When traveling to a foreign country (or island) with an infant or toddlers, many parents wonder whether the water is safe for consumption.

The bottom line is that it’s always safest to call ahead and inquire directly with your hotel (or email the airbnb owner) — sometimes you would be surprised that even 5-star hotels might not have suitable drinking water for babies.   Let the hotel concierge know that you are inquiring because you’re arriving with a baby or toddler (you’re most likely to get an honest answer).  You can also then ask if it’s possible to get extra water sent to your room before arrival or, at the very least, a kettle.

Often, it’s safest to drink bottled water, especially when dealing with your young kids and if you are breastfeeding.  The water might be fine for an otherwise healthy adult, but kids’ bellies aren’t always ready for foreign water and the last thing you want to deal with while vacationing is a sick kid.

On recent trips, we learned that even at Atlantis Resort (Bahamas) and the Ritz-Carlton in St Thomas, nursing moms, babies and toddlers are advised to drink bottled water. even though it’s considered safe for adults to drink from the tap.

I was tempted to create a long list of safe versus unsafe drinking water destinations, but honestly, things can change so often that it’s best to call your specific location.  In May 2016, we were traveling through the Miami International Airport, for example, and even they had signs that the water fountains had been contaminated.

For an interesting read on bottled water versus tap (in favour of tap) check out this Reader’s Digest post.