chicken nuggets and the like.

However, if your baby wants to venture from their formula, you can rest assured that the local food isn’t particularly spicy and generally quite soft.

22. Vail, Colorado

Vail, Colorado, is one of the best places to travel with a baby.

The breathtaking images of gorgeous mountains, vast open spaces, and reflecting lakes may make you think Vail is better suited to adults; however, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

There is an entire baby brand named ‘Travel Vail Baby’, which serves as proof of how excellent the destination is for infant-friendly vacations.

The baby and toddler equipment rental company provides cribs, strollers, high chairs, hiking backpacks, and bouncy seats (among many other items) to help parents enjoy Vail’s jagged peaks and slopes.

When ascending to higher altitudes, your baby should be fine, as babies older than three months old adjust to altitude much better than adults.

Handy Tip: The Vail Public Library has incredibly fun baby storytime!

23. Barcelona, Spain

A trip to Barcelona with your baby is a sure way to begin stimulating their creativity from a young age.

From the eccentric design of the Gaudi buildings to the intricate stained glass windows of the cathedrals, your baby will be so busy absorbing the environment that they’ll have little time to cry.

If you want to make the most of your time in Barcelona, travel in the summer when you can enjoy the multiple parks and outdoors. Babies are often happier and more relaxed when moving about.

With so many sights and attractions, you can be sure your little one will be happy as a clam.

Top tip: Make sure to pack a sling or baby carrier. The streets in Barcelona are cobbled, and the bumps could make your baby uncomfortable.

24. Nice, France

Nice is a romantic and magical destination filled with bustling alleyways, quaint little shops, and outdoor restaurants.

One of the best parts about traveling to Nice, France, with a baby is the excellent promenade which offers surreal views while pushing a buggy.

As Nice is such a popular tourist destination, you’ll find that the hospitality industry accommodates babies.

From heating bottles to providing changing facilities, you can visit Nice quickly without any baby hassles.

The French Riviera offers sun, sea, and delectable food; it would be a shame to miss out on this. The charming city is easy to travel to with a baby, especially if you follow our tips on how to travel through France with a baby .

25. Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is one of the most accessible places to visit with a baby. The cosmopolitan city has a lot to offer the entire family and caters to its attractions.

In addition to fantastic shopping, music, and food experiences, there are a lot of free and budget attractions to enjoy.

Seoul has plenty of indoor playgrounds, known as Kids’ cafes that are great for toddlers under two years old. These are a great option during the extreme seasons when the weather can be icy or uncomfortably hot.

The city’s very efficient public transportation system and a wide variety of family-friendly accommodation options make day-to-day living in Seoul very easy.

If you prefer to walk, you’ll be pleased to know that Seoul is also fairly stroller friendly.

One piece of advice is to not breastfeed in public. The Koreans don’t make a habit of the practice, so choosing to do so will attract unwanted attention.

Although there are baby nursing stations in larger subway stations, department stores, and restaurants.

26. Dublin, Ireland

Ireland, is probably the most friendly country in Europe , and is such a baby-friendly country to visit!

Dublin City and the rolling green hills surrounding the area are on the top of many people’s bucket lists – for a good reason.

There is a stunning culture of friendliness in the city, and the beautiful design of the city mimics the breathtaking landscapes on the outskirts.

Dublin is well-supplied with formula, food, nappies, and clothing for your little one. Most restaurants will go as far as to prepare a bowl for your child and offer high chairs and baby-changing facilities.

Getting around Dublin is very easy. In addition to speaking English, the city is also easy to navigate, and baby car seats are available for a small additional cost. There is even a child-friendly taxi service .

There are many baby-friendly activities to discover in the city, including live Irish music performances.

Be aware that Dublin has quite a vibrant pub culture, and while children are allowed in the pubs and bars during the day, they are not legally allowed entry after 9 pm.

27. Thailand

Thailand is such a great destination to travel with a baby as it is so baby friendly. We love traveling to Thailand and have done it many times with our daughter when she was a baby and a toddler.

The Thai people and culture are so welcoming it makes this country a perfect destination for families who want to travel to a beach destination with a baby.

Another perk is that there are quite a few 4+ star hotels that are more than willing to accommodate your baby’s needs.

Many of them include indoor pools and even water parks. If you are after great cultural travel destinations with a baby, you can’t look further than Thailand. Here is a list of the best resorts on Koh Samui for families .

Some of the best places and great destinations to travel with a baby in Thailand are Khao Lak, Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Samui .

How to Choose Infant-Friendly Holiday Destinations

Wondering how to choose the best place to travel with an infant? Find below some of our requirements when we decide where to travel next.

1. Is the Transportation Safe?

An important consideration when we choose holiday destinations with our baby is whether transportation will be safe for our little one.

For example, you might consider whether taxis and private transfers offer infant travel car seats. 

If they don’t, it might be best if you rent a car and add a child car seat onto the rental costs, or you might prefer to bring your own – find a post on the best infant travel car seats to travel with here.

(However, it is essential to check if your car seat can be adequately secured in a different country as they all have different systems to install car seats).

How safe are these to use if you plan to take public transport? Some countries are crazy when it comes to driving.

Think about what you are comfortable with and choose the best vacation that ticks your boxes.

2. Is the Climate Baby-Friendly?

Look at the average temperatures and how much rain the destination will get at the time of year you plan to visit.

We made the mistake of traveling to Asia during their hot season, and our baby developed a heat rash from the constant heat; it made life more challenging than it needed to be as she was unhappy and pretty grumpy.

We also went to Japan when it was freezing, and it was tricky to keep our little baby warm and snug in the temperature.

3. Keep Travel Time Short

Keep flight time as short as you can. It is much easier to fly with a newborn who sleeps a lot, in comparison to a baby who has just become mobile.

It might be a good idea to pick infant-friendly travel destinations closer to home.

An 8-hour flight overseas might be okay, but a 15-hour long-haul flight will be much more challenging (If you are traveling long-haul, you might appreciate our long-haul flight checking list for babies ).

So while we list baby-friendly holidays from around the world in our list below, it will be essential to consider the ones closer to your home.

Also, think about how long your transfers are once you land, and keep your travel days nice and short so that there is plenty of downtime for your baby.

4. Which Countries Are Safe?

The best countries to travel to with a baby are the ones that are safe for little kids. Have a look to see if there is any unrest in the destination you will be visiting.

Look at which vaccines you might have to get (and whether your baby can even get them).

It might be best to avoid rural and remote areas of a country until your baby is a bit older.

We visited Bali when our daughter was only six weeks old, but we stayed clear of the monkey forests and spent a lot more time on hotel grounds than we would typically have done to keep the trip safe for her.

5. Consider Health Care

Think about the amenities and healthcare facilities you would typically be comfortable with at home.

Are there good hospitals, and will the medical staff be able to understand you?

6. Baby Facilities

Another thing that will make traveling with a baby easier is choosing a destination with baby facilities readily available.

Can you find hotels that have baby cots available? You might prefer to travel with a crib; you can find our top recommendations for a lightweight travel crib here.

Are high chairs available in restaurants, and are there baby change rooms?

If not, you can always travel with your own high chair – find a post on the best high chair for travel here.

You can also find a list of all our recommendations for baby travel gear to make your life easier while on holiday here.

Consider how easy it will be to purchase baby diapers, formulae, baby food, or baby medication.

If you have to travel with baby food, you can find a post about TSA baby food and formulae rules here.

Also, think about your baby’s age; the best places to travel with a newborn will not be the same as the best places to travel with a 1-year-old, because a 1-year-old is mobile.

If your baby is at the age where they are eating and drinking water, it is also essential to consider how safe the water and food are to eat in the country you are visiting.

Hopefully, all the tips above are helpful and will guide you to choose one of the best baby-friendly holiday destinations from our guide below.

Jolene’s Pro Tips for Traveling with an Infant

• Do it your way: People seem to think that if you go somewhere and you stay in your resort you are doing it wrong! But there is nothing wrong with a holiday with your baby where you do nothing but stay on the resort grounds.
• Have plenty of time to rest: Everything needs to happen slower when you travel with a baby. Plan to have only half days of exploring and half a day to relax, plan to have relax days after big travel days.
• Stay longer in one hotel: Our baby took a few days to adjust to a new hotel/crib. Which meant we had a few rough nights before she settled back into sleeping better. So we learned to stay in one spot for at least 5+ nights.
• Beach vs City trips: We personally found it much easier to go on a beach vacation in comparison to exploring towns and cities in a country. Life moves slower on islands and so that is where we prefer to be with our baby.
• What works for someone else might not work for you: Babies are all different, just because someone else had an incredible road trip holiday with their baby, does not mean your road trip will go smoothly. Our baby hated the car and the stroller, so road trips or days exploring all day long in a stroller were not fun for anyone!

