Looking back to our Germany & France trip, it was one of the most physically challenging trips we have ever done. Not only it was our first winter holiday with a baby, there were lots of getting on and off the intercity Deutsche Bahn trains during the 2 weeks. These trains certainly don’t hang around the platform too long!
Our baby winter travel packing list includes: 2 big luggages, 2 backpacks and 1 stroller. 1 backpack we used functions as a nappy bag replacement. We stored all of baby’s daily needs, plus the Canon 70D camera in there. 1 luggage was mostly dedicated to our son’s stuff as usual.
Moving between towns Tara would carry our son at her front, backpack strapped on, plus the stroller on her right hand. Alfred had one backpack and 2 big luggages. Fun times! We came back from this trip fitter than ever.
At 11 months, our son was still breast feeding although not so frequently. By this stage he began to prefer solid food. From home, we brought 1 week worth of Rafferty Garden’s food pouches and 1 week worth of nappies. Other baby essentials we would purchase at convenience store along the way. It is always good idea to do a bit of research before your trip – like knowing what local brands are recommended. Lots of expat forums share this kind of information.
The only downside of travelling in winter is the challenge to travel light. January temperatures in Germany went down to -10 degrees Celsius so we had no choice but to bring our down coats & snow boots. It is very important to wear appropriate winter clothes when it gets that cold, and for this we trust only in our merino thermals. Merino thermals are expensive but we think of it as an investment. With proper care, they can last for ages! Merino regulates the body’s temperature well, keep us warm out in the cold yet once we enter a restaurant or the train, we are not sweating like mad.
Baby carrying also comes in handy in this trip. Tara does most of the carrying with the Ergobaby carrier as our son disliked it when Alfred frequently stops to take photographs. He would wriggle up and down, extending his body wanting for Alfred to move! Tara was more than happy to carry our son as it kept them both warm.
When the weather gets to below -5 degrees Celsius, this is how we dressed our 11 months old:
Using the Ergobaby carrier:
First layer: long sleeve onesie
Second layer: knit tights & winter socks
Third layer: Kathmandu snowsuit (with closed toes & fingers) and extra merino beanie
Using the Maclaren stroller:
First layer: long sleeve onesie
Second layer: Fleece jumper & pants
Third layer: down coat, ugg boots & winter socks
Fourth layer: winter footmuff
Checkout our website’s travel Packing List section. We buy most of our travel essentials online via Ebay
Below is Letsgobeartravels Printable BABY TRAVEL & FLIGHT PACKING LIST (11 Months old – Winter)
