travel tips for 1.5 year old

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16 Tips for Flying With Toddlers and Young Kids

Traveling with toddlers can be hard, at least if you're not properly prepared. Here, experienced flight attendants share their secrets for flying with young kids.

FLY VIEW PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

With long security lines, cramped airplane seating, and busy waiting areas, flying isn't the most pleasant experience—and all of the frustration increases exponentially when you add a toddler into the mix. Some young children simply don't have the patience for airport security. They might despise sitting quietly for hours on end, and they might be uneasy during turbulence or get upset with the ear-popping changes in air pressure.

Thankfully, though, you can have a worry-free travel day with proper preparation and planning. Whether you're jetting off to your relative's house or Disney World, check out these stress-reducing strategies for flying (and traveling) with toddlers—some of which came straight from flight attendants.

Book an Early Morning Departure

If you're traveling with toddlers or young children, you should book an early morning departure. These give you the best chance of avoiding delays at takeoff and landing, a flight attendant named Patrick explains. "They are usually less crowded, too," he says. "Plus, everyone is tired and just wants to nap—kids especially."

Save Your Upgrades for Toddler-Free Travel

Traveling in first class with kids can be more stressful than it's worth. Mom Joanna recounts the story of traveling with her loud, lively toddler and incurring the vocal wrath of her first-class seatmates for the entirety of the flight. "It's not fair, but you're just going to get more empathy and support with kids in economy," says a flight attendant.

Talk to Your Kids About What to Expect

"My experience is kids do so much better when they know what to expect," says Shireen, a mom of three from Australia who's traveled to the U.S. several times with her kids. She recommends watching a Let's Go Play video on YouTube , which goes over the entire flight experience, from baggage check-in and ticketing to onboard etiquette and safety.

Dress in Layers and Skip Shoes With Laces

Whether you are changing climates or simply dealing with in-flight heat and/or air conditioning, you can and should be ready for drastically changing temperatures when traveling with a toddler. Wendy, a flight attendant and mom, suggests you dress your kids in comfortable layers—preferably without buttons, zippers, or anything that could prevent them from getting to the bathroom in time.

The same principle applies to shoes: Avoid laces and opt for slip-ons. "There's the added benefit of getting through airport screening that much faster," she says.

Bring Surprises

When flying with a toddler, a wrapped new plaything has two advantages: Kids love to unwrap stuff, and a new toy has more attention-grabbing pull.

Consider Using a Smaller Stroller

Getting through an airport without a stroller is unthinkable for some parents, so consider switching out your regular-size stroller for a small, compact umbrella stroller or travel stroller. Also, check your stroller at the gate before boarding; the crew will have it waiting for you when you get off the plane.

If you've got more than one little traveler with you, consider a kid harness (aka leash), Wendy suggests. "I was so against them until I saw a woman with three young boys using them in baggage claim. It made so much sense," she says, "with the exit doors to outside right there. Look, flying is stressful enough. Do what you need to do to protect your kids and your sanity."

Pack Just Enough

Flight attendants urge parents to pack enough essentials for the flight. "Unfortunately, you can expect there to be zero food on a plane that would interest a kid," says Lynn. "And we are so limited in what we can offer in terms of comfort items as well."

On the flip side, parents will struggle if they zealously overpack. "Usually, when it's one parent traveling with one or more kids, they'll bring way too much stuff in an attempt to keep their kids happy," Wendy says. "They forget they have to carry all that stuff off the plane with them, along with their kids."

Plan Your Packing List

To guard against over-packing while ensuring you don't forget anything critical, consider writing out a full packing list. Star or highlight those items that will need to be packed last minute (like the lovey your kiddo sleeps with or the tablet that's currently charging) so you have a checklist to consult one last time before heading out the door.

Sample Airplane Packing List for Toddlers

When packing your carry-on for the plane ride, use this list as a starting point:

