Where to travel with a baby under 2 years old?

Where to go on a trip with baby? This is the question I asked myself for my first family trips with a baby less than 12 months old; the choice is not obvious especially when it is our first child, when the whole family is worried about this new baby. Nothing beats the experience of other traveling parents to create your own opinion.

So here is our summary top destination to travel with baby, tested and approved by traveling families:

• Where to go in France with baby?
  • Motorhome around Aix les Bains
  • Chamonix
  • Loire’s castles
  • Frejus
  • West Indies
• Where to travel with baby in Europe?
  • Turkey
  • Malta
  • Tenerife
  • Spain
  • Hungary
  • Madeira
  • Romania
  • Norway
  • Croatia
• Where to go with baby in Africa?
  • South Africa
  • Seychelles
  • Namibia
• Ideal Baby Destination in North America
  • Canada
  • United States
• Where to go in Asia with baby
  • China
  • Japan
  • Thailand
• Which country for baby in Latin America
  • Costa Rica
  • Bolivia
  • Ecuador
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
• Destinations to avoid with baby
• How to travel with baby: formality, zen attitude, material

At what age to travel with baby, this is not where I am going to tell you about it, because I think that we can go everywhere with baby but you just have to be sure of yourself, in good shape, not stressed to manage the load of baby, your change of scenery, etc… go on a trip with baby, when you feel it, when you know your baby! Read my review on the ideal ages to travel with a child

Where to go to France with a baby: our first trips

Here is a little summary of our trips with our babies… For more information, click on the destinations. And of course since 2012 Mini Voyageur tested many others, to find in ” our trips”

Aix les Bains

Baby’s age: My daughter miss traveler 1.5 monthsIn camping car, farted by the grandparents, to walk around the lakeBaby travel accessories: baby carrier and strollerFood and change: breast milk, diapers taken

Loire’s castles

Baby’s age: 15 monthsIn camping car to see the most beautiful castles and parks

We go there for:

• Let the new little walkers frolic in the gardens
• Discover Chenonceau, Azay le Rideau, Chambord
• Frolic in the park of miniature castles
• Take the opportunity to visit Beauval, one of the most beautiful zoo in Europe

Baby travel accessories: baby carrier and strollerFood and change: Powdered milk, small jar, diaper found on site

Frejus

Baby’s age: 5 monthsAt camping: houses for rent shared with friendsBaby travel accessories: baby carrier and strollerFood and change: Powdered milk, diapers washed away

Chamonix

Baby’s age: 9 monthsIn camping car

We go there for

• Go hiking
• Enjoy the Chamonix Parc amusement park
• Take a walk near the small river at Paradi des Praz to cool off in winter
• Go up to the Aiguille du Midi with the older children only
• Discover the park of Merlet
• Take the old Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace

Baby travel accessories: baby carrier backpackFood and change: Powdered milk, small jars and diapers taken for the weekend

>> Our selection of practical baby travel accessories

The West Indies with baby Guadeloupe Martinique

An ideal destination with a newborn: we are in France (albeit with a long flight), the weather is fine, the health risks are low (beware of mosquitoes and their possible illnesses anyway). We find the same equipment as in France

Where to travel with baby in Europe?

Here are some ideas for destinations that I tested with my little ones for our first family trips.

Malta: Miss Voyageuse baby’s 1st holiday abroad

For my 1st child, we chose an easy destination, requiring few plane hours, and we stayed in a half-board hotel! Coming out of a dense winter season, we needed rest and to make our lives easier! Malta seemed perfect to us, small to explore easily by renting a car, speaking English to be understood, and exotic!

Baby’s age: 11 monthsWe have for:

• discover the beautiful city of Valletta,
• take the ferry to the island of Gozo,
• enjoy the mild temperature whatever the season,
• visit the playmobil fun park for a good time with the loulous
• Lounging on the beaches while baby discovers the joys of the sand

Baby travel accessories: baby carrier and stroller (one of the rare trips where we took our 3-wheel stroller)Food and change: Powdered milk, small jar, diaper found on site

Turkey: 1st Mini Voyageur trip

For my second, and after many trips with our eldest, we wanted a little more adventures, knowing that mini Voyageur was a very cool baby! We went to Turkey in backpack mode but with only 2 accommodations, to avoid packing and unpacking every day! One week in Istanbul, 1 week in Cappadocia. The adventure was the night of the bus between the 2 with baby on the knees! Which is now a beautiful memory!

