Taking Our 8 Month to Spain for Christmas

You have gotten great advice on this. The only thing I would add is to try to keep her on her little schedule as much as you can while you travel. Try to feed her at about the same times, nap at about the same times, and go to bed at about the same times. The closer you keep her to her normal schedule the happier she will be on the trip.

Does she need a passport? Only if you wish to bring her back! How else would they know she isn't kidnapped?

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Hey. :)

Yes, she needs a passport. Easy at the post office. Start tomorrow, though, so you don't run out of time before Christmas. They have passport backups sometimes.

She'll not need her car seat on the flight, but will most likely for the taxi. (And you will feel better having one for her. Driving in foreign countries isn't always as safe as we'd like.) Do you have the kind of stroller/carseat combo that clip together? If not, I'd buy or borrow one. The airport will be much easier if one of you is not carrying her constantly and you can put both the stroller and the carseat at the door of the airplane when you board. They'll store it under for you and you pick it up right at the door of the airplane when you deplane. Then one of you can put carryons under her stroller and push her and one of you can deal with luggage.

On the plane - just realize it'll be long. She'll cry. It's OK. Take her favorite pacifiers if she uses them. Take her favorite book and toy and blankie. People are forgiving and like babies.

It'll take her some time to adjust to the time there and then also when you get back. Try to get her on the time schedule there, but her little body might not go for it as fast as yours. Just have patience and know you all may get less sleep than you'd like and plan a few down days when you get back if possible to rest try to get back on your here schedule.

We've taken an infant to West Africa and preschool/toddlers to France and have had good experiences. :)

I've taken my kids to Ireland several times (by myself), including when they were infants. Here goes:
1. yes you need a passport and appy now.
2. I'm assuming you are not buying a ticket for her - so you will get the front row seat with fold out "bassinet". Helpful for space, but not sleeping. Good thing is she's not mobile, so keeping her occupied shouldn't be to hard.
3. Don't assume that you can find what you need (medicine wise) so pack tylenol, diaper rash cream etc in your luggage.
4. Be aware that different foods/climates and even the diapers that you buy abroad can affect your baby's digestive system and could lead to diaper rash (thus the cream)
5. You will need a car seat, each country has own laws - but do not allow yourselves the luxury/ease of not having a car seat. Driving in Europe is very different - you'll feel better if you have one.
6. TRy to get her back on her schedule asap. She will need more frequent naps at the beginning, but getting her into the same routine as home is huge. Lots of exposure to daylight, and do physiclly tiring things right after naps.
7. Pack in carryon a couple of toys and diapers, two bottles (you can ask the flight attendents to rinse them in really hot water immediately after use. Don't overpack your diapers. Diapers are bulky and with everything else for a baby - you need the space. Some airports do sell individual diapers at a huge cost. Just start watching now. How many bowel movements does she have a day, can you go 3 hours without changing? CAlculate up how many you think you need based on observations - and then add 2 for emergency.

Have fun.

We took our son to Germany when he was 4 months. It was great.
You will need a passport, so go online and down load the application, you can fill it out at home. You and dad will both need to be at the application site with ID and baby's birth certificate. You can find the nearest passport location on the same site. http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html
Do this early. We turned in the application when he was 5 weeks and got the passport a week or a few days before we had to leave and I was panicking and on the phone with them everyday until it showed up. Not all places that provide passport photo options will be able to accommodate infant passport photos, so call ahead. Make sure you can get the picture the same day.

You will have to pay for infant traveler, but it will not be as high as your seat and you will not get a seperate seat. Call the airline now to find out what they will need from you.

Do not take too many toys. That will be a lot of stress on you and the baby will not need it. Bring her favorite book (1 or 2) two of her favorite small toys that can fit in the diaper bag and maybe one extra for the hotel room. If you have family there, you will be surprised at how much you will not be holding and entertaining your child. Plus you will probably want to buy things there, so if you bring too many things to begin with, you will have a stressful issue going back. Always remember Rule #1 in traveling, "What ever it is, you can always buy it when you get there."