• Comfort item: Consider packing one of your toddler's favorite comfort items in your carry-on for mid-flight snuggles. If the comfort item is a pacifier, be sure to pack more than one, lest it gets flung down the aisle or on the floor.
• Sanitizer, wipes, pull-ups, and diapers: You'll want these critical items within reach at all times during your travels. Not sure how many diapers to throw in the carry-on? One diaper per hour of travel is recommended.
• Electronic devices: If there is any time to let up on strict screen time rules, it's when you're traveling. Make sure that whatever device you're bringing is fully charged and ready to go—and don't forget the chargers for the flight back. Consider pre-loading the tablet or phone with your kids' favorite movies or shows for offline viewing.
• Kid-size headphones: Be sure to follow the basic rules of travel etiquette and pack comfy headphones your little one can wear while enjoying their favorite games or shows. Have more than one kid in tow? Consider investing in a splitter so both can enjoy the show with their own set of headphones.
• Art supplies: A small box of crayons and blank paper can go a long way when it comes to entertaining your toddler on a plane. Mix things up and pack some fun stickers or even plain sticky notes to add to the excitement.
• Plastic bags: You never know when you'll need an extra bag for wet clothes, a dirty diaper, or even just for trash, so pack a few extras.
• Water bottle: Toss an empty clean water bottle into your bag to fill after you get through security. Just make sure that it's leakproof!
• Healthy and fun mess-free snacks: While you don't necessarily want to load your kid up with sugar just before take-off, consider packing a mix of healthy and fun snacks that are relatively mess-free to keep their bellies full and happy. Cheerios, pretzels, crackers, string cheese, and granola bars are good options.

Be Prepared for Security

When you pack, make sure items that need to be removed during security are easily reached. Keep in mind that traveling with snacks may mean extra scrutiny during the screening process.

Prepare for Air Pressure Changes

If your child has recently had an ear infection or a cold, get your doctor's approval before flying. The change in cabin air pressure may cause pain for your toddler. After passing through security, stock up on enough water for everyone to get through a possible delay and have enough left for the descent, which is often the most bothersome time for ear pressure discomfort. Have your kids drink some right after takeoff and during the last 30 to 45 minutes of the descent. The swallowing helps with the pressure changes and gives an added hydrating benefit.

By All Means, Use Pull-Ups

Your little one may have moved beyond Pull-Ups into big kid underwear, but pull-up diapers are a great resource when flying with a recently potty-trained toddler or young child. "I even use them on my 6-year-old," says Wendy, who adds that it's much less stressful than having to race to the bathroom or deal with an in-seat accident.

Show Some Appreciation

Flight attendants love to receive a certain gratuity for dealing with toddlers. "Any kind of chocolate found in an airport, handed over at boarding, does wonders," says Patrick. Of course, it will have zero effect on the random bad-tempered, unprofessional cabin crew member. But it's a nice gesture nonetheless, particularly when flying during the holidays when most flight attendants will be working and away from their families.

"It will be so appreciated," he says. "And we will remember you and look out for you. And not only that, you'll probably score a free drink out of it."

Seat Kids Away From the Aisle

Aisle seats can be dangerous for toddlers and potentially give them a little too much freedom of movement. For example, little hands and feet can be bumped as people walk by and hot coffee and water may be just within reach as the food and beverage cart passes by. If you can, consider the window seat, which offers the benefit of a view and puts you between your toddler and any other passengers in your row.

Beware of Germs

Toddlers tend to get sit a lot, but you can try to avoid any travel-related illness by keeping your little one's hands clean. When flying with a toddler, wipe everything from hands to tray tables down with sanitizing wipes when you're getting settled in your seats—and above all else, do not send your kids to the bathroom without shoes. "The floor is a Petri dish," a flight attendant confides. "You're in the air, things jostle. That's not just water on the bathroom floor."

Keep Your Composure

There's not much you can do to assuage that passenger who complains the moment your child sneezes or giggles. Here's what you need to remember: As long as you're trying (and what parent isn't?), you've got almost everyone on your side. "An adult having an issue with a screaming child is acting like a child as well," offers a flight attendant and mother named Patience. "Don't engage. Just worry about your own child."

Choose an Airline With Kid-Friendly Perks

There's nothing a family-friendly airline wants more than happy, occupied kiddos. As such, many leading carriers have all kinds of kid perks to offer their littlest travelers from a wide array of their favorite TV shows and movies to kid-approved headphones and snacks.

Before boarding, be sure to check in with the gate agent about whether the airline offers priority boarding for families with young children. Often airlines call special boarding for families so they can board a little early so you'll have time to settle in. Other great perks to look for are family lounges or airports with areas for kids to burn off some steam during layovers or before boarding.

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Creating Really Awesome Fun Things

16 of the Best Tips for Road Trips with Toddlers

Updated on May 1, 2024   |  By Jamie Dorobek   |   16 Comments

We love to travel! My son took 10 plane rides before he was 5 months old! (Here are my tips for traveling with a baby via airplane .) Our longest car ride to date with two toddlers (1.5 year old and a 3 year old) was from Texas to Florida. I put together a list of 16 tips for road trips with toddlers. Oh and if you have older kids, don’t miss these 26 car games for kids .

