What To Know About Booking a Holiday With an Unborn Baby
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Ideally, you’d like to have the baby before you start booking their first holiday, but that’s not always possible, especially if you have to travel for business. Fortunately, booking a holiday for an unborn baby is possible as long as you’re careful to follow all regulations.
You should know that you can book a holiday with an unborn baby as long as all your documentation is correct. It’s also crucial to ensure your accommodations will accept the baby. You don’t want to show up and get turned away because you didn’t register the baby.
Keep reading as I go over the most important things to know regarding legal documentation for infants, how to get around the naming issue, and some of the best and worst places to travel with a baby.
What Should I Know About Booking a Holiday With an Unborn Baby?
You should know all the requirements of wherever you’re traveling to and from (as they’ll vary) when booking a holiday with an unborn baby. If you don’t do this, you could risk getting into trouble when you try to leave or arrive.
Deciding your baby’s name might be a difficult but super important task, but choosing it before your holiday will save you a lot of time when booking your holiday with unborn babies. Most places, airlines, and booking sites will ask for your baby’s name. But even if you haven’t decided your new member’s name, you can put the first name “Unborn” and last name “Baby.”
Usually, you won’t get charged for that extra young member at your arrival. But call your booking agent to notify the company about the new member who’s traveling with you to confirm the extra fees, booking procedures, and paperwork you might need to present at your arrival to your holiday.
Also, booking a suitable holiday for all your family members is important, especially for international holidays. Looking for the best places to travel with babies is one of your most suitable options to choose your next family adventure. You should be able to find prices, dates, weather, other travelers’ reviews, and much more content that’ll help you book the best holiday for you and your unborn baby.
Before making your reservation, consider that you’ll probably have to pay some extra fees for your newborn when you get to your destination, especially because most of the resorts, airlines, and parks charge small fees for kids under 2 years old. But you might be lucky and find a place to enjoy your holiday with no extra fees for the new member of the family.
Can You Book a Holiday for an Unborn Baby?
You may be able to book a holiday for an unborn baby, depending on where you’re going. Ensure to check all travel regulations and have your paperwork in order before you travel. That way, the baby is identified as your child.
Many web pages and forums say that in their experience, you can book holidays when your new family member is on the way. Calling the place you’ll be arriving is strongly recommended to confirm the booking procedure for unborn babies and costs for newborn guests. Doing this will avoid having any difficulties at the arrival of your holiday.
A common suggestion if the baby’s name isn’t confirmed is to put as first name “Unborn” and last name “Baby,” but if you already know the name of the new member, put it as you would usually do with any other person. If you’re looking to book a plane ticket for your baby, don’t worry about booking before birth for domestic lap child tickets.
According to Delta’s Official Webpage, babies under 2 years of age can travel anywhere on the lap of an adult for free (within the U.S) or at a reduced fare (international traveling).
When making your reservation at Airbnb, remember to notify your host who’s coming with you when making the reservation request. Usually, infants under 2 years old don’t often have any extra fees; but keep in mind that for some hosts, infants are also guests, and they’ll charge you an extra fee for them.
If you’re flying with a newborn, it’s best to call the airline to ensure you understand the policies. You should check if the diaper bag has an extra cost if you have to document that as luggage, limitations per newborn passengers, and all the questions you have regarding the trip for your newborn.
Also, ensure you have all the required identifications that you and your baby might need at the airport in the departure and arrival country to verify the familial connection between you two, especially if the newborn doesn’t have a passport.
When Does the Baby Need a Passport?
If you’re planning to go out of the country, having a passport for you and every member of your family is important to avoid having any issues at the airport or at the immigration office.
Every citizen needs a passport to travel outside the U.S, including newborns; visit the official immigration website of the country you’re visiting—for the U.S, you can visit this webpage. Also, check your countries travel restrictions and requirements to enter the country.
For the U.S and Canadian citizens traveling by land or sea, a copy of the birth certificate must be presented at the border. A consent letter accompanying the other parent is highly suggested if they’re not traveling with both parents or legal tutors.
The baby needs a passport when traveling. This requirement is usually mandatory. Therefore, you should carry copies of the baby’s birth certificate, a note from the pediatrician allowing the baby to travel, and any other document that proves the baby is yours.
It’ll save you lots of time at the check-in at the airport, the hotel, your Airbnb, or wherever your holiday is!
Also, it’s best to always carry a printed copy of your baby’s birth certificate and a digitalized one to avoid any misunderstanding while trying to leave or enter your country.
Research the Best and Worst Places To Go With Your Newborn
If you’re planning to stay in the United States, there are many awesome places you can visit with your new member of the family. When planning your vacation for you and your unborn baby, consider the following aspects: weather, time of the year, travel & health restrictions, and price.
While moving around the United States can be cheap, a suitable vacation for newborns is a bit more expensive. Going to the beach is a great option. Orange Beach in Alabama is one of the mom-approved places in the United States to go and have a fun time.
Another great place to visit: Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Being a baby-friendly place, you’ll find many restaurants and hotels that’ll help you with everything your newborn needs—from giving you a larger table at the restaurants to providing you with the necessary stuff for you and your family. Portsmouth is highly recommended for family vacations.
If you’re planning to visit South Asia, you should double-check all the recommendations your country gives on the official sites. You should also read about other travelers’ experiences in those countries. Some parts of the coast of Italy aren’t recommended for kids. It has many hills, steps, and not-so-kid-friendly places; these places are more recommended for an adult holiday.