Infants

Traveling with infants may be one of the easiest times to have a family holiday. They don't ask for a lot, sleep often and tend to agree with most of their parent's choices. The only draw back is the amount of baggage they require - diapers and wipes, formula, bottles and sterilized water (if they are not breastfed), extra clothing to allow for "accidents", and special food. While most items are easy to get during the majority of vacations, the cost can be prohibitive. Don't expect to get diapers and formula at a reasonable price on a cruise ship or a remote island. On the other hand, most family friendly places will provide or help with special foods requirements, such as mashed potatoes, finger foods and sterilized water.

Following are some recommendations for vacations with infants.

Beach stays:
This is probably the easiest vacation to take with an infant. Imagine laying on the beach in the warm sun while your baby sleeps in the oceanfront room behind you (of course, the whole time you are listening in via the baby monitor in case he stirs and wants to join you!). Many of the hotels and resorts offer group or private childcare for a fee, cribs and other baby amenities. Several are self contained villages, or near towns that just require a walk with the stroller or backpack. Some places to consider would be the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Active Vacations (Biking & Hiking):
Many tour operators are now offering Family Departures which welcome even infants on the trips with no age limit. For the biking trips, Burley trailers are often available to rent. One thing to take note on is that the parents are solely responsible for the infant or any child not able to participate in organized activities. Some tours are reserving hotels that offer childcare with advance notice (for such times as child-free dining, etc), though most do not have care available during rides or optional activities like rafting, kayaking and horseback riding. This means one parent will need to remain behind with the baby. One tour operator is looking into providing "traveling daycare" - someone who will ride with the children in the van while the parents bike, hike, etc and be available for group care when the rides/hikes finish. Backroads is one company that invites children of all ages on their biking and multi-active tours.

Disneyland:
I recommend this over Disneyworld just because of size. Disneyland is more compact, making it more child friendly. While an infant cannot go on the majority of rides, they can still go on It's a Small World, Casey Jones' Train and other gentle rides. There are shows that will appeal to them, even for a short time, such a Bear Jamboree and the parades. I would recommend staying in a hotel right by the park, which makes for easier and frequent returns. If you stay at any of the three Disney hotels, they also offer a concierge service, where you can take the sleeping baby with you to the top of the hotel and watch the 9:45 fireworks while sipping hot cocoa and eating cookies. To keep the baby from becoming too overwhelmed, and to make your holiday more relaxing, try to go during the week, especially when school is in session. You will be able to get on rides quickly, see more up close and avoid great crowds. And for those parents that must go on the adult rides, Disneyland offers a service to parents - stand in line with the baby, and when it's your turn, one parent can get on the ride, and on the return, switch places with the other parent so he or she can ride next. The baby is never left alone! A great option for those who really want to ride Indiana Jones Adventure.

Cruises:
While this might sound like a nice relaxing holiday, beware. Many cruise ships do not have private childcare available. Only a few, such as Disney Cruise Line and the QE2, have childcare options for infants, and usually there is an hourly charge. Most do not have a care option on port days.