Practical Tips for More Fun, Less Stress, and Memories You'll Never Forget
Traveling with a Baby Isn't Easy... But It Is Worth It
Traveling with a baby is one of the best ways to begin building your family's story.
It's also one of the easiest things to overthink.
There are thousands of articles telling you which stroller to buy, how many diapers to pack, the perfect airplane seat, and exactly when your baby should nap. Those resources can be incredibly helpful, but they can also leave you feeling like if you forget one tiny thing, your trip is doomed before it even begins.
I don't believe that's true.
I'm Jamie, a mom of two daughters, lifelong adventurer, and founder of A to Z Adventure Gear. My husband (an engineer) and I invented the Lay & Play Adventure Mat after traveling with a baby and toddler and wondering why there wasn't a better way to give our baby a clean, safe place to play while we unpacked, made dinner, waited in airports, or simply caught our breath.
The moment we realized we might have an idea for an invention happened on a late Friday evening after we'd stuffed our car full of baby gear and driven two hours to the mountains to stay in a condo with my parents and brother.
There were five adults, a toddler, and a four-month-old—and it felt like we spent the entire weekend MacGyvering together linking chains, rattles, blankets, and anything else we could find to keep our baby entertained while we tried to do something as simple as eat dinner together.
When we got home, we searched the internet and all the big baby stores looking for a portable play mat that could actually travel with us.
We couldn't find one.
We were genuinely surprised that a travel baby play mat—something lightweight and compact enough to pack but still functional enough to give a baby a comfortable place to play—didn't seem to exist.
So we decided to make one.
That's how the Lay & Play Adventure Mat was born.
I'm so glad it was, because having a familiar place for our baby to play made it easier for me to actually enjoy our travels as a family.
And along the way, I've learned something important:
The trips your family remembers most usually aren't perfect.
They're the ones where everyone slowed down enough to enjoy being together.
This guide combines practical tips for traveling with a baby with a few mindset shifts that made family travel much more enjoyable for us. My hope is that it helps you feel a little more prepared—and a lot more excited—for your own adventures.
Before You Book Anything
Pick the Trip That's Right for Your Family
One of the biggest mistakes new parents can make is feeling like they need to take someone else's dream vacation.
If you don't enjoy camping, don't go camping because Instagram makes it look magical.
If you love the mountains, head to the mountains.
If your favorite vacations involve strolling through small towns, do that.
If visiting Grandma sounds perfect, that's a wonderful adventure too.
Your baby's first trip doesn't have to be epic.
Sometimes the best first adventure is simply spending two nights somewhere different.
Small adventures build confidence.
And confidence leads to bigger adventures.
Think Through the Logistics
Before you book, ask yourself a few practical questions:
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How long is the drive or flight?
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Will there be a layover?
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Will you need a rental car?
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Will you need to bring a car seat?
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Is there a grocery store nearby?
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Will you have a kitchen?
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Will you have laundry access, which means you might be able to pack less?
None of these questions should stop you from traveling. They're simply things that can help you prepare, pack more intentionally, and make the trip easier once you're there.
How Do You Pack for a Baby Without Feeling Overwhelmed?
One of my favorite travel hacks is surprisingly simple:
Pack in Categories
The truth is, I actually hate packing—even though I love to travel.
Over the years, I've come up with strategies that keep me from getting completely overwhelmed. Packing in categories has been incredibly helpful when packing for myself and my babies, and it's a strategy I've been able to pass down to my kids as they've gotten older.
Instead of trying to remember one giant list, think through the different parts of your baby's day.
For example:
Feeding
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Bottles
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Formula or breastmilk supplies
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Bibs
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Snacks
Diapering
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Diapers
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Wipes
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Cream
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Changing supplies
Transportation
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Stroller
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Carrier
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Car seat
Play
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A favorite toy
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One or two toys that are new—or at least haven't been seen recently
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A clean, portable place for your baby to play, such as a travel baby play mat
Packing this way helps you think through what you'll actually do during the day instead of staring at one enormous packing list and wondering what you've forgotten.
Try New Gear Before Your Trip
Don't let your vacation be the first time your baby sits in a new stroller or carrier.
Take it for a walk around the neighborhood.
Practice folding it.
Adjust the straps.
See how it fits in your car.
The more familiar your gear feels before your trip, the smoother those first travel days will be. It's helpful for your baby, but it's also helpful for you.
And this advice isn't just for the baby gear.
Try on the new hiking shoes. Make sure the new bathing suit fits. Wear the sun hat.
As a mom, I'm guilty of spending so much time thinking about what my kids need that I throw my own stuff into a suitcase at the last minute. Then I arrive and realize the new bathing suit I bought doesn't fit, when I could have easily exchanged it before the trip if I'd just tried it on.
Lesson learned.
What Do You Actually Need When Traveling with a Baby?
One thing I wish more parents heard is this:
Beyond the bottles and diapers, babies don't actually need that much.
