We decided Scandinavia will be more fun when she’s old enough to appreciate the fairy tale connections and pragmatic but approachable design of Sweden, Denmark, etc. The on-the-ground costs put us off as well, as we still tend to spend a lot of time dining and drinking out on vacation, and those costs aren’t likely to change. So, I think Northern Europe and Iceland will be on hold for a few years!

Vietnam was also tricky to figure out timing. Turns out June is horrible weather in most of the country, and while we are intrepid city-dwellers, the idea of taking an eager toddler through the traffic in Ho Chi Minh was daunting. Tickets are always high, but could be a good use of frequent flyer miles in the future, especially when she starts racking up her own!

I returned to Kayak for another few weeks of research, trying dozens of combinations of places, but kept coming back to Sicily. I figured, if this is the hardest time to travel with her (when she’s no longer content to sit and stare at the world but doesn’t respond to reason either), AND she won’t remember the trip, why not go somewhere tolerant to children, with lots for the adults to do? This is, in essence, the idea behind this blog; that traveling with babies is the best time to keep doing what you want to do, with some adjustments for your new companion. I imagined sitting around a piazza, glass of prosecco in hand, doting Sicilian grandmother wiping gelato from Vera’s chin, while my husband photographed more of Palermo’s crumbling beauty before we packed up for the beach. From there, it was pretty easy to click “Buy” on the tickets, even with high costs and questionable service on Alitalia.

Have any Sicily feedback to share? We are planning on flying into Catania for three nights, then renting a car and spending a week in a house near the beach around Siracusa/Noto/Modica (TBD), finishing with three nights in Palermo and flying home from there. I wanted a week in Palermo and hubby wanted extra beach time, so we are leaving a few nights open to whatever we feel.

Andiamo!

In Athens with Bugaboo Cameleon (and Boba wrap too).

Recently, I’ve gotten some emails and comments about traveling with strollers, especially in Istanbul, and it got me thinking back to my many months of stroller research pre-Vera and now many months of use with her. Our first stroller is the Bugaboo Cameleon, worth every bit of its considerable price tag to me, though in NYC, I now use our UppaBaby G-Luxe more often for subway trips and quick neighborhood outings. For travel, I still prefer the Bugaboo, because it’s not just about the weight. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a stroller you can use for travel (and everyday):

What most people worry about

• Total weight and how often you’ll lift it: This is what most people use as a gauge for how travel-friendly a stoller is, but I don’t think it’s really such a big deal; you’re never going to have to lift it over your head for long periods of time or anything. The Cameleon weighs 21 pounds with seat, maybe a little less with an infant car seat. This is pretty light for a full-featured stroller, though keep in mind the cargo (i.e. your baby) will add another 10, 20, etc pounds. The lighter UppaBaba is a bit over 13 pounds, and honestly? It’s not that big of a difference once you considerEven in Istanbul, with its many stairs and lack of ramps, I rarely had to lift it more than a few seconds. While I’ve developed some pretty serious upper body strength from carrying a baby for nearly two years, I’ve even hauled it up and down subway steps in NYC by myself (thanks for your help, young man! Not!) without breaking a sweat. Most people will travel with a partner who can assist, but I’ve also managed fine alone on many trips all over the world. So while a behemoth like the Silver Cross pram (still my husband’s fantasy wheels) might not be practical for travel, you can manage fine with most strollers, even if they aren’t feather weight.
• How easy it is to fold and where you are using it: The one real disadvantage of the Cameleon is the folding: you need two hands, you have do deal with two pieces, and it’s hard to explain how to do it to the odd stranger who wants to help (though I’d say this is try for any stroller until you do it a few times yourself). The upside of the two pieces is that she can at least stay in the seat while I fold up the frame, as I often wondered what I would do with the baby when I folded it (usually she’s in a carrier, which makes the two-handed fold challenging without dumping her out on her head, but that hasn’t happened so far). Yes, a one-handed fold is preferable, but think about how often you’ll do it. The most you will do it is on travel days: at airport security, at the gate, getting in and out of taxis or shuttles. Again, I’ve traveled alone to many countries by myself with her, even with the hard-to-fold stroller, without an issue. In Budapest, we walked nearly everywhere (even in January) and used a carrier when we took the subway; in London, we used the awesome buses which make taking a stroller aboard easy; in Venice, we just didn’t use the stroller. New York is tougher: buses require you to fold up the stroller even when relatively empty, and many restaurants won’t let you in it unfolded either. Bottom line: think about where you are going and what you’ll be doing, and do some research before you go.
• Width in narrow spaces: This was another thing I worried about, especially in Europe and New York, which tend to have a lot of narrow shops and sidewalks. With wheels, the Cameleon is 24 inches, the G-Luxe is 20. Honestly, it doesn’t matter that much. There are some spaces where you just won’t be able to navigate with stroller at all, and will have to leave it outside or in the front of a shop. You’re never going to wheel it down an airplane aisle, and most public spaces have to be wide enough to accomodate a wheelchair, so your ride can squeeze through. You will quickly get good at eyeballing spaces and figuring out how to navigate them. For people with multiple little ones, the double wide is generally going to be a pain, but you knew that already, right?
• Car seat adaptability: The thing I miss the most about the first year was the fact that it was so easy to use a car seat with a stroller. I bought an adapter kit for the Bugaboo and easily popped off the bassinet (or later, stroller seat) and swapped it out for the car seat, which made it much sleeker than the average “travel system”. Living in a big city without a car, we rarely used the car seat (and Vera still hates it), but it was great for trips when we might be in a car here and there or just wanted a seat we could carry independently, say, into a restaurant (side note: I recently saw a neat trick in a restaurant: you can use a wooden restaurant high chair upside down to hold a car seat when baby is sleeping; though use with caution, obviously). Unfortunately, there aren’t really any strollers that can be used this way once baby transitions to a toddler seat (there is the Orbit which can work with their own toddler seat, but it weighs a combined 37 pounds!), and it becomes another thing to haul around, along with your luggage, stroller, and baby. Yes, there are some devices you can use to make it a bit easier, but I end up slipping the back of the harness straps over my suitcase handle, which works okay just to get into the airport and is basically a free version of this.

