Jet2 Eurocamp Holidays – A 2026 Guide
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Jenna Carr
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- Posted: 06/03/2025
Flying With a Baby | Best Baby Travel Systems 2025
Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further.
Top Tips for Flying with a Baby plus Best Baby Travel Systems 2025
“You cant travel with a baby?!” I know you have all heard this at some point in your lives. It was something we heard A LOT whilst I was pregnant with Leo 5 years ago. It never made sense to me, how difficult can flying with a baby really be? The flight seemed to be the biggest concern for many. In later posts we will go the many other modes of transport which may not only be easier, but more sustainable too. But in this particular post we will discuss the process of taking a baby on a flight.
Five years since those early concerns we have taken many enjoyable flights with a baby, toddler and child. Flying with a baby is not only possible, it’s quite easy with the right preparation. With a new addition to the family, we are now at the stage of flying with a baby and a child, so I wanted to update this post!
How soon can you fly with a baby?
It varies across airlines, but the limiting factor is going to be how you feel post delivery and how quickly you can get a passport for the baby. To apply for a passport you need a birth certificate, which isn’t always the quickest process. There are places you can fast track the process if you are in a hurry and the next appointment is some time away. We have a post about applying for a baby’s first passport here. We also have a post about renewing a child’s passport here if you have an older child like we do.
How much does it cost when flying with a baby?
Infants under 2 can sit on your lap and pay a lot less as a result. Each airline varies but there will be a fee for a ‘lap infant’. This fee includes check in items for the baby. Most of the time you can take two check in items which are usually a pram and a car seat. Wizzair currently only allow one check in item for babies, so have a look at the airlines policy before you fly.
What do we do with our pram at the airport?
You have two options, you can check your pram in before you proceed through security (which I personally wouldn’t recommend). Or you can take it with you through security and to the gate. You then hand it over to staff to put in the hold before you get on the plane. This allows you to keep the baby comfortable through the airport, and it can help with carrying bags too. Some airlines will want you to get a tag for the pram at the check in desk, most will be happy to print a tag for the pram as you enter the gate. Don’t worry, if you haven’t got a tag at the check in counter they always have the ability to print one at the gate (some people might just huff about it!).
Where will our pram be when we land?
Most of the time it will be in the oversized luggage collection area. Occasionally it will come around on the conveyor belt with the other luggage. Very rarely they put them out by the steps as you get off the place, so always have a quick look to see if they are piling them there. Again don’t worry, if you happened to walk past the pram without noticing, they would send it to the oversized area / conveyor belt when they realise no one has taken it.
Top 10 Tips for Flying with a Baby
1 – Consider the flight times
Babies sleep a lot, especially when they are tiny (or they should in theory!). Take full advantage of this and book flights at times when you know they will be at their sleepiest. For long haul flights we always aim to fly over night and focus on getting the little ones comfy. For short haul we aim for flights in the middle of the day, this is better for both as we don’t have to leave the house too early, and we arrive at the hotel just before bedtime.
2 – Dress them comfortably
Dressing the baby comfortably is really important. It should go without saying, but it’s very tempting to dress them in their trendiest outfit ready for their first big adventure. We always dress the baby in a sleep suit or loose clothing to make sure he is as comfortable as possible for the airport and the plane. It’s also just as important for us to keep our 5 year old as comfortable as possible, to help him stay in the best possible mood!
3 – Book seats at the back (or front.. but these are more expensive)
Booking seats near the front or back of the plane means you can easily be the last to board and hopefully be the first to get off. The less time spent on the plane the better! If we end up sat in the middle, we stay sat down until everyone is off the plane so we aren’t rushing. With a baby you will usually get to use the priority lane at passport control, so there really is no rush to vacate the plane.
4 – Priority queues are usually open to families with babies
Make full use of all the pros to flying with a baby. I often see parents in the long normal queues for security / passport control / check in – if you see a priority lane, use it. Nobody will resent you for getting a baby through the commotion as quickly as possible. Often they will indicate that they are for families, but even if they don’t, we always try our luck. The only airports we have ever had an issue accessing priority lanes was Amsterdam airport in the Netherlands and Billund airport in Denmark. They actively told us to get back in the normal queue with a tired, grumpy baby!
5 – Take all the snacks
Flying with a baby who is slightly older is made tolerable with snacks! As soon as you notice any sign of irritability, offer them a snack. Whether it’s a bit of fruit, a cereal bar, baby crisps – whatever they like. Offering them food and drink regularly will keep them comfortable and occupied. Of course the dream is that they have a nap, but the older they get, the less likely it becomes!
