Tips/what to take for beach holiday with 15 month old

[Johnsons1234]

Planning to take my 15 month old away next month, not sure where yet but somewhere like Spain, Greece or Portugal and feeling very overwhelmed by all the logistics. Google is giving lots of varied answers.

Do airports allow tubs of formula and hot water through or will we need to find some hot water once through security?

Nappies, can you buy them out there easily or take your own? I’m thinking they’re going to take up a lot of room in the suitcase and I don’t think airlines provide any baggage allowance at that age.

Has anyone rented a buggy and car seat to collect once you land? How smooth was the process? I’m thinking it’s too much faff to take our ones from home and worried they may get damaged in the hold.

Once in Spain/Greece etc do children that age need to take car seats on shuttle buses etc or just stay in buggy? Any tips for transfers?

Any general tips? He’s quite a chilled out baby but can kick off loudly if not happy 😂

I took my then 8 month old to Spain (actually taken him since but 8 months was the closest to your dc’s age). My main advice would be just to keep it simple.

Powdered formula is fine to bring, but at 15 months they don’t need formula, and certainly not every 2 hours on a short flight. Get him drinking normal cow’s milk, which you can buy after security or on plane. Or buy ready made formula at a pharmacy after security in the airport.

I brought some nappies from home, as well as favourite snacks for the plane, first day, but otherwise I just bought everything in the supermarket there.

I couldn’t be asked with the hassle of hiring things there. I brought our pushchair from home (checked in a buggy bag) and used a sling for airport and plane. I only used buses and trains, so no need for a car seat, though if a bus or a train not an option, I’d book a private transfer with a car seat from the airport.

The main thing I’d say is just that it will likely be very hot. Plan ahead for that and plan your days around mornings and evenings out and afternoons back at your accommodation or indoors in ac.

A reusable nappy and a float suit

Thank you that’s great to know you don’t need a car seat on buses or trains, the only time we may need it is if we take taxis in the evening but hoping to go somewhere where most shops and restaurants are walking distance.

He’s allergic to cows milk so can’t have that and I’m yet to find his formula in ready made bottles. He’s a good eater so can have snacks & water - I’m assuming you’d have to take sippy cups through empty and fill with bottled water? - but I like the electrolytes he gets from formula, especially in hot weather and depending on the times we fly it may fall over his usual time to have a milk/help with falling asleep.

You can take ready made up bottles of formula on the flight with you but not water in a sippy cup. Depending on who you fly with and whether a package deal you can get extra baggage allowance included with an infant. Jet 2 for example give an extra 10kg for one of the cases meaning you get up to 32kg.

Nappies are readily available in most tourist hotspots, Spain in particular has a lot of supermarkets to pick them up from. I looked but thought they were really pricey. I just take some from home.

Major package providers- TUI, easyJet and jet2 let you take pram for free and use it up until you board the plane. I know cos I've flown with my 9 month old with all three.

Always ask the hotel to confirm they'll put a travel cot in the room as well.

All in all it's a lot easier than it seems and I found people go out of their way to offer to help you as well

Perfect, lots of good info thank you!

@Johnsons1234 just check your chosen airport's and chosen airline's rules for what you can bring. This is just info I googled for Manchester Airport.
I would just say a travel buggy (give up at the plane steps) and a sling were invaluable.

My twins have CMPA. When we flew when they were 11 months old. We had an early morning flight so made up a bottle of formula before leaving the house and gave the bottle in the airport. Able to take this made bottle through security. At 11 months they were only having formula in mornings and bedtime. So then took a couple of tubs of formula in luggage. Be aware that depending on water where you are travelling to may need to make up formula using bottled water (but check mineral content).

When we flew when they were 20 months (a night flight) I took a bottle of Oat milk to give as their bedtime milk on the plane. I took this in a baby bottle rather than a cup and was no issue through security. We then just brought oat milk when away.

With water take their cup or water bottle empty then their are water fountains in the airport in full it up.

I pack enough Nappies for a day or so. Then buy from the local supermarket or pharmacy. I would take some baby food pouches that you know they like as a backup for food too, especially with CMPA. We struggled a little in restaurants to cater for CMPA. You can do a click and collect order from boots in departures (then doesn't affect your baggage allowance if an issue).

I have always taken their stroller from home and taken this to the gate so we had it through the airport. Sometimes this is returned at the gate upon arrival, sometimes its with oversized baggage. Definitely take a sling onto the plane to carry baby on and off the plane though. Also useful if they nap on the plane to have them nap in the sling (keeps your hands free).

With the car seat I sometimes take these or sometimes hire with the hire car (we always hire a car). Depending on the price of the hire. In Italy it was going to cost over £100 pw per child (£300 for 3 children!)

Most airlines let you check in 2 of the following for a baby/young child. Pushchair (check sizes) car seat, travel cot, hiking backpack carrier. You can also normally take a changing bag onto the flight in addition to normal baggage allowance.

That’s great to know sterilised water is ok, couldn’t find info for that everywhere but I imagine most airports will be the same.

Great advice thank you. Hoping to have access to a kettle so I can make up some cooled boiled water for bottles. I will definitely buy nappies out there as they’d take up so much room and they seem easy enough to find.

Our current pushchair is a two part one, would we have to check that in the hold as two different items? We have a folding one for dog walking but it’s very tatty so not sure I’d want to be strolling around with it for the whole holiday!

You need to check with your airline as to whether a 2 part stroller is classed as 1 or 2 items. It differs.

I would honestly recommend taking a cheaper one piece collapsible travel buggy though!

You could make up some formula and take it in a cool bag for the flight.

You can get atamil ready made formula with tits on as it is 70mil package.
I did have bigger bottles 250mil as well but some security were quite pissy about it as they do not onow it is legal to take baby food over the 100ml.
I would pack 250mil for outbound and few 70mil for return flight.

Pack calpol or any other medication chuld needs. But pain relief for sure.

Make sure you know where is a big shop so you can easily get there and buy nappies, food etc. No one wants to roam around in the middle of the night desperate for the right nappy size. Yes, I did that -.-

And, I cannot strrss this enough, do keep inside between 11 and 5. All of the countries you mentioned normally go above 35° in the summer. I had that in Croatia. Young children cannot cool themselves efficiently even in a shade in that heat.
Go around early, ha e a nice big lunch, a bit of siesta and forget 7pm sleep.
Or you are risking very irritabile child un the best case or hoslital in the worst.

P.s. buy pouches as small children will not have much apetite in hot weatherso at least you will get something in them.

He’s on hypoallergenic formula which only comes in powdered form and you can only make it up max a hour in advance so I will have to take hot & cool water through with the powder and hope they let me but it seems there are generally exceptions for baby milk.

We are definitely planning to spend mid day inside in air con, hopefully with him sleeping and going to be lax about bedtime as long as he’s not too tired.

Good tip about locating nearby supermarkets before we go, a last minute nappy dash is never fun!