In Detroit with the UppaBaby G-Luxe

What you should also consider

• Multiple usage in the early months: For Vera’s early months in Istanbul, we had no nursery or even a crib for her, she slept in the stroller bassinet. We later had a pack and play from a previous tenant, and now a proper crib in Brooklyn, but she still sleeps with us more often than not. Having a bassinet as an option is useful for the early months so you don’t need to scare up a hotel crib (often on the sketchy side, especially abroad), and later it can be a high chair when you are dining out. I chose the UppaBaby G-Luxe over other umbrellas because of the recline: I hate seeing kids sleeping slumped over sitting upright, and when you travel, nap time will often take place while you are out and about.
• One-handed steering: When you were stroller shopping, odds are you did it in a store with no baby (yet) and both hands. Now imagine you are in an airport, with one hand on a wheelie suitcase, a diaper bag slung over your shoulder, a wriggly baby in a stroller or in a carrier, and your tickets and passports precariously stuffed in your bra (er, maybe your purse). Now you will appreciate a stroller that doesn’t have a mind of its own when you push it with one hand. This is one major advantage of the Bugaboo, I can push it with one finger as opposed to the UppaBaby, which I have to practically brace my entire body against while carrying aforementioned items, to prevent it from careening into a TSA officer.
• Decent storage: Another Bugaboo advantage: the awesome large storage bag which can be shut with a drawstring and left full when folded. When I travel with this bad boy, as soon as I’m through security, I throw everything into the bottom I won’t need during the flight but would want immediately after (or if my bags were lost): winter coats, stroller toys and blankets, even non-breakable duty free items. With an umbrella stroller, you generally have to remove everything before you fold it, and all that stuff has to go somewhere on your person. I travel pretty light, but I still have too much to carry when boarding a plane. On a related note: we never got the storage bag to put the whole shebang into, and I think it would just be another thing to deal with for the vast majority of the time when you aren’t getting on a plane. Also, some airlines (yay for Turkish!) will give you a big plastic bag to cover and protect your stroller when they put it under the plane.
• The tipping point: I swear, I’m not being paid by Bugaboo for this, but again I have to give them credit. I can load the stroller handle with my purse, diaper bag, post-security water bottles and other purchases, and then take the baby out and it still stays upright. The UB is so sensitive to weight, I have to remove everything before I take her off or it will tip right over. This might not seem like a big deal, but I have nearly burst into tears (and broke a bottle of wine or two) more than a few times when the stroller fell over while I rushed to take a crying Vera out of it.
• Cobblestones, sand, and other rough terrain: Living in a city like Istanbul with poor sidewalks and some cobblestone streets makes for a rough ride. We used to joke that Vera was so calmed by rolling over the bumpy streets, she might later have a Pavlovian response to cobblestones and feel sleep when she walked on them. The nice big wheels of the Bugaboo skid over them easily, and while I haven’t tried it out yet, the ability to go on two wheels over sand or snow was another big selling point. Your everyday life might be a bit different than mine, but if you plan on much time traveling outside English-speaking countries, you’ll appreciate some sturdy wheels.

When we take our next big trip (I’ll tell you where we decided on when we finally book tickets this week), I’m not sure stroller which we’ll take. These days, Vera wants to walk on her own or be carried (I still love and use the Boba wrap, but she is getting heavy!) most of the time, and for trips in the US when we are in and out of cars a lot, I take the umbrella. But this is also one of the rare trips where my husband will be with me every step of the way, so having another set of hands might mean we take the comfier option.

The airplane safety card: quality toddler reading.

My baby is now 20 months, and somehow it’s nearly spring already! We’ve been very lucky to have had a busy year already with travel, ringing in the new year in Brazil and returning to Istanbul for the first time since we moved in the fall (you can follow our travel in pictures on Instagram). Lots in progress for this blog, as well as a new side project reviewing children’s books for fun. Looking ahead, we are trying to take one last big trip before Vera turns two in July. Not that we won’t travel after she turns two, but as we will start to have to pay full fare (see my Gadling article today on specifics on airfare for a baby celebrating their second birthday before the return trip, I contacted most of the big airlines to get their policies) after her birthday and she’s also getting harder to travel with as she gets older and more mobile, so this might be the last big one for awhile. After all that airline research and thinking about weather and crowds, we decided to simplify and travel in June, in advance of the actual birthday. We may want to actually have a party for her at home or something in July, or do a short trip close to home. So now we are thinking two weeks some time in June (our 9th wedding anniversary is the 6th, so bonus if we are on holiday for that too).

