Does having a baby have to hinder your travel plans? Not likely says Sarah Tucker.

Catherine Zeta Jones, Madonna, Posh Spice and Cherie Blair have made expecting and having a baby look a fun, funky and fashionable thing to do. But while the rich and famous have an army of nannies to tend to their offspring as they jet around the world, the reality of travelling with a baby can be daunting … as Suzanne Webster and Lisa Locke discovered.

"Everyone thought I was completely mad… It was the heat they were concerned about … A particular relative was dismayed …They thought I was crazy going on such a long haul flight with such a young baby."

Once my son, Tom, had received his set of vaccinations at 3 months, and I had organised his own passport I prepared to hit the road and the runway, and the first challenge for most mothers is the flight. Two young mothers who took the plunge were Carolyn Dhudwar and Allison Armstrong…

"You know you got the looks of 'oh god a child its going to be crying and screaming' and of course nobody really wants to listen to that for seven hours … Most people really want to have a rest on a nice long flight like that and a screaming child is not very conducive to this kind of thing …The charter airline that we flew with didn't have any baby changing facilities so, I think it went down like a lead balloon when I had to change Charlotte on the seat of the aircraft … We could hear a lot of harumphing going on and I do know that a lot of people were sort of nudging themselves away from us thinking 'oh no that's the family with the baby from hell crying."

The first rule of travelling with a baby is to be prepared and manage expectations, yours and other peoples.

"One of the main difficulties really is the amount of equipment you need to take with you … Because you've got to think about all your nappies and your wipes and your clothes … I had to take equipment for sterilising her bottles, I had to take her formula feed with her … You've got to think about cots and where they're going to sleep … Then there's just the amount of nappies you need and bottles etc. The list is endless really it's a lot of things to carry."

But they have babies overseas too you know so DON'T take nappies or baby wipes. Forget the cuddly toy - they will find your door or car keys much more amusing and entertaining. But accidents will and do happen as Maxine Fagin found out.

"We had training trunks on our baby, Loyd, and he'd done a poo, and it mixed with the water in the trunks. He climbed on my husband's back and it squelched all over his back. We had to go and have a shower."

But travelling with a baby isn't as difficult as people imagine. Scandinavian countries are particularly good with families travelling with babies and toddlers. You will be welcomed in all hotels and restaurants. But Portugal and Spain are countries where you will probably receive the warmest welcomes. These countries are not just family friendly - the family is the centre of their culture. Lisa Locke went to the Costa Brava, with her six week old.

"It was a lovely experience to take such a young baby away. it didn't perturb me at all, it was just lovely because the Spanish adore children, they really do."

Canada is excellent, so are places in the Far East, and places as far flung as Australia and New Zealand. America is very good with children especially in resorts like Florida, where they are geared up to this market. Caroline Dhudwar.

"They are just so friendly, nothing's too much trouble. If you ask them anything or you want something warmed up, they are so willing to help… They just go 'oh what a cute kid!'"

The most important lesson I learnt whilst travelling with Tom around the world is that the attitude of those around you is more important than the facilities on offer and if you are a laid back mum, you will have a laid back baby.

"There's a great big wide world out there to go and visit and your child will get so much pleasure out of seeing it with you. In years to come you'll have all those wonderful memories to look back on, and it really isn't as difficult as you think it is.