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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

To take baby on holiday or wait until next year?

28 replies

TiredDinosaur · 07/03/2026 14:25

FTM here and DH wants to take baby on holiday this year. He will just be turning 9 months if we book for end of June to go to Italy
I think we would have a brilliant time but I feel like my anxiety is getting the better of me and I just can't get excited about it.

Here's what's on my mind-
Flying - never flown with a baby, keeping him entertained in the airport and during flight. Plus the extra luggage and pram / car seat etc
Nights - still BF so I'll be doing the night feeds, putting to bed and early mornings
The heat - trying to keep baby cool but still enjoy the weather
Change of routine - they eat very late over there so it would mean being in restaurants and eating about 9pm
Money - I should really be saving money as on mat leave but DH really wants to go and we are able to get a good deal

We are hoping to go with some family and I know these memories will be priceless and you never know what is round the corner !

Has anyone got any experience with traveling with a baby. (Or even with a toddler - is it easier with a toddler?! Should we wait until next year)

Am I being silly stressing out?

OP posts:

Redskye · 07/03/2026 19:06

Mumofteenandtween · 07/03/2026 17:56

Truthfully - if I was you then I would go tomorrow! A fully breastfed baby is really easy to go on holiday with - all their food is completely sorted and safe.

The problem with 9 months is that they will need water and you have to be really careful with bottled water as the sodium (I think! My youngest is nearly a teenager.) level can be dangerous for an under 1. So you either need to go somewhere that you can drink the tap water easily or somewhere that you have easy access to a very large supermarket where you can get suitable water from.

We waited with ds until he was 12 months for this reason but then discovered that 12 month olds were really hard work on holiday. He wanted to be on the move all the time but couldn’t walk for more than a few steps so wanted to crawl. But the ground was hot which was not nice for little hands and knees. So he got cross. Which did not compare well with taking him as a 5 month old when he just sat around being a big smiley blob who ate a lot of milk from his version of the all inclusive buffet (me!) and looked pleased with himself.

I couldn’t agree more, 6 months was perfect when we were stuck on a train for 4 hours unexpectedly and then an extra 7 hours stuck in transit as could just breastfeed, wasn’t even needing to change nappies half as often as once they start on solids. I would say 3-7 months is the absolute perfect age to go on holiday and then don’t bother until 3.5-4 years of age

minipie · 07/03/2026 21:48

Haven’t read the whole thread but any chance you could bring the trip forward a few weeks to early June? Less hot, and less chance he will be mobile!

We took DD away at 8 months to Spain and it was great, she was a very high maintenance non sleeping baby and I was so nervous but it worked out wonderfully. Because she was non mobile we sat her in a paddling pool in the shade and she was fine. Or took her in pool in a float, or buggy to local town.

I don’t remember what we did about water, but don’t remember it being an issue. I was BF and that was probably her main source of liquid still. And she probably had some tap water…

Runnermumof2 · 25/03/2026 06:56

100% go now ! The younger they are the easiest it is. At 18months + and walking /running away, it becomes chaotic! (Seasoned flyer of babies )

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