The criteria:

-International destination: If this is the last time we get a “free” (really about 10% of adult fare) ticket, we might as well make the most of it. Hubby would like to go somewhere he hasn’t been before, so this rules out much of Europe except the north, and he’s especially keen on southeast Asia. International routes also have international airlines, which are generally better for flying with infants, and since we aren’t necessarily using frequent flyer miles, we are fairly open to carriers.

-Short or overnight flights: As I’ve emphasized before, timing is everything when flying with a baby. She’s a great traveler who hasn’t had any incidents yet, but getting on a 12-hour-flight during the day is like playing Russian roulette. Overnight flights are easy; the later departure, the better, since she’s still a night owl. If we have no choice but to fly during the day, it’s better if they are four or five hours max. I’d rather spend a few days getting to our final destination, taking breaks between flights, instead of a long direct flight.

-Baby-friendly destination: My concept of baby-friendly isn’t quite the same as family-friendly: I like places where locals love children, don’t mind a toddler running around a restaurant (with my close supervision to not bother other diners, of course), and where it’s not unusual to see little kids out with their parents at night. Istanbul is still hands-down the most welcoming for babies (and we found it like an amusement park for toddlers on our recent trip), and I also found Budapest, Greece, Italy, Seoul, and Brazil to be fabulous with a baby. Really, we haven’t been to a place yet that wasn’t baby-friendly, but have found southern Europe, Latin America, and Asia to be most likely for having waiters who tote your baby around a cafe and old ladies who pinch their cheeks (a good thing, in my opinion) Bonus points for an easy-to-navigate city/transportation system with a stroller, although we managed over a year on the poor streets of Istanbul, and we are using the stroller less and less these days.

With that in mind, we’ve narrowed it down to a few possibilities:

-Scandinavia & Iceland: Smart design, endless days, and gourmet hot dogs? We are tempted by Scandinavia and Iceland, especially Copenhagen (though Vera’s a bit young to appreciate all my Hans Christian Andersen knowledge, I still remember most of the movie’s songs), Stockholm (ditto Pippi Longstocking), and Estonia (can’t explain my fascination, but I hear it’s charming). Helsinki is high on hubby’s list too, and we’ve been keen on Iceland for years. The weather will never be better than in June, and while we may not think 60F degrees warrants a beach trip, there are lots of lovely islands and beaches to explore on the North and Baltic Seas. Thanks to Iceland Air, it’s easy to fly from NYC to any of the northern European countries and stopover in Reykjavik for free. Flights to Iceland are relatively short (six hours from JFK), and another few hours on to Europe, so pretty much ideal for us. They are also much cheaper than to western Europe or Asia, but once we get there, costs are high. I’ve found some good deals on AirBnB rentals (the way to go when traveling with a kid), but meals/drinks/transportation prices are really expensive. The question is: are these places better enjoyed when she’s old enough to appreciate Icelandic elves and trolls, Scandinavian fairy tales, and Danish Legos? Or should we wait and do these places *without* Vera (shudder to think, but there may come a time when we leave her with a grandmother or babysitter), when we can fully enjoy hot springs and vodka? Will the cost of living offset the airfare savings?

-Russia & Iceland: Husband was born in St. Petersburg (actually Leningrad), and though he left when he was about Vera’s age, it holds a big place in his heart. We went to Russia when I was newly-pregnant in December (yes, cold but definitely doable) and saw much of the major sights in Moscow and Peter, but would love to go back with V to see her father’s homeland. We could also be there during white nights and during the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg, so probably a lot happening. Again, Iceland Air has great deals into St. Petersburg, and on-the-ground costs are higher than other eastern European cities, but not extortionate (cheaper than Scandinavia, especially as we won’t be going to any $1,000 cover night clubs). The big added cost is visas, over $600 for the three of us, which bumps up the ticket price substantially. There is the possibility of getting multiple-entry visas valid for three years for another $40 each, which might be worthwhile if we plan on returning in a few years. While Husband’s fluent Russian will be immensely helpful, I can’t imagine it’s very baby-friendly, and just taking the escalators down into the metro could be a nightmare with a stroller.

-Vietnam: For a decade now, we’ve been hearing from friends how amazing Vietnam is to travel: cheap, friendly, and beautiful. I’d travel there just for the food, we could live like royalty for a small budget, and Vera would be treated like a rock star. The problem is the flights, which can cost a minimum of $1500 each (for adult tickets), not to mention the 20+ hours of travel we’d spend getting there. Vietnam also requires a visa, but fees are a more reasonable $90 each for Americans (a drop in the bucket after you pay for those airline tickets!). After some extensive searches, I’ve found some possibly doable flights on Emirates and Cathay Pacific with late-night departures and long layovers, but they are upwards of $2k each (though both airlines are supposed to be fantastic, even in coach). Still, is it better to do this trip now before we’d have to pay another $2k for her child fare? Does the baby-friendliness of the Vietnamese outweigh the infrastructure issues? Will our great flight luck hold out for that many hours?

We’ve had lots of other ideas like Mexico (always wanted to do the Riviera Maya and Mexico City), Sicily (airfares high), Tel Aviv (too hot?), but we keep coming back to northern Europe and Vietnam. Any advice or recommendations for me? It’s a nice dilemma to have!

