Flying with a baby: what to pack and check before you go

Pack your baby's milk, food, nappies and clothes for the whole journey. Check water for infants and juice for babies separately because screening depends on what is in each container. Confirm which bags and pieces of baby equipment are included in your booking. Count feeds and changes from the time you leave home until you reach your accommodation. Security may accept a larger bottle of milk, but it still takes up space in your baggage. A stroller carried free of charge may still have to go in the hold. Check the child car seat separately because its approval and storage conditions may differ. A baby carrier has its own size and screening considerations. Keep a water bottle accessible for feeding and check whether security requires it to be empty.

Rules vary by airport and country, so check every departure and connection separately. For packing purposes, it may help to count milk feeds and solid meals separately. This distinction does not define the legal boundary of a baby-food exemption. Each airline sets its own conditions for the "infant" ticket category.

Rules depend on the airport. Security may inspect any of them. Count portions through to your accommodation, because the flight is only part of the journey.

Arrange food in the order you expect to use it, keeping flight portions apart from supplies for the airport and the journey after landing. If a jar needs warming, decide in advance how you will manage that while travelling. Follow the product label and feed your baby in a way they already know.

Security staff consider the form, packaging and purpose of a product. The brand does not change the rules, whether the formula is Bebilon, NAN, HiPP or Kendamil. Stick to a formula your baby knows, even if another brand's container fits the bag better. If you transfer powder into a dispenser, keep the preparation instructions with it.

Keep all food together and within reach, so you can show bottles and jars without digging through clothes, documents or equipment. Open containers only if security staff ask you to, and follow their instructions. The screening method depends on the airport and the equipment at the checkpoint.

• Have your documents ready before joining the queue. Empty the stroller basket of anything that could fall out when you fold it.
• Tell a security officer about food and drinks for your baby, especially larger containers.
• Ask what needs to go in a separate tray. If food must stay cold, explain how you are carrying it.
• Fold the stroller and carry your baby as instructed by security staff.
• Before leaving, check pacifiers, bottle caps, documents and the stroller basket.

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Food packed together is easier to present. The airport decides how it will be screened.

If you are travelling without another adult, practise folding the stroller at home while carrying your packed bag. Put the same amount of gear in the basket that you plan to take to the airport. The trial will show whether you can manage the setup with your hands full. Keep documents in one accessible pocket rather than loose in the basket.

Count feeds from the time you leave home until you reach your accommodation, including the airport and the onward journey after landing. Use the total to estimate supplies while keeping to your baby's usual rhythm. A three-hour flight can be part of a much longer travel day. Add portions for a possible delay, especially if your baby's usual food will be hard to buy along the way.

Making powdered formula requires suitable water, clean equipment and enough space. The NHS notes that formula powder is not sterile. Its standard guidance says to mix it with water at a temperature of at least 70°C, then cool the feed before giving it to your baby. Follow the proportions on the packaging. If your baby uses a specialist formula with different instructions, discuss travel preparation with the healthcare professional responsible for their care.

Plan to feed your baby without relying on the crew to warm a bottle. Ryanair says it does not provide this service. Ready-to-feed formula can make travel easier if your baby already drinks it and it is suitable for them. Check storage instructions after opening. An insulated bag alone does not confirm that food has stayed at the correct temperature.

For breastfeeding, wear clothes that give you easy access and keep anything you need close by. Bring water for yourself within the airport's rules. Pack a cover if it makes feeding more comfortable for you; there is no need to buy a new setup for a single flight. During turbulence or whenever the seat belt sign is on, follow the crew's instructions for securing your baby.

Take a small one-change kit into the aircraft toilet: a nappy, wipes, a thin changing mat and a bag for dirty items. Leave the remaining nappies by your seat. Pack enough for your baby's usual use, the length of the journey and a sensible reserve.

Place wet wipes where you can open them with one hand. Check hand sanitiser, cream and toiletries separately. Carrying them in a parent's bag does not exempt every cosmetic product from the airport's liquids limit. If a cream is medicinal, check the rules for carrying medication. Our guide to flying with children covers more of the practical packing decisions.

Sophie la girafe, Oball and soft Jellycat books are simply examples. Check the recommended age and markings for the exact version you own. A familiar toy without small loose parts will usually be the most useful. Choose merino, bamboo or cotton according to what your baby already tolerates; the fabric has no bearing on check-in rules.

Keep one toy within reach and bring out the others later. In a tight cabin, looking at pictures, talking or holding a familiar object takes up less room than spreading equipment across the tray table.

The examples below were checked on 26 September 2026. Compare them with your booking and the conditions of the airline operating each flight. This matters when you book through an agent or travel on an itinerary involving several carriers. The allowance for a lap infant may differ from the allowance for a child in their own seat.

