How to have the ultimate Balkan road trip with a baby

Kate Mann finds that travelling with a small passenger in tow comes with some unexpected benefits

Baby on board: Stopping to catch the view at North Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid (Kate Mann)

“Look at that view!” my husband exclaimed as we turned a corner on a mountain road in Montenegro. I couldn’t see it. The towel we’d hung across the window to protect our 11-month-old son from the sun was in the way. I was also busy trying to ensure that at least some of the banana he was snacking on made it into his mouth.

And yes, I was sitting in the back of the car.

It was moments like this, as well as constantly noticing playgrounds, that made me realise travelling was different post-baby. Yet with each mile we were adjusting.

Thanks to Germany’s generous joint parental leave allowance, we were on the road for a total of six weeks. Setting off from our flat in Munich without a plan – and before the coronavirus pandemic had made such things nigh-on impossible – we weren’t sure how far we’d get. But as daily travel distances and timings (you only forget a border once) synced with our son’s naps and snacks, we managed to cover considerable ground.

We passed through Austria, Italy and Slovenia, before spending most of our time in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia; heading back via Croatia, Slovenia and Austria again.

Soon realising our baby wasn’t beach ready – he ate significant volumes of sand and was scared of the sea – we opted for a city focus, taking in capitals such as Zagreb, Sarajevo, Tirana, Skopje and Belgrade. We also had shorter stays along the coasts of Croatia and Montenegro, a night in Mostar (to see the bridge), a stop at Lake Ohrid and a few farm stays in between.

Happy snapper: Exploring Mostar, Bosnia (Kate Mann)

As new parents, this lack of pre-set itinerary felt wonderfully liberating. We even threw in our backpacks of gap years past – they just got buried under an assortment of largely unnecessary buggies and carriers for different terrains, baby clothing for all weather conditions, an inflatable highchair, a foldable bath, a travel cot and a portable fridge.

As our trip concluded, I wouldn’t say I felt rested but, rather, refreshed. Our new set up had resulted in several positives that I hadn’t anticipated – the main one being the number of people we met. Babies unite; they break the ice between strangers and melt away cultural differences and language barriers. Wherever we went, locals, young and old, smiled, said hello, asked questions or shared stories of their own families.

Babies unite; they break the ice between strangers and melt away cultural differences and language barriers

Others just wanted to help out. My favourite (in hindsight) was the friendly supermarket cashier in Skopje who swiftly unwrapped a lolly from the stand at the checkout and popped it in my son’s mouth when he started to fuss in the queue.

Another unexpected benefit was the early rising. Although I didn’t always appreciate it at the time, our human alarm clock meant we were often up and out ahead of the crowds. This was most noticeable in the cruise hubs of Dubrovnik, Spilt and Kotor, which were still relatively empty before the first boats docked.

Travelling with a baby meant getting out early enough to see a crowd-free Dubrovnik (Kate Mann)

Being early also helped when it came to eating out. As not many people want to dine at 5pm, we found it easy to get a seat at some of the most popular places in town. While pre-baby I might have been disappointed by a quiet restaurant, feeling I wasn’t doing what the locals do, anyone with children will know that a lack of fellow diners can be something of a relief.

That’s not to say things always went smoothly. While in Slovenia we returned to an excellent restaurant in Vipava Valley that we’d discovered the year before, when I was still pregnant. Unfortunately, our fond reminiscing was swiftly superseded by the realisation that the restaurant was fancier than we remembered. And as our son investigated what happens when you pull on a tablecloth, tried to sample our wine and threw bread on the floor faster than we could pick it up, we decided to skip dessert and get the hell out of there.

Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia (Kate Mann)

We also ate in the car. A lot. Sometimes planned, sometimes not. On the road between Mostar and Sarajevo, for example, we spotted a small food stand making fresh spinach and cheese pie. Not wanting to stop for fear the baby might wake up, we decided the best strategy would be to make a U-turn and then slow down to a speed that would allow me to jump out of the car and grab a few slices. My husband then kept driving in a loop until I was ready to leap back in again. A skill for life – and something I can’t wait to apply to our next road trip.

Balkan roadtrip essentials

Best restaurants

Mullixhiu, Albania; Bestija, Croatia; Majerija, Slovenia.

Best drive

E73/M17 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially the section between Mostar and Sarajevo.

Best coffee scenes

Zagreb and Belgrade. Try Cafe U Dvoristu in Zagreb, Croatia and Kafeterija Mlin in Belgrade, Serbia.

Best views

Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia and the Sarajevo cable car (be sure to visit the old Olympic bobsleigh track at the top).

Best hotels

Hotel Tutto, North Macedonia; and Mrizi i Zanave, Albania.