Vera’s first Christmas, Istanbul 2011

Only a few weeks left in the year, and shocker, we’re too busy getting ready for another trip to write about all the places we’ve already been. In nine days, we’ll be off to Brazil (finally cashing in some AA miles) for a few weeks in Rio and Sao Paulo, assuming our visas come through in time!

Over on Gadling, I’ve written a few baby travel articles for the season, and wanted to share here:

Gift Guide for Young Families: Divided by stage from newborn, to confident toddler, to those just dreaming about travel with a baby, this year’s guide has some gear like the Boba Air, cool gadgets like a convertible diaper bag/bassinet, and sweetness like a customized map blanket.

Tips for Holiday Travel with a Baby covers much of the same ground as this site, in a bite-sized format. Key tips for this year: it’s worth paying for extra legroom, stay away from hot polyester fleece, and let baby dictate your jet-lag adjustments.

We also visited Macy’s Santa this week, so look for a post about that soon. More to come from our 2012 travels too, maybe in 2013!

Vera entertaining herself in Detroit’s airport.

After three long posts about flying with a baby, I thought I had pretty much exhausted all the advice I had. Then in August, just after Vera turned one year old, we flew to New Zealand via Seoul, then home to NYC, racking up more than 50 hours on a plane with a semi-mobile toddler in a few weeks. Last week, we took our first trip with a full-fledged toddler on a cross-country trip to Portland, and while I’ve spent plenty of time chasing her in supermarkets and quieting her protests of constraint in restaurants, she’s still a champion flier. As an addendum (but not a replacement for) to our previous advice and tips about flying with a baby, I give you the advanced level version. Godspeed; there are few things more challenging than flying with a toddler.

Play to your advantages – So your toddler wants nothing more than to crawl, cruise, or walk up and down the aisle? Unfortunately, that’s not terribly feasible or advisable on a plane or in an airport. What else are they into that would work better in a small and public space? Around twelve months, V got really into packing and unpacking things, particularly my wallet, and I discovered from other parents it is common at this age. Now we try to encourage these behaviors and she has spent many happy hours on a plane going though my cosmetic bag, pulling cards out of a wallet, and stashing things in the in-seat pocket. Just as other non-toys that can entertain like keys, this could be a good time to allow baby to do things you don’t normally allow at home, as it’s much easier to make sure your lipstick isn’t eaten like an ice cream or your Amex isn’t thrown out the window when you are in small space. Baby mesmerized by cartoons? Even if you don’t like to make it a habit at home, you might relax your rules if it can help ease a long flight for everyone.

Think small – To reiterate the previous point, toddlers like small things, and fortunately, there are a lot of them in travel. My vast collection of hotel toiletries and trial-size products have made it into her toy box, and more minis are constantly carried in my purse, diaper bag, and suitcase for on-the-go play. She has her own small card wallet containing all of our recent hotel key cards and business cards we pick up at shops and restaurants on our travels. All leftover airline amenity kit pouches have been filled with small odds and ends like a folding hairbrush, flashlight keychain, and other small things found at 99 cent stores or in the Target bargain bins. Filling a make-up bag with IKEA finger puppets is probably the best idea I’ve had since she was born (also, a good conversation topic; everyone has a different theory about this character in red, who is apparently a fire fighter), and they are always in my purse.

Start as you mean to go on – I read this British-ism in a baby book, referring to the idea that you should start setting a schedule and routine from day one, but unfortunately, I read it when Vera was already six months old. So while Vera might still go to sleep at “adult” hours and nurse on demand, I’ve used the concept for more minor events. Trying to put a freed toddler back in a stroller or carrier is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, so I try to never let her out near the gate. She might have a walk in an airport cafe or lounge, but once we are “traveling” to the gate and getting ready to board, she’s under my control in the wrap or stroller. She’s distracted enough by the walk to the gate to not protest being constrained, and if she doesn’t get the idea of running around the gate area and airplane, she doesn’t seem to miss it. Ditto for taking anything out that you might not want the baby to play with, such as a phone, until you really need it. Better to whip out the baby touch screen app as a last resort than to have to listen to hours of animal sounds *and* have no secret weapon in case of a fussy baby.

Do diaper changes standing up – For some reason, around twelve months, Vera began to *hate* having her diaper changed while lying down. She’d cry, squirm, and fight me at every turn, so I started doing it with her standing, often leaning against a (closed) toilet lid (it becomes more interesting when there is no lid). When we visited Seoul a few months ago, I was pleased to discover some awesome Huggies diapers that allow you to either use as a pull-on or regular-style diaper, and they now have them in America too. Why am I sharing this in a flying article? Because if you’ve had to change a squirmy child in a tiny airplane bathroom, you might find it valuable to know there are alternatives.

Go to the back of the plane – Before baby, we never checked bags, stuck to one airline (generally AA) to accrue frequent flier status, and tried to board as early as possible. After a JetBlue flight home from Portland this week, I was quite pleased to be in the back row. We were closest to the bathroom and the flight attendants (who kindly supplied me with free wine when the baby was asleep) in the back galley, there was no hurry to rush off the plane before I’d located all of our stuff, and our stroller was there at the gate when we deplaned. It’s helpful to check your carry-ons anyway with a baby (you don’t need any more to schlep), so you don’t need to worry about fighting for overhead bin space, and your luggage might be at baggage claim by the time you make it down there. Maybe there is something to the so-called “baby ghettos” after all, as long as your baby isn’t prone to mimicking less well-behaved children.

