roknroll

***Edit: Trip Booked!***
Just a quick update, and thanks for all the good ideas. We booked our trip already and are headed to Barcelona for 8 nights at the end of September. I would have never considered Spain, so thanks for the suggestions! I love that this thread has some great suggestions/ideas/responses and keep the discussions going! But PLEASE keep it on the topic of good international destinations to bring babies along! Don't steer it towards how babies should be raised, or why you should just stay home or stay local.


Hi All,

Just hoping some people could throw out some ideas and maybe even some personal experiences. My wife and I (both 29) love to travel and do at least one week long international trip a year. Trips we have done in the past include:
Mediterranean Cruise (Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo)
Caribbean Cruise (western caribbean)
Florence, Italy for a week
Playa del Carmen at an AI for a week

We'll be having our fist child in October, and would like to plan a nice vacation for the fall of 2012. We are currently very flexible on dates and destinations, but it would probably be 6-10 days in length. I really have no clue what to expect in traveling with a child just under a year old. Things that come to mind are dining with an infant (we love fine dining), getting around cities with a baby, being in a hot/tropical environment, etc. Also I don't know what is available in terms of child care for a child so young, if we wanted to get out for a dinner on our own.

I'd appreciate some feedback on trip ideas. Also I'd love to hear from other's personal experience and certain dos/don'ts or things to consider.

We actually hadn't planned on starting the family until next year because we wanted to plan a 2 week Europe trip. Now that we'll have the baby it still would be nice to see Europe, but perhaps only a single location.

Currently some things that have come to mind are:
Australia
New Zealand
Dublin, Ireland
Paris
Germany (what city?)

Australia/NZ/Dublin all are appealing because they are modern countries that with English as their primary language. I figure removing the language barrier just will make things easier. I'd LOVE to go to Paris, but mostly for the food, and I'd worry about missing out on the nice restaurants because of the baby. I'm also thinking we should just pick one location and stay there the entire time, as traveling place to place with the baby and all the gear will be tough. I love the tropical destinations, and so does my wife. We'd both love to check out Southeast Asia (Boracay, Phuket, Bali, etc), but I'd be worried about bringing a baby to a hot/sunny location. We wouldn't want a baby out on a snorkeling tour, or sitting for hours at the beach.

We both love fine dining and food. Also love to just walk around and take in the culture/sites. Neither of us are big on visiting museums, going to shows, etc. We loved our week in Florence because we got to just spend time hanging out in the city, eating at all the restaurants, wandering around to various cafe's, going wine tasting in the countryside, etc.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or personal experiences!

Boraxo

We did Australia/NZ with our 15-month old thanks to the UA business class mistake fare a few years back (just couldn't pass that up!) I would not hesitate to do it all over again though traveling with children that young presents its own set of challenges.

Aus/NZ is a good choice because many of the tourist attractions are outdoors so it is easy to bring a child (I recommend one of those backpacks that you can stuff him in for hikes to glaciers, etc.) In addition many restaurants are child-friendly (unlike the US) with play areas for children, though he may be a little young for that. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details on what we did, tips, etc.

That being said, it is much easier to camp out in one location for a week than to travel around a country like Australia. IMO beaches and resorts are great - when our child was @ 1 we also brought him to resorts in Arizona, Maui, etc. where we hung out at the pool or beach. Agree that Paris is probably not as good, at least if you want to see museums and enjoy fine dining.

Kagehitokiri

of those, best value is germany then ireland

what kind of budget?

two thoughts >
four seasons (entry price is lower than one might expect)
in terms of multiple hotels - staying with one decent chain or doing a small/private tour can facilitate logistics

offhand, these might have some useful thoughts >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...reak-baby.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ndy-beach.html

BigFlyer

I have traveled with babies and young children to Spain.

The Spaniards love kids, and it is a late-night culture for all ages. No one will look at you askance if you are out with your baby eating tapas and drinking late at night.

roknroll

Thanks for the replies.

Kagehitokiri:
Budget is moderately high. Will probably use miles for the airfare, then about $2k-$3k for hotel for the week. Probably another $2k for food, car rental, and activities. I like the idea of doing some private tours (we did one with my family in Tuscany and loved it). Which Four Seasons were you talking about? Germany? Ireland?

We didn't even consider spain, but the few people I have talked to that have been absolutely loved it. Any recommendations on where to go in Sept/Oct?

For Germany I was looking at possibly Frankfurt. I hear the wine road is great in the fall. We both love wine, and visit Napa/Sonoma at least once a year. I know wine tasting isn't exactly the best place for a baby, but driving the road and staying at small inns/hotels gives us flexibility to go at our own pace.

alamedaguy

We did the same with our 9 month old. We drove from Christchurch to Oamaru, Dunedin, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Mount Cook, and Akaroa. Every town had a playground so it was easy to stop and grab a bite and get fresh air. We stayed in places like Te Anau Great Lakes Holiday Park and it worked nicely, though it was hard not to collect points.

More recently we took our 10 month old son to Slovakia and it was also great. We drove quite a bit there, too, and it was similarly kid friendly.

pinworm

Don't go. 10 months is too young for travel that is not emergency related.

Their immune systems are still developing and they are prone to picking up things.

Worse, they are too young to enjoy or appreciate it. Meanwhile, you become one of "those" parents who subject everyone else to the screaming and crying of your kid, the poopy diaper stink, and the seating problems. There is absolutely no reason a child under 1 year old should be in a restraunt, especially one designed for "fine dining" as you put it. The presence of a child degrades the experience for total strangers. A 10 month old is too young even for Chuck E Cheese, where you SHOULD be going with kids.

