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I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at th I mean c’mon there is not one reason, look at this view from the top of the Kloof Corner hike! The biggest way we’re able to afford traveling so much is by letting the deals dictate where we go. Cape Town has been on our bucket list forever but with flights typically costing $1,200-$1,800 it hasn’t been a priority. But when Scott’s Cheap Flights (now called Going, I don’t like the new name but that’s besides the point) dropped this Cape Town deal for less than half of what it normally costs we jumped on it!

So often I hear “but there are no deals during school breaks”, YES THERE ARE! We went to Cape Town for Thanksgiving and the girls get the entire week off of school so they missed no days. Plus since there seasons are opposite it was late spring and the weather was amazing. Scott’s emails deals directly to your inbox for the airports you choose (we select our home airport and airports we can easily fly direct to and always have cheap flights because sometimes it’s worth flying to a city for a deal (known as a repositioning flight). They offer a free version but you don’t get all the deals so we have the Premium subscription which costs $49 for a year and you can tap the link in my bio and use code TRAVELINGCHILD20 for 20% off. They have an Elite membership level for business class seats. Because someone always asks, yes they give deals for nonstop flights but please remember you can’t fly everywhere nonstop. Beloved if you’re going to Thailand from the US you’re going to have a layover.

Anyway when in Cape Town you must hike, there are so many amazing ones! This Kloof’s Corner hike is perfect for sunset. It’s not stroller or wheelchair accessible as there are stairs but if Jordyn and Kennedy can hike it in 40mins (one way up) I promise you don’t have to be super fit!

P.S. when booking a flight from the US you have 24 hours to cancel & get a refund (on flights booked 7 days in advance). So many ppl told me they hesitated on this deal because they had to see if they could get off work/what dates worked for their travel partners. Always book first, think second & just cancel within 24hrs if you can’t make it work! What’s the best flight deal you’ve booked?
Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s every Hello from Cape Town, South Africa! Here’s everything you need to know about getting into South Africa (save + share this post):

1. Your passport must be valid for 30 days after your scheduled date of departure.

2. You must have 2 consecutive empty pages in your passport.

3. There is no visa required for US citizens for visits less than 90 days.

4. There are no shots required to travel to South Africa, unless you are traveling from or transiting through yellow-fever deemed countries, then a yellow fever shot is required. You can find a list of these countries online.

5. South Africa has opposite seasons than the US so our winter is their summer. December to February are peak travel due to the weather but if you visit in November like we did you’ll get good weather and avoid the massive crowds of peak season.

Have you visited South Africa? If so, which part? If not, is it on your list?
Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners Because why do y’all do this to us trip planners? Are you the one in your group that plans the trip or do you just show up? If you’re the planner tag your friends 😅. If you just show up do you look at the itinerary or ask all the questions even though the info was given to you 👀?

Original reel idea credit goes to @kryssedeal, sis really nailed exactly how I feel!!
#sponsored Last year we were able to cross some am #sponsored Last year we were able to cross some amazing places off our bucket list. We want you to do the same so we’ve teamed up with @vrbo to give you the opportunity to win $3,500 and turn your bucket list trip into a book-it-list one! 

Just head over to the giveaway post on @vrbo, make sure you’re following them and tag 3 people you’d want to join you on your trip! 

So what is your book-it list vacation this year?

*T&Cs apply – link in bio

 #VrboTogether #BookItList
Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post Things to do in Istanbul (save and share this post):

1. Visit the various houses of worship like Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque. Suleymaniye Camii, Ortakoy Mosque, Chora Church and the Camlica Mosque

2. Tour palaces like Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace

3. Climb the Galata Tower for amazing views of Istanbul. You can even enjoy a meal here at the restaurant on the top floor.

4. Take a cruise of the Bosphorus to see both the European and Asia side of Istanbul.

5. Visit the cities Bazaars, the Grand Bazaar where you can shop your heart out and the Spice Bazaar where you can eat your heart out. Don’t leave without trying a Turkish delight!

6. If you want to go shopping Istiklal is the place to do so. They have a wide range of stores including international chains like Zara.

7. See a Dervish show at Hodjapasha.

8. Walk across the Galata Bridge to see fisherman at work and then walk under it to taste their fresh catches.

9. Take a day trip to the Princes’ Islands.

10. Experience a Turkish Hammam.

11. Explore the neighborhood of Balet, enjoying the colorful building and have some traditional Turkish tea or my favorite Apple Tea.