Final Thoughts On The Best Places To Vacation With A Baby

So hopefully, if you have been wondering where to travel with an infant, you have made a list of the best holiday destinations with a baby you would love to visit.

The best destination with a baby will be different for each of us as it depends on your current location, as well as what sort of current baby ‘comforts’ you might be used to.

Most parents feel most comfortable when they choose destinations that offer the same level of baby care as the country where they live.

Ultimately you can travel anywhere in the world with a baby; after all, babies are born in each country worldwide.

But the most comfortable holiday where you will be less stressed out will be the country that matches your current baby’s facilities, amenities, and healthcare standards.

And as a last resort, go with your gut instinct. If the destination doesn’t feel right, it might be best to leave it until your child is older.

• Wondering what to take along on your trip? Here is our guide to handy travel accessories for baby that you should take on your holiday.
• First time flying with your baby? Grab our top tips on how to survive your flight with an infant .
• Wondering whether you should take a car seat on your flight? Here is a handy guide to help you decide .

Leave us a Comment:

• Which of these destinations on our best countries to travel with a baby list do you want to see the most?
• Can you add other best places to holiday with a baby?

Jolene Ejmont

20 thoughts on “27 best places to travel with a baby (safe + baby-friendly)”.

Hi, totally understand where you are coming from, but we visited Bali, Lombok and Gili Islands with our 2-month-old baby and her normal vaccines that she needs to get anyways was sufficient to keep her safe. And that was on doctor’s advice. We have also just visited Vietnam (she is 2 now) and again her normal routine vaccines was enough for her to go. Always best to choose a destination that you are comfortable visiting though and make sure you pop into your travel doctor for advice as well.

I would add Reykjavik

Oh Great tip Ana! Can you tell me why you found it baby friendly? 🙂

I love this! You guys have had some pretty awesome places – all the pictures are simply beautiful. That has to be one of the most memorable, not many people get to say that they have accomplished that! Great Job! and one more question How difficult is it to travel with a 2 month old baby?

A 2-month-old is EASY 🙂 They sleep a lot, they fall asleep anywhere and when they cry you can breastfeed. The hard months arrive once a baby is mobile.

Very interesting article about traveling of the baby. The traveling helps a baby to grow their physical and mental health. Baby strollers and prams are essential things during travel. Thank you for your well-written article.

Thanks for your comment Donna. Do you have a favorite destination that you love visiting with your baby?

I love to travel with my baby. Very interesting & informative post. Just lovely. Thanks a lot for sharing.

We traveled with our 7 month old to Florence and Tuscany and had an amazing time. People are incredibly friendly and helpful. If you get an Airbnb be careful for stairs!

Hi Matt, we love Italy because Italians love our kids! 🙂 We are actually heading to Italy for a 13 week trip early in 2019 – so excited!! Great tip with the stairs, I think it is important to ask that question in all European countries.

Great article. Thanks for sharing this post about best places to travel with baby. It’s very informative and helpful.

Korea is also really great for young children. Lots of kids’ cafes, people love children, most people in the big cities speak at least some English, safe, clean and quite cheap (compared to Japan).

Autumn (September/October) is the best time to come, summer is too hot, winter is too cold and there is often dirty air in spring. The autumn leaves are beautiful and sky is usually blue. The best area to visit is Gangwondo, to the north east.

Thanks for all those wonderful tips 🙂

I would suggest Portugal as well. People there love babies. If you’re pregnant or have a baby you have priority anywhere, from the queue at the supermarket to being seated at a restaurant. The country is beautiful, especially if you don’t just stay in the hyper touristy places like Algarve. Alentejo has great beaches and skies that go on forever and the further up North you go the cheaper it is, with some great hidden gems for both culture and nature.

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing and for giving some info on why you found it to be perfect for babies! We have actually had a few recommendations of Portugal, so might have to add it to the list 🙂

Jolene thank you for your list, we waiting for our baby and looking forward to starting travel with our boy.

Glad you like the info. Hope you have a great time once you can travel again 🙂 All best.

Thank you for the comment. Much appreciated it!

Thank you for the comment

Hi! Great post! Where would you recommend to travel with a 6 month old in December (internationally)? We would like the weather to be around 70F if possible as we are traveling from Minnesota and crave warmer weather in the winter months. Thanks!

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The Winona Nobody Knows: Revisiting Winona Ryder’s 1999 Girl, Interrupted Cover Story

“The Winona Nobody Knows,” by Jonathan Van Meter, was originally published in the October 1999 issue of Vogue.

For more of the best from Vogue’ s archive, sign up for our Nostalgia newsletter here .

When I arrive at Winona Ryder’s house in Beverly Hills, she has been awake for only ten minutes. I’m guessing that all the makeup—raccoon eyes, pale foundation, pink lipstick—is from the night before. It’s noon on a Monday in August, a beautiful Los Angeles day. She’s wearing a red-and-white Who T-shirt (the kids are alright), and a turquoise A-line skirt cut off several inches below the knee. Her short, unwashed hair, flecked with blonde tips, is pushed up with a black hairband. On her right wrist are a rubber band and a beaded leather bracelet. Her elegant diamond-and-gold earrings look like they belong to a much dressier outfit. In a word—a word she probably hates— adorable . More Winona clichés: She is tiny, doll-like, luminescent; those brown and huge eyes, impossibly far apart.

Have I mentioned she's adorable? Clutching a cup of tea, Winona heads outside to sit at a table under a big white umbrella on her red brick patio next to an inviting oval-shaped pool. “I live at this table,” she says, and it shows. There are piles of yellowing newspapers, an old candle with cigarette butts in it, a sketchbook, Time magazine, The Paris Review , a copy of Richard Ford’s Wildlife , and the book she's currently reading, An Underachiever’s Diary , by Benjamin Anastas. Over the next two days, I, too, will live at this table while Winona variously sips from a can of Coke and a little bottle of water, smokes my cigarettes, and chatters away about everything but Matt Damon, who is off-limits.

Modest by Hollywood standards, Winona’s house is of the typical two-story Spanish variety; she bought it last year for $2.5 million (“a steal”) from Rene Russo’s sister, who is also the ex-wife of Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist. There's a lot of rock-’n’-roll history in these walls—a selling point, and a fact that thrills her. “Neil Young’s Harvest was written here,” she says as only a person who lives and breathes music could. “That was one of my favorite albums.” Winona recently launched Roustabout Records, an independent label that her older brother, Jubal, and his best friend are running. She lives with her roommate of six years—Brett Brooks, a tall, handsome black man who’s a menswear buyer at Fred Segal—and her little brother, Uri, a 23-year-old actor/writer. “It’s my first real house,” she says. “I have a pool. I have gardeners. It’s an adult house. I definitely couldn’t live here alone.”

She stops suddenly; her eyes widen. “You want to go on a tour now?” she says as if suggesting that we open our Christmas presents a day early. And we’re off on an exhaustive walk through all ten rooms, complete with meticulous narration of each and every tchotchke—the provenance of every piece of art revealed, the story behind dozens of framed snapshots told. She uses the phrase “my prized possession” three times, referring to a W. Eugene Smith photograph of a little black boy climbing up a street sign, circa 1950; a snapshot of herself with her hero Tom Waits, taken at a concert a month ago; and a Sullivan’s Travels poster featuring Veronica Lake. Scattered about the house are memorabilia and artifacts from nearly every movie she's been in—proof, perhaps, that the unreal, out-of-time life she leads with an ever-changing cast of characters has actually happened. There, behind the bar, is a foot-high bronze statue from Alien: Resurrection ; just off the kitchen, on a shelf, a framed page of her narration from Heathers , signed by the director and editor. Next to it, a Polaroid of herself, Glenn Close, and Meryl Streep from The House of the Spirits . Upstairs in her messy bedroom (a mountain of beauty products, right next to the bed; many, many pairs of shoes) we find a snapshot that her mother took of Winona and Daniel Day-Lewis in full period costume on the set of The Age of Innocence . And, of course, there’s the requisite photo of Winona and Marty (Scorsese to you). “My show-off thing,” she says. Most endearingly, she has framed Arthur Miller’s bank deposit slip on which he wrote his home phone number during the filming of The Crucible . Under his number, he had written, “Call!” This gives her no end of joy.