"Get a car seat." We brought ours and found out we did not need it (there was one already in the car), but we brought it and felt good about it. Traffic rules are different overseas. Imagine getting into a car accident in Germany while the both cars are going over 130 MPH with a baby not in car seat. Even if the laws permit no car seat, do not let your family go through the pain that might be caused if you do not have one. You can find a car seat tote at Babies r us. You can carry it as a backpack or wheel it. It will make traveling with the car seat easier. It was the only item we checked it.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2910024

Surviving the flight: Do not let her sleep before the flight. Make sure you skip that nap. I repeat, SKIP THE NAP BEFORE THE FLIGHT. Do not go to the airport too early. She skipped that nap, so she will be a bit cranky and you will not be advised to put her to sleep. Start claming her down after you found your seat. Then let sleep baby lay. Make sure you keep her and yourself hydrated through the flight. During the flight, when she is awake, make sure you walk with her when its safe to do so. She will need the circulation and the motion to keep her clam. Make sure you are calm. That is the most important thing. Get plenty of sleep and make sure you are completely packed with luggage by the door or in the car, the night before. Take things slowly the day of. This is important because if you are calm you can handle anything she needs you for. If she is fussy during the flight, its OK. If people are looking, its OK, your first priority is her not them. Make sure you whisper comforting words in her ear, even when she may be crying at a higher level. One of you need to be calm. She will feel your calm and feed of it and she will hear your soothing words and be assured by it.

Have fun and God Bless,
P.S. I did not mean for it to be this long, forgive me.

Definitely get a passport. I just returned from Greece with an 18 month daughter and 6 year old son. A portable dvd player helped give them bedtime music and baby einstein to divert their attention. Bring small toys and SNACKS. Also go to the Centers for Disease control website and click on the link for travel outside the U.S. You can select a country to make sure what shots you all will need and what alerts may be there. Also go to One Step Ahead website and go to their travel section. They have ear plugs for children to help with the ear popping during plane rides. They also have travel car seats and other great travel seats. I definitely brought my car seat. Europeans have a "different" way of driving that isn't always comfortable with Americans. Most car seats you can also use on airplanes if the child has their own seat. BRING HAND SANITIZER !!! You can put some in your checked bag and one in your purse. I carried wet wipes and used hot water in the bathroom on the plane to give my kids a hot wipe down. They loved it.

I hope I helped. J.

Yes to a passport and get on it soon! I have not taken my children internationally, but I have flown with them quite a bit. Get a seat for them on the plane so that she can be in her carseat (it is the safest way - especially if you experience turbulence). Also, when she has a seat, you get her luggage allotment. I am not sure of the laws in Spain regarding carseats, so you may need to contact a travel agent on that. Oh, and make sure your carseat is approved for use on airplanes! If it doesn't have the sticker on it that can be a hassle. They do make a stroller/carseat combo where the wheels just pop down (stroller) or up (carseat). I have used it with great success and have had several friends borrow it. Also, take along several toys and books, maybe surprise her with something new. Snacks are also a must. Nap when she naps, and maybe you and your husband can take turns sitting next to her. They tend to make carseat babies sit next to the window. Be careful of the lap tray as little fingers and toes could get pinched in the folding mechanism. If ear pressure is a problem, have a bottle ready or nurse if you can to help with the pressure. She might copy yawning if you show her. ( : Good luck

Hello!

I lived in Germany for a few years and here is a few travel tips I have learned:

For Jet Lag Novices (and Old Timers too)
Some of you have never traveled across the ocean and some
of you have done
it a million times. We are going to give you some
suggestions that we have
found help for a quick transition.
1. In the days leading up to your flight make sure you get
enough rest.
2. Beginning 3 days before you fly begin drinking
lots of water-
2-3 liters a day
3. On the day before you fly try avoid caffeine, especially on
the flight.
It is VERY important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of
water. Amazingly
this will help with your adjustment.
4. Wear support hose on the day you fly
5. Once you get on the plane set your watch to spain time
(9 hours
ahead of CA time)
6. Try to get some sleep on the flight
7. Tuck some Benadryl in your suitcase you will probably
sleep fine the
first night, but might need a little help the 2nd or 3rd
night. I have
found that 1 Benadryl does the trick. (or children's version for kids, etc)
8. On the day you have arrived you NEED to
stay awake
until 9pm. This will be VERY difficult, but for a quick
transition it is necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not know this last trick of staying awake the first day and it took me TWO WEEKS to get over jet lag! When my mom followed these steps she was over jet lag in 3 days. (and jet lag can spoil a trip!)

