Four years ago this week, Matthew and I were on our way to France. I was 5 months pregnant with Ella and though I had never heard the term “babymoon” before, that’s exactly what it was. I had never been abroad before (one trip to Canada in 8th grade doesn’t count) and Matthew and I wanted to do something big before we had the enormous responsibility of parenthood. We chose Paris. And the memory popping up on my social media this week has got me thinking about that magical trip and what a special thing it is to do a fun adventure before the craziest one of all. I’m a little more well traveled now, so I have a few guidelines to think about when trying to choose a babymoon location and I wanted to share them with any expectant mamas out there!

TCK Travel // Babymoon

• Easy to navigate- you don’t want the stress or work (or time suck) of illegible train and bus schedules. Babymoons should be fun and relaxing, not challenging or intimidating.

Best Destinations: Switzerland, United Kingdom

• Good food- this is my rule for traveling just about anywhere but when you’re pregnant, this is a must.

Best Destinations: France, Italy, The Netherlands

• Equal opportunities for activity and relaxing- this depends on your taste and the length of your babymoon. You want to go somewhere where there is a lot to do but you’re also pregnant and deserve to relax so you want enough time where you don’t feel like you’re wasting a day where you maybe just go to a park or lounge around and eating all day.

Best Destinations: Italy, Bahamas, France

• Harder to do with kids- some places are much harder to do once you have a stroller and extra luggage to lug around. Take advantage while you can!

Best Destinations: Venice & Cinque Terre, Italy

• Great backdrop for maternity photos- even if you aren’t planning to take any official maternity portraits, I always like to research a place for the great pictures I can get.

Best Destinations: Cinque Terre, Italy; Paris & Colmar & Versailles, France; Lausanne & Lucerne, Switzerland, Keukenhof Gardens & Amsterdam, The Netherlands

• Good healthcare- this is just in case. I wouldn’t go anywhere too remote for a babymoon just to be safe for you and baby.

Now, I do have some specific pieces of advice for France and Italy because I was pregnant both times we were there, first with Ella in France and then with Jack in Italy. about some of these places. I’ve loved each of them but having been decently pregnant in France (with Ella) and very newly pregnant in Italy (with Jack), there are some things to watch out for.

• France: be careful with the cheese plates (for example, you aren’t supposed to eat brie while pregnant), there are often transportation strikes so have a backup plan if you were planning to take a longer day trip somewhere (like to Versailles or Normandy), and finally, a lot of the train stations we went to didn’t have elevators or escalators so be economical with your luggage and don’t push yourself too hard. I went to France feeling great and left France feeling 349587346 months pregnant.
• Italy: The views in Cinque Terre are beautiful but I would not suggest hiking in between the towns while pregnant. There are pretty steep inclines and even the descents can be pretty tricky. I was only a few weeks pregnant and found them challenging. If you absolutely want to do a hike, the easiest one is from Monterosso to Vernazza. But you don’t need to hike to get that one picture everyone gets:

And if you don’t want the pressure or stress of traveling abroad, here are some great options stateside:

San Francisco, CA; Savannah, GA; Maui, HI; New York City, NY; Asheville, NC; Outer Banks, NC; Wilmington, NC; Charleston, SC; Park City, Utah.

Or you could get really crazy and copy my 8th grade self and go to Canada. Just saying.

At the end of the day, these are all just suggestions and guidelines and what I think it’s important to consider to make sure you have an amazing babymoon. The most important thing is that you should pick a place you’ve always wanted to see. Traveling with kids is amazing and absolutely worthwhile. But there is something freeing about being able to experience a new place without any distractions or worries; with a cross body and not a diaper bag. The point of a babymoon is to appreciate and explore that freedom, as well as the beautiful place of your dreams.

Hope you enjoyed these travel tips, thanks for reading!

xo

eb