When did you first take your first baby abroad?

[Lauraloop1516]

Just that really - I'm pregnant just now and me and dh keep reminiscing about a lovely holiday we had in France a few years ago where we essentially lived on baguette and cheese. Baby due in January - when do you think they would be most suited to a week in France? We were thinking of going maybe September or October.

[m0therofdragons]

Twins were 6 months and dd1 was 18months.

[mindutopia]

It's much easier to travel before they are mobile. I took my then 8 month old to Barcelona (alone) and it was lovely, but he was crawling at that age and it was just on the cusp of when it would have become really difficult. He was in to everything but he would at least still tolerate a day out in the pushchair as long as we came back to the flat in the afternoon for him to crawl around for a few hours before going out for the evening. It was really lovely though and I felt that it gave me a lot of confidence. I didn't really travel with my first until she was about 2.5, so was lovely to do when he was little.

[bouncingraindrops]

When she was 7

But I had no desire to go before then. We toured the uk in a camper van when she was little, and did again once more DC came along.

[3boysandabump]

9 weeks and it was a doddle.

The following year was not so fun 😂

[HerSymphonyAndSong]

Just last week at 15mo, to France. I am breastfeeding him so it was actually pretty easy in terms of the flight as we went for evening flights when he was sleepy and happy to nod off at the breast. However, our return flight was delayed by hours and he had come down with a cold and suddenly developed a really high temperature while we were waiting. Fortunately I had calpol etc with me, but it was very stressful worrying about getting him home with all the delays when he was feeling so rotten

[Cheerfullygo4]

6 weeks. Really easy due to having breastfeeding established, very little equipment needed.

[Tigger001]

When he was 11months and going again next month when hes 2.

It was fine, obviously not relaxing as we were running around him but it was lovely

[Lastbustowhitehawk]

@youngestisapsycho any tips from your NZ experience? I'm doing the same with a 10 month old in a few months and feeling apprehensive to say the least.

[youngestisapsycho]

Oh... it was 17 yrs ago! I hardly remember 😱 we had the cot thingy on the wall and I remember she slept nearly all the way to Singapore. We only had 2 hours there and were back on the plane to NZ. I can’t remember much else. I do know she hardly cried and she was really good.... but she had always been a good baby and good sleeper.

[Fivebyfive2]

Hi op, just thought I'd pop on as I'm also due jan and we're planning to go away with baby to France! It will be a big family holiday (parents, siblings etc) in the July time, but will go by boat. Looking forward to baguettes and cheese!! I hope you get to go with your little one xxx

[Lazypuppy]

8 months and again at 10months.

Off again when she is 18months, this is gonna be harder!!

[BillyAndTheSillies]

Three weeks, only a short flight over to Ireland for DH's granny's funeral.

Proper holiday, he turned 5 months while we were away. Flying with a babe in arms can often be a dream compared to a toddler!

[hopefulhalf]

8 weeks- piece of cake

[Shmithecat2]

6 weeks old. Easiest flight ever, he just fed and slept. We fly roughly every 3 months between the UK and KSA. He's nearly 4 now and a sodding nightmare.

[HerSymphonyAndSong]

Some 15mo and beyond also just feed and sleep if you are lucky with the timing!

[Chitarra]

9 months. He wasn't yet walking but was crawling at top speed, and there was an unfenced pool at the property (Italy) which made it less if a relaxing break than we had hoped for!

[theresnotthatmuchtoit]

Dc1 3 months, dc2 I can't remember clearly but certainly he was a non mobile but solid alert, head self supporting, I think possibly sitting up independently type age. 5 or 6 months - the air hostesses asked to take him to meet the captain for some inexplicable reason ...

I flew on my own with just turned 2 year old dc1 and baby dc2 to visit people and we accidentally caught a business flight because it was economical and gave us more of the day at our destination as we only went for a few days, and my kids automatically woke up at 5am every day anyway so it was no trouble... Kids were both good as gold as early morning was their best time of day, and got lots of compliments including backhanded ones about having expected them to be a nightmare but being pleasantly surprised ...hmmm

Dc3 4 weeks but we drove, didn't fly again til he was nearly 2, he was a very poor sleeper and it was just so unappealing to fly with 3 small children during permanent sleep deprivation. We went abroad several times with DH driving before he first flew though.

Definitely easy if you breastfed - my babies pretty much never cried for more than a minute or so because they were breastfed on demand and it always settled them, plus no need to worry about how to prepare formula milk in transit or on holiday.

[theresnotthatmuchtoit]

The most difficult age is crawling/ wobbly walking when they're not yet verbal and just starting to talk but don't take what you say seriously - between 7 or 8 months and about 16 or 20 months, when they don't yet respond to voice commands

Mine were all portable before 6 months and bribable/ distractible by 2.

Though dc1 was sort of mobile by 5 months, belly squirming and rolling about which wasn't really a problem except on one memorable trip to a pebbly beach when she constantly, untiringly, without a moment's break escaped the blanket and shade to try to eat pebbles...

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Dd1 was 6 weeks! I was joining dh who was working abroad. She had a Junior Jet Club badge pinned to her babygro - BA don't do it any more, the miseries.
Also took dd2 on holiday abroad at 3 months, no,problem, - easier at that stage than when they're a bit older IMO, though dd1 was never a problem. If you're going any distance, as we often did, night flights are best - you take them in their pyjamas.

[Witsendagain]

2.5 months, then emigrated at 7 months with just suitcases!

[mamaoffourdc]

6 weeks, long haul, she was amazing

[HerculesMulligan]

Our boy was born in May and we took him to Carcassonne on the train (Eurostar and TGV) on Sept 1st. It was a bit of a palaver to sort out his passport because of delays that summer at HMPO but the journey was easy and we loved the holiday.

[PurpleFlower1983]

We took our DD to Spain for 2 weeks in July, she was 4 months. She’ll be 7 months when we go abroad again in October.

[Pipandmum]

A couple months to Spain.. Took a 20 month old to Australia...

[SAHM2019]

5 months. She was breastfed, it was easy to just plug her in and she slept in pram next to us when we ate out evenings. Much easier than going when they are older and in sleep routine. As once they go to bed at a certain time, you are restricted to when you need to go home to bed. That's been my experience going with our toddlers anyway.