Have other tips about flying with a toddler? I’d love to hear them, and I’ll add more as I learn them.

Since I started traveling with a baby, I’ve been booking more apartments than hotel rooms, due to increased space, laundry, and kitchen facilities. Even for a short stay, it’s nice to have somewhere to relax when the baby goes to sleep, be able to wash clothes and pack less, and prepare meals that aren’t out of a mini-bar. While big sites like AirBnB are great for finding apartments, I recommend Way to Stay and Cross Pollinate for a well-curated listing of apartments and excellent service.

Nişantaşı - It was our home from pre-baby to her first birthday, and Istanbul’s fashion district (pronounced NEE-shan-tah-shuh) is our top pick of areas to stay with a baby. It’s a quick metro or taxi ride to Taksim or a (relatively) easy downhill walk to the Bosphorus, and loaded with cafes, but you won’t hear much noise late at night other than the call-to-prayer or occasional honking of horns (often when a young man is going into military, which happens pretty much year round). If you’ve read any of Turkish Nobel Laurete Orhan Pamuk’s books, you’ll recognize many of the historic pre-war buildings, it was Pamuk’s childhood home.
Parent-friendly finds: I have too many recommendations to fit in this space, so check out this Google Map of my favorite places in Nişantaşı, from baby clothing and supplies at Mothercare, to Kirinti cafe with high-chairs, a (rare) changing table, and cooing waiters.
Baby beware: Along with the country’s most expensive retail space, hotel and food prices aren’t the lowest in town, but good values can be found on the side streets of Teşvikiye or up the hill and across the busy Halaskargazi street in Osmanbey.

Cihangir – Another hip area in the “new city,” Cihangir (pronounced JEE-hahn-gear) is affectionately called Yabanci-koy (literally foreigner village) for the many young expats who live there. It’s another favorite place of Orhan Pamuk and home to the new and unusual Museum of Innocence (read the book first and get free admission with the ticket inside). Rent a flat with a fabulous roof deck and spend your days wandering the winding streets and people-watching at a cafe, and don’t be surprised when the young Turkish hipsters greet your baby with glee instead of disdain.
Parent-friendly finds: Cihangir has a few cute playgrounds, with the added amenity of a water view. Try Cihangir Park around the corner from Susam Sok, or the Roma garden on Sanatkarlar, which occasionally hosts the small artists’ PAZART market. For a more adult playground, the White Mill is one of the best cafes when you are with kids. Ask a waiter to take your stroller through the kitchen and climb the stairs up and out to the back garden for cocktails and a sophisticated food menu.
Baby beware: The downside of Cihangir’s charming hilly streets is going up them. I’ve done it with a stroller more than a few times, and it’s a challenge to get up to Taksim, but pleasant if you aren’t in a hurry. Factor in some cheap cab rides or use a carrier so you can take the stairs down to the tram line.

Kadiköy/Moda - While not as packed with historic must-sees as the European side, you’ll find a slightly more peaceful pace and less tourists over in Asia. The market streets of Kadiköy and the waterfront promenade at Moda are ideal for an experienced Istanbul visitor who wants a more residential experience; think of it as the Hoboken of Istanbul.
Parent-friendly finds: Everyone and their anne (mother) hops the ferry for lunch at Ciya, which is delicious but one of the few spots you might find packed with tourists. See if Istanbul Eats is doing a cross-continent food walk and discover some of the hidden culinary delights of Anatolia. We did one in our last month in Istanbul with another family with baby and got extra helpings of everything, including cheek-pinching. If the weather is good and the baby is napping, stop off for excellent (and surprisingly cheap) wine at Viktor Levi, or even one of the art galleries-cum-bars on “Bar street.”
Baby beware: Hope you like riding the ferry, because you’ll spend a lot of time crossing the water to visit the museums in the Old City or the restaurants in Beyoglu. The newly-opened Kadiköy metro station is handy for getting to Bostanci for shopping along Bagdat Caddesi or strolling along the water (one of the few places you’ll actually see joggers), but the long-delayed underwater connection to Europe is still a few years off. If you can structure your day with a few hours in the morning over in Europe, you’ll have more ferry options and can relax after dark.

Ortaköy – A favorite of many local families on weekends, this former fishing village is a good choice if you want to be right on the water and close to the other Bosphorus neighborhoods like Bebek (yes, there is a neighborhood called “baby” and it has one of the most beautiful Starbucks in the world), but not too far from the center. Browse the market on Saturdays for homemade trinkets, get stuffed with a stuffed kumpir potato, and enjoy an ice cream under the Bosphorus Bridge when it’s lit up at night.
Parent-friendly finds: The House Hotel and cafe may seem imposingly chic, but like most of Turkey, it’s quite baby-friendly. If you stay the night, ask about baby amenities like a high chair, baby food, and even a baby sitter if you want to visit one of the nightclubs nearby. A little inland from the main pier, the Ulus Thursday market is wonderful for cheap produce and baby clothes, as well as gozleme pancakes likely to please even fussy eaters.
Baby beware: If the weather is good, traffic is bad. If the weather is bad, traffic is bad. The small stretch of road between Bestiktas and Ortakoy is almost always stop-and-go, so figure in a 20-minute walk to skip it, past a few luxury hotels and many, many photos of Ataturk (yet curiously, no water views).

