As a second-time mum, I have been travelling with both babies since they were 4-5 months, and these are baby travel must haves I think you shouldn’t travel without!
We travelled with our first baby when she was just 4 months old, but that was more of a staycation. So, when it came to travelling abroad with our second baby at 5 months old, we had a much better idea of what we actually needed to take with us.
We recently travelled to Morocco with our 5-month-old, and these baby travel essentials made the trip SO much easier. They helped us keep him comfortable, stick to his usual routine as much as possible and, honestly, made travelling with a baby feel a lot less overwhelming.
This isn’t a traditional baby travel essentials packing list covering clothes, nappies and all the obvious things you’d expect. Instead, I’m sharing the practical baby travel must-haves that I genuinely recommend taking with you because I know you’ll actually use them.
Some of the baby travel essentials we bought were on the pricier side, so I’ve also included more budget-friendly alternatives to suit different budgets. And the best part? A lot of these items can be used at home too, so you’re not buying something that will only be useful for one holiday.
If you’re wondering what to pack for infant travel, I hope this list gives you a good starting point and saves you from buying things you simply won’t use.
And if there’s a baby travel essential you swear by that I haven’t included, let me know in the comments! You could genuinely help another parent who’s preparing for their first trip with their baby.
This post is all about babay travel must haves!
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Best Baby Travel Must Haves
Baby Travel Cot
Some hotels do offer a travel cot, so always check with your hotel before you travel. However, not every hotel provides cots, and even if they do, there’s no guarantee one will be available when you arrive, especially if other families have already reserved them.
For us, taking our own baby travel cot was really important because our baby sleeps in his own sleep space at home. Having his usual sleep environment while travelling helped us maintain some consistency with his routine and meant we didn’t have to introduce a completely new sleeping arrangement that could potentially make things harder once we returned home.
The travel cot we bought was amazing. It folds down and comes with its own travel bag, making it easy to transport. It can also be checked in with your airline. Most airlines allow you to check in two baby items for free, so for us, this was our pram and travel cot.
If your baby sleeps well in their own cot at home, I’d definitely recommend adding a travel cot to your baby travel essentials list.
Baby Cot Mattress
Technically, the travel cot I linked above under baby travel cot comes with a mattress, but honestly, it is very, very hard. I’m not sure I’d even call it a mattress!
We decided to get a separate travel cot mattress, and it was a complete game changer (we kept the hard ‘mattress’ under the actual portable mattress). It folds down and fits into its own bag, so you can easily pop it into your suitcase without taking up too much space.
It made the cot much more comfortable for our baby and helped him settle better when sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.
One little tip: pack 2–3 of your baby’s usual cot sheets. Having sheets that smell and feel like home can make the new environment feel a little more familiar and comforting for your baby.
Cot Blackout
A portable cot blackout cover (link) is one of those baby travel essentials I would recommend even if your baby doesn’t normally sleep in a completely dark room.
Hotels often have blackout curtains, which is great, but they don’t always block out every bit of light. And when you’re sharing a room with your baby, there are other things that can disturb their sleep too — bathroom lights, bedside lamps or even the light from your phone.
The blackout cover completely blocks out the light around the cot, which can make a huge difference when your baby is napping while you’re getting ready or sleeping for the night while you still need to get things done in the room.
We actually bought ours when we travelled with our first baby and have had it for over five years. Now our second baby uses it whenever we travel, and it has been so useful.
The top zip closes completely, and the cover is designed to be breathable, so you don’t need to worry about your baby being able to breathe comfortably.
If your baby is used to sleeping in a dark room, I’d definitely consider this one of your baby must-haves for a holiday.
Sound Machine
Whether you normally use a sound machine at home or not, I would still recommend taking one when travelling with a baby.
Hotels can be surprisingly noisy. You might have neighbours coming back to their rooms late at night, doors being slammed, people talking in the corridors or older children running around — and this was exactly what happened to us!
Our sound machine helped mask those sudden noises and made it much easier for our baby to stay asleep.
It was also useful because we were all sleeping in the same room. Once our baby was asleep, we could still quietly get things done without every little noise disturbing him.
Other budget friendly sound machine
Collapsible Bowl
A collapsible bowl is such a simple travel essential, but it came in really handy for us.
If you’re formula feeding or need to sterilise bottles or breast pump parts while travelling, you can fill the bowl with bottled water and use it as a portable sterilising container.
The best part is that it collapses down when you’re finished, so it takes up hardly any space in your luggage.
It’s one of those things you might not think you need until you’re travelling — and then you’ll be very glad you packed it!
Milton Sterilising Tablets
If you’re travelling with bottles or breast pump parts, Milton sterilising tablets are another really useful addition to your baby travel essentials.
We used them alongside our collapsible bowl. Simply fill the bowl with bottled water, add one sterilising tablet and allow it to dissolve before adding your bottles and other items that need sterilising. Always follow the instructions on the packaging for the correct sterilising time and water requirements.
One solution can be used for up to 24 hours, after which you’ll need to make up a fresh solution (just double-check the instructions behind the box in case anything changes).
And here’s a little bonus tip: Milton tablets are also amazing for removing those stubborn baby poo stains from clothes! Thank me later 😜.
Momcozy Washing Set
We absolutely loved our Momcozy washing set because it had pretty much everything we needed for washing our baby’s bottles while travelling.
It comes with a small bottle for your washing-up liquid, silicone brushes for cleaning different parts of the bottles, and a drying rack where you can leave everything to air dry.
