Flying with a Baby in Europe: The Complete Guide

Flying with a baby for the first time is genuinely daunting. With good preparation, it becomes a manageable part of family travel rather than a source of pre-trip dread. This guide covers everything that matters for European short- and medium-haul routes.

Before You Book

• Under 2 years: lap infant vs. seat. Infants under 2 travel free (or at low cost) as lap infants on most European airlines. Above 6 months, booking a separate seat is safer and more comfortable for long flights, you can bring a rear-facing car seat if the airline allows.
• Book your baby directly with the airline (not just the booking platform) to register them for a bulkhead row with a bassinet.
• Request a bassinet early, bulkhead rows with bassinet hooks are limited and allocated on request. Bassinets typically fit babies up to 9–10kg.
• Check infant fees by airline. Ryanair and easyJet charge infant fees (~€25–€45) plus a small checked baggage allowance. Lufthansa, Air France, and Iberia include more generous infant allowances.
• Travel documentation: Most European flights require a birth certificate or passport for infants. Check the specific requirement for your route and airline.

What to Pack in Hand Luggage

Most European airlines allow an additional baby bag on top of your standard hand luggage allowance for passengers travelling with infants. Always confirm with your specific airline.

• Diapers and wipes: More than you think you'll need. Turbulence, delays, changing table quality, allow 1.5x your usual rate per hour of total travel time
• A complete change of clothes for baby, and a spare top for yourself. Blowouts happen, and always upwards.
• Feeding equipment: If formula-feeding, pre-measured powder in a dispensing box rather than opened cans. Ready-made formula is convenient but bulky.
• Breast milk rules: EU airports allow breast milk in quantities exceeding 100ml. It must be declared at security and may be tested. Medela and similar pump bags are accepted.
• Pacifiers, comfort items, familiar toys, distraction is your primary tool on board
• A muslin blanket, nursing cover, blanket, emergency sun shade
• Nappy bags, for discretely disposing of diapers on board and in small airport bathrooms

At the Airport

• Arrive early. With a baby, every task, check-in, security, nursing, boarding, takes 3x longer. For European short-haul, arrive 2.5 hours before a morning flight; 2 hours for an afternoon flight.
• Priority boarding is available for families with young children on most European airlines. Ask at the gate even if not automatically offered, it's almost always granted.
• Security with a baby: Remove baby from the carrier and carry them through the scanner separately (or be wanded). Fold the carrier separately through the X-ray. Breast milk/formula goes through separately and is tested. not X-rayed in most EU airports.
• Baby changing facilities vary enormously by airport. Major hubs (CDG, AMS, MUC) have dedicated family rooms. Budget terminals (Stansted T1, Beauvais) may have very limited changing facilities.

On the Plane

• Bulkhead seats (front row of the cabin) give more foot space and access to the bassinet. The trade-off: no seat-back pocket storage, and you'll be first in line for turbulence announcements. Ask for them when booking.
• Timing feeds with takeoff and landing helps with ear pressure (see below). Have a feed or pacifier ready before the doors close.
• Changing on board: Most aircraft have fold-down changing tables in the toilet. They are small and crowded. Bring a portable changing mat, it helps on all surfaces. On Ryanair and very short flights, changing is best done in the airport before boarding.
• Other passengers: Most people are far more understanding than parents fear. Noise-cancelling headphones and snacks for nearby passengers are sometimes suggested online, unnecessary. A simple acknowledgment at the start is more than enough.

Ear Pressure: What Actually Helps

Babies cannot deliberately equalise ear pressure the way adults do, they can't yawn on command or hold their nose and blow. What does help is swallowing: the Eustachian tube equalises during swallowing.

• Feed during ascent and descent (the critical periods), breast, bottle, pacifier all encourage swallowing
• Ascent is typically less painful than descent, the cabin pressure decrease is more gradual
• Start feeding before the descent begins, about 20–30 minutes before landing on most European routes
• Do not give antihistamines to sedate a baby, this is medically inadvisable and the sedating effect is not reliable
• Younger babies (under 3 months) tend to be easier to fly with, they sleep more and are less aware of the unfamiliar environment

Which Stroller to Bring to Europe

The right stroller depends on the trip. Options:

• Gate-check your full-size stroller: Most airlines allow gate-checking free of charge. It's stored in the hold and returned at the gate or in the baggage hall depending on the airline. Risk: it can be damaged. Protect it with a travel bag (€25–€40).
• Bring a lightweight travel stroller: The Bugaboo Butterfly (7.5kg, one-second fold) is our top pick for European travel. It fits in most overhead bins at 54x43x19cm when folded, always confirm with your airline before assuming.
• Use a carrier only: For short city trips without shopping, a good structured carrier means no stroller logistics at all. Works well for the first 6 months especially.

See our full guide: Best Strollers for European Parents.

European Airline Rules at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions