Traveling with your baby

Ever had the feeling you have no other option than a close to home holiday destination because of your family situation? Ever felt like going to a more tropical destination, yet scared to be the one on that plane with a crying baby on your lap? We can definitely imagine how stressful traveling with children, especially with babies, can be. Lots of people think it doesn’t matter where you spend your holidays, as long as your children are happy. True, but shouldn’t it be even more perfect to combine what YOU love AND your children? We are going to the luxury Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel in the sunny Portuguese coastal town named Sagres. We can’t wait to enjoy the lovely Portuguese sun! But we won’t cheer too soon; we have to prepare everything first! Luckily we have already done this before, therefore we have set up the following 6 tips to ease the forthcoming trips you are about to make. From now on your motto will be: “Keep calm and fly on!”

1. Reserve your seats on time

Long before you board the plane, inform the airline company that you’re traveling with a baby and that you’ll probably take a child seat with you! There are only limited number of rows where a child seat can be placed. Also try to sit in the front part of the plane. The back of the plane is way noisier, it vibrates more and it takes longer to debark. For intercontinental flights we recommend you to reserve seats in the bulkhead row. A bulkhead row is the first row behind a cabin wall, which means there are no seats in front of you and therefore it provides you more space. The bulkhead row often (not always) has special baby facilities such as standards where cribs can be placed, incredibly handy! Furthermore, these seats also eliminate the possibility that your little one accidentally throws her cute Mr. Monkey toy in the glass of anybody sitting in front of you, big relieve huh!

2. The stroller

If you decide to check-in your stroller before passing customs, try to bring a baby sling/carrier with you! This allows you to carry your baby with you to the gate. We all know luggage doesn’t get treated that well at airports, therefore we recommend you to buy a protective case for you stroller. You can find these cases around the price of €130,-, however you can also rent them for a way lower price. Sometimes it is also possible to take your stroller all the way to the gate, that’s great! Make sure the stroller is labeled though; you don’t want to lose it afterwards! You can receive this label at the customs. If you have a stroller that allows you to place a baby car seat on it, it’s handy to leave it on, especially if you’re planning to use a car at your holiday destination. You don’t get to pay anything extra if you take the car seat locked on the stroller. Find out in advance what the conditions of the airline are regarding to traveling with a stroller.

3. Real luggage must-have

• Extra clothes & warm blanket
• Swaddles, diaper/face wipes & washcloths
• The NAÏF Travel Kit with travel size products (obviously)
• A bottle with boiled water or expressed breast milk
• Baby food/ snacks
• Plastic bags (in case of dirty laundry)
• A pacifier
• Entertainment (books, tablet, cuddly toys & others)
• Spout cup, spoon, bowl
• Children paracetamol/nasal drops
• Extra clothes for yourself (cause woops, there goes the baby food, right on your shirt)
• Handy tip: you can generally take one big piece of hand luggage plus your own handbag! Check to ensure the rules your airline maintains.

4. Feed before departure and landing

We are all familiar with the annoying pressure you feel on your ears when the plane departs, how awful! Well, it could be possible that your little one also suffers from this ear pressure. To reduce the pressure you can try to feed your baby during the departure and landing. Is he crying? Let him cry for a while, it has the same effect on their ears as our typical “fake yawn”; it lets the eardrums pop.

5. Also handy

• Do research on the price of your babies’ ticket. Lots of airlines normally maintain reduced prices for little ones. We paid a fee of €30,- to take our baby (age till 1yr). Some airlines do not charge anything at all!
• Try to walk a bit before departure. You will have to sit the whole flight! Give your little one(s) the freedom to take out some energy and move a bit!
• Try to take a walk with your mini during the flight. If sitting bores and despairs you, imagine how your child or baby might feel. Walking will do them good! We are sure that you will put a smile on other bored passengers’ faces with that cute baby face!

6. Choose a kid-proof destination!

We all believe it is important that our children are happy on vacation; therefore it is essential to research whether a destination truly is kid-proof. We have chosen for the stylish Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel in Portugal. This luxury family resort is situated in the Portuguese coastal town Sagres. Furthermore, the family resort is located in the very center of nature park Costa Vicentina, which provides outdoor activities such as hiking, surfing and cycling. The resort is right on the beach and naturally has a swimming pool, it simply offers the perfect combination for a happy family! Would you also love to visit the beautiful Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel? Keep an eye on our social media and blogs. Maybe you and your family seem to be the lucky ones who get to enjoy the lovely Portuguese sun! Our Crazy Love Diaries friends are also going to the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel! Follow this fun family from Amsterdam on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with their crazy family adventures!