Visited Istanbul with a baby? Where did you stay? We’d love to hear from other visitors!

]]> http://knockedupabroadtravels.com/2012/10/17/best-istanbul-neighborhoods-for-traveling-with-a-baby/feed/ 8 Istanbul baby han - best neighborhoods to stay with baby TheNotoriousMEG Istanbul baby han - best neighborhoods to stay with baby http://knockedupabroadtravels.com/2012/09/25/surfacing-kuat-comes-home/ http://knockedupabroadtravels.com/2012/09/25/surfacing-kuat-comes-home/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:36:12 +0000 TheNotoriousMEG http://knockedupabroadtravels.com/?p=931 Read More →]]>

Brooklyn Bridge Park, where we got married eight years ago.

So it’s been a month (or two, eek) since we’ve been around these parts, but if you’ve followed us on Twitter or Facebook, you can see we haven’t exactly been cooling our heels. After Vera’s first birthday, we packed up and said goodbye to our beloved Istanbul, and boarded two 10+ hour flights to New Zealand. We visited family in Auckland, rode the train to hipster Wellington, ferried down to the South Island, and even connected with another traveling family in Christchurch. After a few more days back in Auckland, we flew to Seoul for a fun week of wandering and having Vera’s cheeks pinched (the Koreans give the Turks a run for their money in the baby-crazy department!), then back to Istanbul for a night to catch our flights home to New York via Kiev (ugh, not recommended). With another 50 hours of flight time with a baby logged, this time with a near-toddler (she took a few steps in Auckland but has resumed crawling and cruising full-time), we learned a lot more about flying with a baby, so expect some more advanced advice on these pages.

Since returning to Brooklyn, we’ve been dusting off our apartment (sitting empty of people for over two years, but lots of belongings to collect dust), trying to figure out what baby furniture and supplies to buy in the overwhelming variety available, eating various high-concept pork-based foods, writing about New Zealand for the unadventurous, and trying to figure out what’s next. In the next two weeks, we’ll be traveling to a few places a little less exotic than normal, including Detroit and New Hampshire, but we still plan to seek out the baby-friendly bars and oddball museums we frequented in Europe. I’ve also gotten a few emails from readers visiting Istanbul with babies and it’s been a lot of fun putting all of our hard-won knowledge to benefit other traveling families.

Thanks for bearing with us, much more to come!

Last week in Istanbul, we celebrated a big milestone: my baby Vera’s first birthday. Since she’s such a jetsetter, we wanted a travel theme for her birthday party, with a nod to her Turkish birthplace. We braved the steamy temperatures and high-season crowds of tourists, and headed to the back streets of Eminönü, where you can find everything and anything for a party. If you are throwing a baby shower or a welcome baby party, this is your mecca: it’s a hot mess of tulle, plastic babies, and crepe centerpieces.

Turks are not known for minimalism

In addition to the requisite “1st birthday” paper plates, napkins, and party hats, we picked up nazar (evil eye) toothpicks, Maşallah balloons (which turned out to also have inscriptions for a boy’s circumcision ceremony, oops!), and a lady bug outfit for the birthday girl. While first birthdays are really more for the adults, we had a few small guests in attendance. Their goody bags contained wooden maracas, rubber ball globes, and Turkish-themed stickers. It definitely paid off to comparison shop: we found maracas near the Spice Market for 5 TL each, while further away they were just 2.5 TL. A box of party decorations we first priced at 18 TL, but found a slightly more basic set of streamers and tinsel for 4 TL!

Nazar cupcakes by My Turkish Joys

The highlight of her party were the incredible nazar cupcakes made for us by my friend Joy, who blogs about her delicious creations and travels at My Turkish Joys. We wanted to avoid chocolate and nuts, as they can be highly allergic for babies, and highlight the best ingredients in Turkey, so she went with a peaches and kaymak (clotted cream) filling, buttercream frosting, topped with fondant evil eyes. To keep somewhat of a travel them, I had wanted to find a small cardboard suitcase to display the cupcakes (see this travel-themed wedding post for a pic), but the closest I found was a small set of “suitcases” at the oddly-named English Home store. They did have a cupcake pattern at least!

All in all, it was a fabulous first birthday!

To stroller or carry? Istanbul is full of narrow streets, cobblestone, broken pavement, stairs, and tiny elevators: a veritable obstacle course with a baby stroller. I’ve navigated much of the city with a stroller so I know it’s possible, but would be a rude shock for many visitors accustomed to smooth sidewalks and accessible entrances. After a lot of research, we bought a Bugaboo Cameleon, which is reasonably light for a full-featured stroller at 9kg/20 pounds, tough enough to navigate all terrains, adaptable to be used with a car seat in the first year, but is often left at home when we are walking around Istanbul in favor of a carrier like the Boba wrap. You may opt to bring a lighter stroller to use on days you’ll be out for long stretches, especially in certain areas. The easiest Istanbul neighborhoods with a stroller include Nişantaşı, Taksim/Istiklal Caddesi (though some side streets can be challenging), the Asian side (especially by the water), and Bosphorus neighborhoods like Ortaköy and Bebek (though be aware that some stretches of the sea road can have difficult sidewalks).

