Take a baby on board

Travelling with a baby by plane can be done, says LEEANNE TEMPLER. All you need is a bit of planning and flexibility.

Standing in the ornate Catalonian Opera House in Barcelona was an awe-inspiring experience for us. Our 6-month-old son Logan smiled contentedly from his stroller up at the ceiling of blue and gold stained glass, and towering sculpture of Wagner's Valkyries - he seemed to take it all in.

My husband Richard had a rare opportunity to attend a conference in Spain and I was not going to let a small baby hold me back from seeing the world-acclaimed architecture and soaking up the Spanish summer sun. In fact, we found the rewards of travelling with a small child unexpectedly great. Our son was a natural icebreaker and increased our contact with Spaniards.

We would recommend travelling with a baby aged around 6 months to other parents, although it is true to describe the trip as travel rather than a holiday.

We were ambitious - our trip included eight flights in three weeks. In that time we managed to pack in the key sights of Barcelona, Ronda (Spain), London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, and Warwick Castle in England and in the Black Forest area in Germany.

We also picked up several tips for parents considering similar adventures - either within New Zealand or overseas

* Make it easy for yourself on the flight. There are ways to do this. For us it began with reserving a cot attached to the bulkhead of the plane.

Logan was lulled to sleep for longer than usual by the hum of the plane's engines, so we even had some quality time and dinners together.

Bottle feeds on takeoff and landing helped to minimise ear irritation for Logan.

* Take an umbrella stroller. They are light, compact and easy to fold up next to you on a bus or train. We found they also negotiate narrow spaces easily - and there are a surprising number of these in places such as airports and railway stations.

Air New Zealand lets you take them on to the plane and most other airlines let you take them right up to the door of the plane.

* Babies and bus tours don't mix. A Spanish tour leader came into our hotel lobby, took one look at us and left muttering that the tour we'd booked to the Alhambra was full.

We subsequently realised that a day of strict schedules and long queues in the searing heat would not have suited Logan or us. The better options are to hire a car, or use the round-the-city, hop-on hop-off buses. They are more flexible and let you arrange your own schedules - especially to avoid midday heat.

* Be adaptable and resourceful. When we couldn't find baby-change facilities in Spain we changed Logan's nappy on a blanket in the (almost) deserted stairwell of a department store, and once at the back of a baby-friendly pottery shop.

Large cities around the world have plenty of department stores with stocks of good-quality nappies, formula and other necessities, which can save you transporting these items halfway around the world. However, carry some essentials in your hand luggage in case the airline loses your suitcase.

* Slow down. We found it better not to cram in all the sights we would normally see. We picked a few must-sees and enjoyed them at a slower pace to fit around sleeps and feeds.

* If you must take trains, reserve seats. But we found that travelling by car was easier with a baby. First, we had a boot for all the luggage (rather than carrying a heavy backpack as I did on the train), and we didn't have to negotiate crowds of determined and hurried people with a cumbersome pram.

However, if a train journey appeals to you, try to avoid rush hours. In Germany they have special carriages for parents (mainly mothers) and children. I found this a boon, as I would rather breastfeed in a friendly and understanding environment than among uptight and harassed looking commuters in business suits.

* Book central accommodation. This applies especially if you do not have a car and rely on public transport. We found that in Barcelona, a central hotel meant we could pop back to our room to pick up extra nappies and food, or simply for time out.

* Babies do lunch, not dinner. Babies seem to get more irritable around dinner time and we found that arranging a special lunch at a restaurant was far more likely to succeed than a dinner.

The atmosphere is also more relaxed, so restaurant staff are more understanding. We had some great pub lunches in Britain and at Thank God It's Fridays in London, where they have high chairs and changing facilities, and Logan was given complimentary balloons and toys.

* Think about taking a car seat and front/backpack. You may find them an extra encumbrance or a godsend. We borrowed car seats from friends in England and Germany. We normally hire car seats when we hire cars in New Zealand, but found that in southern Spain they were not available with hire cars.

To give us some peace of mind we held Logan in our light frontpack while driving in Spain. Just remember that when carseats and packs are not in a car or plane, you have to carry them.

* Read some good books on the subject. Of the ones I've looked at, the best for babies is Travel with your Baby by Fodors Fyi. There is also Have kids, Will Travel by Anna Ciddor (Silver Gum Press). Lonely Planet has a book on travelling with children, but I found it is more oriented to those travelling off the beaten track. You will find others at Amazon.com.