Baby’s age: 8 monthsWe go there for:

• Discover the beauty of Istanbul,
• Hiking in Cappadocia
• Take advantage ofamazing welcome from turks and their love of babies

Baby travel accessories: baby carrier backpack, nomadic seatFood and change: Anti-allergy powdered milk carried in the bags, diapers and small jars found in Istanbul, beware the consistencies are different in France. Read my special baby article

Spain

Baby’s age: 6 monthsTo have: AndalusiaBaby travel accessories: Stroller, baby carrier, removable high chair, travel cotFood and change: Small jars taken from France

Hungary

Baby’s age: Zoe, 8 months oldTo have: BudapestBaby travel accessories:?! I don’t know, maybe Sandy can complete if she comes through hereFood and change: housed in the family

Madeira

Baby’s age: Alexandre, 10.5 monthsTo have: Funcha, los PicosBaby travel accessories: Baby carrier backpackFood and change: Again, I don’t have the details, I hope that Sophie will answer us if she reads me 🙂

Tenerife:

Baby’s age: 24 monthsWe go there for:

• pose in front of Mount Teide, or take the cable car (watch out for baby’s ears)
• play on the black sand beaches
• Take a walk in the old towns

Baby travel accessories: baby carrierFood and change: nothing! baby was clean and ate like us! Yup freedom!

Croatia

An easy country with baby, but don’t go for the beaches, it’s often rocky coasts that dot the Croatian coast!

>> Read the testimonial

Romania

A trip off the beaten track for a 15-day road trip with baby

Baby’s age: 7 months

We go there for:

• watch bears in the bear sanctuary
• See the Danube Delta
• Discover the transilvanian campaign

Baby accessory to put in your suitcases: Baby carrier, stroller only in cities, pop-up cot

Food and change: few jars – take your own milk

Norway

Departure for a camping trip and large family, with a youngest of 1 year, well obliged to follow! It just goes to show that it is possible to travel in all conditions with a young child!

>> See the testimony

Where to go with baby in Africa?

South Africa

Baby’s age: Mael, 6 monthsWe go there for:

• Cap town
• An exotic country without suffering from jet lag
• Enjoy summer in winter
• See the savannah animals that children love so much

Baby travel accessories: Stroller taken by plane – rental on site of a car seat – tent cotFood and change: I have to ask Julien !?

Seychelles

Baby’s age: Caliste, 6 monthsTo have: beach, VictoriaBaby travel accessories: the total 🙂! stroller, baby carrier, pop-up travel cot, nomadic play matFood and change: Small pots and diapers taken from France

Destination with Baby in Asia

Thailand: the land of smiles with bb

Baby’s age: 4 months

We go there for:

• Its superb sites of ancient Thailand: Sukkhotai
• For its magnificent beaches to rest with your infant

Accessories to take with baby: baby carrier, inflatable bathtub, stroller if you fear the heat of the baby carrier

China with baby

A wonderful 3 week trip by bus, train, tuk-tuk. Better to be seasoned travelers to venture into a country where English is spoken very poorly and the journeys are very long!

Baby’s age: 8 months

We go there for:

• Visit Beijing
• Discover the nature of Avatar
• Walking on the Great Wall of China

Baby Take-Out Travel Accessories: baby carrier to be preferred, the stroller will get in your way as soon as you leave the cities since nothing is provided for strollers.

Food and change: no problem finding layers – Take your powdered milk instead – few small pots

Japan with baby

A very safe destination, but very far away with many hours by plane

>> Read the testimonial

Going to North America with bb

It’s the perfect destination with a baby, health safety, lots of pollution law, if you speak English no worries. Don’t expect to find such varied little jars as in France!

Canada 1st long haul for Mini Voyageur

1st long flight for Mini Voyageur, who until then had mostly traveled in Europe! A trip decided at the last moment to go see the family settled there, because at 20 months, Mini Voyageur did not pay for a full ticket! It significantly reduces the budget!