They need:
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Appropriate clothing for your destination and the season
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A safe way to travel, such as a properly installed car seat when needed
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A stroller or carrier that works for your family
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Somewhere comfortable and appropriate to sleep
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Somewhere comfortable to play
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Loving adults who are willing to slow down and explore the world with them
Everything else is there to make life easier, which is great, but isn't always necessary.
So don't let all of the baby travel gear, packing lists, and advice overwhelm you. Think about your baby, your family, and the way you like to travel—and start there.
What Baby Gear Is Actually Worth Bringing on a Trip?
When I'm buying baby gear for travel or deciding what deserves precious space in the car or suitcase, I try to choose things that check three boxes:
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Easy to pack and carry
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Easy to clean
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Useful in multiple ways
This is one of the reasons we designed the Lay & Play Adventure Mat the way we did.
It's a portable travel baby play mat that weighs less than two pounds and packs into its own stuff sack, so it can fit in carry-on luggage, a backpack, under a stroller, or into an already very full car.
Once you arrive, it gives your baby a familiar place to play in a hotel room, vacation rental, grandparents' house, airport, campsite, or even outside.
We've also used the mat as a changing surface and, without the toy bar, as an impromptu picnic mat. And when it gets dirty, or just feels gross after spending time on airport and hotel floors the cover can go in the washing machine.
That's the kind of travel gear I love: something that earns the space it takes up.
The same philosophy applies to toys.
Nesting cups are one of my favorite examples because they can entertain your baby in a hotel room, become bath toys, and work for building sandcastles at the beach or playground.
I remember taking a trip when my daughter was little and bringing a set of tiny nesting measuring cups. They weren't even technically toys—they were meant for cooking.
She barely put them down the entire trip.
Simple toys often end up being the best travel toys.
How Do You Keep a Baby Entertained in a Hotel Room?
This is probably one of the questions I get asked most often:
Where do we put our baby when they want to play?
Babies spend a lot of time being transported while traveling.
They're in the stroller.
They're in the car seat.
They're in your arms.
Once you arrive, they need opportunities to stretch, roll, reach, wiggle, crawl, and simply move.
That doesn't require dozens of toys.
Often, it simply requires a comfortable place where they can explore and take in their new surroundings.
This exact frustration is what inspired my husband and me to invent the Lay & Play Adventure Mat. We wanted a travel baby play mat that was lightweight enough to take anywhere but functional enough to create a familiar play space for our baby once we got there.
It needed to fit in a packed car or carry-on bag rather than becoming one more giant piece of baby gear. The one we had at home was SO bulky.
The Lay & Play's toy bar gives babies something to look at and reach for, and the adjustable toy straps let parents attach favorite toys from home. The padded mat underneath gives babies room to move and play.
A portable baby play space can be especially useful in hotel rooms and vacation rentals because it gives your baby somewhere familiar to play while you unpack, make breakfast, get dressed, or simply sit down for a few minutes.
You don't need to recreate your entire nursery while you're traveling.
Sometimes you just need to create one little piece of home.
How Do You Keep a Baby Happy at the Airport?
Airports can be exciting.
They're also overwhelming.
There are bright lights, loud announcements, rolling suitcases, crowds, and often long periods of waiting.
One of the things that helped me most when traveling with our kids was making sure they had opportunities to move before getting on the plane and during layovers.
This is especially important for babies.
If you've been sitting at the gate for an hour waiting for your flight, they've probably been sitting too.
Whenever possible, find an appropriate place to let your baby stretch, wiggle, roll, or crawl for a few minutes before boarding. Some airports have children's play spaces and if you can find one, definitely take advantage of it.
This has actually become one of my favorite customer uses for the Lay & Play Adventure Mat. Parents use the travel baby play mat at the airport to create a clean, contained play space rather than holding their baby for the entire wait at the gate.
Then, when it's time to board, it packs back into its stuff sack.
Giving your baby a chance to move before asking them to sit again on the airplane won't guarantee a perfectly peaceful flight, I'm not going to promise you that! But it can make a long travel day easier for everyone.
Stick to Routines, Not Schedules
Travel almost never goes exactly according to plan.
Flights get delayed.
Traffic happens.
Dinner takes longer than expected.
Instead of trying to stick to a strict schedule, focus on keeping familiar routines when you can.
If your baby's bedtime normally looks like:
Book → Bottle → Lullaby → Bed
Keep that sequence—even if it happens two hours later or earlier than usual.
That familiar rhythm can help signal that it's time to wind down, even when everything around your baby feels new.
Remember That Parents Need Breaks Too
We spend so much time thinking about our baby's naps and sleep schedule that it's easy to forget something important:
Adults need downtime too.
In addition to nap times, try to build moments of rest into the trip for the whole family.
That might mean quiet time in the hotel room, one parent taking a walk while the other relaxes, or simply giving your baby some independent playtime while you drink a cup of coffee, answer an email, read a book, or sit down for ten minutes.
This was another reason having a portable play space was so valuable to me.
