What’s life like as a digital nomad with a baby? Is that even possible? Can you really do justice to your little one with this lifestyle? And how do you balance traveling, working, and childcare?
I asked myself these questions when I became pregnant with our second daughter in 2020. We had just been to Thailand, settled into life as digital nomads, and found a good rhythm. When our second daughter Ruby was born in 2021, it was clear that a lot would change.
In this article, I’ve outlined what changes when traveling with a baby, what it’s like to be a digital nomad with a baby, and how you can make the most of it!
Digital Nomads with Kids – the Statistics
The nomadic lifestyle is characterized above all by two things: flexibility and freedom. Digital nomads travel the world, settle in the most beautiful places for a few weeks or months, work from cafés and co-working spaces, and explore the trendiest clubs in the city with other nomads. But what happens when children are involved? Well, it’s actually not that uncommon! According to Flatio’s Digital Nomad Report 2023, 17.5% of all digital nomads worldwide travel with their families.
And the trend is rising. Since COVID, people have realized that they can work remotely and create a more flexible lifestyle – also for their families. I see fewer nomads becoming parents but more families becoming nomads. And that’s a wonderful thing. Not only is the community of travel families growing from year to year, but so are the educational opportunities for children who can be educated anywhere. But let’s start with the basics.
Traveling with a Baby – the Preparations
We know both scenarios: Our first daughter Lila was born in Germany. When she was 9 months old, we took a three-month van trip from Hamburg to Morocco. We weren’t nomads back then. So we had to buy and learn everything we needed to travel with a baby. Our second daughter Ruby was born in Thailand when we were already digital nomads. So we were much more experienced here. Nevertheless, it’s basically the same things you have to bear in mind.
Documents
Let’s start with my favorite topic (not): paperwork. As soon as you leave your home country, the baby needs a passport, which you should apply for as soon as possible after the birth (I know, that’s not exactly what you want to do with a newborn, right?). There are exceptions to this. In some countries, it is sufficient for the child to have only a birth certificate until a certain age. For example, we were able to fly within Thailand with Ruby with just a birth certificate without any problems. This was absolutely necessary as we had to travel from Koh Phangan to Bangkok in order to apply for a passport at the German embassy.
- A vaccination certificate is also important. This is not only to document all further vaccinations on the trip but also because special vaccinations are required for some countries. This means that sometimes you have to show your vaccination certificate when applying for a visa or at airport immigration.
- Travel health insurance is also required by some countries when entering. Find out in advance whether this is necessary for your destination and have your baby included in the insurance policy. In my opinion, you should never travel without health insurance anyway. Especially if something happens to the children, I would never be able to forgive myself for not having taken the best precautions. But more on this later.
- Parental Consent Letter: If only one parent is traveling with the child, some countries require a notarized consent letter from the non-traveling parent. This letter should state that the non-traveling parent consents to the child traveling with the other parent.
The Packing Essentials for Traveling Parents
I am a minimalist. So you won’t get an extensive list of must-haves from me. And that’s a good thing. Because I firmly believe that too many possessions are limiting. Not only because it’s incredibly tiring to travel with lots of stuff but also because the mental load of taking care of it is so high. On top: in emergencies, you can buy most of the gear everywhere in the world. So why not try to travel without and be a bit creative? Nevertheless, here are a few essentials that have helped us a lot when traveling with a baby:
- Baby carrier: Especially in countries where sidewalks are not standard, and you still want to move around flexibly, a good baby carrier is the best solution. I used Ergobaby carriers with both children until they were about 2 years old. In my opinion, they are simply the best for a healthy parent’s back, have enough pockets, and are airy.
- Diapering supplies: We were quite pragmatic and packed enough diapers for the first 3 days. We bought the rest on-site. Plus, a few travel-sized packs of wet wipes and a changing mat. If your baby is sensitive to diaper rash, then, of course, a cream or powder makes sense.
- Feeding Supplies: We brought 2 bottles and nipples, enough formula for the first week, and some ready-to-feed baby snacks for the hours on the plane, cab, or train.
- Clothing: Depending on where you travel, you’ll need weather-appropriate clothes (layers of clothing suitable for the destination’s climate). That includes hats for sun protection or warmth. I am a big fan of UV-protective clothing. Especially if your baby is already crawling along the beach, they should be well protected from the UV light.
- Health Supplies: We have a very tiny first aid kit we take everywhere we go. It contains painkillers for adults, a clinical thermometer, wound dressing and disinfection material, seasickness pills, baby-safe pain relievers, and fever reducers. Of course, you should add any prescribed medication. On top of that, we always travel with strong sunscreen and hand sanitizer. When it comes to mosquito spray, my advice is to buy it locally and buy what the locals use. In our experience, this mosquito spray will be the most effective and cheapest.
