I recently embarked on my first trip ALONE with baby. Before I left, I was terrified. But it ended up being much less harrowing than I had imagined. That said, there was still a lot of prep work that I did that helped, along with some other little mother’s helpers that appeared along the way. So here are my tips—let’s call them the 4 L’s—for travelling as a single parent. Bon voyage!
1. Legalities: First things first—depending on where you’re flying, you may need some extra paperwork for travelling alone with your child, and it may need to be notarized. Check with your airline.
2. Logistics: Imagine all the steps of your trip—from checking in to the airport to getting around at your destination to tucking in at your hotel—as you consider your baby’s needs while packing. Do you need a stroller or a car seat? Can you manage that with your bags (and baby!) on your own or can you rent one at your destination? I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry all my bags and a car seat and manoeuvre a stroller all at the same time, so I opted for our baby carrier, got an infant seat with my rental car and reserved a rental stroller at my destination. (For more on baby equipment rentals, check out my post.) I also went lean and mean on packing, bringing only the essentials. In the end, Zach and I shared a medium-sized suitcase in addition to my purse and his diaper bag for a one-week trip.
3. Love: Even if you’re a single parent and not just travelling as one, there’s gotta be someone you can lure into travelling with you. A friend? Family member? Granted it’s not the same as sharing duties with a significant other—you’ll still have to handle the lion’s share of the work—but having someone around to give you a break or helping hand here or there can really make a difference in your holiday. I was lucky enough to have an amazing friend who agreed to meet me, and we turned the trip into a Thelma & Louise-plus-baby girlfriend getaway.
4. Laugh: If there’s no one who can join you on your trip, look around for local playgroups, play gyms and playgrounds—that way you and your baby get to break and hang with other like-minded folk. And don’t forget about flight attendants, service staff and other parents in your midst who would love to help out—whether it’s holding your baby while you take a pee in the airplane’s cramped quarters or entertaining him while you eat—soak it up!!!
PS: Rough Guide to Travel with Babies and Young Children and Lonely Planet’s Travel with Children also have travel tips—including lists of great holiday resources, such as www.singleparenttravel.net—for single parents. For more on these guides, check out my post.