A rare keychain with both a NYC Library card and an Istanbul Akbil

Note for public transportation: Other than taxis and the dolmus, you can ride all kinds of transit with tokens (jetons) or an IstanbulKart. We used to use the Akbil, a handy little gadget to keep on your keychain and you could fill with lira for reduced fare and transfers, but it’s no longer sold (we still use ours and consider it a sign of being a real local). The IstanbulKart functions in a similar way, you should be able to get one at major transit centers like Taksim with a small refundable deposit.

Getting to and from the airport: Unless you have a lot of time and are really pinching pennies, public transit isn’t worth it to the airport. It’s a long ride with many transfers and doesn’t amount to a huge savings vs the shuttle. The Havas shuttle bus is the way to go: it’s 10 TL from Ataturk to Taksim, takes an average of 45 minutes (plan for extra time during rush hour and in the few hours before dark during Ramazan), and they can stash your stroller and luggage underneath. A taxi is another option, especially if you are staying away from Beyoğlu. The fare from the airport shouldn’t be much more than 40-50 TL unless there’s heavy traffic or you are staying in a less central area. If you aren’t staying in Sultanahmet (which I would avoid in general, more info to come), you can ask the driver to take the E-5 (say “eh-besh”) highway; though the sea road is prettier, it’s longer. If you are flying into SAW airport, the Havas bus is still your best bet, as a taxi can cost easily 90 TL.

METRO

The good news is that the Istanbul metro is efficient, clean, and has elevators at every station. The bad news is that unless you are staying in or visiting Nişantaşı (Osmanbey stop) or Levent, you may never ride it; while there are plans to connect the various lines crossing the Bosphorus and Golden Horn, it won’t happen for awhile, as every time they start working on it, they dig up more ancient artifacts that halt construction. One handy one-stop line is from Şişhane to Taksim, running underneath Istiklal Caddesi, especially if you are connecting at Taksim to the Metro going north or the funicular down to the water. In bad weather especially, it’s a good way to bypass the crowds on Istiklal, though you might not save much time as the elevators are slow. Look for elevator entrances next to the Tünel funicular station and next to the PTT post office at Taksim.

TRAM

Used by many tourists and locals, the Istanbul tram runs from Kabataş (down a BIG hill from Taksim, use the funicular) along the sea road, crossing the Golden Horn, and connecting neighborhoods like Sultanahmet and Grand Bazaar. While it often gets stuck in traffic, it’s a pretty efficient line and at street level, easy to board with a stroller. However, it’s almost always packed, especially past Eminönü, and trying to get on or off with a stroller can be a challenge. Of course, it’s Istanbul, so people will make room for you, but I feel a bit rude crushing on with a stroller and usually opt for a carrier instead.

BUS/METROBUS

The Istanbul bus system is a good way to access Bosphorus neighborhoods beyond the tram and sites like Chora Church outside the major tourist zones. Buses range from modern and air-conditioned (now usually purple or blue) to broke-down hoopties (red-and-white), and there’s no rhyme or reason as to what routes will have what kind of bus. Avoid taking a stroller unless you can fold it easily. I cannot fathom a time where a visitor would take a metrobus, which connects far-flung areas of the city and travels on dedicated lanes on the highway. Millions of Istanbullus ride the metrobus every day, and they are packed as tightly as a Tokyo subway, so I doubt it’d be a pleasant experience with a stroller.

FERRY

One of the great pleasures of a city like Istanbul is crossing the many waterways on a ferry. There are tourist cruises up the Bosphorus and Golden Horn, as well as many commuter ferries connecting the European and Asian sides. Ride at least one on your visit, and expect that you’ll get help if you need it while boarding the boat with a stroller and may need to stay on the lower level if you don’t want to carry stuff upstairs. Note that if you are coming back at night from Kadıköy, some routes stop running as early as 8:30, but go late to Karaköy and Eminönü.

TAXI

Nearly everyone, from the most seasoned Turk to a tourist right off the Havas bus, has a story about being ripped off by an Istanbul taxi driver. Taxi drivers can be rude, rarely speak English, and might take the long way if you don’t know where you’re going. They’re also very cheap (estimate fares with Taksiyle) and plentiful, and especially with a baby, you can occasionally find drivers to be helpful and ingenious about finding routes to avoid traffic. Remember that street signs and addresses often mean nothing, it’s better to give a landmark and say “burada, lutfen!” (here, please) when you want to get out. If you’re a stickler for a car seat, bring your own (there are technically laws requiring car seats in cars but they are often ignored); otherwise, do as the rest of us do and hold on tight. Tips aren’t expected but you can round up a few lira for good service (rare).

DOLMUS

The yellow mini-buses you see all over town are called a dolmuş, a shared taxi that follows a fixed route for a fixed price. They are handy and cost-efficient if you are traveling long distances, such as from Nişantaşı to Eminönü or back from the Asian side after the ferries stop running. They can be a little intimidating to tourists (it took me a long time to take one both before and with the baby), but other passengers will help you. On my last ride with Vera in her wrap, I saw another family with a baby waiting to board with a stroller and grandmother (three adults on a dolmuş doesn’t really make sense financially, I wondered why they weren’t taking a private taxi), but it’s difficult to hop out wherever you want if you need them to unload a stroller.