There are other, more personal effects in her bedroom worth mentioning: A two-inch-by-two-inch framed picture of a three-day-old Winona. “My mom’s a Buddhist and I’m in this position that the Buddha is in, and she’s, like, ‘Noni, I know that you're special because of this…’ I’m like, ‘Mom, you probably positioned me like that.’ But this is what's really cool.” She takes the picture out of the frame and turns it over. “My dad was on the lam with Timothy Leary during this time and he showed this picture to him while they were in Switzerland skiing and that was when he asked him to be my godfather, and Tim wrote, ‘Love to the beautiful, newest Buddha girl from... ’—I think he meant to write ‘Godfather.’ They were probably really high.”

Also: A tiny hinged silver Tiffany frame that snaps open and shut like a locket. It was given to her by one of her dearest friends, the interior designer Kevin Haley, a one-time actor whom she's known since she was a baby. On one side of the frame is a picture of a teenage Winona slumped on a couch, dressed in black, wearing movie-star sunglasses, giving the camera the finger. On the other side is the page from The Catcher in the Rye where Holden Caulfield sees fuck you written on the wall. “I was in Paris promoting Mermaids ,” she says, “and I was a total insomniac and going nuts and having the worst time of my life, and Kevin took this picture and gave me this. I just treasure it. I take it with me wherever I go. It's a very adolescent me, but it reminds me of that time so much, and that book was like my bible.”

There’s one framed picture that's lying facedown on a shelf. She turns it over and panicky giggles issue forth. “That’s... that’s ... Matt!” It’s a picture of Damon, the boyfriend. “Trying not to talk about it,” she singsongs, putting the picture back, facedown. The final stop on our tour is a room that she says is—with air quotes—“the ‘office’ I never go into; this is the embarrassing room.” The source of her embarrassment is two framed Academy Award-nomination certificates—one for Best Supporting Actress in The Age of Innocence and one for Best Actress in Little Women —hanging on the wall. “Totally mortifying. Don’t look in that direction. Brett talked me into putting those up.” Embarrassment, you will come to see—usually about issues to do with fame—is a recurring motif in Winona Ryder’s life.

JAZZ BABY Cream-colored tea dress, Chloé.

Some facts about Winona: She has never been on a late-night talk show (except for Charlie Rose). She has never been to a fashion show. She does not sign autographs (except for children) because she thinks it's just weird. She has taken a vow not to repeat negative gossip, though this remains a struggle (I caught her once telling me that she heard Britney Spears has breast implants). She has never heard a Britney Spears song. She does her own hair and makeup for premieres and award shows. She swore she would never get a tattoo but broke down two years ago after dreaming about one every night for six months. The result is dime-size and elegant and exists on the top of her left forearm. It’s a combination of the Indonesian symbol for compassion and the Tibetan symbol for enlightenment. She turns 28 this month and has had only three serious boyfriends thus far: Johnny Depp for four years, Dave Pirner of the band Soul Asylum for four years, and now Matt Damon. She is a natural blonde but dyes her hair dark brown.

Is Winona all grown-up? Yes and no. She clings to a kind of spacey, lazy, California teen-girl cadence, still uses words like totally and awesome and like and lame . She smokes each cigarette as if she were 13 and it were her very first one: awkwardly (in Woody Allen’s Celebrity , she was quite good as a sexual predator and, at long last, seemed like a grown woman—until she smoked a cigarette). A few times in conversation, as we were living on her patio that first day, I found myself wishing she would get to the point, answer my question, stop drifting away, be more articulate. Apparently she had read my mind, as the next day, out of nowhere, came “I’ve never been that good with interviews, and I know that I’ve probably been really inarticulate. I was reading this interview with Sharon Stone last night, and she’s just really great at it. And I was like, ‘Man, Jonathan’s gonna think I’m sooo lame.’ I wish I could talk like that. This is me, but I just wish I could be more... like... Sharon Stone!”

On the other hand, Winona is very obviously a woman in control of her career and, in some ways, always has been. “Right from the beginning she chose what appealed to her,” says Kevin Haley, who used to take Winona to her auditions before she could drive. “And she’s done that all along. She always had her own taste, and she sticks to it.” At 14, she did Heathers against the advice of everyone around her, and she was right. The recent landslide of dark teen dramas are in many ways the progeny of Heathers. She seems to have a knack for choosing offbeat or dark or literary material that exists just this side of mainstream, like Beetlejuice, Mermaids, Edward Scissorhands, Reality Bites , Little Women —classics, really. Even her big mistakes— Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Alien: Resurrection —are interestingly camp (though she continues to be mortified by both films).

After the long and demanding shoot of Alien: Resurrection in 1997, Ryder, exhausted, decided to take some time off. Her career went into a slump, and a few months turned into almost two years. '“The stuff I was being offered was like: The Rookie Cop!” she says, laughing. “And I was just, like, ‘I’m not The Rookie Cop. I can’t be The Rookie Cop.’ Or this whole craze of super violent independent movies that I thought were ridiculous. They were just excuses to show the most disgusting images and people shooting up, and I was just so repelled by them.” When she finally went back to work she made a film called Lost Souls , directed by Janusz Kaminski, the cinematographer she had worked with on How to Make an American Quilt . “I wanted very much to work with Janusz, who’s a friend,” she says haltingly. I had heard through the buzz machine that she hates the film, won’t promote it. “I’ll just say that I haven’t seen it,” she says, batting her eyelashes.

This past winter, she began filming Girl, Interrupted , based on the best-selling memoir by Susanna Kaysen, the rights to which Columbia Pictures bought for producer Douglas Wick. Ryder had been attached to star from the beginning, but after her display of canny instinct on Little Women —she singlehandedly persuaded a reluctant Gillian Armstrong to direct and handpicked much of the young cast, including Claire Danes—Columbia made her an executive producer. “I don’t think I’m going to be some great producer,” she says. “My main reason for wanting to produce was to not let anyone fuck up the material—and there were a lot of people who wanted to make it something else.” After six years, several prospective directors, and many drafts of the script, Girl, Interrupted opens at long last in December, with Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg, and Vanessa Redgrave. “Her act as a producer was pulling together a great vehicle for herself because the world wasn’t doing it,” says James Mangold, the director and screenwriter, whose previous credits include Heavy and Cop Land .

Girl, Interrupted , published in 1993 to much critical acclaim, is an intense and surprising little book about 18-year-old Kaysen’s two years on the ward for teenage girls at McLean, a psychiatric hospital in New England, in the late ’60s. Kaysen’s prose is spare, elegant, and, at times, darkly funny. Through her eyes we meet a bizarre cast of characters—the doctors, nurses, and other girls on the ward. The book raises more questions than it answers—about what it means to be “crazy,” who is and who isn’t—and yet it manages, through Kaysen’s clearheaded and egoless insights, to be deeply satisfying.

“I read that book when I was 21 and freaked ,” says Ryder. “It was like, ‘Oh, my God, my whole life I’ve tried to say that and I’ve never been able to.” Ryder’s connection to the material came through her own unraveling at an early age. She started making movies when she was only 12. By 17, she was having “horrible” anxiety attacks. Over the next few years, things quietly got worse. “I was working constantly,” she says. “I didn’t take any time off. When I did, I was really stressed out. I went through my first breakup with a longterm boyfriend [Johnny Depp]. It was really difficult and weird and it was amplified because it was in the press. I really thought I was losing my mind. I became a terrible insomniac. I lived on airplanes and in hotels. I didn’t really have a home.”

JAZZ BABY Mad about music, the acclaimed actress has just launched a record company.

One morning she woke up and felt “too sensitive to be living in the world” and checked herself into a psychiatric hospital. “I stayed only a week because no one was talking to me,” she says. “They basically were just trying to medicate me. I was like, ‘No, I need to address my life right now; it’s a mess.’ It was a very dramatic move, and my friends really made fun of me. But I needed help.” Ryder started seeing a therapist she met at the hospital, and eventually her life evened out. “Right as I was coming out of it,” she says, “I read the book. I realized that what happened to me is not unusual. I had the money and the time and a lot of people don’t. Part of what the book says is ‘Everyone’s crazy; they just pretend to be OK so they can get by.’”

Ryder loved Heavy , and when she met Mangold a couple of years ago, she knew she had finally found her director. “It was really obvious that he was the perfect person and he really got it,” she says. “Other writers and directors over the years were way too verbal and cerebral about the whole thing. You either get it or you don’t. It’s like a weird secret handshake.”

Despite some early hesitation, Mangold decided to take the project on because, he says, “directors are opportunists. We look for people and moments that are about to blossom. And what I couldn’t get past was that I had the feeling that Winona was someone who was really ready to reach someplace. There are tremendous parallels between Winona’s experience and Susanna Kaysen’s. I love when I find actors who are ready to address larger issues about themselves and their choices in the material. She operates very much from the gut. She’s very free that way. And she gets the architecture of film on a profound level.”

