Before we had our son, travel was a huge part of who we were as a couple. And I’ll be honest: one of my quiet fears about becoming a parent was that the passport would go in a drawer for a few years. We didn’t want that. We wanted to show him the world early, and we wanted to prove to ourselves that we could still be us, just with a lot more luggage.

So we planned our first international trip as a family of three: Paris, Nice, Mallorca, and back to Paris. We were so excited, a little nervous, and honestly more prepared for this trip than any trip we’d ever taken before.

Here’s how it actually went: the parts that were magic, the parts that were a mess, and what I’d do differently.

Why We Went at 7–8 Months

We picked this window on purpose, and I’d pick it again. At around 7–8 months:

• He wasn’t crawling or walking yet. That sounds small, but it means he’s happy in a carrier, a stroller, or a lap, and he’s not desperate to explore every airport floor and restaurant table.
• He hadn’t really started solids. I was pumping, so his food was simple and predictable. No hunting down baby-friendly menus or worrying about a picky eater in a foreign country.
• He was still napping easily on the go. Stroller, carrier, restaurant: he’d sleep almost anywhere.

If you’ve been wondering when the “sweet spot” is, this was ours.

The Flight Over: Business Class & the Bassinet

We flew business class from the US to Paris on AirFrance, and it made a long-haul flight with a baby feel very doable. The key was the bassinet, and you absolutely have to reserve it in advance. They’re limited, and they go to whoever asks first and only in specific bulk head seats.

Even with our reservation confirmed, when we boarded… they’d forgotten. So my biggest tip: reconfirm the bassinet at check-in and again at the gate. Say it out loud to every person who will listen. It worked out, but it was a stressful few minutes we didn’t need.

Paris: A Surprisingly Easy Landing

Paris surprised me right away: we were able to get a taxis with a car seat. I’d assumed we’d be scrambling, and it was one of the easiest parts of the whole trip.

Our hotel, was so kind to us. They had a pack-and-play set up and were accommodating about everything we needed. When you’re arriving jet-lagged with an infant, that kind of warmth makes a real difference.

We spent our time walking the city with him in our UPPAbaby Vista, and I have to give it a real shoutout: it handled the cobblestones great and it has space for storing other bags which came in handy. Two tips on that:

• Skip the stroller’s travel bag. We didn’t miss it.
• Get a diaper bag that hangs off the stroller handle. Ours was from CALPAK, and the wipes pocket was a game changer for quick access. Hands free, everything within reach, no extra bag on your shoulder all day.

That said, at this age, and for this type of trip, I’d actually choose a Doona instead, and save the Vista for when they’re a little older. With a baby this small, having a proper car seat with you at all times (taxis, rental cars, planes) matters more than anything else. The Doona gives you that security without adding another piece of gear.

Paris to Nice

We flew from Paris to Nice the next morning. Not as easy to get a Taxi with stroller so definitely need to plan for that in advance.  Every country has different rules about babies in cars so definitely check this before you go.

The flight was short and sweet so it was an easy transition to Nice. One thing about Euro airlines is that we put him on our lap and they always gave us a smaller seatbelt loop for him too. This is something the US airlines don’t do.

Nice: Beach Days, Èze & Dinners That Worked

In Nice we stayed in a lovely Airbnb with friends, walkable to everything. We took him to the beach, strolled the city, and made the trip up to Èze, which was so beautiful.

A baby carrier was a must here (ours was from Momcozy, and it was great). And don’t forget sunscreen: between the beach and all that Riviera sun, a mineral baby sunscreen stick was in my bag every day. Between the old-town streets and hilltop villages, there are plenty of places a stroller just isn’t going to love.

We even took him to Monaco. How fun is that? He loved watching all the cars go by, and I loved that our seven-month-old got to say he’s been to Monaco.

One of our absolute favorites was Le Plongeoir, a restaurant perched on the rocks above the sea. It was so good that we went twice with our friends, and it was incredibly kid-friendly. That’s something I love about Europe: families go out together. Kids are at dinner, babies are at the table, and nobody blinks. You don’t feel like you have to hide at home once you have children.

How we handled the day-to-day:

• Naps on the go. We didn’t plan our days around a crib. He napped in the carrier or stroller, and we just made sure we always had bottles with us.
• Food, kept simple. I brought oatmeal from home and gave him bits of banana here and there. We didn’t get adventurous with food because he has allergies, and that felt like the right call on a trip.
• Dinners. Either we went late and he slept in the stroller through the meal, or we put him in a high chair and let him take in the scene. Both worked beautifully. Eating late is very much the culture there, which helps.

Nice to Mallorca (a.k.a. The Travel Day)

This was the hardest leg. The trip from Nice to Mallorca ended up eating our entire day. Looking back, we probably should have just stayed in France.

And of course, this was also the day he had a full blowout diaper in the airport lounge: through the diaper, onto the stroller, and onto my husband. We still laugh about it. Travel memories, right?

Mallorca: Valldemossa, Deià & Pure Magic

In Mallorca, you need to rent a car, and you need one with a car seat. Book it ahead.

We stayed at an Airbnb in Valldemossa, and it was incredible. With a baby, having a full home turned out to be less a luxury and more a necessity: we needed a washer for all of his things and somewhere to properly store breast milk.

We went to Belmond La Residencia in Deià, which felt iconic. There was live music, and it was the first time I really watched him react to everything around him: the sound, the people, the lights. He was completely taken with it, and so were we.

At another restaurant, he made a little Spanish friend and had an absolute blast.

