Baby's First Holiday: The Packing Guide You NEED to Read

You've been dreaming about it for months. Somewhere hot, somewhere sunny…baby's first holiday.

A few weeks on and that excitement has probably shifted into a much more practical question: how do you actually travel with a tiny human and all their extras?

Good news, it's a lot more straightforward than it feels right now. We've pulled together a handy checklist for everything you may need for baby based on a week abroad somewhere sunny, relaxing and beautiful. Dial it up or down depending on your baby, your destination, and your own sanity levels.

Travel

First up, the big stuff. There's a lot of personal preference involved here, but essentially you need to decide how you want to move about with baby: through the airport, possibly in a taxi or rental car, and eventually along the cobbled streets of a Mediterranean paradise. A few options worth considering:

• A full-size pushchair or travel system: the most comfortable option for baby and the most storage for you, and genuinely better at handling cobbles and uneven ground than a travel pram, though bulkier to manage through security and will need to be checked in.

• A travel pram: light enough for an overhead locker or a small rental car boot, but not as sturdy over cobbles or rough terrain as a full-size pushchair.

• A soft structured carrier: hands free through queues, up steps, and on beaches where a pushchair simply can't go, though not something to wear for hours on end in serious heat. A great little extra to pack on the side.

• A car seat: worth sorting early if you're renting a car, as car seat hire abroad can be hit and miss on both availability and condition. If you're bringing your own, it will also need to be checked in.

💡 Cubbi tip: if you're after the best of both worlds, our pick for summer travel is the Mamas & Papas Libro Stroller. It's lightweight, but built with great storage and handles all terrain well, it lies flat for naps on the go, and it's IATA cabin approved, so it goes straight into the overhead locker.

Sleep

Away from home, sleep is unpredictable at the best of times, so anything that keeps bedtime feeling familiar earns its place in the case. Key bits to think about:

• A travel cot: gives baby a safe, familiar spot to nap or settle for the night, wherever you're staying.

• A blanket from home: something that smells and feels like their own bed, brilliant for settling baby on the flight itself or for those early nights in the pram while Mum and Dad are enjoying dinner.

• Light sleepwear (low tog): worth packing a couple of options either way, aircon varies hugely from room to room and you won't know until you're there.

Most hotels and holiday lets will allow you to reserve a travel cot, and for plenty of trips that's genuinely fine. But if you're heading somewhere off the beaten track, you're not sure on availability, or you'd rather not gamble on the quality of a cot you haven't seen, packing your own is the safer bet.

💡 Cubbi tip: whether you bring your own travel cot or use one provided, travelling with your own Mamas & Papas Travel Cot Fitted Sheet is genuinely advised. One less unknown, and baby sleeps on something familiar wherever you land.

Staying Cool

Once you've landed somewhere hot enough to warrant an ice cream after every meal and a midday siesta, a couple of essentials make holiday life a lot easier while you're soaking up the sun:

• A sunshade or parasol for the pram: keeps the sun out, perfect for those pram naps on the go.

• Mineral sun cream (if baby is over 6 months): the gentlest option for delicate skin, worth getting at least factor 30, though we recommend factor 50, and reapplying little and often, especially after a dip in the pool!

  
  

💡 Cubbi tip: for shaded playtime on the beach or by the pool, this Mamas & Papas Anti-UV Playpen & Tent gives baby decent shade while you actually get to sit down for five minutes.

Toiletries

Pack everything you'd use at home, plus any medications baby might need:

• Body washes, cream or nappy cream: stick with your usual go-to, now is not the time to experiment. Familiar products mean one less thing to worry about if baby's skin reacts to heat or a change in water.

• Any medications baby currently takes or might need: worth packing a little extra in case of flight delays or a longer trip than planned.

• Nappies: around 30 to 40 to cover the first 3 to 4 days (roughly 8 to 10 a day), then buy the rest once you land, they're stocked pretty much everywhere and it frees up a surprising amount of suitcase space.

• Wipes: 3 to 4 full-size packs, you'll get through them faster than you'd think between nappy changes, sticky hands and general holiday mess.

  
  

Clothing

You will forever question is this enough? Probably not, babies do have a talent for getting spectacularly messy, so pack slightly more than feels necessary:

• Bodysuits or vests: 8 to 10, your base layer for hot days and quick nappy changes.

• Sleepsuits or lightweight rompers: 4 to 5, for naps and evenings once the temperature starts to drop.

• Daytime / evening outfits: 5 to 6, a mix of dungarees, shorts sets or knitted resort pieces for cooler moments and the Instagram pics.

• Swimwear: 2 to 3 rashsuits or swim sets, so there's always a dry one ready for the next pool or beach session.

• Sun hats: 2, one spare for when the first inevitably ends up wet or buried in sand.

• A light layer for evenings: 2 or 3 cardigans or long sleeve knit for when the temperature drops after dark and the blasting aircon of the plane.

• Socks, shoes or booties: a few pairs, they have a habit of disappearing entirely on holiday.

  
  

Don't panic too much if you're a few outfits short either. A lot of holiday time is spent in just a nappy anyway, and hotels are genuinely great at turning washing around quickly if you do run low.

💡 Cubbi tip: this Mamas & Papas Striped Rashsuit is a good one to have on rotation for pool and beach days, sun safe and easy to layer under other bits.

Feeding

Whether you're bottle feeding or breastfeeding, it's great to have some hydration essentials ready to go:

• Bottles: 4 to 6, enough to get through a full day without needing to wash and sterilise constantly.

• Steriliser: portable steriliser or 1 to 2 packs of steriliser tablets if you'd rather travel light and skip the extra kit.

• Formula: how much you need depends entirely on your feeding approach, if baby's fully formula fed, pack enough for travel days and the first day or two, then check in advance that your usual brand and stage is available at your destination before relying on buying it there.

  
  

💡 Cubbi tip: these Mamas & Papas Sterilising Bags are a great space saving alternative if you'd rather not pack a full steriliser, just remember to check the microwave situation before you rely on them.

Toys & Entertainment

The real challenge of the holiday is keeping baby entertained through it, on the plane, at dinner and while you're trying to enjoy a cool drink somewhere sunny. Small, easy to grip toys that clip onto a pram or car seat are worth their weight in gold here.

💡 Cubbi tip: the Mamas & Papas Sensory Toy Range is small, packable, and does exactly this job without taking up half the suitcase.

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Cubbi has 5% OFF for new and expecting parents when you spend £50 on Mamas & Papas, so it's worth checking out their fantastic travel and summer ranges before you finish the packing list.

Have a brilliant trip, and don't forget to pack those flowy linen co-ords for you too!

This post is sponsored by Mamas & Papas.