A travel baby play mat isn't only about entertaining your baby. It can also give parents a few minutes of hands-free time while their baby plays nearby.
And recharging looks different for everyone. One parent might want solitude while another would rather head out and explore alone.
The point isn't how you take the break.
It's remembering that parents are allowed to need one too.
What Are the Best Travel Toys for Babies?
When choosing travel toys, I look for many of the same qualities I look for in other baby travel gear:
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Multipurpose
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Easy to pack
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Easy to clean
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Small enough for the diaper bag or stroller
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Interesting enough to keep little hands busy
Some of my favorites include:
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Stacking or nesting cups
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A favorite stuffed animal, doll, car, or other familiar toy
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A few board books
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Small toys that can attach to a stroller, carrier, or play mat
One trick I always recommend is bringing one favorite toy and one or two things that feel new.
They don't actually have to be new.
Put a toy away for a couple of weeks before the trip and suddenly it can become interesting again.
Novelty goes a long way when you're traveling with a baby.
Don't Forget the Snacks—For Everyone
Parents of babies and toddlers already know that snacks are lifesavers.
But don't forget to pack some for the adults too.
A few years ago, we were traveling with my in-laws and the logistics of getting from our plane to our hotel were taking much longer than expected.
Everyone was getting tired and increasingly cranky.
At a particularly tense moment, I pulled out a bag of pretzels I'd packed for my kids.
Guess who it calmed down?
All of the adults.
That bag of pretzels has stuck with me as a reminder that sometimes the simplest things can turn around a travel day.
For babies and toddlers who are old enough for snacks, pack familiar, age-appropriate foods that are easy to grab on the go.
For older kids and adults, think about portable options that don't require refrigeration.
Snacks can buy you time during an unexpected delay, bridge the gap when dinner is later than planned, and keep everybody just a little less grumpy.
Allow Time for Exploration
For little ones, it's often the journey—not just the destination—that matters.
Give your baby time to soak in the world around them.
Watch the bustle of an airport.
Listen to the sounds of a new city.
Feel the sand at the beach.
Watch dogs at a park.
Look at boats in a harbor.
There is so much more to travel than the famous or Instagrammable places.
Some of our favorite travel memories have nothing to do with major attractions.
Watching boats.
Walking through neighborhoods.
Sitting on a park bench.
Watching airplanes take off.
Playing in hotel courtyards.
For babies, the world itself is entertainment.
Leaving some unstructured time in your itinerary also takes pressure off the adults. You don't have to rush from one reservation or ticketed attraction to another.
Slow down enough to let everyone experience where you are.
Those unplanned moments often become some of the best memories.
Do What Works for Your Family
You'll hear lots of opinions about traveling with a baby.
Board early.
Board late.
Bring the stroller.
Don't bring the stroller.
Stick to your nap schedule.
Let naps happen on the go.
At the end of the day, you're the expert on your family.
Take the advice that's helpful.
Leave the rest.
Travel gets easier every time you do it, and you'll quickly discover what works best for your crew.
Take the Pictures
Years from now, you won't care that your shirt had spit-up on it.
You'll care that you were there.
I tend to think about vacation photos in three categories.
Photos to Remember
These are almost like a visual travel journal.
They're the photos that jog your memory years later and remind you where you went first, what you did that afternoon, where you ate, or what that particular travel day actually felt like.
Take pictures of:
Hanging out in the airport.
The roadside diner.
The messy hotel room.
The stroller nap.
The unexpected moments.
Photos to Frame
These are the obvious ones.
The family at the overlook.
The beach sunset.
The mountain hike.
The first airplane ride.
Take those too.
Photos Your Kids Will Treasure
These are the ones you're actually in.
Hand the camera to someone else.
Ask another family.
Set a timer.
Take the picture.
Someday your kids won't notice your messy hair.
They'll notice your smile.
And pay this forward.
If you see another mom taking a photo of her family, offer to take it for her so she can be in the picture too.
Final Thoughts: Traveling with a Baby Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
Traveling with a baby takes planning.
It takes flexibility.
It takes patience.
But it doesn't require perfection.
You don't need every piece of baby travel gear. You don't need to recreate your nursery in a hotel room. You don't need to see every attraction.
Pack the essentials.
Bring a few things that make life easier.
Create opportunities for your baby to sleep, move, play, and explore.
A lightweight stroller, a carrier that works for your family, a few simple toys, and a portable travel baby play mat can go a long way toward making an unfamiliar place feel manageable.
And then give yourself permission to slow down.
The goal isn't to check off every attraction or stick to a perfect schedule.
The goal is to build a family that feels comfortable exploring together.
Some adventures will be close to home.
Others will take you across the country—or across the world.
Every one of them counts.
And years from now, I hope you won't remember how many diapers you packed.
I hope you'll remember the giggles in the airport, the first sandy toes at the beach, the stroller naps, the roadside picnics, and the joy of seeing the world through your baby's eyes.
Those are the moments that make traveling with a baby worth every bit of the planning.