And the sunset light over the Tramuntana mountains was pure magic. It’s one of those moments I’ll never forget.

Cala d’Or: Skip It at This Age

From Valldemossa we headed to Cala d’Or, and for his age, it just didn’t work. It was way too crowded, too hot, and very kid-heavy in a chaotic way. Our hotel there, had no air conditioning, which with a baby in the Mallorca summer heat was a dealbreaker. Maybe when he’s older, or in the off-season, but I wouldn’t recommend it with an infant in peak summer.

Castell Son Claret: Dreamy, Luxe & Unexpectedly Welcoming

So we switched hotels and moved to Castell Son Claret in Es Capdellà, and it was a completely different world. It’s a restored castle estate surrounded by gardens and mountain views: so dreamy and so luxe.

It’s also incredibly quiet. With a baby, that made me a little self-conscious. This is not a family-oriented resort, and it’s the kind of place where you can hear a fork drop at dinner.

But the staff was so kind. At dinner one night, we offered to sit inside, where it was empty, so the other guests could have a quiet meal. They simply told us that we were their guests too, and we should stay right where we were. That one moment made us feel so welcome, and it’s a big part of why I’d recommend it.

My take: if you want serenity and luxury and you’re okay with a very adult atmosphere, Castell Son Claret is stunning, and the team will make your family feel wanted. Just know going in that it’s peaceful, not playful.

Back to Paris and home

We ended where we started, this time at an Airbnb in Paris, and we did a picnic at the Eiffel Tower with friends. 10/10. With a baby on a blanket, wine in hand, and the tower right there, it was the perfect way to close out the trip.

The travel home was similarly uneventful except we now had a daytime flight so really had to keep him entertained for 10 hours. For us, bringing small board books worked well (Go dogs, go! is my son’s fave). Also spinners and teethers. We were in premium economy on the way home which if you do it, it works great in the two person seater section. Fun part at the end of the flight was the AirFrance hostess gave my son a certificate for best passenger — so cute and great memory!

The Gear That Earned Its Spot

• UPPAbaby Vista – a champ on cobblestones and a great city stroller (skip the travel bag). It’s better suited to slightly older kids, though. At 7–8 months, and for multi-transit travel I’d go with a Doona for car-seat security.
• CALPAK diaper bag – hangs off the stroller, and the wipes pocket makes grabbing a wipe one-handed so easy.
• Momcozy baby carrier – great for us, and non-negotiable for the Riviera villages and naps on the go.
• YETI Hopper Flip – much needed for his milk. With ice, it stays cold all day. I was pumping the entire trip, and this made it work.
• A smaller YETI for day outings – if you can, get a second, smaller one (like the Hopper Flip 8) for beach days and sightseeing. I used an insulated lunch bag from Amazon instead, and it did not keep his milk cold enough.
• Thin ice packs – bring a few. They slide into the cooler and diaper bag easily and keep everything cold without adding bulk.
• Mineral baby sunscreen – a must. We like any mineral baby sunscreen, and the stick version is so easy to apply on a wiggly baby.
• Portable dishwashing/drying stand – for bottles and pump parts, every single day.
• His sleep basics – for us, that was the swaddle. Bring whatever helps your baby sleep at home, so every new bed feels a little familiar.
• Pacifiers – bring more than you think. They will disappear.
• Boogie Wipes – a must. Don’t leave without them. I would disinfect everything especially with my kids allergies.
• Oatmeal from home – easy, familiar, and one less thing to figure out abroad.

What not to overpack: diapers and wipes. Buy them as you go. They’re easy to find everywhere, and you don’t need an extra suitcase full of them.

What I Loved

• Traveling at 7–8 months. Not crawling, not on solids, napping anywhere: truly the sweet spot.
• Business class with a bassinet for the long-haul flight.
• Spending time with just our little family – being away from it all truly bonds you as family and even at this age was so meaningful
• Hotels and Airbnbs that made it easy: pack-and-plays, washers, and space for milk.
• Late dinners out. Baby asleep in the stroller, us with a glass of wine. It felt like our old life, with a bonus.
• Le Plongeoir in Nice, and how family-friendly Europe is in general.
• Monaco, and watching him light up at the cars.
• The staff at Castell Son Claret, who made a baby feel welcome in a quiet luxe hotels.
• Watching him discover things for the first time: the live music in Deià, making friends, the Tramuntana sunsets.
• The Eiffel Tower picnic. The perfect ending.

What I Regret

• Not going with a Doona from the start. The UPPAbaby was great, but at this age, having a car seat with us everywhere would have given me more peace of mind.
• Using a cheap lunch bag for day outings. An Amazon insulated bag just didn’t keep his milk cold. A small YETI with ice would have been worth it.
• Adding Mallorca from Nice. The travel day took the whole day. We should have stayed in France and saved Mallorca for its own trip.
• Cala d’Or. Too crowded, too hot, and not the right fit for a baby. On top of that, our hotel had no AC, so we ended up switching. Valldemossa and Deià were the Mallorca we loved.

The Bottom Line

Traveling with a baby is different, but it’s absolutely still travel. You move slower, you pack smarter, and you plan around bottles instead of reservations. But you also get to watch your child see the world for the first time, and nothing I’ve experienced in years of travel compares to that.

If you’re on the fence about taking your first big trip with a little one: go. Pick your timing carefully, limit the travel days, choose places where you can wash and store what you need, and leave room for the blowouts. They become the best stories.

For another honest luxury hotel review, see my Belmond Cap Juluca review.