Your Questions Answered – Vacation Delivery of Baby Supplies

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We recently had a reader ask us about services that send baby supplies to your vacation destination before you arrive. Kari, a mom of two traveling to Maui this month, says, “I’ve heard of some, but can’t remember the names. I’m also not quite sure if it’s more cost-effective to use these?”

You may have heard about Babies Travel Lite. This online service delivers more than 1,000 name-brand baby products to hotels, resorts, vacation homes or apartment rentals around the world. (Heck, you could even order hard-to-find baby products and have them delivered to your own home!)

bottle.jpgItems that you can buy are quite varied, from formula, baby food and sunscreen to pacifiers, baby thermometers and even car seats! I think the gear packages, called “Baby Bundles,” are a great idea—buy everything you need for a week’s worth of diaper changes, for example.

As far as prices of the various items go, I’m not up on the cost of baby supplies, honestly. (I’m rather removed from the diaper-wearing stage!) You might want to compare prices with those you find at your local grocery store.

The website does add a “convenience charge” to each order, which increases the closer to your departure date. However, a current promotion allows you to use the online coupon code TRAVEL at checkout. If it’s 15 days or more from your departure date, that fee is waived.

Orders are shipped via FedEx Ground or Express. FedEx rates are based on package weight, destination and shipping method. International orders may include various custom duties, taxes or other fees.

Here are some other options for you to consider for your upcoming trip:

  • Buy the items at your local grocery store and ship them yourself. This could be less expensive for you in the end, but consider the convenience factor. It’s more hassle-free to sit at home and select your supplies, enter your vacation destination address, and hand over your VISA number, without schlepping a box to UPS yourself.
  • Find out if your hotel or resort offers grocery-stocking service. Again, you’ll want to compare the total price of this concierge service to a service like Babies Travel Lite.
  • Wait and buy the baby supplies once you arrive. In Hawaii, you may find yourself with sticker shock, however, since groceries are traditionally more expensive on the islands than in the continental U.S. Also, factor in whether you want to spend part of your first day on the glorious Hawaiian Islands hunting down the local Wal-Mart. You may want to take advantage of Babies Travel Lite, and spend your first day in paradise on the beach!

Kari, I hope you’ll let us know how you decide to get your baby gear to Hawaii. Best wishes for a great trip!

Got a question for the Traveling Mamas? Just email us at questions (at) travelingmamas (dot) com and we’ll do our best to answer it — whether you’re looking for travel tips or destination advice!

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April 3, 2008 | Filed Under Family Travel, Flying High, The Cookie Jar 

Comments

3 Responses to “Your Questions Answered – Vacation Delivery of Baby Supplies”

  1. Kari says:
    April 3, 2008 at

    Thank you! This was very helpful.

  2. Debbie says:
    April 3, 2008 at

    Amazon.com and Drugstore.com stock most baby items at reasonable prices and deliver almost anywhere in the US. Most hotels will hold a box shipped to you at the hotel even if it arrives a few days before you do.

    Albertsons and Safeway have local delivery in most areas and will deliver the fresh items you need (milk, fruit, baby food) in addition to staples like diapers and wipes. You’ll pay local prices (which might be high in places like Hawaii) but it’s certainly convenient to unload milk directly into your hotel room mini-bar

    This article covers more tips for packing light with babies, toddlers and kids

    Hope this helps,
    Debbie
    http://www.deliciousbaby.com

  3. Bumbo Seats says:
    May 14, 2008 at

    Bumbo Seats…

    I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….

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