Measure the bag after packing it. Bottles in side pockets can make it wider than the manufacturer's stated dimensions.

If your child turns two before the return flight, check the conditions for every sector before buying the ticket. Do the same if you want to book a separate seat and use a car seat. The booking method and baggage allowance may change. Rules for a lap infant do not necessarily apply to a ticket with a separate seat.

Before buying a stroller for travel, ask the airline about any fee, how it will be tagged and where you will hand it over and collect it. The stroller may be returned at the aircraft door, the regular baggage belt or the oversized baggage area. That decision affects how far you may have to walk through the terminal with your baby in your arms.

Bugaboo and CYBEX tell customers to check airline requirements. A shop's "airplane compatible" description does not guarantee cabin space. Measure your folded setup, remove unnecessary accessories and bring a cover in case the stroller has to go in the hold.

Photograph the stroller before handing it over. Remove the cup holder, bag and valuables from the basket. Add your contact details to the cover and keep the baggage receipt. On a connecting itinerary, confirm whether you will collect the stroller between flights or only at the final airport. A baby carrier can help in the terminal; check separately whether it suits your child and whether the airline permits its use on board.

A car seat checked into the hold follows different rules from one used in the cabin. If your child has their own seat, check whether the airline accepts the model, its approval marking for aircraft use, its width and the installation method. An i-Size label or a stroller adapter does not prove that the seat can be installed during the flight.

Put food for security and the next feed at the top. Pack changing kits, clothes and later feeds underneath, with the reserve at the bottom. Once you have used one kit, you can take out the next without searching through the whole bag.

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Separate kits make items easier to find and show you how much of your reserve remains.

If gate staff take your cabin suitcase for the hold, first remove food for the journey, medication, documents and changing supplies. Confirm what you can keep with the staff and carry that set according to the airline's rules.

For an international flight, your baby needs their own valid travel document accepted on the route, such as a passport or national identity card. Compare the details with the ticket and check the required period of validity. Your Europe notes that a child travelling with one parent or another caregiver may need additional authorisation. Requirements vary by country, including transit countries, and an airline may have its own forms.

Save a scan of the document on your phone as a copy, but take the original. If the parent and child have different surnames, check in advance how to show the relationship and permission to travel on your route. A shared accommodation booking may not be enough.

Keep your baby's medication accessible with its label, prescribed dosage and required documentation. Check airport and destination-country rules for liquid medicine, specialist products and medication that needs refrigeration. Ask your doctor about storage, delays and what to do if your baby becomes unwell. A healthcare professional should make dosage decisions. More details are in our guide to medication and medical equipment. Pack a small reserve of baby food separately so it is easy to declare at screening.

If you are travelling with a newborn, a premature baby or a child who has recently been ill, check the airline's minimum age and any medical requirements before buying the ticket. A booking form cannot assess whether a child is ready to fly.

You may pass through security again during a connection. Food accepted at the first airport will then be screened again. Find out whether you must collect checked baggage and enter the public area between flights. Include the walk through the terminal when calculating food and nappy supplies.

UK airports have their own rules. GOV.UK permits milk, baby food and sterilised water needed for the journey. It also covers carrying expressed breast milk without a baby: each container may hold up to 2,000 ml. Frozen breast milk is not allowed in UK hand luggage. Check the rules for your other departure airports separately.

Food allowed in hand luggage may still be restricted on entry to your destination country. When travelling outside the EU, check customs and sanitary rules for milk, meat, fruit and baby food. Ingredients, quantity and packaging may all matter. Keep the labels and declare products on arrival when the rules require it.

Set aside supplies for the return journey before the end of the trip. Check whether you can buy the same formula locally; a similar name does not confirm the same ingredients or preparation method. Save some waste bags, the stroller cover and your organiser so you do not have to rebuild the bag on the final evening.

The day before departure, weigh your packed bag and compare it with your booking allowance. Prepare the documents, check airport notices and find out where to hand over the stroller and car seat. On the travel day, allow time for equipment tags, security, feeding and a nappy change. Set your departure time according to the airport's advice and the check-in deadline, with enough margin for your family's pace.

After security, find your gate first, then choose somewhere to feed or rest. Before boarding, have documents and your seat-side kit ready. With two adults, one can handle the stroller while the other counts the bags. If you are travelling alone, do each task in turn. Keep your phone and passports in the same place throughout the journey.

After landing, check the stroller and work out the route to your transfer. Before leaving the terminal, decide whether your baby needs feeding or changing, since this may be harder in the car. At your accommodation, refill the organiser for the next day and set dirty clothes aside.