12. Turkey has some amazing food so go on a food tour or take a cooking class. If you don’t do either just make sure not to leave without having a traditional Turkish breakfast!

I recommend at least 5 days in Istanbul but you can easily spend a week or more exploring the city.

Have you been to Istanbul? If not is it on your list? For those that have been what was your favorite thing to do?

#istanbul #bucketlistadventures
Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post): 3 n Our Egypt Itinerary (save + share this post):

3 nights Siwa: Shali Fortress, 4x4 safari in the Great Sand Sea, sunset on Fatnas Island, emple of Amun and Temple of the Oracle, take a look or a dip into Cleopatra Spring, Mountain of the Dead, House of Siwa Museum, float in the salt lakes.

5 nights Cairo: Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx,  Egyptian Museum, Saqqara, Khal Al Khalil, Old and Coptic Cairo: Hanging Church, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Al Azhar Mosque and the Fortress of Babylon, see an Al Tannoura Egyptian Dance Heritage Show at Wekalet El Ghouri. For a break from the historical things with kids spend a day at Dreamland Park, Kidzania, or Ski Egypt. Stay at Marriott Mena House.

3 nights Luxor: Hot air balloon ride, Luxor Museum, Mummification museum, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Colossi Statue of Memnon and Hatshpsut

3 nights Aswan: High Dam, Temple of Philae, Nubian Villages, Sail on the Nile by Felucca, Nubian Museum, Abu Simbel

On the way to Aswan from Luxor you can also stop to see the Temple of Horus and Kim Ombo Temple. If you have extra time visit Alexandria, Bahariya Oasis, and White Desert National Park to see the White Desert.

Have you been to Egypt? Is it on your list? There is so much to see outside of Cairo! 

#bucketlisttravel #cairoegypt #luxoregypt #aswan
OUR MOROCCO ITINERARY (save + share this post):

🇲🇦2 nights Chefchaouen- painting class, hiking, enjoying the Blue City and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Fes- Royal palaces, Moroccan dance class, visit the tannery and more

🇲🇦6 nights Marrakech- Majorelle Gardens, explore the Medina, explore the various mosques, stay in a riad, take a Moroccan cooking class and more.

🇲🇦3 nights Sahara Desert- ATV tour, sand boarding, Bedouin experience and more.

For all the details of each trip tap the link in my bio for the itineraries of each city. Have you been to Morocco? Is it on your list?

P.S. the girls were 3 and 5 on this trip

#moroccotrip #thisisafrica #travellingwithkids

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How Old Does a Baby Have to Be to Fly

June 30, 2016      Tips on Traveling with Kids

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

How old does a baby have to be to fly? This question is a popular one and I’m constantly asked how old my daughters were on their first trip. As someone who loved to travel prior to having kids and frequently traveled pregnant I knew having kids wouldn’t limit my travels. My eldest took first trip was at 6 weeks on a flight from New York to Miami to visit family. Her first international flight was to Jamaica at 8 months doing an island tour and visiting Ocho Rios, St. Elizabeth, Negril and Portland.

With my youngest we had to move cross country immediately after her delivery and flew with her at 11 days old. When I was telling friends and family how soon we were traveling with her they all said “Can a baby fly that young?” Yes a baby can! Here is more information on how old a baby has to be to fly and practical tips for traveling with young kids.

mom holding newborn in front of pretty door
Traveling with my newborn internationally ay 10 weeks old.

Get the Go Ahead From Your Pediatrician to Fly with a Newborn

When we flew with our newborn we got the go ahead from her pediatrician before buying our plane ticket. Everyone has different views on vaccinations but as we flew with one child for the first time at 11 days old she obviously hadn’t completed her first round of vaccines. We spoke with our pediatrician and she gave us the go ahead to fly. She moved one of her visits up as a last check up and we got the final go ahead the day before our flight. I suggest purchasing travel insurance for any flights with newborns in case you need to cancel. We needed to travel so early because we had to move from New York to Miami and I wasn’t really about a 16 hour+ road trip with an infant. Just imagine all the stops we’d have to make to nurse, burp, and change her diaper!