“I’m very proud of my performance,” says Ryder. “I just trusted Jim so much. This is the first time, aside from working with Martin Scorsese, that I really let everything go. I was incredibly raw. I delivered myself on a platter to him. There’s stuff that I did in this movie that I’ve never done before. I did a scene where I’m in bed with [a guy] and I’m naked, and I was the most comfortable. I did a couple of scenes in a bathtub, naked.” She pauses. “And it’s certainly not a beauty-shot movie for me.”

“She’s phenomenal in it,” says Mangold. “She reaches farther than she’s reached in other pictures. But she also carries with her the strength we know and love. Some people have criticized her for playing young women too often, and here she plays a younger woman, but grows this girl up in a way we’ve never seen. After we passed some point of trust or friendship, she was very clear with me that she expected me to push her past what she thought was her bullshit. She gave me a note on the first day of production reminding me that she really expected that I would not be satisfied with just her big brown eyes. It was not only the actress speaking but also someone who’s been shepherding this movie for six years.”

Other Winona facts: She was born in Winona, Minnesota. She’s Jewish. Ryder is a stage name. Her real last name is Tomchin, but half the family goes by Horowitz because of a snafu at Ellis Island. Don’t ask. It’s complicated. She has an unnatural fear of being separated from her family, which she believes comes from having lost relatives in the death camps. She is obsessed with World War II. Ethel Horowitz, her 99-year-old Russian-immigrant grandmother, lives in Brooklyn and enjoys a friendship with Daniel Day-Lewis. The flapper pictures on these pages are a tribute to her. Dave Pirner, her ex, is her best friend. She still loves Johnny. She gets asked about her “falling out” with Gwyneth Paltrow every day. It’s not as dramatic as you think, but it’s complicated. Don’t ask. Most of her friends are gay. When she was 12 years old, she was beaten up and called “faggot” by a group of kids who thought she was a boy. When she got home from school with a bloody bandage on her head, she went into the bathroom, lit one of her father’s cigarettes, and did a Jimmy Cagney imitation in the mirror. She was discovered by a casting director at Salmagundi (“very Lana Turner”). She has a substantial collection of vintage Hollywood costumes, including Russ Tamblyn’s jacket from West Side Story , Leslie Caron’s dress from An American in Paris , Claudette Colbert’s gown from It Happened One Night , Olivia de Havilland’s blouse from Gone With the Wind , and Sandra Dee’s bikini from the Tammy movies. She has worn a much-altered Ava Gardner dress to three different Hollywood events, for which she has caught some grief from the press.

One evening, Winona, Brett, and I pile into Winona’s brand-new black Mercedes and drive to the Beverly Center on La Cienega to see The Thomas Crown Affair . She’s wearing a dark-denim jacket over a blue hoodie, black chinos, black T-shirt, DKNY sandals. When we arrive in the parking lot, she pulls a funny little black hat over her head. As we escalate through the mall, she avoids making eye contact with shoppers. Earlier in the day, I asked her about fame, how she experiences it. “I am as famous as I ever will be,” she said. “I will never get more famous than I am. Everyone knows me, but it’s more mellow because I was never in a big overnight-success movie. I appreciate that. I’m not a big target. I’m rarely in the tabloids. It’s not a huge intrusion in my life. It is annoying to get followed and photographed when you’re not prepared, like in airports. More than anything, it’s just... embarrassing!”

Back at the mall, we find our seats in the theater and wait for the movie to start. When not working, Ryder goes to the movies every single day. Or she and Brett rent movies, open a bottle of Champagne, and make a night of it. “I’m at the point where I’ve seen every movie in the video store,” she says, “and I’m not kidding. I can’t find a movie that I haven’t seen—except the really cheesy ’80s teen movies.” The American Film Institute sent Ryder its 100 Greatest Movies collection on video as a gift. “I was so excited because I missed the special.” Pause for effect. “ I'd seen every movie in it! That’s 100 movies, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When I was growing up, my mom kept me home from school to watch movies. Kept me home . Like, I would want to go school. I remember trying to explain to my teachers: Ί saw Imitation of Life , and it’s this incredible story!’ And they were like, You missed school .”

In conversation, Winona refers to movies constantly. Clearly they were an unusually important and formative part of her childhood. Now that she’s an adult, movies are her job, her lifeblood. And if she has been criticized, as she says, “for playing one too many brown-eyed waif girls,” who can blame her? That’s what the movies—that’s what we—wanted her to be. But perhaps playing a teenager well past her teens slowed her progress in real life, because she has seemed, for so long, to exist in some strange lacuna between girl and woman. In a few weeks, she will fly to New York to begin work on Autumn in New York , directed by Joan Chen. Richard Gere plays a New York restaurateur/playboy who falls in love with Winona—the much younger woman—who has only a year to live. “It’s a love story with a lot of humor,” says Winona. “Very moving.”

PLAYING DRESS-UP Winona, a history buff, collects vintage Hollywood costumes (including gowns worn by Leslie Caron and Claudette Colbert). Here she wears an iridescent sequined dress by Chanel. Bracelets by Fred Leighton.

One afternoon, we sit in her living room in front of a gigantic television watching dailies from Girl, Interrupted . As she runs through take after take of a spooky, emotional scene, her face filling up the entire screen, she says, “I learned a lot about my face on this movie. My eyes are kind of big, and I can express more than I want to. I do that in real life.” She turns to me, makes her I eyes huge, and cracks up laughing. “See what I mean?”

Girl, Interrupted begins and ends with a cab ride. “When you look into Winona’s eyes in the beginning and end of this film,” says Mangold, “going to and from the hospital, there’s such a tremendous difference in this woman. Indescribable and lyrical and powerful in terms of the girl you’re seeing arriving, and the woman you're seeing entering the world.” Ryder can no longer play the little girl with the big brown eyes. And if, as James Mangold says, she “grows this girl up” in the movie, perhaps Winona, too, has finally grown up.

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International Travel with Car Seats: What Do You Really Do?

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: October 30, 2019

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If you want to start the mommy wars all over again, start a conversation about car seats. I’ve learned from posting a guide to car seats and air travel that car seats can bring out the worst in millennial and Gen X parents. The judgment is real. Don’t keep your child rear facing until their teen years? Judgment. Have that chest clip a half-inch too low when you snapped a photo of the kiddo in a car seat? Judgment.

So lesson learned? No way! Here I am stepping in it all over again with an important discussion that I think needs to be had about car seats for those of us who travel abroad…. what do you really do about car seats when you are in international destinations where they aren’t the norm? It’s confession time.

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

The Challenge of Car Seats and International Travel 

The impetus for this post was a conversation I had with a friend and fellow family travel blogger As the Joe Flies . So I blame him for making me wade into these waters again. When it comes to child safety, both Joe and I are pretty conservative. We both use car seats religiously back home with our kids. We know how to install and use them safely. I kept my son rear facing until he was 3 and only just now switched him at age 6 from a convertible car seat to a booster at home. Joe and I both do more than what the American Academy of Pediatrics and the laws of our state require. We have schlepped car seats all over this great country on dozens of planes and in numerous rental cars to keep our kids safe.

But where have we let things slide? International trips. Joe has Hong Kong roots and confessed to me that his family there thinks he’s crazy when he uses a car seat with his kids when they visit. He’s gone without with his daughter on occasion when the logistics necessitated it. Sorry Joe, your secret is out.

Since I’ve tattled on a fellow traveling parent, here comes the time where I should tattle on myself. We also went without a car seat or booster for my daughter in Hong Kong when she was 5. More recently, I let my son ride in an Uber in Panama when he was 2 without a car seat. (That was the infamous Uber ride where my son threw up all over me , but that’s another story.) We used a car seat to and from the airport in Panama but there was just no way to carry one when taking shorter trips while touring the city. Public transit wasn’t really an option there with the time we had and the places we wanted to go. It was a Uber or taxi or nothing. 

That’s the challenge – logistics. The realities of international travel mean that bringing a car seat with you everywhere in a vehicle just isn’t possible. If you find yourself in a country where car seat use is not the norm, forget finding a car service that even has car seats. There’s no Uber Car Seat service in Hong Kong. Or Panama.

Of course, there are some international destinations where car seats are exceptionally easy. We had no trouble in Montreal renting a car seat for our son with our rental car when we visited when he was 9 months old. When we weren’t using the car, the city’s public transit system was more than adequate to get us everywhere we needed to go. The same is the case in many major European cities with extensive subways and transit systems. I didn’t even have issues in Cancun, Mexico! The tour company we hired to take us to Chichen Itza made a car seat available in our touring van. No doubt they are used to dealing with American tourists who demanded it.