6 – Plan your activities
You can never take too many activities and toys. Having 10 activities that you cycle through during the flight will help keep an older baby occupied. Things such as a small book to look through, three blocks to pile up, a small notepad and crayons, a bottle with screw cap to twist on and off, a few animal figurines, some shows they like on an Ipad. When Leo was a little older we would wrap little activities up, handing him multiple presents made it more exciting and seemed to make the activity last a bit longer! Check out our amazon shop for some of our favourite travel products.
7 – Take a blanket and dress in layers
Temperature is unpredictable on a plane. It could be 5 degrees C in the UK and then 30 degrees C when you get to your destination. Sometimes planes will blast their air con and its freezing cold, whereas other times you feel like you could be sat in a sauna. Take this into consideration and dress the baby in layers so it is easy to adapt. Always have a couple of changes of clothes handy for any nappy blow outs. We keep new outfits in individual food bags so we have somewhere to put the old poopy clothes if needed.
8 – Help them pop their ears
Most babies get upset whilst flying due to pressure changes in their ears. This happens during take off and landing and can be avoided giving them something to suck on. In the same way that we equalise our ears by sucking on a sweet or ‘popping’ our ears, babies need to do this too. If you are breast feeding this is really easy, just make sure you latch baby onto the breast for take off and landing. If you are bottle feeding, have a bottle of formula ready to ensure your baby is sucking throughout take off.
Top Tip: Ideally you will wait until the plane has left the ground before you give them the milk, if you give it too early they might finish before you’re in the air
9 – Request a bassinet on longer flights
If you are travelling mid – long haul, request a bassinet seat.
This discovery was game changing for us. The picture above is on a 10 hour flight to Florida, we flew at night and he slept for a solid 8 hours of the journey. Some airlines will have a 9kg max weight limit, whereas others it will be 11kg. Call ahead to let them know you have a baby and would like to request a bassinet seat. Usually they can’t confirm until 24 hours before the flight, they usually give them to the youngest babies travelling.
10 – Take a baby carrier/sling
Taking a baby carrier/sling will be a game changer for you, especially getting on to and off of the plane. You can take your pram through the airport, right up to the plane. But once you have handed it over, a baby carrier is going to keep the baby safe while freeing up your hands for passport checks, luggage and ticket exchange. We found a great one on Amazon that works as front and forward facing, we used it for our first son and now are reusing it 5 years later with our second! This is the one, its great value and has lasted us well.
Do I need a baby travel system?
It completely depends on your lifestyle and requirements. If you are frequently getting into and out of the car it can be a game changer to be able to attach the car seat to the pram frame. There is nothing worse than needing to do a morning of chores, visiting various shops / people, and having to wake the baby up every time you get in and out. Please do remember that babies shouldn’t be left in the car seat for too long and should be monitored regularly. We have a mirror that means I can see the baby when i’m driving alone.
It is worth getting a travel system as then the pram can grow with your baby. The carrycot attachments are fantastic for meeting with friends and allowing the baby to sleep comfortably and safely whilst you go about your business. When travelling it is ideal for the evenings when you want to put the baby to sleep but still go and enjoy a nice meal somewhere! The good quality ones last a lifetime and can be used with any subsequent children, so they can be a good investment.
Best Baby Travel Systems for 2025
Here are some recommendations to get you started! These are based on recommendations from our audience and people we know. We have then researched each one to make sure they will offer good value for money for our readers.
Best Value Baby Travel System – £699
Altima All in One Travel System from ickle bubba is a great option if you wan’t something reasonably priced with everything included. It comes with the carrycot and seat so can be used from birth to 22kg (my 5 year old is currently 17kg 😅), it has the car seat, iso fix base and various accessories. It folds easily and compact so great for travelling.
Best for the Adventurers – £947
The Bugaboo Fox 5 All-Terrain Stroller comes highly recommended for those who plan on using the pram on rough terrain. It comes with the carrycot and extendable toddler seat so can be used from birth to 22kg. It has extra large ‘puncture proof’ tyres and full suspension for keeping baby comfortable.
Best for the Bougie Parent – £1395 for the full set (£945 for pram + carry cot)
The Silver Cross Reef 2 is a great all rounder and has been recommended by a lot of our followers for its quality and style. Silver Cross brings a fresh, practical design to the forefront with this sleek, city-ready stroller. The Reef 2 blends sophisticated style with everyday functionality, featuring plush fabrics and chrome detailing. It has an all-terrain suspension system and durable tyres designed to tackle both city pavements and countryside paths. This bundle comes with everything you need to get on the move with your baby.
For parents looking for a premium stroller that balances luxury with practicality, the Silver Cross Reef 2 is a great shout. Click here to view
This section is still being written, but please do email us with any systems we should review!
Flying with a baby is really simple
Flying with a baby is no where near as bad as people build it up to be. Both of ours have been much easier to handle when travelling. It’s bizarre but if we spend a day in the house the baby will be crying, Leo will be complaining he’s bored. When travelling they are both much more content, I guess because we are busy and occupied.