That should get you out and about in Istanbul, stay tuned for more on where to stay and what to do in Istanbul with a baby. Questions? Feel free to ask me in a comment or email.

First off, the most important thing is to pay attention to your child. It may sound obvious, but the number one reason people complain about travelers with babies and small children is that they believe or assume you will ignore your baby’s cries, think their bad behavior is cute, or just not know what to do about it. While you might get some help from flight attendants or other passengers, it is your responsibility alone to keep your baby quiet and comfortable.

The best way to ensure you have a happy flier is to anticipate their needs and you may find they will need more feeding (and thus, diaper-changing) than usual. In the beginning, it was easy to fly with Vera as all I could do was hold and feed her, her two favorite activities. As she gets older and more active, it’s a bit more challenging, but not impossible. If you’ve chosen flight times that align with their schedules and packed well, it will help a lot, but you’ll still need to be vigilant. Now that V has a pattern of napping every 2-3 hours during the day, I feed her just before leaving for the airport so she sleeps in the taxi (and potentially all the way through security), change her before we board, and she’ll be ready for another feeding and nap as we take off, potentially through meal or beverage service.

It’s a personal choice and not everyone has the ability or the desire, but breastfeeding is the traveler’s best friend. It can be done anywhere, at any time, with no special equipment, it’s comforting to the baby, and will prevent dehydration. Ear pressure pain is a major cause of crying babies, but if you nurse on take-off and landing, your baby won’t even notice. If you don’t nurse, a bottle, pacifier, or sippy cup can help; anything that makes the baby swallow, but breastfeeding is the easiest way to control the pressure change (if they happen to be asleep, they also won’t notice the change in altitude). While some mothers might be hesitant about nursing in public, I’ve never been told I couldn’t do it during take-off, and with a scarf or nursing cover, no one will notice or care.

Aside from frequent feeding and diaper checks, one thing I do on every flight is befriend my neighbors. Just telling my seatmate that I’ll be doing whatever I can to ensure we all have a peaceful flight gets rid of most hostility; sometimes it creates any ally who can help us out if we need an extra hand. One great piece of advice I read in a comment on Gadling is to introduce your toddler to the person in front of you, and tell them that if the kid kicks their seat, they have your permission to kick back. This is a good icebreaker and (jokey) warning for your neighbor and your child, it’ll be harder for anyone to mishave when they “know” their neighbor.

So what if you’ve fed and changed the baby and he’s still upset? Do whatever works, even if it’s normally not allowed. A plane is not the time to test your child’s boundaries or teach a lesson about patience. At home, I might occasionally let V cry for a few minutes while I take a shower or pull her away from the computer cord before she puts it in her mouth, but a plane is a free pass. Even if you don’t normally allow TV, if putting on a video or letting her push all the buttons on your phone keeps her occupied, do it. Since you’re sitting in close view without distractions, you can keep the choking hazards at bay. I’ve started giving V dried fruit such as apricots and figs on the plane, sucking and chewing on them always provides some fun, though I’m left to pick up gross bits of gummed up fruit after (still no teeth at 11 months!). Older children might even be on their best plane behavior if they know it’s a time when they’ll get a treat normally limited at home. I’ve heard of kids who grew up believing that gummy candies only existed on airplanes so they were excited and happy to fly!

Every seat is lie-flat when you’re a lap child.

While being trapped in a confined space for hours with a small and unreasonable person may not seem like ideal circumstances for a pleasant flight, there are some advantages to flying with a baby, use them as needed:

1. No distractions: While you’re on a flight, you don’t need to worry about doing laundry, making dinner, or returning emails (I realize some planes have wifi now but they can still wait until you land). Your sole job is being with the baby and all of everyday life’s distractions and responsibilities are on hold for a few hours.
2. (Forced) closeness: Inevitably when I’m at the grocery store or trying to finish a blog post, that’s when V demands to be taken out of her stroller and held. On a plane, she’s in my lap for the duration of the journey and that goes a long way to keeping her content. While you might want one or two free hands when it comes to eating or using the bathroom, hopefully it’ll coincide with a nap time or you can trade off with your partner or your new friendly seatmate.
3. White noise: Some people pay actual money for white noise machines or apps to help them sleep, but that’s one thing you can always count on on a plane. I often choose seats close to the engine as the sound helps V to sleep and drowns out small noises if she’s babbling or fussing.
4. Other people: Even if they don’t engage with her, all of the new people on a plane are a great source of entertainment to a baby. Watching the boarding process is fascinating to her and she may spend time making faces at people even if they aren’t looking at her. And while you shouldn’t expect help, every flight will have at least one parent (or even better, grandparent) that might be willing to hold your baby when you go to the bathroom or play a little peek-a-boo.
5. Novelty: Even for a frequent flier baby like V, each airplane is a new and interesting environment with lots of distractions. There’s a seat to explore, buttons to press, announcements to hear, and a fair amount of action to observe. You’ll still want some familiar amusements after the novelty subsides, but there’s a lot going on for a baby to be happy about.

*Okay, so every baby is different and I can’t guarantee that flying with a baby can be fun or easy, but the nightmare of spending hours trapped with a screaming, smelly infant on a flying hunk of tin isn’t an inevitability. With the right attitude and planning, you can survive it, and maybe even make all those nasty online commenters eat their words. Some of this has been adapted from articles on planning travel and flying with a baby on Gadling.