Age : 20 months

We go there for:

• Before 2 years to pay for a cheap plane ticket
• The wide open spaces of Quebec, the Gaspé or even further from western Canada
• See the animals in the wild: Moose, bear, whale
• So that children understand the locals in Quebec

Accessories to take away: Canada is the champion of baby care: Changing table in public toilets on the women’s side but also on the men’s side, Loan of high chairs, loan of strollers in many public places. You can go there and find almost everything there!

United States

Again, an easy destination, whether in the western or eastern US. Whether in the Colorado, Florida and the Everglades, California, many testimonials will show you that this country is a popular destination for new parents. Just pay attention to the kilometers to swallow: it is a very big country!

In Latin America with baby

If you are already used to traveling around the world, you may want to consider traveling to other less popular countries with your baby. You can of course go to any country where there is no risk of a major epidemic (like yellow fever) but some countries are more developed than others. Also be careful on this continent, the altitudes are very high and babies can be very inconvenienced during a short stay!

Ecuador

A destination for backpacking parents, already experienced. The problem in this country is the altitude to manage since the Andes Cordillera cuts this country in 2 with peaks at 4000m. On the other hand, it is a much more developed country than what one imagines from France: by staying in tourist areas, the roads are well paved, supermarkets, with baby supplies, are easily found.

Baby’s age: 4 and a half months

We go there for:

• The atmosphere of South America
• The coast and the beaches
• the variety of fauna and flora
• We avoid the region of volcanoes for the too high altitude

Accessory: baby carrier, baby bed with mosquito net especially on the coast or in the Amazon

Baby milk and others: you can find supermarkets with baby milk, but not the same brands as in France. Less choice in baby jars which are all sweet. Diaper without problem

Costa Rica

See the testimonial

Bolivia

A country to recommend only to people who already know the country, because it is really underdeveloped. Our testimony from a mother whose family lives there and in the Santa Cruz region, far from the Andes to avoid landing in La Pas at 4000m altitude

>> Read the interview

Which country to avoid with a baby?

No specific destination, but I’ll share with you my mom’s point of view on the conditions that would make me avoid a country under certain conditions. Know that I am not a worried mom, that I have traveled a lot in countries with questionable sanitary conditions, so we did not necessarily have the same feeling. But I won’t leave with a baby (because I’m responsible for it) in

• A country at war: you never know how a conflict can degenerate
• A country with a serious health crisis, or an epidemic for which my baby cannot be vaccinated : in the south of Brazil, 2 years ago, a resurgence of yellow fever was raging, but in France, this vaccine is only available from 6 years! I wouldn’t have set foot in the south of the country
• A country where drinking water is difficult to access: not want to offer water with “micropurs” (a seal for disinfecting water) to a toddler. But you can overcome this problem with bottled water, it’s more annoying when the little one wants to brush his teeth!
• Countries with a large time difference: leaving with more than 8 hours of jet lag risks upsetting your baby on return! But, it also depends on the children, mine have always adapted well

How to travel with baby?

The formalities for a trip with a baby

Baby must have his own passport for abroad (the identity card is sufficient for European countries for French nationals).

If only one parent leaves with the child, you must have thewritten permission of the other parent to have the right to take the child out of the country (also valid for grandparents – attention automatic control at airports!) – See our article on the exit certificate

What equipment when traveling with baby

If you follow me regularly, you know that I opt for light travel with baby! With the equipment carefully selected for my shop, practical, compact and often useful for several occasions, 2 in 1 or 3 in 1! So don’t forget my shop, where all products are tested by me.

Stay zen

This is really the advice I give to everyone and try to follow it! Stay zen: baby absorbs all your emotions. If you are stressed for fear that he will not sleep, he may have trouble falling asleep. Take time!

Only leave when you are comfortable with your baby: the first few months, you can feel tired, have trouble coping with this new arrival… Why add additional stress ?! I left later on a trip with my eldest child, than with my Second, because I was discovering my role as a mother, that I did not know anything … I first took my marks to better enjoy it then!

Here, I hope that this article, filled with a small sample of the trips that it is possible to do with your baby, will give you confidence to get started despite all the moralizers around you who will tell you that you are crazy, that your baby will not remember… A proof that this article that you are not alone (s)!

You can find other ideas in the stories from our traveling parents who left with small children aged 0 to 1