You need to get used to the idea as new parents that your adventerous couple days are over..or at least on hold...for a few years while you raise this child. If you want to travel and enjoy fine dining, you will have to find someone to babysit. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

bpo26c

Agreed. Leave the bambino behind this time or wait another year.

PWMFlyer19

I would say the following:

Since the baby is not born yet, you have no idea of its' personality. Every child is different. You may have one at 10 months who is easy, sleeps 12 hours a night, takes naps, eats well, and you can get one who is colic, fussy, gets sick all the time, sleeps 9 hours a night and struggles to take naps. Once they get older, things certainly even out, but that age is unknown. (Now you know the personalities of my kids when they were infants )

Secondly, you may think you can go somewhere and leave the baby with a sitter for dinner, etc, but wait until that child comes and see how your wife is. You and her may say something now, but all bets are off once that little one comes into your world. Many people (my wife included) will not leave our children with a sitter for any reason whatsoever on vacation (home is different story of course).

With 10 months old, you don't have to adjust your dining expectations too much, just feed the kid before hand, take a very early seating to bother the least amount of people and take things to keep the child occupied.

I have no idea where you live, but assuming North America, I would recommend something very easy for your first vacation with one location and little travel. At 10 months they will need naps in the day, you won't be sitting anywhere for more than a couple of hours. Maybe like Aruba outside the hurricane zone with family friendly restraurants, beaches, etc. And take a infant life jacket. There is no reason you can not go on a catamaran. My wife and I certainly did. We just switched off snorkelling. Those are the sacrifices you make I guess.

Cheers.

SQ325

When I was reading all the prior post encouraging the OP to go here and there I was like "Ok something is wrong with me, maybe Iam getting old". But finally someone has the same feeling as me.
OK, my experience being a father of twins is a bit more than the ordinary, so of course I may have a different view.
I would probably wait for the baby to be born in the first place and wait that you as a family get comfortable with the situation. There are babies which are fairly easy to handle (i envy some of my friends) but others arent. The baby is determining the pace and you've got adapt to it. There are a lot of situations where one or the other have to attend to the baby, which IMO makes it hard to enjoy travelling. And babies which are nicley sleeping while you are enjoying your diner may be existing. But my experience is different.

I would wait at least until it is 15 month old or even longer. And then look into a holiday by the beach. Its more relaxing for your wife, the baby and you. Keep in mind there are some logistical issues, like babyseat, diapers, food, clothing....

manneca

Oh, no. We celebrated Thanksgiving with a 9 month old in Montego Bay. He never had a birthday in the US until he was about 9 years old. With one child it's easy.

Hotels can arrange baby sitters. Parents are much less trusting than they were 40 years ago (can my son really be 40?).

We basically went to beach resorts. This was really early in my traveling career so I wasn't too astute. We went to St. Barths for years. The hotel we stayed at had lots of children. We played on the beach, went swimming. The staff doted on my son.

I'm not so sure about trying to go to a city. With a resort, when the child gets cranky, you can just go up to the room. In a city, you might be a long way from the hotel. Also with a resort, you can sit on your balcony and enjoy the time even though you have to be close to a sleeping child.

fredandgingermad

My daughter saw New York, Poland, Majorca and France before she was a year old, I never had a problem travelling anywhere with her and she adjusted just fine. A lot of countries in Europe love children and won't think anything if you're out late at night with a child. true you may not want to visit places considered 'fine' dining but there are enough places where the dining experience is just as wonderful that won't have a problem with babies.
I would wait until your child is born and you've adjusted before you really start to plan travel, but 10 months isn't so bad an age to start travel at, my daughter was 6 months when i took her away for the first time and ironically the only places we've had any problems was in the US

roknroll

Thanks for all the input, and trust me I am taking all that into consideration. At this points, we both are at the 'wait and see' stage because we really have no idea what things will be like. At this point I'm just looking for feedback, ideas, etc and am taking it all in. Once the baby is born and we've had a few months to adjust, then we'll re-evaluate if we really think it's a good idea to go on a long trip.

And we wouldn't plan on taking the child out to nice dinners or quiet places where they would ruin the experience. I'm the type of person who hates that stuff when others do it, so I am very self conscious about it. I'm the type of person who'd jet outside or to another room if the baby started to make a big fuss.

As to the suggestions to wait a couple of years: I have heard from lots of people that travel tends to be much easier with an infant than a 2 year old. However once the child is a little older I think we'd feel comfortable leaving them behind with grandma and grandpa for a week while we head out to travel. All this depends, however, on what the child's temperament is like, so we will play it by ear.

QueenOfCoach

Here's a suggestion. Travel to where the time zone difference will be minimal, at least the first time. Adults can get cranky as they adjust to jet lag; imagine how that would be for a sensitive infant.

I think you should wait and assess the child's personality before making firm plans.

kipper

LOL, I'm young and had the, "An infant on a long-haul flight? Those poor passengers who will be nearby the family if the child screams." I took a flight HNL to ATL last year with two screaming children... After about an hour, I was ready to start screaming because they wouldn't stop crying. I doubt it was enjoyable for most people on that flight.
How are you going to plan for the flights and what to do if the child cries non-stop on the flight?

I too suggest that you at least see the baby's personality and if the baby would be a good candidate for travel before you plan anything, or leave the baby at home with the grandparents.