I hope this has been helpful in making you feel a little less anxious about any upcoming flights you may have.
Some links in this post are affiliate links.
Written by: Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 650k budget savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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Some people just don’t want kids and that is perfectly ok, but I’m just putting my two pence out there to balance the argument, it’s been great for us ❤️
Follow if you want family travel inspo and tips 🫶🏻
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Excited to share this trip with you as there’s LOTS of fun things to go.
#thetravelmum #dayinthelife #travelfamily #familytravel #ryanair #budgettravel #cheaptravel #billund
How to sterilise bottles abroad 🍼✈️
We cold water sterilise most of the time as you can do it anywhere and in a big batch. We also have some microwave sterilising bags but find they don’t fit enough in to do all the bottles at the same time and so don’t use this much.
How do you sterilise abroad?!
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Flying with a baby is something that makes many people nervous, but there’s really no need.
💡 I have a theory that as babies mainly get upset on take off and landing, it’s likely due to the pressure changes in their ears. As a doctor I was always aware of how that could affect them and have always made a lot of effort to get my little ones sucking and equalising their ears.
✈️ We travelled with Leo from 6 weeks old, and Luca has had his first flight at 10 weeks old. We’ve not had an unhappy baby or child so I like to think we’ve cracked it 😄🙏🏻
#babytravel #travelwithbaby #familytravel #thetravelmum #flyingwithbaby #travelbaby
Packing nappies and formula will take up a lot of luggage space, we always pick these things up at the airport and carry it onto the plane in shopping bags.
As we always travel with carry on luggage, we pick up our big liquids like sun cream at the same time.
What do you do with your baby items when travelling?! Share all the tips! 👶🏻🍼✈️
#thetravelmum #familytravel #cheaptravels #babytravel #travelwithbaby #travelideas #traveltipsandtricks
Lots of you ask how on earth you get these big items to your holiday destination - it’s actually really simple.
Babies and children can check in their pram and car seat for free on most airlines. Flying with little ones is pretty straight forward once you’ve done it a few times!
#thetravelmum #familytravel #traveltipsandtricks #familytraveltips #babytraveltips #babytravel
Travelling with hand luggage with a baby is super easy ✨
💺 Babies don’t need their own seat, you pay for a “lap seat”. With this ticket they often get two check in items, for us it’s the car seat and the pram. By putting them in their own bags, there’s extra space for items (including big liquids).
🍼 Pick up formula and nappies at the airport so they don’t waste luggage space. I’ll post more on this in a few days time.
🧴 When taking hand luggage your liquids must (currently) be 100mls or less (from most airports). This doesn’t apply to baby food or milk, of which you can take more. If you have bigger liquids (over 100ml), you can put a few in your car seat bag which will be checked in under the plane. I’m not sure whether this is officially allowed, but we have never had a problem doing it..
✈️ I will have some items we will need on the plane in my rucksack so that they’re easy to get hold of - I’ll post what I have to hand in a separate video.
👶🏻 Over the next week or so I’ll post some other useful videos on things to know when travelling with your baby.
👜 Luca’s travel bag is from @signaretapestry - we get so many complements about it!
#familytravel #babytravel #travelwithbaby #thetravelmum #babieswhotravel #flyingwithababy
We are currently on our first holiday as a family of 4. Luca is 2 months old. Despite it being 30 degrees plus, it really hasn’t been as difficult as we thought it would be 🥵
- Take a light weight lie flat pram rather than a big two piece travel system. Much easier for getting about (The one we use is linked in my linktree and there’s a £15 off code for you - affiliate link)
- Being able to keep them cool is essential, we have a @snoozeshade for sheltering him (a lot easier than the old school umbrella). Babies shouldn’t be in direct sunlight.
- A portable fan that easily attaches to the pram but can also be used in the room will help keep them comfortable.
- We have a cool mat that is marketed towards dogs… but lying him on a sheet on top of the mat helps cool him more quickly when he’s really hot and bothered. (Wouldn’t leave him on this for too long)
- Take LOTS of clothes, bibs, muslin cloths - Luca vomits a lot and gets uncomfortable in the heat. We’ve got through a lot already!
- We have cold water sterilisation tablets to easily sterilise bottles and dummy’s.
- We drove to this holiday park and so brought our perfect prep machine. Super convenient if possible.
- I’m also breastfeeding so have had to take that into consideration when choosing my holiday outfits!
- We time baby’s feeds just before our dinner and then change his nappy so he is as comfortable as possible whilst we eat (he usually sleeps after a feed)
I have so many more tips, so much to share as we travel lots over the next couple of months!
#babytravel #travelbaby #familytravel #thetravelmum #babytraveltips #babysfirstholiday
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