air travel

Edinburgh in a day – from Bedfordshire!

August 23, 2019 by Penny 1 Comment

I like to try and think big when it comes to school summer holidays. Big, but in my budget! With a new baby in the family funds haven’t exactly been plentiful lately, but I was still determined to give my elder two kids the best summer holiday I could. Lots of variety and plenty of fun and excitement. It was with those two things in mind that I came up with the slightly mad idea of taking them to Edinburgh for the day. From Bedfordshire!

Luton to Edinburgh

We’re lucky enough to live about 15 minutes drive from Luton Airport which means that cheap flights to a variety of places are pretty much on our doorstep. With that in mind I managed to find that Easyjet have a flight from Luton to Edinburgh that leaves just before 9am in the morning, and a return one that departs Edinburgh at 9pm. Perfect to be able to fit in a day of sightseeing in Edinburgh.

The other motivation behind my trip with that Little Miss C and Master C had no recollection of ever going on an aeroplane. LMC went to Madeira with me and her dad when she was under 2 and both of them came with us on a trip to Denmark for a wedding when Master C was just 9 months old. They’ve both been desperate to fly somewhere for a while, but the cost and work schedules meant that it didn’t really look possible this summer. I’d already got a long weekend planned in Norfolk as a “proper” holiday, so decided that a slightly mad day trip would make the whole thing even more exciting for them.

Making the most of our time was key with this trip, so we bit the bullet and paid for on airport parking at Luton. This meant that we were able to leave home at 6.30am, get to the airport at 6.45am and by some sort of a miracle by 7.15am we were already through security and sat enjoying a second breakfast airside. Why isn’t it ever that fast when Bonn is going through there for work?

Edinburgh Tram

At the other end we took advantage of Edinburgh’s tram system. Just a short walk from the airport’s arrival hall is the tram stop and from there it takes you straight to Princes Street in just 30 minutes. It’s super convenient and not that expensive either. Master C had also been asking to travel on a tram somewhere for ages so it kept him rather happy.

We went to Edinburgh without any real plans as to what we’d do for the day so it was a bit of a case of just going with what we found once there. When we got off the tram we headed over towards the Royal Mile (via the Golden Arches for lunch!) and soon found ourselves part of the crowd for a street magician as part of the run up to the Edinburgh Fringe. The kids thought this was fantastic fun and thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected bit of entertainment.

Continuing up the Royal Mile we headed towards the castle, stopping off on our way at numerous souvenir shops so the kids could admire the various kilts on offer and the variety of Harry Potter merchandise that everywhere seems to sell.

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

After admiring the castle from outside (I wasn’t nuts enough to pay to try to go round it with a baby in a pushchair!) we then headed back to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Years ago I visited the Camera Obscura and thought it would be a fun thing for the kids to see. What I hadn’t banked on though was the amazing World of Illusions that it is now part of. I thought we’d stay there an hour or so and then head on to the Museum of Scotland. How wrong I was!

We ended up at the World of Illusions for the rest of the day. The kids thought it one of the most amazing places they’d ever been, and I’m inclined to agree with them. I’ll explain exactly why in a separate blog post – watch this space.

All too soon our day in Edinburgh was coming to an end and we hot-footed it back to Princes Street via a quick pizza and a wander down Victoria Street (supposedly JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley) to pop in the various Harry Potter themed shops there.

Travel broadens the mind

I won’t deny that we only feel like we’ve scratched the surface with Edinburgh, but that just gives us an excuse to return again. The aim of the day was to give the kids an adventure, and that’s certainly what we achieved. From leaving Luton full of apprehension about what flying was going to be like, they returned confident flyers. Purposefully climbing the stairs of the aircraft at Edinburgh without even a backwards glance.

They say that one of the most important parts of parenting is giving your children experiences to help them in future life. I like to think that’s exactly what I achieved with this trip. After all, travel broadens the mind like nothing else.

Flying with a baby – taking a seven month old to Copenhagen

June 24, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Flying with a baby. It seems to be one of the subjects that attracts the most questions on parenting forums across the internet. What are you able to take with you? How do you carry your baby? How do you stop them screaming for the whole flight? I can’t promise to have all the answers, but what I can do is share our experiences with you.