The whole thing closes up neatly too, which means it doesn’t take up much room in your luggage.
When you’re trying to pack everything you need for travelling with a baby, anything that keeps multiple essentials together and saves space is a win in my book!
Flask & Rapid Cool
Our flask and Rapid Cool are honestly two of the baby products we use every single day, even when we’re at home. We only wish we had discovered them when we had our first baby!
They’re especially useful when you’re out for the day or travelling because they make preparing a formula feed so much easier.
We use the flask to keep boiled water hot for the hot-shot method of preparing formula. When it’s time for a feed, we add the required amount of hot water to the Rapid Cool, give it a shake and let it cool for the recommended amount of time (which, by the way, is like a few seconds — it’s amazing!). You can then add the cooled water to the bottle to reach the required temperature.
Always check the temperature of the feed on your wrist before giving it to your baby.
The best thing about this setup is that you can prepare feeds while you’re out without needing to find somewhere with hot water.
We chose the 1-litre flask because it holds plenty of hot water, which was perfect for days when we were out for hours. We knew we had enough water for several feeds, and the water stayed hot for a surprisingly long time. We even had some left over that was still hot enough for the following morning’s feed.
We also use formula pots, which we loved with our first baby and are now using again with our second.
Toys & Teething Essentials
Of course, this will depend on the age of your baby, but if your baby is 4+ months and showing signs of teething, I would seriously consider taking a good teething toy with you and the one I linked above was amazing!
Our baby had started showing signs of teething before we left and, by the time we arrived in Morocco, he was definitely going through it. Having his teething toy with us helped soothe him when he was fussy and gave him something to focus on while we were out and about.
For the journey itself, I’d recommend taking at least two of your baby’s favourite toys, as well as 2–3 new toys they haven’t seen before. The new toys can help keep them interested and entertained during the flight and while you’re away.
You don’t need to pack their entire toy collection — just a few favourites and some new things to keep them occupied.
Backpack Changing Bag
If you already love your normal changing bag, you definitely don’t need to buy a separate travel changing bag. But for us, a backpack changing bag was one of our baby travel must-haves.
We actually had this bag with our first baby too, and what I love most is how much it can hold without feeling completely impractical.
It has plenty of storage compartments, which makes it much easier to organise everything and find what you need quickly. It also has insulated sections for keeping bottles or food at the appropriate temperature.
Being able to carry the bag on your back is another huge bonus when you’re travelling because your hands are already full with your baby, pram, luggage and everything else!
If you’re looking for a good travel changing bag for travelling with a baby, I can’t recommend a backpack style enough.
Baby Carrier
A good baby carrier is an essential for travelling with a baby — and honestly, it’s useful even when you’re not travelling.
We used the Ergobaby Omni Deluxe and it was one of the best purchases we made. I found it incredibly comfortable to wear, even when carrying our baby for longer periods.
The back support made such a difference and meant I didn’t feel like all of the weight was sitting on my shoulders.
Another thing I love about this carrier is that it can be used in different positions depending on your baby’s age and developmental stage, including facing inwards, facing outwards, on the hip and on your back. Always check the manufacturer’s guidance for the appropriate position and age/weight requirements.
We found it especially useful while travelling because there were times when our baby was happier sleeping in the carrier than in the pram. It also made getting around busy places and navigating the airport much easier.
Other budget-friendly baby carriers:
Foldable Travel Pram
We bought the YOYO newborn pack (link) and 6+ pack specifically because we wanted a pram that would work for everyday use and travelling.
One of the biggest mistakes I made with my first baby was buying a large pram that wasn’t particularly travel-friendly. When we then needed to go away, we ended up buying another pram specifically for travelling, which meant spending even more money.
With the YOYO, we don’t have that problem.
It folds down incredibly small, is lightweight and doesn’t take up much space in the car. It was also really easy to manoeuvre while we were away.
You can take it into the cabin depending on your airline and its size requirements, or you can check it in. YOYO also provides a travel bag, so if you choose to check it in, you can put the folded pram inside the bag to help protect it from getting dirty.
If you travel regularly or know you’ll be taking several trips with your baby, I’d definitely recommend looking for a foldable travel pram that can grow with your baby rather than buying a separate holiday stroller.
Affordable travel pram we got for our first baby (very good!):
Baby Medicine Bag
A small baby medicine bag is another baby travel must-have that I wouldn’t leave home without.
Obviously, what you pack will depend on your baby, their age and what you normally use at home, but I recommend taking the basic essentials you may need if your baby becomes unwell while you’re away.
For our trip, we packed:
- Nose syringe
- Saline nasal spray for congestion (link)
- Calpol
- Teething gel
- Teething granules
- Thermometer
We didn’t take a huge amount — just the basics that we knew we might need.
Hopefully, you won’t need to use any of it, but having a small baby travel medicine kit with you means you’re prepared if your baby suddenly becomes unwell or uncomfortable while you’re away.
It’s much easier to have the essentials packed and ready than trying to find a pharmacy when you’re in an unfamiliar place, especially in the middle of the night.
Other Travel Posts You’ll Find Helpful:
- Ultimate Toddler Travel Packing List
- 13 Toddler Travel Essentials For Stress Free Trips
- How To Travel With Kids: The Ultimate Survival Guide For Parents
This post was all about the best baby travel must haves!
Don’t forget to save this pin on Pinterest to come back to later!
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