Traveling with baby to China

I have the opportunity to go to China to attend a meeting. The host company is planning a weeklong trip for us to major tourist attractions in Beijing,Xian and Shanghai, and all the logistics are taken care of.

My wife would like to come along, but we worry about our 1 year old baby. Should we bring him along?. Anybody with experience who can give us advice on travel with babies to China?

At least, I will not encourage you to do so. First, I would like to know which country you are from. Anyway, I would not like to take baby to a place where needs several hours flights journey. This is no prejudice against China, which is one of my favourite places. Assuming you are from US, how does your baby react in the long flight journey? He may sleep at all. Then come the jet lag, a new bed, different water, weather ect... Second, the time to travel here also should be in your consideration. Beijing can be terribly cold in winter. In a word, forget! Plan another family trip years later!

He will not remember anything about this trip in future. Take care!

Hello!

I have yet to visit China, but did spend a good portion of my childhood (15 years) in Taiwan and Japan, and currently I have a 2 year old.  (Just happened to stumble upon this site while searching for "travel tips" myself, and but I'd think carefully before making final decisions.

In our case, we've relatives and close friends living in Japan and Taiwan, but the reality remains that I still worry about taking my toddler there because for one, the natives in Asia are now taking extra precautions to either locate, contain, or prevent the spread of bird flu virus.  Secondly, your child may need to receive extra shots  (e.g. "heptitis A" and/or "Japanese Encephalitis") which may exist in China, and but not in the U.S.  ...Have you had a chance to check-up on this yet, I wonder. 

I think ultimately the decision boils down to the fact that touring a new place is exhausting, and somehow the "unexpected" is bound to happen (for better or for worse), and but how much would you want to take a chance exposing any of it to your child?....might be the question to answer.  I know of  western scholars who take student groups to China on trips and whose wives and children go along as "attaches", and but these people usually speak Chinese, have been there at least once, and they usually have hosts who welcome them into their homes and where the wife and children could "stay put" in the comfort of their host's trusted care and companionship if needed while their husbands are out on the fields and exploring. 

Perhaps your child could stay back with grandma or an trusted family member for a week or two while your wife and you travel? 

Gook luck making your final decisions and plans.

Thanks so much for your kind advice. It is not hard for me to make a decision now. Good reasons to persuade my wife. Thanks all!

If I were you, I would stay home and take care of baby and travel to China later.

you people are idiots! this is a modern world we live in! by all means take your little ones with you if you want to! we've been to china twice in the 1st year of my daughters life. a 2 hour flight to florida or a 16 hour flight to shanghai you'll need virtually the same things. only difference is I shipped diapers and food to china, in florida i went to the supermarket on the drive to the hotel. if you're from europe you'll be fine. the stores there carry european brands.

I am interested in why you believed it was easy.  I am planning a trip with a 9 month old and want to be able to travel around with a pram easily.  Do the major cities in China cater for babies with ramps etc at sites, train stations?

I'm an English-speaking tour guide in Shanghai. I have a experience like this: being a tour guide for an American faminy: 5 members; a girl with her papa, mama (with wheel-chair) and 2 daughters (one is 25-months, another is 6 months).  So we have one wheel-chair and one baby-cart ! ! ! They stay in Shanghai 4 days. They were very happy and enjoy it.  In Shanghai, most of the public places offer easy facility  for people with wheel-chair or baby-cart.  and the staff in scenic spots are very nice and helpful. I think most big cities like Beijing... are same. no problam.

But of course we are an exclusive gruop with exclusive tourist-cab I booked. And we are not in hurry. I design the trip with our own sightseeing speed.   

So my suggestion is: If you take your sweet littly thing, DON' T, DON' T  expect to catch all the programs that tour guide arranged for the whole big group. you can  cancel some of them according to your condition.  (I know... I know... all the programs are interesting and you don't want to miss them.  But sorry.....   xi xi xi ....)

If you still have any problem, feel free to contact me:  jane_wanglili@sohu.com