When she was just seven months old we took Tube Stop Baby with us on a work trip to Copenhagen. This was the first time she had flown and we were intrigued to see what she would make of the whole experience. The flight time was about an hour and a half and we flew with Norwegian from London Gatwick Airport to Copenhagen, and back again five days later.

How much baggage can a baby carry?

The first thing I would advise is planning. Travel as light as you possibly can, but at the same time make sure you have everything you need. Each airline varies in terms of baggage allowance for an infant who is travelling on a parents lap. In our case she got no carry on allowance, but was allowed 5kg in the hold which could either be a separate bag, or added on to the weight allowed for our bag. We were also allowed to have an extra stroller and car seat in the hold. More on those in a minute though. Airlines are normally very clear about what you can take for a baby. Just ask them if you’re unclear.

Carrying milk and baby food on a flight

In our carry on luggage we made sure we had a few toys to keep her entertained, what we needed for nappy changes, a couple of muslins and the milk and food that we would need for the journey. Despite all the rules about liquids being carried on flights you are allowed to take milk and pureed food for babies. The wording suggests that it is as much as is required for the journey. We formula feed so I took water in three bottles and a powder dispenser to be able to make up three bottles worth. I also carried about four pouches of pureed food for her too.

When you go through security you will need to separate out all liquids before your bags are scanned, and the same is the case for baby milk and pureed food. I put all the pouches in a clear plastic bag so I could pull them out quickly, and also took out the three bottles. As expected when the tray went through the scanner it was diverted to be inspected. The official simply saw I was travelling with a baby and he took the three bottles and a couple of randomly chosen pouches of food away to be tested. This only took a couple of minutes and involved them putting the bottles and pouches in some fancy machine which was obviously testing to make sure they were what I’d said they were. The whole process only took about ten minutes longer than usual.

As we went through her pushchair was also checked over by an official and as her and her dad beeped when they went though the metal detector an official just checked her over whilst her dad went through the next stage of scanner. The whole process was quick and relatively simple and painless.

Pushchairs, strollers and baby carriers

For the outbound flight we were able to keep her pushchair with us until the gate. At that stage we had to collapse it and leave it with staff before we went down to board the plane. I took with us an Ergobaby carrier and simply put her in that once I got her out of the pushchair. This gave me my hands free for bags etc whilst getting on the plane.

I would very highly recommend taking a baby carrier of some type with you. When you land you normally don’t get your pushchair back until baggage reclaim, so if you have a sling or carrier then you can keep the baby in that as you go through passport control and get to baggage reclaim. Trying to hold a baby in your arms whilst getting off a plane and hanging on to your passport isn’t easy!

When we flew back from Copenhagen it was just me and the baby and unfortunately, despite flying with the same airline, the rules were suddenly different and we were told that our buggy had to immediately go to excess baggage and be checked in that way. Thank goodness I had the sling and a newly purchased comfortable rucksack on my bag with everything in as otherwise I would have really struggled going through the airport.

After security we were able to pick up a free mini-luggage trolly that had a child seat in it. Luckily TSB is 7 months old and could sit up in it. Otherwise I’d have had to carry her the whole time.

The other advantage of having the sling was that when she needed to take a quick power nap as we waited at the gate she could.

Infant belt

When travelling on your knee you get an extra infant belt for your baby. You feed your seat belt through this, and then close their belt with the usual aeroplane mechanism. If you’re in any doubt as to how it works ask a member of staff on the plane. It is also likely that they will provide you with an infant life-raft and instructions as to how and when it should be used.

Keeping baby comfortable during the flight

For most babies the white noise on the plane helps them sleep. The only time that TSB got upset (apart from when she tried to steal the Kit Kat from the lady in the next seat) was when the pressure made her ears hurt on take off and landing. The simple solution to this is to get your baby to take milk at those points in the flight. This could either be through breast feeding or from a bottle. Whichever it is the act of sucking and swallowing will help them balance the pressure as the plane gains or loses altitude.

