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Tips for Traveling Light with Baby

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Remember, the less you bring, the easier it will be to pack each time you move, and you’ll be less likely to lose things. Be creative about eliminating items, using things in more than one way, and getting what you need at your destination.

What Not To Bring
Don’t pack a travel bed. If you are worried about what kind of crib your hotel will have, call ahead and ask! In most large US cities there is a service that will deliver baby and child items directly to your hotel room

Try not to bring a car seat. If possible, use public transportation at your destination or find a family friend to borrow a car seat from. If you must bring a car seat along, try to borrow or buy a Travel Car Seat (Product Reviews).

Don’t bring a baby bathtub, not even an inflatable. You can spot wash your baby in a sink with a washcloth, wash in a full size bathtub with just a few inches of water in the bottom, or take a bath with your baby in the full sized bath tub.

They Have Babies There Too...
For trips longer than five days, bring just a few days worth of supplies and plan to buy more on the road (Exception is if your child has allergies and needs a specific brand that is difficult to find). In Europe, pharmacies sell diapers and formula while food can be found in the supermarket & sometimes in a pharmacy.

As long as you’re looking at baby supplies, check out the infant and toddler soaps and other hygiene products. You never know what you’ll find. Our favorite find in France is saline nose drops used to clear out baby’s stuffy nose. The French are clever enough to package them in individual serving sizes. In Italy, we found toddler-safe raspberry flavored toothpaste that my son absolutely loves.

Shipping Items To Your Hotel
Items like diapers, wipes, and other baby necessities can be shipped ahead to your hotel

Amazon.com and Drugstore.com stock most baby items at reasonable prices and deliver almost anywhere in the US. Most hotels will hold a box shipped to you at the hotel even if it arrives a few days before you do.

Albertsons and Safeway have local delivery in most areas and will deliver the fresh items you need (milk, fruit, baby food) in addition to staples like diapers and wipes. You'll pay local prices (which might be high in places like Hawaii) but it's certainly convenient to unload milk directly into your hotel room mini-bar

Related Links in our Family Travel Blog:
Top Tips for Packing Light With Kids

Airplanes and Car Seats Series
Part I: Which Babies, Toddlers and Kids Need a Car Seat Onboard A Plane
Part II: Checking, Renting and Carrying on a Car Seat When Flying
Part III: Airport Car Seat Carriers (Product Reviews)
Part IV: Travel Car Seat (Product Reviews)