Also for babies. Ask the airlines if you could have a seat at the bulkhead. And if you could have a bassinet for the baby to sleep in. Having a seat (WITH a car seat is best) but if you are saving money, you could pay 10% extra on your ticket and have your baby in your lap. (then you really want to have the bassinet, it hooks in front, on the wall like your lunch tray, from what I have heard)

On the way to Europe SLEEP!!! and on the way home to the states STAY AWAKE!!!!!

I hope that helps!

H.

Actually, this is the best age to travel with kids, in my opinion. When they hit about 2, it is so much harder. Anyway, I'm assuming she will have her own seat, so just bring her car seat and you can seat belt that into the plane (if you're not having her be in her own seat, than just check the car seat with your other luggage). Then when you get off the plan, you can just put her in the car seat carrier and put the seat belt over that. That should keep her safe. As far as the flight, I would recommend just having lots of bottles, or if you're breasfeeding, bring a blanket or whatever to just feed her when she wants. She probably will sleep most of the time. I flew with my son and twins when they were about this age on a 10 hour flight and they slept most of the way...kinda like being in a car, they just go to sleep. If she is crawling by then, which most likely she will be (or at least close), she will still remember sitting for long periods of time, so I think she won't be too fussy. Like I said though, just have some food for her and she will be OK. Are you giving her Cherios or the snaky thinks from Gerber. That could hold her off for awhile? I know my twins love those and they will go to town on those for quite awhile if I give those to them (they are 10 months old today).

As far as the passport, I'm pretty sure she doesn't need one, but I would call the airline you are flying and they can give you more info on that. I haven't flown internationally with my kids, but lots domestically and I have never been asked for any kind of documentation for them.

You'll have a great flight. Don't stress to much about it. However she acts at home, she will do the same on the plane. Just my 2 cents. Have a fun trip!

It's been years since I've traveled overseas with little ones, but I can give you a few tips:

1. Yes, she will need a passport.
2. The airline will also probably expect you to bring a carseat and buy a separate seat for her. That's changed since the time I traveled, so I'm not sure.
3. You will need plenty of distractions for her. I love that age, but they are wiggly. Make sure you don't change her routine too much. (I got the bright idea of trying to wean my 2-year old while we were traveling. Not good.) Bring toys, books, etc. I'm not sure about snacks and bottles these days in terms of security. You'll have to check ahead. Also bring her favorite blanket or whatever. Hopefully she'll sleep during part of the trip.
4. I haven't been to Spain yet, but my son lives there with his Spanish wife and their two little girls. They're in the countryside and it's a very healthy place for kids.
5. Have fun!

Hi S.,
I would definitely take a car seat! Regardless of what the car seat laws might be in Spain... you use a car seat because you're concerned with her safety, not just so you'll be in compliance with the law, right? Besides any cabs you may take while over there, you'll also be eating at restaurants which may not have highchairs, etc., and a car seat is a handy, comfy, safe seat for her to have for lots of different scenarios. Have a great trip! I'm soooo jealous!

Hi, S.. In my experience traveling with young children is much easier before the age of 1. We were stationed in Iceland from 2004 to 2006, and left the States to move there when our daughter was 3 months old. She did have to have a passport at that time. The tricky part was getting a passport photo of her with her eyes open, as she was only 2 weeks old when we applied for the passports (at that time we had to send the passport photos in with our application package). If things are the same, then yes-your baby needs a passport 100%.

The car seat issue, I am not sure about, but in Iceland they did require them. The cab drivers didn't seem to care if our daughter was in one or not, so if we traveled by cab, (usually just around the base before our car was shipped to us) we did not have her in a carseat; which at that time was an infant carrier/carseat. I am not sure if the 'rules' are different in a different European country, but that is all I know about the carseat question.

The flight could not have been easier with her when she was that small. I was nursing, and I just made sure that she was nursing at take-off and at landing, so that the change in cabin pressure didn't bother or scare her. And then as luck had it, she slept through most of all of the flights, only waking to nurse, which was when there was another take-off or landing. Worked out perfectly.

