Discount Baby

helpful tips, good advice, and a few essential items to help ensure great holidays with your children

Taking babies and young children on holiday isn't always relaxing, but with a little preparation - and a few clever tricks up your sleeve - you'll have fun, spend lots of quality time together and return with memories you will cherish forever.

Try to do a little research before you go, as every cot, pram and steriliser provided at your destination means one less thing for you to take with you. If there are laundry facilities you can take fewer clothes and if the hire car company provides car seats it means you won't have to.


Making things easier

• If you're travelling by car, take nursery rhyme and story tapes, a selection of distracting toys, and an endless supply of snacks to avert boredom. Plan frequent stops. An adult in the back often helps (if you can bear it).
• Be prepared for travel sickness, take suitable bags in the car or on the plane plus lots of wipes. Consider travel sickness tablets for older children or anti sickness pressure point wrist bands.
• If you're flying try to book aisle seats close to the loo, and pack small toys (bring them out one at a time) and snacks (to avoid ears popping). Take plenty of drinks, a change of clothes for baby (perhaps even a clean top for you).
• Check whether you can buy nappies, wipes, formula milk and baby food at the resort - saves you having to take loads of supplies.
• Try to get your baby used to room-temperature milk or jars of food before you go, it'll banish all your re-heating worries when you're away.
• If you're going overseas, make sure your baby has a passport.

Useful to buy

• A framed back baby-carrier (so you can go on long walks anywhere)
• A lightweight fold-up stroller (it will always be useful for travel especially around airports etc.)
• A travel sterilising system
• Fold-up car sun-blinds
• Paracetamol sachets
• Wet wipes
• A pack of self-sealing plastic bags (to store dirty nappies and wet clothes)
• A few little toys and books
• Disposable swimming nappies
• Arm bands / floats and wetsuits might be useful
• Towelling dressing gown / dress to keep them warm after swimming (while you get dressed)
• Night light and adaptor plug
• Non spill cup / beaker
• Disposable bibs
• Insulated bottle carrier

• If you're pregnant your skin may be more sensitive to the sun, so up the SPF, drink plenty of water and stay in the shade whenever possible.
• Small babies should be kept out of the sun altogether so take a pram parasol, a few pegs and a towel or sheet to provide shade. A pop-up beach "cabana" is useful for day time naps on the beach and for breastfeeding out of the sun.
• Buy the higest SPF for the kids you can find, and try to give them a good coating before they get dressed each mornin (even if it looks cloudy - they can still burn). You can always top up on the beach and after swimming. UV sunsuits give great peace of mind and protection.
• Show a good example by wearing a hat and insisting the kids wear hats too.

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