In a lot of other corners of the world, however, the car seat question is much harder. Public transit isn’t always available, safe, or practical. If you do rent a car or use a taxi, the cars may not be made to even install a US car seat. A lot of cars don’t have LATCH elsewhere in the world and some even don’t have seat belts that lock off, making car seat installation problematic. Heck, plenty of places don’t even have cars with seat belts at all!

So, it’s confession time. I want to hear about your personal experiences with car seat use at international destinations. Have you gone without one with your kids? At what ages? Does being able to use a car seat (or not) shape the destinations you travel to with your kids when they are at peak car seat age? Do you have any clever workarounds to share? This is a judgment-free zone.

Tips for Safer International Travel with Kids – With & Without Car Seats

Even though a lot of us will admit to cutting car seat corners on some occasions, there are likely still ways you can make transportation with your kids safer in your international travels. So while we all make our confessions, let me share a few tips that I’ve picked up to help improve your odds:

1. Consider car seats when picking a travel destination.

Many leisure travels are optional, so consider car seats in choosing where you take your kids at various ages and stages. There are hundreds of places on my bucket list, so it has made sense to me to choose destinations with safer transport options the past few years when I had babies and toddlers in tow. Now that my youngest is 6, we can be a little more adventurous in where we go. To be sure, there are many times you won’t have a choice in where you travel. But when you do, consider picking destinations with safer options in the crucial car seat years.

2. Take public transit.

The easiest way to make your international travels safer with young kids of car seat age is not to get into the car with them at all. So many international destinations have amazing mass transit – much better than in many places in the United States. Look for opportunities to take subways, busses, and ferries instead of hopping in a taxi, rental car, or Uber. Just make sure that public transit doesn’t present other safety challenges, because it’s easy to be a target with young kids.

3. Bring and use travel-friendly car seats and boosters.

Although large convertible car seats are rarely a viable travel-friendly option, there are increasingly so many car seat and booster products on the market that are compact enough to take with you. The technological innovation in the past decade since my daughter was born is jaw-dropping. I now have a complete guide to the best car seats and boosters for air travel but here’s is also a quick guide to a few of our favorites:

• For infants: Doona Infant Car Seat & Stroller combo
• For 2-5 year olds: WayB Pico folding car seat
• For 3+ year olds: Ride Safer Travel Vest
• For 4+ year olds: BubbleBum (see my complete BubbleBum review )

4. Take surface streets.

If you have to hop in a car without a car seat for a short trip, consider taking surface streets to your destination, even if it takes a little longer. Your kids will be relatively safer in slower moving non-highway traffic if you are, heaven forbid, in an accident without a car seat.

5. Think & plan ahead.

On some of the occasions I’ve have had to put my kids in a car without a car seat, there was an alternative that would have been safer. But because I had failed to think through the logistics in advance, I didn’t have the time or the supplies to take the safer way out. Before your trip, think through your overall itinerary so you can make sure to have the booster you need or enough time to take transit instead of an Uber.

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Sunday 23rd of February 2020

Call today for same-day windshield repair & replacement service. And best of all, due to our windshield replacement san jose we can easily come to your home or business location.

Saturday 30th of November 2019

Nice article. Especially the tips are for all the age group children.

Thursday 26th of September 2019

Traveling to two islands in the Caribbean. Public transportation does not have seatbelts and the "taxi” is basically a pickup truck with a bench in the back- clearly no hooks up there for carseats. Ideas? Traveling with a 1& 4 yr old. Just put baby in ergo and hang on tight to toddler and pray??? Ugh, the thought of it only taking one time and the thought of traveling the island way of life is making me nuts. We want safety but how. Hum...

Monday 10th of June 2019

We are traveling to Europe and would book our 8-mo old baby a seat and bring her car seat BUT there are two problems: 1) The US car seat is not legal in Europe so we cannot use it there but still need to drag it around. 2) When we are out and about there all day long with a stroller, a car seat converted into a stroller isn’t very comfy (and lacks sun protection) so then we need to bring a car seat and a stroller somehow... Are there any alternative seat options for infants? (she is too young for the CARES system) Are there any light travel strollers that take a car seat but also have a normal seat and don’t coat a fortune?

Eric D Hendler

Thursday 28th of March 2019

Hi there, We are visiting Hong Kong and planning to bring an Immi Go with us but it needs a tether as well as side anchors. What are the chances that a hotel car service will have tethers and anchors?

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11 Best Airlines For Kids For International Family Travel – And What You Need To Know!

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Take a flight aboard one of these international airlines for families to jumpstart your next vacation abroad with kids! Though traveling with children can be tricky, it’s easier when you can depend on a reliable airline. Luckily, many international airlines make traveling long distances with little ones feel less complicated. For example, airlines like Singapore Airlines , Emirates , and Aer Lingus have incentives for all ages, including priority boarding and swag bags! Remember that airline opinions are subjective – one family can have a great experience, while another can experience something totally different. What makes these airlines stand out, however, is their dedication to quickly remedying any mistakes, and to providing a smooth experience from takeoff to landing and beyond for families. Using suggestions from our Facebook community of family travelers, here are our top picks for the 11 Best Airlines For Kids For International Family Travel.

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Best International Airlines for Families

From European airlines like Lufthansa to Japanese airlines like All Nippon Airways, here are the international airlines that our families love when traveling with kids! Stay tuned because we have some tips for flying internationally with children below !

RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Travel Accessories Families Can’t Live Without !

Parents consistently cite Lufthansa as one of the best international airlines for kids . With hubs in Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich International Airport (MUC), it also services airports like JFK, Heathrow Airport (LHR), and LAX. Not to mention, many other destinations throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Before boarding, parents can set little ones up on the JetFriends website , where children can explore interactive games and cartoons. Certain airports, such as Frankfurt and Munich, also have play areas where kids can wait for boarding.

Aboard, in-flight entertainment provides appropriate programming for a variety of ages. Flight attendants often offer young kids with activities, ranging from coloring books to model trains. The kids’ menu is also well-crafted with tasty dishes like lasagna. These meals must be ordered separately when you book your flight.

At the end of the flight, kids can even trade in their logbook , where they recorded information about the flight, for an official pilot certificate! Finally, join JetFriends , Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program, for children, to accrue points. 

A Snapshot of Important Lufthansa Airline Policies for Kids

Lufthansa Airlines is an excellent choice for families traveling internationally with children. They offer several perks for families, including complimentary stroller service , special meal options for kids, and child-specific entertainment options on long-haul flights. Keep reading to learn more! 

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : Infants under 2 can travel as lap infants. Only one baby per adult is allowed on the plane. (If you have a second baby traveling with you, you can book an additional seat and take an appropriate car seat.) Lap seat infants flying on a domestic German flight are free. Meanwhile, those on international flights must pay a portion of the fare.
• Bassinets: Lufthansa also offers a complimentary bassinet service for infants under 2, with advanced notice and subject to availability. Reserve a bassinet for your infant up to 52 hours before your flight departs. 
• Child Fares : Children under 2 without a seat still need a ticket (10% of the regular fare), except on German domestic flights. Children between the ages of two and eleven are eligible for a child rate, 75% of the standard flight price on most routes. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Each child over the age of 2, with a paid seat, can bring one carry-on item and a personal item. Checked baggage is available free of charge.

Click here for all of the information on Lufthansa’s airline policies for babies and children .

What Our Families Say

“Lufthansa is our favorite – the flight attendants (even at the gate) have always gone over and above to take care of me and my kiddo. They make me feel like a VIP for having a child compared to US-based airlines, which treat families like a nuisance.” -Katy Spada

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When traveling internationally with children, Emirates tops our list of recommendations. Whether to JFK or Heathrow Airport (LHR), families traveling from Dubai International Airport (DXB) can check in or check bags a day in advance, as well as benefit from the family-designated check-in counter. Families also receive priority boarding !

Kids will begin their trip with Emirates’ special Fly With Me stuffed animal, accompanied by a Lonely Planet amenities kit. This includes a complimentary travel tote and a variety of books, journals, and crafts. Kid-friendly meals range from chicken tenders to pasta, served on eye-catching trays (be sure to reserve these in advance). For a mid-flight snack, kids can also enjoy cookies and fruit snacks.

Kid-sized headphones also allow little ones to comfortably enjoy Disney and other in-flight entertainment. Make sure to also sign up for the Emirates’ Sky Surfer Program , where kids can gain points and eventually redeem them for flights or items such as iPods and waterpark tickets.

A Snapshot of Important Emirates Airline Policies for Kids

Emirates Airlines is one of the most family-friendly airlines in the world, and it’s not hard to see why! Here are a few specific airline policies for kids.

