Andalucia Guide > Useful information > Travelling with children

Travelling with children

Anyone travelling with a baby or babies will probably know how best to prepare for a journey, with baby carriers and other necessities for travelling with a small child on public transport or by hire care.

Small children often find travelling in strange new conditions stressful, and even when content can quickly become bored. It’s useful to plan voyages bearing their comfort and interests in mind, and perhaps even involve them in planning your voyage, to acclimatize them to travel.

Similarly, it can help to involve them in reading up on the places you will be visiting, explaining sights, history and stories, and involve them in deciding where you as a group might want to visit.

If you and they are already web users, it is always useful to visit some of the web sites (holidays with kids) dedicated to your destination, to show them the attractions of the places you’ll be visiting, and involve them in planning your journey.

Practical advice for travelling with babies:

• Before any long journey, it’s advisable to visit your child’s paediatrician.
• Check your child’s vaccination history, whether they might need any further vaccinations for travel, and what effect this might have on your travel plans.
• If your child is on a course of medication, take sufficient supplies and enquire about the available of medications in your destination (some over-the-counter medications may be prescription-only in other countries) and take copies of any necessary documentation relevant to your child’s treatment.
• Take a travel First Aid kit suitable to your and your child’s needs.

Travelling by air:

• Use forward seats.
• Given babies and children enough to drink; dehydration affects all air travellers.
• Loose and layered clothing will help counter body temperature variations in flight.
• To avoid discomfort from pressurization, give babies and children a teat, dummy or sweet, essentially anything to make them suckle or swallow to reduce inner-ear pressure.
• Pre-book a child’s meal, or ask for one when seated.

Travelling by car:

• Games and maps of your journey and destination will distract small passengers.
• Build in frequent stops, which will break up seemingly interminable journeys and give everyone a chance to rest, stretch and breathe.
• Children are more susceptible to injury if you have an accident, but there are ways you can improve your child’s safety when travelling:
  1. 1. Check the space intended for the smallest children.
  2. 2. Children of or below 1.3 metres (4ft 3ins) must use special children’s safety belts.
  3. 3. Children under 12 cannot by law travel in front seats, nor it allowed for an adult carry any child on their lap.
  4. 4. Check that rear door child locks work and cannot be opened from inside.
  5. 5. Windows should be closed to avoid children falling or leaning out and to stop anything being thrown from the car.
  6. 6. Always make children get out the pavement side of the car.
  7. 7. Car sickness can affect the young frequently and suddenly. To avoid this experts recommend good ventilation and light meals or snacks during the journey. If the problem persists, parking somewhere safe for a short break may relieve it. If car sickness is recurrent, ask your child’s doctor to recommend something to settle their stomach or ease other symptoms.

Travelling on public transport:

It’s recommended to book or board early and secure seats with decent space to allow your child to move, ideally next to a window.

What should I take?

Before travelling, if possible seek your child’s doctor’s advice on what food your child should be allowed when travelling, and what if any essential medications you should carry.
It’s also advisable to travel with either a contact number for or the location of a health clinic at your destination (in emergencies, these are usually signed or can be found with local help). Clothing, ideally in layers, should be adequate to the regional climate, with a coat ready against sudden changes in weather.

First Aid kit:

This is essential when travelling with babies or small children. It should contain:

• Social Security or health insurance documentation to get your child medical attention.
• Your doctor’s phone number.
• Sterile bandages and dressings of gauze and cotton, Band Aid, plasters.
• Thermometer, tweezers, scissors.
• Disinfectant, sterilised water, antiseptic cream.
• First Aid booklet.
• Children’s pain relief tablets (child paracetamol or similar).
• Ointment for stings and bites.
• Sterile dressings for burns.
• Nausea and rehydration remedy.