With the holidays coming up fast you may be planning on visiting family or friends far away. If you have a new baby this adds a whole other level to holiday travel. That said, it’s a great time to go over some travel tips with baby if you’re flying…

Honestly, what I always tell parents is “Don’t” – don’t travel with a baby. That’s my number one best tip. It’s a lot of trouble, not much fun, and puts your baby in a terrible mood, which is a lame way to kick off the holidays. Stay put and have family come to your place if it’s at all possible.

If you must travel do the following…

Get to the airport way more early than you think you need to. If you assume you need an hour extra, trust me you need two. I’ve never, ever, been on time for plane travel with a baby in tow. None of my friends have either. You just run late because babies need stuff like food, diapers, and chill time. Make sure you’re at the gate well before take off.

Have your family stock up on baby goods like diapers, food, etc so that you don’t need to pack them.

Take a million baggies. I’m not a fan of plastic baggies (eco-nightmare) but in the case of plane travel, I’ll let this slide. Plastic baggies hold diapers, snacks, messy clothes, and more.

Take more of everything on the plane with you. Planes sometimes don’t land or take-off on time. When this happens you’ll be totally thankful that you brought extra diapers, wipes, and snacks on the plane with you. Let me add that I have never, not once, been on a plane that stocks any sort of baby gear or baby safe snacks. No matter what you hear (I’ve seen in guide books, where they note that planes do carry baby gear) they don’t so take your own.

If you’re traveling with your partner, let then board the plane and set up the car seat while you wait to board. It’s hard to set up a seat with little space. If you’re traveling solo, let the flight attendant know so you can board early to secure the car seat with less crowds.

Are you traveling this holiday season?