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : Tickets for lap seat infants, or those in a bassinet, are discounted from the full adult fare. 
• Bassinets : Emirates also has a special bassinet available for infants. Reserve one in advance for infants at no extra cost. Make the request online in the Passenger Details section.
• Child Fares : If you have a child under the age of 2 and would like them to have their own seat, or if your child is 2 or older, you’ll need to purchase a separate ticket. Older children must have their own seats (at a discounted child fare). 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Families flying with Emirates can enjoy perks like extra baggage allowance – you can check strollers, diaper bags, and car seats free of charge. 

To learn more about traveling with kids on Emirates and all of their family policies, click here.

“We fly with Emirates every year and the crew has always been fantastic with my child.” – Laura Iride Bonaccorsi

Singapore Airlines 

Singapore Airlines will make your next family vacation special! From its hub in Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), this is one of the best airlines for kids and flies to popular cities across Asia, including Tokyo, Hanoi, and Taipei. It also services select destinations worldwide like London, Rome, Paris, LAX, and JFK, among others.

As a plus, the airline offers special fares for children; those under the age of two are 10% off the regular economy fare, and 75% off for other children. Most flights are also equipped with special meals for babies and kids. Make your request for these meals in advance of your flight. If you’re flying Business class or up, an extra gourmet menu is designed specifically for kids! Families are also allowed free, advanced seat selection and priority boarding.

Parents can reserve bassinets in advance , as well as benefit from family amenities such as diapers, disposable bibs, bottles, and baby wipes. Finally, age-appropriate stuffed animals are available for kids of all ages!

A Snapshot of Important Singapore Airline Policies for Kids

Singapore Airlines has several airline policies for kids , from carry-on luggage to child-friendly entertainment. Here are some specific examples! 

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : Children under 2 can fly for free when sitting on their parent’s lap. Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats in Premium Economy and Economy classes on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Child Fares : Children between the ages of two and twelve can travel in their own seats at a discounted child fare rate. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Checked baggage allowance for babies depends on the itinerary and class of travel; check with the airline directly before departing. Then, children traveling on their own ticket are also given the standard baggage allowance (and are likewise allowed one carry-on/one personal item onboard).

To learn more about traveling with children on Singapore Airlines and for all their family travel policies, click here.

Etihad Airways

Prepare for a fantastic family adventure aboard Etihad Airways ! From its hub in Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), families traveling to the United Arab Emirates can book this kid-friendly airline from JFK, LAX, and O’Hare, among other U.S. cities. Etihad Airways also flies to London Heathrow (LHR), Barcelona El-Prat (BCN), and Dublin Airport (DUB).

Children can select from fun goody bags to keep them busy and content throughout the flight. With several themed options, each one contains activities like origami, paper crowns, and pilot hats. Then, children’s meals, from babies to age 11, keep kids happy and fueled for the journey. Make requests at least 24 hours in advance of your flight.

The airline even offers an option where you can bid to reserve a “ neighbor-free seat “, making it easier to keep the whole family together during the flight. Etihad Airways also offers free layovers to give families the opportunity to save money and explore another destination. 

A Snapshot of Important Etihad Airways Policies for Kids

Planning a flight on Etihad Airlines with your kids? If you want a closer look at their airline policies for kids , keep reading! 

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : Children between the ages of 7 days and 23 months can fly for free when sitting on their parent’s lap for an infant fare . Be sure to bring their birth certificate for proof of age!
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats for children who weigh less than 11 kg (around 24 lbs). These are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Child Fares : Children between the ages of two and eleven can travel in their own seats at a discounted child fare rate . Children ages 12 and up are charged at the adult rate.
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Babies flying on an infant fare are allowed their own baggage based on their destination (check the website for details). Kids over two years old with their own seat ticket are given the same baggage allowance as those with an adult fare.

Find out more about family travel policies on Etihad Airways by clicking here.

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines is undoubtedly a contender for one of the best airlines for families on international trips! Families can book a flight from hubs in Zurich International Airport (ZRH) and Geneva International Airport – Genève Aéroport (GVA) to major metropolises worldwide, like London Heathrow (LHR), JFK, or Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP).

This airline offers “ Swiss Kids ,” a program aimed to make traveling with kids more pleasant, even beyond the actual flight. Find a demonstration of this family-friendly philosophy in the Zurich airport, which offers designated airport family areas and kid-friendly amenities ranging from playrooms, video games, and a craft workshop area.

In-flight (on most flights), expect the crew to have stickers, coloring books, snacks, and a kids’ menu of mashed potatoes, macaroni, and other favorites. Request meals in advance of the flight. Parents can even bring their child’s car seat aboard or pre-book a bassinet. The airline also has a section on its website that’s entirely dedicated to children’s entertainment. Here, you will find quizzes, downloadable apps, digital downloads, and printouts to amuse them.

Families also have access to free, advanced seat selection .

A Snapshot of Important Swiss International Air Lines Policies for Kids

Swiss International Air Lines is undoubtedly one of the best international airlines for kids! If you’re wondering about their kids’ policies , keep reading to learn more! 

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : Even if your child is under two years old, you’ll have to purchase a ticket for your flight that costs around 10% of an adult fare. Plan to bring a birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats on long-haul flights in all classes, and in Business Class on European flights for children up to 8 months old who weigh less than 11 kg (around 24 lbs). They are limited in supply. Contact the Service Center to reserve one in advance of your flight.
• Child Fares : Children over the age of two need a separate ticketed seat, which is offered at a child’s tariff rate. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Lap-seat infants are not allowed additional checked luggage, nor are they allowed their own personal carry-ons (though a stroller and/or a car seat may be checked for free). All their items (e.g., baby food, diapers) must be packed in the adult’s carry-on baggage. Children with ticketed seats receive the standard baggage allowance for their ticket class.

Find more information on flying with kids on Swiss International Air Lines by clicking here.

“We have flown Swiss many times. It’s awesome! They give little airplane stuffies to young kids and pass out chocolates and ice cream!” – Laurie Manheim

Qatar Airways

Fly in comfort by booking family airline tickets on Qatar Airways ! Servicing flights to and from Hamad International Airport (DOH) , this is one of the best airlines for kids taking international trips. It has hubs across Europe, Asia, and Africa. In fact, your luxury treatment starts before boarding, since Hamad International Airport has a designated airport playground and family rooms !

Aboard, children will have plenty of space to stretch out, whether they want to watch an age-appropriate movie or complete their interactive activity pack . Kids can also look forward to delicious and nutritious meals just for them (which parents need to preorder before flying).

Those traveling with younger children will also appreciate Qatar’s dedication to smoothing the process. The airline offers priority boarding for families, the option to reserve a bassinet , and access to a special kit (complete with diapers, baby food, and soft toys). Finally, don’t forget your swag bag with plush toys on your way out, courtesy of Qatar’s Oryx Kids Club!

A Snapshot of Important Qatar Airways Policies for Kids

When traveling with children on Qatar Airways , there are a few things to remember. With interactive play areas at certain airports and in-flight activity packets, your trip is sure to go smoothly! Here’s a snapshot of what you need to know first!

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2, it is considered an infant fare; they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing. Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats for children up to 24 months old who weigh less than 11 kg (around 24 lbs).  
• Child Fares : All other children must be seated in their own ticketed seats. You can purchase a child fare ticket at a discounted rate for kids between 2 and 5. Children ages five and older must pay an adult fare. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Infants are allowed a small checked bag across all fares. Plus, families can bring one stroller, collapsible carrycot, or pushchair per infant without charge. Then, kids and infants traveling on a child fare ticket are given the same baggage allowance as adults.

Click here for more information on what makes Qatar an excellent airline for families.

Aer Lingus makes traveling with little ones a breeze! Offering flights to Dublin Airport (DUB) and layovers for other European destinations, this international airline also services major U.S. airports, like JFK, LAX, and Seattle-Tacoma. It’s also a budget-friendly airline, which makes it an excellent option for parents traveling with multiple children!

Enjoy kid-friendly entertainment on transatlantic flights, alongside special meals suitable for even the pickiest eaters (these meals can be booked through their  contact centre ).

Baggage allowance also ranges whether you’re traveling within Europe or transatlantically, but nonetheless includes flexible options for parents with lots of gear.

Aer Lingus also offers various facilities aboard for families to use, such as baby changing areas, infant seat belts, and bottle or food heating. Parents can pre-book a bassinet for use during your flight too. Just remember they’re only available on a  first-come, first-served basis! 

A Snapshot of Important Aer Lingus Policies for Kids

Aer Lingus has many different airline policies for kids to make your vacation go smoother. Keep reading to learn more!