- Comfort and Entertainment: Depending on how old the baby is, it’s crucial to bring the favorite toy or stuffed animal. We also always had a favorite blanket and a set of pacifiers with us.
What other parents bring, but we didn’t need: diaper bag (we just put a few diapers and wet wipes in our handbags), portable crib or travel cot (most hotels and many Airbnbs can provide this), stroller (makes so much sense in western countries, but for us in Southeast Asia it wasn’t suitable), car seat, portable high chair (most restaurants and accommodations provide baby chairs), baby spoons and forks, breast pump, sleepwear for naps, shoes (I don’t think that’s necessary for babies unless it’s a very cold climate), white noise machine (we never used white noise, but I know many parents who do).
Digital Nomad with a Baby: Healthcare on the Road
Even though I’m usually a minimalist when it comes to the health and safety of my family, I play it safe. I’d rather be over-supplied than under-supplied. Imagine you’re traveling with a small baby, you decide to go somewhere remote, and suddenly something happens to your child, and you need hours to get to the nearest hospital. Hardly anyone there speaks English, and the equipment is extremely outdated. And all this while you are extremely worried about your baby. A horror scenario, isn’t it?
So what I recommend: Either you travel to places where good healthcare is guaranteed (big cities all over the world usually have international hospitals). Or, if you decide to go to more remote places, find out about the local hospital situation in advance. Is there a hospital within 50 miles of your accommodation? If so, how well-equipped is it? In the worst-case scenario, can transportation to a better hospital be arranged? If so, how long would this take?
My consideration here on Koh Phangan, Thailand, is as follows: We have a good international hospital here on the island that is well-equipped. However, it is not prepared for complicated emergencies or operations (once a friend of our daughter broke her arm and there was an x-ray, but no bone doctor in the hospital. So the family had to travel to another island for a plaster cast). If something worse or more complicated happens, we have to go to a very good international hospital in Koh Samui (30 min ferry ride).
I don’t want to scare you, but believe me, 15 minutes of research before you start your journey will bring you an incredible amount of peace of mind. And in an emergency, you will be prepared.
Why Having Travel Health Insurance is so Important
What is also always a must-have for us is private health insurance. Not only are they comparatively cheap these days, but they can also help you out so much! Our story: Lila, our older daughter, had a bad cough. After an x-ray, it turned out to be pneumonia. So she had to stay in the international hospital for 5 days until she was well enough to come home. Want to guess how much the hospital bill was? $8,600 (8,000 EUR)! Fortunately, our travel health insurance paid everything, down to the last cent, and even settled the payment directly with the hospital. So I can’t say it often enough: it’s better to save on other things, but not on good travel health insurance.
In this article, I have listed the best insurance providers for digital nomads.
Creating a Stable Environment
Choosing Child-Friendly Accommodations
Even we, as a long-term digital nomad family, have often made this mistake: you book a fancy hotel, think it will be great with children, and then everything is just inconvenient. There is no kids’ club, no kids’ pool, and children are generally not very welcome, so you have to make an effort not to be too loud all the time. And all this together results in one thing: stress! No matter how cool the hotel is, if it’s not family-friendly, the stay can be really stressful.
We once spent a week at the W in Kuala Lumpur. As a couple alone, I would go again in a heartbeat, but not as a family. Then again, we once booked into a mid-range family resort in Phuket and had the time of our lives. Happy kids, happy parents!
Maintaining Daily Routines
As described above, routines are extremely important for young children. To travel relaxed with a baby, it helps to stick to a few routines. When you arrive in a new place, you should try to get your baby used to the new time zone and adjust the sleeping and eating schedule to the new time.
Rachael Shepard-Ohta has written an interesting article about this: “Traveling across time zones with babies”. Try to keep routines for play and family time too. For example, always after work is time to play with the baby. Then everyone has dinner together.
Socialization and Community Building
One of the most important points in the life of a digital nomad family is socialization. Even though many people think that you can never be lonely as a family, this is often the case, especially for traveling families. From experience, I can say that if I don’t immediately start looking for a community in a new place, then it certainly doesn’t happen on its own and we end up alone and without connections.
So my tip: join Facebook groups and post BEFORE you arrive at the new place. Why? So you can get in touch with potential new friends in advance, get tips, and arrange play dates. I met one of my most important mom friends through a Facebook post.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I would like to say one more thing: don’t be afraid and just do it! I even think traveling with a baby is easier than traveling with a dog. So what could possibly go wrong? Will it be more exhausting? Yes, for sure! Does it have the potential to be an unforgettable family adventure? Definitely!
I hope my experiences have helped you. Feel free to leave a question in the comments if you have one.
Thanks for reading and for making me part of your day! Yours, Lulu
