Baby Travel Packing List (0-12 Months): Printable Checklist

Babies are small, but their luggage isn't. This printable list for babies from birth to 12 months sorts what to bring from what to buy or borrow, with safer sleep, car seat and sun advice from The Lullaby Trust, the NHS and the American Academy of Pediatrics, plus a section on the first trip with a newborn.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Health advice in this guide comes from the NHS, The Lullaby Trust and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Talk to your health visitor or doctor about your own baby.

Babies are small, but their luggage isn’t. The first trip with a baby can feel like moving house: a cot, a buggy, a car seat, a bag of nappies and enough clothes for three changes a day. The good news is that most of it is predictable, and a lot of it can be bought or borrowed at your destination. This list sorts what you really need to bring from what you can leave behind, with a printable checklist and the safety advice that matters most for babies under one.

Who this list is for

This checklist is for a holiday of about a week with a baby from birth to 12 months, by plane or car. For longer trips, add more of the consumables or plan to buy them there. For a weekend, you can cut the clothing in half. If your baby is newborn, read the section on the first trip with a newborn below as well.

Decision table: bring, buy there or borrow

Sleep: what to pack and what to check

Sleep is the area where safety matters most. The Lullaby Trust, the UK charity for safer baby sleep, says a cot, travel cot or Moses basket is an ideal sleep space when you travel. Its advice includes:

• Travel cot mattresses are thinner than normal cot mattresses but are fine as long as they are firm, flat, in good condition and meet safety standards.
• Don’t put folded blankets or a quilt under the baby to make it softer.
• If you’re thinking of buying a replacement mattress for a travel cot, check the manufacturer’s guidance first: some leave a gap between the mesh sides and the base.
• If the accommodation gives you a travel cot, check the mattress is firm and flat with no rips or sagging, protected with a waterproof cover and cleaned with fresh bedding. You might bring your own wipes and a waterproof cover.
• Place the cot away from radiators, out of direct sun and away from blind cords.

Pack your baby’s usual sleeping bag or swaddle and the same bedtime things you use at home. Familiar smells and routines help a baby settle in a new place.

Car seats and the journey

If you’re driving, The Lullaby Trust advises avoiding long drives with premature and young babies, because young babies may have breathing difficulties if they sleep upright in a seated position for too long. It recommends regular breaks to take your baby out of the seat, a second adult in the back if possible, and a mirror if you’re driving alone. If your baby slumps forward, stop straight away. It also says a rear-facing seat is essential for a baby.

If you’re flying, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the safest option is your baby in their own seat in an aircraft-approved car seat. Our guides to flying long-haul with a one-year-old and the under-seat bag cover the rules on the plane and at security.

Sun and heat

The NHS advises keeping babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight, spending time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, covering up with suitable clothing, and using sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with at least 4-star UVA protection. Don’t rely on sunscreen alone. The Lullaby Trust adds that you shouldn’t cover a pram or buggy with a blanket or cloth that stops air flowing, because the baby can get too hot and you can’t see them easily. It suggests a clip-on sunshade or parasol instead.

For hot destinations, pack a sunhat with a brim, lightweight long-sleeved clothes, a clip-on buggy sunshade and a hand-held fan if you like.

Recommended options: what goes in which bag

Hand luggage or the car

Everything you’d need if the rest of the luggage disappeared for a day: feeds, nappies, wipes, a change of clothes (two for a baby), medicines, a sleeping bag, the dummy, and documents. The AAP suggests several changes of clothing in layers, plastic bags for dirty clothes and disposable changing mats.

Main suitcase

Clothes for the trip, toiletries, the bulk of the nappies and formula, sun and swim things, and toys.

Checked separately

Buggy, car seat and travel cot. Many airlines carry these free of charge on top of your normal allowance. easyJet, for example, lets you bring up to two items such as a pushchair, car seat or travel cot for each child or infant, free (as of October 2026). Check your airline.

First trip with a newborn

If your baby is only a few weeks old, the list is shorter but the planning is more careful. A few points from health sources:

• Timing. The AAP says flying is generally considered safe for healthy babies from at least 7 days old, but suggests waiting until 2 to 3 months if you can, because airports and planes increase the risk of infection. Some airlines have their own minimum age.
• Talk to your health visitor or doctor before travelling with a newborn, especially if your baby was premature or unwell.
• Car journeys: keep them short and take frequent breaks, as The Lullaby Trust advises.
• Feeding: pack more than you think. Newborns feed often and journeys run late.
• Clothing: newborns go through clothes fast. Pack sleepsuits with zips or poppers that are quick to change.
• Documents: your baby needs their own passport for international travel, which takes time to get. Apply as early as you can.

Printable checklist

Use your browser’s print button to print this list.

Documents and money

• ☐ Baby’s passport (and visa or travel authorisation if needed)
• ☐ Travel insurance details covering the baby
• ☐ European Health Insurance Card or GHIC if you’re from the UK travelling in the EU
• ☐ Copies of any prescriptions

Sleep

• ☐ Travel cot (or confirmed cot at the accommodation)
• ☐ Fitted sheets for the travel cot (two)
• ☐ Baby sleeping bags or swaddles (two)
• ☐ Waterproof mattress cover
• ☐ Blackout solution for the window, if your baby needs dark
• ☐ Dummies and a spare
• ☐ Baby monitor, if you use one

Feeding

• ☐ Formula for the whole trip (if your baby uses one brand)
• ☐ Bottles and teats
• ☐ Bottle brush and washing-up liquid in a small bottle
• ☐ Sterilising method (tablets, bags or a small steriliser)
• ☐ Breast pump and storage bags, if you use them
• ☐ Bibs and muslins
• ☐ Weaning spoons, bowl and a few jars or pouches (from about 6 months)
• ☐ Portable high chair or seat (from about 6 months)

Nappies and washing

• ☐ Nappies for the journey plus two days
• ☐ Wipes
• ☐ Nappy cream
• ☐ Changing mat and disposable mats
• ☐ Nappy bags
• ☐ Baby wash, a soft towel and a flannel
• ☐ Nail scissors or file

Clothes (for about a week)

• ☐ Sleepsuits (6 to 8)
• ☐ Vests or bodysuits (6 to 8)
• ☐ Outfits for the day (4 to 5)
• ☐ Warm layer: cardigan or fleece
• ☐ Socks and scratch mitts
• ☐ Sunhat and lightweight long sleeves, or warm hat for cold places
• ☐ Swim nappies and swimwear, if swimming

Health

• ☐ Baby paracetamol or ibuprofen suitable for your baby’s age (ask a pharmacist)
• ☐ Thermometer
• ☐ Teething remedy you already use
• ☐ Saline drops
• ☐ Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher with 4-star UVA
• ☐ Any prescribed medicines

Out and about

• ☐ Buggy or pram
• ☐ Clip-on sunshade or parasol
• ☐ Rain cover
• ☐ Baby carrier or sling
• ☐ Car seat, if driving
• ☐ Changing bag
• ☐ Two or three favourite toys and a board book

Print this checklist

Shopping by category

If you need to buy anything before the trip, these Amazon searches cover common categories: travel cots, clip-on buggy sunshades, portable changing mats, formula dispensers and packing cubes. We haven’t tested these products. For a travel cot, check that it meets the safety standards where you live.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Next steps

For the flight, see our under-seat bag packing list. For days out once your baby is a little older, try the city break with a toddler packing list and the family packing list that fits in one bag.