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2, they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing and may require a small rate ( infants 0-5 months , and infants 6-24 months ). Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can preserve bassinet seats for children on a first-come, first-served basis for transatlantic flights in advance of their flights. 
• Child Fares : Children over two must be seated in their own seats. Those between two and eleven are eligible for discounted fares on transatlantic flights in economy class. Finally, those between 12 and 15 should be booked as “Young Adults.”
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : The allowance for children depends on whether it is a transatlantic flight or one within Europe. Generally, a collapsible stroller and one of the following items, a car seat, booster seat, or travel cot, can be checked for free.

Find more information on child travel policies on Aer Lingus by clicking here.

Turkish Airlines

Take your next family trip with Turkish Airlines , one of the best international airlines for kids ! Flying from its central hub in Istanbul Airport (IST) to worldwide destinations such as JFK, Miami International Airport (MIA), and Heathrow Airport (LHR), this family-friendly airline is a great choice for travelers heading to Turkey or Tunisia. At the Istanbul Airport, you can even get priority check-in at a special counter.

Then, a special welcome kit with toys and activities is given to children on most flights! Infants can travel on their parent’s laps, but you can also request a special infant carrier up to a day in advance. Similarly, Turkish Airlines often keeps various types of baby food onboard for anyone who needs it. Parents with children older than two can also request specific kid-friendly meals before departure (must be reserved at least 24 hours in advance of your flight).

Strollers can also be checked as cargo, but if you’re traveling to select airports, like Frankfurt Airport (FRA), you’ll have to claim it in the baggage area. 

A Snapshot of Important Turkish Airlines Policies for Kids

Booking a flight with Turkish Airlines ? Stay tuned to find out their policies for kids ! Here are the ones to know first.

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2 and over 8 days old, they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing. An infant fare will be applied based on the fare class of the ticketed adult. Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats for children on some flights on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend calling the airline to ensure availability and reservation. 
• Child Fares : All other children must be seated in their own ticketed seats. You can purchase a discounted child fare ticket for kids between 2 and 12. Children ages 12 and older must pay an adult fare. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Lap-seat infants are allowed some small luggage, both checked and carry-on, depending on their fare class. Children have the same baggage allowance as adult passengers.

Find more information on traveling with kids on Turkish Airlines by clicking here.

“Turkish Air gave us cute little handmade toys and a little kit on board. They offer baby and child’s menus and the flight attendants are the sweetest!” -Desiree Yoo 

All Nippon Airways

Book All Nippon Airways for your next adventure to Asia! Ideal for families traveling from the United States or Europe, this kid-friendly airline flies to major cities like Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai. All Nippon Airways is also known as ANA or Zennikkū, and is an airline in Japan.

Priority treatment for families begins before your flight with All Nippon Airways, as families can contact the airline in advance if they need any assistance prior to boarding. All Nippon Airways classifies those under two as infants, who only need to pay 10% of the adult fare, and those between two and eleven as children, who need to pay 75%. Little ones will also receive a small toy on most flights to help keep them entertained!

Parents can also request a bassinet with a soft blanket in advance for international flights, or bring their own car seat or plane bed. Strollers aren’t subject to checked baggage restrictions, either. Plus, depending on your departure airport, you may even be able to use the baby stroller rental service.

Aboard, children can also dine on special kids’ meals (must order in advance by phone), including powdered milk. Most planes also have diapers, just in case! 

A Snapshot of Important All Nippon Airways Policies for Kids

All Nippon Airways is undoubtedly one of the best international airlines for kids ! For more information on their airline policies for kids, keep reading. 

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2 and over 8 days old, they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing. An infant fare is applied to lap-seat infants. Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats for children on a first-come, first-served basis on international flights (not available in first class). The weight limit is 10kg (22 pounds). Reservations must be made by phone.
• Child Fares : All children over two must be seated in their own seats. You can purchase a child’s ticket at a discounted fare for kids between 2 and 11 (or infants with their own seats). Children ages 11 and older must pay an adult fare. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Lap-seat infants are allowed to check 1 bag for free. Children of all ages with their own ticketed seats are given the same baggage allowance as adults. Plus, folding strollers, portable cradles, and child seats can be checked for free.

Find more information on traveling with children on All Nippon Airways by clicking here.

Air New Zealand

Book Air New Zealand for a fun family vacation! Operating within New Zealand and to select countries in the Pacific Rim, this is one of the best airlines for kids and is a favorite for parents traveling within its limited jurisdiction.

Infant fares cost 10% of an adult fare when traveling internationally, but are free if you’re traveling within New Zealand! Car seats, strollers, or two other kid-related baggage are also included within your baggage allowance.

Aboard, children will be paid special attention to, from in-flight activity packets to entertainment options on long-haul flights.

Though domestic trips only offer snacks, international options include ordering a special children’s meal (reserve in advance). Parents traveling with infants can also pre-book a bassinet for international flights. An infant pod or harness is available for customers who choose to fly via Air New Zealand’s Skycouch Program .

A Snapshot of Important Air New Zealand Policies for Kids

Families flying Air New Zealand should know about the airline policies for kids first. Keep reading to learn more!

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2, they can fly as a lap infant, but they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing. Within New Zealand, lap-seated infants fly for free. The infant fares are 10% of the adult fare on international flights. Remember to bring their birth certificate for proof of age. 
• Bassinets : Families can reserve bassinet seats for children on a first-come, first-served basis on many flights. You can book one ahead of time with Seat Select (select a seat with a  bassinet icon ). There is a small fee to reserve a bassinet seat. The weight limit is 11.8kg (26 lbs). 
• Child Fares : All other children must be seated in their own seats. You can purchase a child’s ticket at a discounted rate for kids between 2 and 12. Children ages 12 and older must pay an adult fare. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Infant fares (lap-seat infants) are allowed their own carry-on bag, but not checked baggage. Then, child fares have the same baggage allowance as an adult. Finally, strollers and car seats can be checked for free.

Find more about child travel policies on Air New Zealand by clicking here.

Icelandair 

Icelandair is great for families traveling between the United States, Iceland, or Europe! Offering flights from major airports like JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and Seattle-Tacoma, this budget-friendly option is popular among travelers with young children due to its fantastic family perks.

Firstly, children fly for free if they are under two. Alternatively, little ones are also permitted to spend the duration of their flight in an approved child seat. Flight attendants provide in-flight activities, such as coloring books , in addition to other in-flight entertainment suitable for children of all ages.

When they get hungry, little ones between two and eleven receive a complimentary meal with juice (infant meals must be reserved prior to flying). Contact their  service center  at least 24 hours before departure to finalize your children’s meal needs. If you’re heading to Europe and have a layover, families can also request an extended stopover to see this scenic Nordic nation – at no extra charge! 

A Snapshot of Important Icelandair Policies for Kids

If you’re flying Icelandair , you should know about the airline policies for kids first. Keep reading to learn more!

• Lap Seat/Infant-In-Arms : If you’re traveling with a lap child under the age of 2, they can fly as a lap infant, but they must be seated in your lap for takeoff and landing. Please keep in mind that they will still be required to pay a small fee for an infant ticket (up to 90% discount on Economy fares and up to 75% on Saga Premium fares).
• Bassinets : Icelandair does not offer bassinets on their flights. 
• Child Fares : All other children must be seated in their own seats. You can purchase a child’s ticket at a discounted rate for kids between 2 and 11 (up to a 20% discount on Economy fares for international flights). Children ages 11 and older must pay an adult fare. 
• Baggage/Carry-On Luggage : Lap-seat infants are allowed one checked bag (except on Economy Light) and no carry-on baggage. Children with their own ticket fares from infant to age 11 have the same baggage allowance as adults (in the same fare class). Finally, families can also check a folding stroller and/or a car seat free of charge.

Find more information on family travel policies for IcelandAir by clicking here.

“Icelandair loot bags were amazing. Headphones, eye masks, activity books, a snack. I’m sure there was more I’m not remembering. My kids had an awesome experience!” – Stephanie Becker Trigg

What Documents Do I Need to Fly Internationally with Kids?

If you’re wondering what documents babies and children need to fly internationally, you’re in the right place! There are a few different documents your children will need as U.S. citizens to travel internationally (if your kids have different citizenship, please refer to the rules and regulations for their country of citizenship). Then, other types of documents may be needed, depending on the airline, destination country, transit country, etc.

Documents You Need for International Travel with Kids

• Valid US Passport : Regardless of age, children with U.S. citizenship need a valid passport for air travel to another country (even babies!). The application process for children under 16 needs to be completed in person. Both parents are required to be present. Children’s passports are valid for five years.
• Proof of Relationship to Child : While you may not be asked for it, we highly recommend that you travel with some type of document proving your relationship to your child (e.g., birth certificate, adoption certificate, etc.). Please note, some countries or airlines will require this type of document. It is your responsibility to know the documents needed before you depart for your trip.
• Child Travel Consent : If you are traveling without your child’s other parent, plan on bringing a letter of consent from the other parent to travel alone with your child. Some countries require letters to be notarized. This letter should contain the child’s basic information (e.g., name, gender, birthday, place of birth, passport number, etc.), both parents’ names and contact information, the traveling arrangements (flights, accommodations, other adults traveling in your party), and the destination.

