This summer, we took our first international trip as a family of 3! Quinn joined our family in May, and we knew we wanted him to have a childhood of adventure from the get-go. A lot has happened since our last trip to Europe, but life appeared to be returning to “normal” after COVID 19 vaccines became available. The prospect of summer travel seemed like a reality, so we got baby Quinn his first passport and booked a trip to Spain! Well, the pandemic took a turn with the Delta variant, so we questioned if we should still go. Plus, would Quinn’s passport arrive in time? After we spoke to the pediatrician and obsessively tracked cases in Spain, we decided to go for it. The passport arrived in time, and we did a trial run of flying to NY to see how hard it would be (all the carry-ons! and kind strangers who helped me when I flew back solo). It all went smoothly, and we felt ready to tackle international travel!
Back to Spain: We narrowed down our options by using Google Flights and Madrid happened to be one of the cheapest place to fly into in Europe. We chose Spain because we know the language (at least enough to get by), the highways are simple to navigate, cars drive on the right side of the road, and the weather in Northern Spain would be comfortable for a baby. Steve and I have been to Spain a number of times, but not to the cities on our itinerary.
Even though we are seasoned travelers, we are total amateurs when it comes to adding in a baby and all the related gear needed. We are learning as we go, but here’s what worked for us!
The flight
We had booked a trip to the Amalfi Coast for August 2020, which obviously didn’t happen. So, we had a nice big flight credit from our business class tickets. The question: do you bring a baby in business class? We decided that laying flat would be far more comfortable for us, so we went for it. To note: if you don’t book business class (which would get you entry into the lounge) and travel a decent amount, definitely get a credit card that gets you free lounge access. It’s a great pre-flight pit stop to have a snack, set down your bags, and use a nicer bathroom for diaper changes, etc. While services were quite limited due to the pandemic protocols, it was still useful. The return flight lounge was very spacious and quiet enough for Quinn to get a quick stroller nap in, too.
Quinn was an excellent little traveler despite my fear of him screaming and not sleeping. The only downside was no bassinet, which is only available in economy plus in the bulkhead rows, and subject to availability. I made a firm pillow moat for Quinn to sleep in, but it still made me a little nervous so one of us stayed awake to make sure he was secure.
Transportation
A car rental was the best decision. While we could’ve used public transportation to get around, having a car to be on our own schedule (and keep all the bags and gear) was so helpful. Our carseat can be used with or without a base, so we were able to just buckle the carseat in to the car. Car rental companies may offer carseat rentals, but aren’t particular safe because you don’t know the accident history or how filthy it got with other kids using it. Yuck!
What To Bring
We never check bags. Steve hates waiting for bags after landing, and I worry about our bags getting lost. I love a good challenge, so we packed light and attempted to do this with baby. We brought a carseat and stroller, which we gate-checked. We put each in their own giant gate check bags that have a drawstring on top. Most airlines have big plastic bags you can use if you forget the bag….which we did in NY. A travel stroller base and carseat that clips on would save space (and that’s what we did in NY) but we wanted our regular stroller for this trip so Quinn could comfortably nap on the go. This was a bulky item to bring, so it’s a good thing Steve likes to lift up heavy things and carry them around for fun. (Someone asked if I fit in the stroller, considering how big the bag was. I wish someone would push me in a chariot when I got tired!) These items don’t count toward your baggage, so they are free to bring. To maximize these free items, I packed cloth diapers and pack n play sheets in the carseat and buckled them in.
I used a wrap carrier to wear Quinn around the airport and onto the plane, and we used the stroller to hold some baggage while walking through the airport. You can wear baby through security, as the stroller has to go through the security conveyer belt. A carrier could also be helpful depending on your destination. Old cobblestone streets may be a little rough for a stroller, or beach time could be easier with a carrier.
Bring a way to contain wet/dirty items and have wipes handy. You will need this. Many parents suggested a change of clothes for both you and baby that is easily accessible, just in case.
Accommodations
We stayed in hotels on the front and back end of our trip, but stayed in an Airbnb with a washer and dryer in the middle. We were able to wash clothes and cloth diapers during our time in San Sebastian, which allowed us to pack minimally.
Tips
If you forget something or don’t have room for something in your bag, chances are you can buy it in your destination. We brought both cloth and disposable diapers, and bought some more disposables during our trip when we were staying in hotels without laundry facilities.
Many hotels have pack n plays you can request for your room. I don’t know how clean these are, so we brought our own pack n play sheets. We also brought this little fold-up bassinet, which I wanted to use on the plane but it didn’t fit in the seat. This won’t fit Quinn much longer, but it was an excellent option for safe sleep when the pack n plays looked questionable.
Use your baby for early boarding! Regardless of your boarding group number, you can go first if you have small children. Take advantage so you can drop your gate-checked items, secure the best overhead bin space at your seat, and get settled before everyone else is walking by your seat and you are trapped.
Speaking of perks of bringing a baby: you can bring full-sized items for baby. This includes bottled water and milk. Just let TSA know because they may need to do an extra screening.
Have a small bag with diaper supplies available at your seat so you can go to the restroom without carrying your life on your back. There is a small fold-down changing table above the toilet, and most planes had disposable liners to place on top.
This may be a United-specific thing, or maybe all airlines, but I had to print my ticket as Quinn was attached to my reservation. I did not have the option to use the app for my boarding pass.
Prior to our trip, we got CLEAR since our credit card offered a credit for it. You just have to get your eyes scanned and don’t need to present ID/boarding pass to the agent, which was nice as my hands were occupied. Quinn was able to just come through with me. When returning to the U.S., we used Global Entry and found out that Quinn would also need his own membership. We had a nice agent that helped us this time, but good to know for the future.
Recap of our destination in Spain to come soon! It’s only been 4 months since I started writing these posts, but who is counting?! I will get it done before I forget everything we did…I hope.