If your baby is not nursing or taking a bottle anymore, I would suggest a drink that you have to kinda work at to get out of the bottle, like one that you can buy that water goes in with the little pull-up top. Also, I took 2 or 3 NEW toys that she had never seen before, and allowed her to open them on the plane when she was closer to 2. I waited until she was getting bored or cranky and then when I gave her those, she was happy and quiet for hours (the flight from Iceland to Baltimore was 6 hours, and then we had to travel to FL from there). Also, I make sure to have a crazy amount of snacks for her, even now if it is just a road trip, and she is 4 now. I am not sure about rules for taking what liquid your baby would need, but if it is in a bottle, you can buy these little screw-on caps that will fit just about any type of bottle, and then you have a bottle of water or juice that she can suck on to help with her little ears. Here is the website: simplygoodstuff.com
I have heard that the airlines have very strict rules about liquids onboard, but these may help if you have to settle for what they have to sell to you while you are in flight, these will work as long as oyu get bottled water and/or juices.

Also, if you have a seat for your daughter, take her carseat along, and then she will have a comfortable and familar place to rest, and you and your husband will also get a little break if she is able to sleep in it. Plus, you will have it if you find you need it once you get to Spain. If you do not have a seat for her, they can check it as unusual baggage, or something like that, and it is usually fine. We have traveled both ways, and we prefer to have the carseat with us.

What a fun trip! We took our 11 month old to Paris last year for Thanksgiving. People may tell you your crazy, but I think it's actually a fairly easy time to travel with kids. They can't run away from you yet! You will definitely need a passport for her. Go get one now because they take a few months to process. Call before to make sure you bring all of the proper identification. For us the time change was rough the first 2 days and then she was fine the rest of the trip. She still woke up earlier than usual, but that was to be expected. Your sleep will be off, but just try to enjoy yourselves. I brought some things from home that we used in our night routine to help her get the idea of bedtime since it was confusing. Bring a lightweight umbrella stroller instead of a big one. It's much easier to push through European streets. (We have the Maclaren Volo and it was perfect!) It will work out, just have fun! Good Luck!

Hi S.,
My husband and I took our 3 month old daughter to England to visit his family last spring. It wasn't as bad as I anticipated. We had to get her a passport and I suggested you get the paperwork for the passport to the agency ASAP. We sent off her application when she was 10 days old. One week before we left for England, the three of us ended up driving to New Orleans (the closest agency to Memphis, TN) to get her passport. The sooner you send it off the better.

The flight to England was overnight and our little one ended up sleeping for the majority of the trip. We only paid for her to sit on our lap, but ended up being able to lay her on a couple of seats b/c the flight was not full. The way back to the states was a totally different story. She sat in our laps the entire time and was awake. My husband walked her up and down the aisle and I kept her attention while she sat down. Overall, not a terrible trip.

This Christmas, we are goin back to England and she will be 23 months. I'm 100% this trip will be a totally different experience as she is on the run 24/7. But I'm sure we will survive.

As far as the time change, my daughter did just fine. I think alot of this is how the parents handle the situation. Just be easy and go with the flow and so will she. I wish I had more advice. Take some games and her favorite toy and book for the plane. try giving her a bottle when the plane takes off and lands. It seems to help with the pressure in the ears. If you have any more questions, feel free to email me. Good luck!!

C.

Hi-- we took our daughter to Italy when she was 6 months old. Here's the deal... you do need a passport and they make you jump thru a few hurdles to get them for kids so start now. You shouldn't change her time zone-- for example, our daughter slept from 7pm-7am so we just moved her to about 11:30pm-11:30am. It was great! We took her out to dinner every night and didn't need to get a sitter and we got to sleep in! Re the car seat, they aren't as strict as us but obviously it's up to you. I'd get one that snaps into my stroller, that way you don't have to lug it. Make sure the hotel has a crib (i'm sure you did already) and beware, it's probably going to be something like a pack and play b/c that's what they tend to have in the hotels in Europe. Last thing, our pediatrician recommended Benadryl on the airplane and it worked like a charm for us (and has on numerous occasions since). Literally, we take off and she's out cold for the whole flight. But, try it first b/c Benadryl has the opposite effect on a small percentage of kids and makes them more awake! Good luck!

My twin boys were 6 months old when we traveled from Okinawa Japan back to the states and back to Okinawa again. The plane ride wasn't all that bad! We got them on a good schedule prior to leaving and they ended up sleeping for a good part of the flight. My husband and I put their car seats in between us and we would lay our heads on the edge of their seats and sleep...then we would wake up when they started stirring. The flight attendents were really helpful as well. Good Luck!