How Old Does a Baby Have to Be to Fly on Each Airline

No matter how comfortable you are with traveling with a newborn the airline you book will dictate the age they’re okay with. Always check their age restrictions before booking a flight with young kids. While one airline may allow babies as young as two days others may have age minimums as high as 7 or 14 days. American Airlines allows babies as young as 2 days old to fly. JetBlue has a restriction of 3 days, however they do require a doctors note for children under 14 days old. Other airlines start allowing babies to fly at 14 days old and do not require a physicians note. Be sure to double check with the specific airline below as rules are always changing.

  • Southwest
  • JetBlue
  • United
  • American Airlines
  • Delta
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines

Documents Needed When Traveling with Young Children

While kids under 16 don’t require any ID to fly domestic, if you’re traveling with a newborn or lap infant you’ll want to travel with some documents. When the airline you’re flying requires a doctors note for kids under a certain age be sure to get one! Whether they are just a few days old or even two weeks from the minimum age bring their birth certificate or immunization forms to verify their age. Seriously, who can tell the difference between a 7 and 8 day old!

The same goes for traveling with lap infants. Even though without a seat infants under two fly for free sitting in an adults lap always bring their birth certificate, immunization records, or passport if they have one. While most people can tell a six week old isn’t two, Southwest Airlines has been notorious for asking to see proof of age even for kids clearly under two.

I have yet to be asked for ID for my children but I carry their passports with me each time to be safe. Once at the airport I saw a very angry parent get turned away when the he couldn’t provide proof of age for his lap child. The gate agents would only allow him to board the flight with his daughter if he paid for a ticket for her on the spot since he could not prove she was under two. Not only is buying a plane ticket the day of expensive, there is no guarantee the flight will have available seats to purchase. Better to be safe than sorry!

When my daughter was 10 weeks we had an amazing time in Cartagena, Colombia but before you book an international flight make sure your child has a passport. All kids regardless of age require one, here is an easy guide to applying for your child’s passport.

baby eating passport

Documents Needed for Traveling with Kids Without Both Parents

If you are traveling internationally with a child without one or both parents you may be required to provide proof of consent. Some countries require this while others don’t but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Cruise lines also require this form or one found on their website. I traveled to Italy with my daughter without my husband and while Delta Airlines didn’t ask me for a consent letter when checking in for our flight Royal Caribbean requested one when embarking the ship. The agent really looked through my letter and we would have been turned away if we didn’t have one. You can make a free travel consent form here.

If you have sold custody of the child you will need to provide proof of this in the form of:

  • Court order granting sole legal custody
  • Judicial declaration of incompetence of the non-present parent
  • Death certificate of the non-present parent
  • Certified copy of the child’s birth certificate listing you as the only parent
  • Certified copy of an adoption decree listing you as the only parent

Once you have all the document needed to fly be sure to prepare yourself for getting through security with kids, flying with babies, flying with toddlers, or surviving long haul flights with kids.

Flying with Newborns is Typically Easier

People were always surprised I traveled with my daughters at such a young age. Since we’ve continued to travel with them I can confidently say traveling with kids 5 months and younger is actually the easiest. When traveling with kids in the newborn stage they don’t need anything! Just nurse or give them a bottle and change their diaper and you’re set. You don’t have to worry about them wanting to crawl or be on the move or entertaining toddlers.

baby sleeping in bassinet
My young daughter sleeping in the airline provided bassinet on our overnight flight.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

The hardest part of flying with young children is using the bathroom! My go to trick was to always wear my baby in her carrier and use the toilet that way. However, often times the flight attendants at the back of the plane would offer to hold the baby while I used the bathroom. Don’t be afraid to ask, most people are quite helpful.


Deciding How Young is Too Young to Fly is a Personal Choice

At the end of the day deciding how old a baby has to be to fly is really up to your comfort level. At the same time it’s always great to learn from others’ experiences. We had an Instagram conversation around this question where many parents weighed in about how old their child was on their first trip and their experience. Check it out for insight and it’s not too late to add your own comments to help other parents in the future as well. You can leave them below and/or on that Instagram post. If you’ve made the decision to fly with your infant here are 8 tips on flying with babies and 3 things to consider when traveling with young kids.

Did you find this post helpful? Please share it with others trying to figure out how old a baby has to be to fly.

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

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