Documents You Might Need for International Travel with Kids

• A visa for the destination country , or a transit country (a country where a layover takes place).
• Some countries require everyone to have vaccination records for specific vaccinations. Check the  U.S. State Department International Travel website for information about your destination country.
• Each country has its own requirements (or recommendations) for documents needed to enter the country. Check the  U.S. State Department International Travel website for information about requirements for your destination country.
• If you travel frequently, consider joining one of the Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP ).

RELATED : All About Delta Airlines: Airline Policies & More Important Information For Kids

Tips for Taking an International Flight with Kids

When it comes to flying internationally with kids, we have a few tips that can make the experience more enjoyable for both parents and children. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Take advantage of the airline’s priority boarding process to get on the plane as quickly as possible. This allows you time to get every settled in their seats.
• Keep your child occupied with activities such as books, coloring, snacks, or electronic devices.
• We also recommend timing your flight around your child’s natural sleep schedule.
• Don’t be afraid to take a few breaks to walk around the cabin with them.
• Plan an active morning at the park or another activity to wear them out before the flight.
• Consider booking a window seat and bringing along a pillow and blanket to make them comfortable.
• Don’t forget to take advantage of the free entertainment system!
• Finally, don’t miss these 10 Tips For Your Baby’s First Flight .

READ NEXT : 10 Best Places to Travel with Kids in Europe

Best Products for Taking a Long or International Flight with Kids

There are a few essential products to bring along if you want to survive a long flight on any airline with kids. Here are a few to consider as you prepare for your flight:

• Firstly, you need a good travel pillow to bring along with you. We recommend Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel Pillow , The Sunany Inflatable Neck Pillow , or The Ultimate Travel Pillow ® .
• Parents and kids may also benefit from noise-canceling headphones like those from Purosound and Bose . Plus, don’t miss these Headphones for Kids of All Ages .
• If your kids need help sleeping, consider investing in an airline-safe travel bed, like the Jet Kids BedBox™ or Flyaway Kids Bed .
• A footrest like the Koala Kloud Travel Foot Res t may also come in handy.
• And for some products specifically for parents, don’t forget pillow spray for deep sleep .

Then, read more hacks and products for sleeping on long flights with kids in our article! 

Want to learn more about family travel?

Travel Resources For Families: Where To Book Hotels, Flights, & More

Happy Traveling!

We hope you found this article on the best international airlines for families with kids helpful in planning your next trip! A special thank you to the Families Who Love to Travel Facebook community who generously shared their travel advice and top picks for this list featuring the 11 Best Airlines For Kids For International Family Travel – And What You Need To Know! Families Who Love To Travel is a group of amazing families who also love adventure and exploring through travel. Join our growing communities on Facebook and Instagram to connect with other families who also love to travel with kids.

IMPORTANT NOTE:   Airline policies are subject to change and may have been made without our knowledge. Check each airline’s policies for traveling with children for possible updated information – we have linked directly to each airline’s family or child policy above for your convenience.

*This post may contain affiliate links that may earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links in no way inform the hotels, sights, products, or other recommendations included in our articles. All opinions and recommendations expressed here are compiled from submissions submitted by the generous members of our Families Who Love To Travel community.

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Last Updated on 1 year by Antonia Grant

Travel Stories: Tips for International Travel with a Toddler

Have Baby Will Travel Facebook friend Alejandra shared this article with me from her blog, Finally Off the Block , and I’m so pleased that she agreed to let me publish it here as well. We definitely have a similar philosophy when it comes to travel with babies and toddlers. With so many amazing-sounding trips under her belt, I’m delighted to share her tips for international travel with a toddler here as well. Thanks, Alejandra!

We’ve had really positive experiences, and I thought I’d share how we survived international travel with a toddler:

Enjoying Mini Town in Durban, South Africa | photo courtesy Finally Off the Block

#1 Choose a child friendly city

We like museums, hiking, thrifting, and wandering around. For us, a child-friendly city means someplace that we can meander around and have a good time people watching and eating at random places. When things are too structured it creates stress for us. We especially enjoyed   Cape Town   and   Rio. Some might say these cities are places to be wary of, but I say that with common sense, these places are as safe as any other place to take your baby, toddler, or child.

The view from our rental house in Rio | photo courtesy Finally Off the Block

#2 Choose a comfortable rental house

Since our little one is still a young toddler, we look for rental houses that have a crib, a bathtub, and a way to easily access transportation. We have used hotels on occasion, but we find that get the best value (good amenities at a good price) when we use home rental websites like   AirBnB  or FlipKey . I’ve read good and bad reviews of staying in these types of accommodations, but our experiences have all been positive. We prefer to rent a whole home (sometimes a house, sometimes an apartment) that has multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen, air conditioning and heat, a bathtub, cable, and wireless internet. We’ve rented homes in the swanky financial district in Sandton, South Africa (suburb of Johannesburg) and average sized apartments in Salvador, Brazil. Before we had kids, we   CouchSurfed in Japan. I’d do it again but most CSers tend to be young and are usually NOT looking for a family to move into their home!

In Salvador, Brazil | photo courtesy Finally Off the Block

#3 Bring touches of home

We travel a lot. A LOT. We’re usually on the road for business a few times a month and with so many awesome travel deals popping up, we are traveling internationally more and more. To make sure that we don’t all lose our minds, we bring things from home that make us feel comfortable and help us keep our routine. For the baby that means bringing one of his turtle blankets, some familiar toys, a few snacks (granola bars), and a tablet with his videos ( Storybots , Raffi , Mulan , and Kung Fu Panda are his faves right now). Regardless of what’s on TV in the country we’re visiting he can sit on his blanket, play with his toys, and watch the same thing he might watch if we were at home. It keeps him grounded and helps us all sleep well.

Babywearing in the airport | photo courtesy Finally Off the Block

#4 Think strategically

Traveling with a toddler can be all fun and games IF you put things in place to lessen your stress and create opportunities for awesome things to happen. We’re all different and what that looks like to you may be different than what it looks like to me, but here are the things I do to increase the chances that fun will happen:

• Choose fewer sights to see in one day. What do you absolutely want to make sure that you get to do?
• Choose times to see sights when foot traffic will be low. This is a no-brainer.
• Bring snacks for everyone because cranky adults fight with cranky kids. A hand full of trail mix and an apple can turn even the worst attitudes around.
• Bring our baby carrier. There is no way I’d even attempt all this travel without my handy Mei Tei .
• Use carabiners to attach water bottles and snack cups to backpacks and Mei Tei .
• Bring a small backpack inside of my larger backpack for day trips. Less weight means less effort expended on humping items and more effort enjoying the day.

Learning to walk near Buckingham Palace | photo courtesy Finally Off the Block

#5 Let ’em be free range

Some of the best experiences we’ve had, have happened because we are open to letting  the baby explore a bit. In Salvador, the baby and a waiter played tag while we ate. It was still early (we have to feed the baby before sleepy time) so the restaurant was pretty empty. There were two waiters that started playing with the baby. At one point, he wanted to get out of his high chair and then wanted to get down off of my lap. The waiter assured me that it was fine and then began chasing the baby around! The baby loved it. He began running and squealing with delight! The other waitstaff came to see what was happening and joined in. That’s one of the best memories I have of Brazil and it happened because we allowed the baby a little freedom. See what can happen when you allow children to experience the world they live in on their own terms.

Many thanks to Alejandra for sharing her post with us. You can follow her adventures on her blog,  Finally Off the Block .

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tips , toddler

7 Responses to Travel Stories: Tips for International Travel with a Toddler

So much good info here! I have to say I’m not sorry my toddler travel days are behind me, but I never regretted taking mine everywhere…they’re such good travelers now!

Great tips – especially for choosing what to do. No need to pack it all in and get stressed!

Good tips! We also enjoy getting vacation rentals for the extra space but it was especially important when the baby/toddler went to bed super early.

We are huge fans of the rental house or apartment! Great tips for getting the toddlers out and exploring with you!

We’re finding now that toddlers can be easier to travel with than older kids – if only because they have no school or activity schedule to contend with. Love the common sense tips in this post!

Another cool post from you, thanks for sharing this amazing tips, I love your content.Can you reply to my email please

Good information. No stress if a person follows this tips during travel with toddler.

Keep posting. I really love this one.

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