Our experiences

The only part of our actual journey that was hard work was when I unexpectedly didn’t have the pushchair up to the game in Copenhagen on our return journey. Had there been two adults it wouldn’t have been as difficult, but on my own it was tough. Luckily lots of other passengers offered to help at various points, but it did really show me the value of a good sling and packing light and in an organised fashion.

I certainly don’t feel as daunted by the whole process anymore, but at the same time, if I can make sure I’m not travelling alone with her next time it will be far easier!

Disclaimer: All mine and TSB’s flights were paid for by us. All choices regarding airline was down to recommendations and flight times. All products mentioned were paid for by us. We received nothing for writing this post. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I will receive something but it will cost you nothing more.

Being organised when flying – with a bit of help from Snopake

May 22, 2018 by Penny 2 Comments

Between us, Bonn and I have travelled enough to know what we’re doing when we go through an airport. Every since that first flight together, where we quickly navigated our way around the tourists at Luton and made a beeline for the bar, we’ve known we make good travel companions. It’s all about being organised when flying.

Airports seem to be designed to confuse travellers, especially those that don’t fly often. Most of the ones in the UK seem to have a layout designed around shopping rather than flying. You have to walk through wafts of perfume and aftershave and past duty free alcohol of all sorts before you get anywhere near your flight, or anywhere to sit whilst waiting for it.

Duty free is probably the last obstacle though. The problem is often to the queues and process to get that far. As everyone knows, since 9/11 security at airports is tight. I totally get why that is, but what you need to do can be confusing if you’re not familiar with it.

Travel documents

The key to getting to the air-side bar (or coffee shop) unscathed is being organised. Have all your paperwork in one place. Keep your tickets, passport and anything else you may need together. When I’m flying with an airline that doesn’t have electronic boarding cards I favour a travel wallet to keep everything in. Catching up with Snopake at the recent Blog On X in Manchester I was introduced to their Travel Holder which is a perfect solution.

With separate sections for your passport, tickets and insurance documents it’s sturdy enough to be taken in and out my bag numerous times during a trip. There’s also a handy space inside to keep my EHIC, something that I’m always frightened of mislaying when I actually need it in Europe.

Tackling security

Travel paperwork isn’t the only thing that you need to be organised about at an airport. Understanding the security rules is key to a smooth journey from check in to bar. Different airlines allow you different amounts of hand luggage, but the European Airline Security Rules are the same. When you go through security you need to put all bags through the X-ray machine. Along with coats, bulky jumpers etc, large shoes and belts, belts, some watches. Depending on what I’m wearing it can sometimes feel like I’m stripping in the security queue, but remember that everyone else has to do the same.

When you put your bags into the tray they will ask you not to overfill it, and also to separate out your laptop or iPad, and also any liquids. Since November 2006 there is a restriction on the quantity of liquids that can be taken on board aircraft in hand luggage.

Rules about liquids on flights

Each passenger is allowed one single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, which must not exceed 1 litre in capacity. That’s about 20cm x 20cm. Everything in that bag much be in separate containers and none of them must exceed 100ml in capacity. The bag must also be sealed.

(Yep – spot my Gin & tonic lip balm there!)

If you get as far as security with anything bigger than 100ml or anything that won’t fit in a bag of the specified size it will be binned. End of story.

Most airports do have plastic bags available whilst you queue, but they’re usually flimsy ones that don’t last long. And you also end up delaying that trip to the bar whilst faffing around filling it!

I always get my liquids ready in a plastic bag before heading to the airport. But, it was usually a small plastic supermarket food bag that ended up screwed up in a right mess in my handbag. Again, Snopake have come to the rescue with their Air Bag. This durable bag meets all the EU airport security rules and is perfect for when you fly. As I went through Stansted this morning I literally flew through compared to various women (and yes they were all women…) who had to pack and re-pack their plastic bags of toiletries!

Just remember: Pack it right. Don’t miss your flight!

Disclaimer: Snopake gave me the Air Bag and Travel Holder featured in this post when I met them at Blog On X. There was no obligation to blog about them. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.