Your holiday checklist
Whatever type of holiday you have planned, the trick is to not pack too much. For those holidaying in the UK this may be tricky as you never can predict what the weather will be like! Follow our guidelines for packing and we wish you a happy holiday…
If you are going abroad:
What to pack for a baby:
Travel cots/ highchairs
First check with your hotel/apartment/villa whether they are providing a travel cot or high chairs. If not, try and find a compact travel cot that is lightweight. You can buy booster seats for babies that make excellent travel highchairs and you can also buy material travel highchairs (that fold up really small) which attach to most chairs but are really only suitable for older babies who can hold their heads up well.Car seats
If you are taking your baby’s car seat with you, check with your airline about whether you can keep it with you on the plane or not. If you are hiring a car seat for your baby, make sure you hire it from a reputable company who can guarantee that the seat has not been involved in an accident in the past. Also, get the hire company to show you how to correctly fit the baby seat into your car because all baby seats are different. (Also note that many taxi companies abroad will not have baby car seats available for you to use for your taxi journey, so it is important that you bring or hire a baby seat even if you plan to make very few car journeys on your holiday.Buggy
What buggy you take with you depends on the age of your baby. A lightweight stroller is ideal for travelling because it can be folded up and stored easily and can be taken right up to the plane and retrieved when you disembark the plane. If you are planning to take a larger pushchair or double pushchair you may need to put it in the hold, however some ravel systems can double up as carrycots for your baby to sleep in on holiday so you may not need a travel cot. It is important for your baby to sleep on a flat, well-aired mattress that isn’t damp or old. This is why a flat carrycot is ideal.Steriliser/bottles
If your baby is exclusively breastfeeding then you won’t need to bring anything, but if he is bottle-feeding or part bottle-feeding you’ll need to bring a couple of bottle and teats, and a liquid sterilser that is easy to pack. You can pick liquid sterilsers up from most chemists and they are just as effective and easy to use as steam sterilisers with the advantage of being much less bulky to carry. Always make sure your liquid sterilser is stored in a safe place out of reach of any children.Baby monitors
If your baby uses a baby listening monitor at home you may want to bring it with you when you travel on holiday. Remember to pack adaptor plugs if you are going abroad and bring spare batteries too.Nappies
You will normally be able to pick up nappy supplies wherever you are going, so unless you are holidaying somewhere very remote, there is no need to take a huge amount with you as most local chemists/pharmacies will stock nappies.You will also need to pack some swim nappies if you plan to take your children swimming.
Toys
A play gym may be a good idea to pack if it can be rolled up and packed into a suitcase. Not only is a play gym a great place for your baby enjoy, you can also put it in the shade or even drape something over the poles that go over it to shade your baby from the sun. Take a selection of easy-to-pack toys that you know your baby likes to play with, for example, board books, stacking pots, toys to chew if he is teething, bath toys for him to play with in the pool, rattles and balls. Most European holiday resorts will have inexpensive plastic toys that you can buy for your baby if he gets bored with what you have brought out for him. Make sure they have no small parts that can be choked on. Buckets and spades are a must for any beach holiday (even if Dad does most of the sandcastle building) but can be picked up relatively cheaply from seaside shops rather than having to squeeze them in to your luggage!Sun protection
You can buy little foldaway tents for the beach, which can be easily packed in your suitcase that protect your baby from the sun when you are on the beach (Mothercare sell inexpensive ones). It is also a good idea to buy a sun suit for your baby that has UV protection. Make sure that you pack a hat for your baby and also plenty of sun protection cream, preferably children’s sun block; the highest factor you can find. You can always pick up sun cream when you abroad but holiday resorts or beach stores usually charge a fortune for them!For the water
You may want to swim with your baby, either in the sea or in the pool, depending on the age of your baby. Wetsuits are great for older babies and toddlers, but may also help younger babies to stay warm in swimming pools. Arm bands or water wings are essential for swimming, although your baby (or toddler) should never be left alone in water, even if he is wearing arm bands. You can get little inflatable seats that blow up for your baby to sit in, in the water, but again, your baby must always be supervised with an adult holding on to the seat at all times.Clothes to pack
With a European or hot holiday further afield you can pretty much guarantee sunshine so you don’t need to pack a huge amount. Here’s some hints:5 baby vests or sleeveless grows
5 T-shirts (depending on how messy your baby is you can always pack more T-shirts/tops)
3 shorts/leggings
3 cardigans
1 pair of jelly shoes/beach shoes
2 warmer cardigans for if it gets colder in the evening
Swimming costume
Sun protection suit
1 pair of normal shoes/sandals
4 pairs of socks
1 dress/dungarees
1 hooded baby towel
2 growbags (high summer weight)
1 cellular blanket
1 sun hat
(For a toddler – plenty of pants and vests)
1 pair of baby/toddler sunglasses
And for a toddler…
In terms of the equipment you may need for a toddler it is the same as the above, with additions such as a blow up toddler bed if necessary and toddler appropriate toys such as sticker books and colouring. If you are potty training you may need to take a travel potty and plenty of packs of pants. A toddler may need swimming goggles and swimming cap but this depends on your toddler and what he is normally used to in the water. If you have a daughter you may have to pack a hairbrush and hairbands for her to tie her hair whilst swimming.
And for a UK holiday...
You will need all or most of the above, but in addition you may need to pack a few more sets of warm outfits and shoes and socks. You will also need a warm jacket and a raincoat. If particularly bad weather is suspected you may need to pack Wellington boots.
If you are travelling by car you may be able to pack a few extra things you wouldn’t normally take on a holiday abroad such as buckets and spades, a baby bouncer or a door bouncer.
Your holiday first aid kit
You don't need to go overboard with the first aid kit as again most things you will be able to buy in local chemists, but it's a good idea to pack:Calpol (or infant paracetamol/Ibuprofen)
Insect repellent
Piriton (for allergies)
Waterproof plasters
Sun protection lotion
Aftersun
Antiseptic creme
Thermometer
Forehead cooling strips
Rehydration sachets
Antiseptic wipes
Antiseptic gel
To pack in your bag for the plane journey:
Drinks for the children/juiceboxes or milkBoxes of raisins/dried fruit
Sandwiches
Spare nappies/pants and 1 set of spare clothes
Bib
Wipes
Toys/books/crayons/colouring
Children's magazines for the kids
A novel for you!!!
Passports/wallet/phone/keys
Last Modified:
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