* A giant thank you to Kia for letting my family borrow a Kia Sorento for our 12 hour road trip to Seaside, FL! What a difference a car can make!

After meeting the Kia team at Mom 2.0, a blog conference, and then checking out their fleet of eco friendly cars in San Diego, CA I was sold on driving a Kia Sorento for our family road trip this summer. I can’t get over that 10 years ago Kia was at the bottom, and over the next decade, Kia dedicated itself to quality craftsmanship. In 2016 Kia earned the top spot on JD Power and associates study of best initial quality in the entire car industry, above all of the luxury car brands! That’s impressive.

*This post contains affiliate links.

16 Tips for Road Trips with Toddlers

If you’re new here we have a 1.5 year old and a 3.5 year old and we drove to Seaside, Florida from Texas. According to Google Maps, 788 miles should take a little less than 12 hours. It took us about 15 hours. I put together a list of tips I wish I would have seen before we set off on on our crazy road trip adventure.  #9 ensures 4 hours of peaceful driving, don’t lose kids shoes with #14, and if you get nothing else out this article, pack whole apples for car snacks!

1. Dry Car Snacks

Next to #9, this is the most important tip for my hungry crew! I love to use diaper boxes for traveling. The boxes are sturdy, have built in handle, and I have plenty of them on hand. I rip the flaps off of the diaper box and fill it with easy, healthy snacks. I also put the snack cups and paper towels in this box too. ( These snack cups are the best!)

Here are a few of our favorite car snacks

• Apples (Whole apples are the best because they aren’t messy and take longer to eat.)

2. Cooler Bag Car Snacks

We use a medium sized soft cooler so that it can fit on the floor in the middle of the back seat of the car. We also love this kind of cooler for bringing snacks and drinks to the beach. At some point on the road trip, we grab a bag of ice from the gas station to keep our cooler cool. Plus my kids love ice cubes! ( This is the cooler we use! )

Road trip cooler snacks

• Peeled whole carrots (Same idea as the apples above)
• 2 no spill 360 cups filled with water
• Cut up strawberries in zip lock bags
• Bottles of water
• Yogurt pouches

3. Car Activities

I fill another diaper box with car activities including books that I know my 3.5 year old loves. I like to pick a few books that he knows by heart and can “read” to his 1.5 year old sister. ( Pout Pout Fish  and Brown Bear, Brown Bear are always winners!) I usually buy at least one new book too.

Travel toys for a 3 year old

• Magnetic drawing board
• Rescue bots
• Toy vehicles with moving parts

Best toddler travel toys

• Hand held mirror
• Leap Frog word book
• First 100 Words Book
• Anything the 3 year old is holding, ha!

4. Best Car Activities for Toddlers

Sticky notes and pipe cleaners will bring your toddler and preschoolers hours of fun in the car!

Post It Notes

Pick up a few packs of Post It notes in different colors and let the kids go wild sticking them all over the car. Or make a fancy container like the one below and hand it to your toddler.  Sticky notes on an oatmeal container, who knew that could provide so much entertainment? Oh and store the extra sticky notes inside of the container so that you can remake this fancy contraption if necessary.

Pipe Cleaners

As for pipe cleaners, I got this idea from my friend Cassie who wrote a blog post for C.R.A.F.T years ago. You can read all of her great ideas to keep kids busy on road trips  with pipe cleaners here.  Since my kids are both really young their favorite thing to do is make loops and connect the loops. My 3 year old enjoys stringing Cheerios too.

5. Electronics

Feel free to judge, but electronics are a must for us on long car rides! I’m all about that iPad or Kindle Fire . My 1.5 year old could care less about shows, but the 3.5 year old will almost watch an entire movie. So, if the little one is sleeping, I insist the big guy watch a movie. We have about 10 of his favorite movies/shows downloaded on the Kindle Fire, and it wedges perfectly wedges between the 2 front seats the Kia Sorento.

6. Find Playgrounds

There will be lots of pit stops when road tripping with babies, toddlers, and/or preschoolers. Our 3.5 year old is potty trained so we stopped multiple times for him to use the restroom. We typically tried to combine that with getting gas, changing the 1.5 year olds diaper and possibly grabbing coffee or a real meal. If you’re traveling through small towns there might not be playgrounds readily available so one thing I like to do is search Google maps for “Elementary schools”. If it’s the weekend or summer, likely no one is on the playground and it’s the perfect place to stop and play.

How to find a playground while traveling

• Chick-fil-a
• Search “Elementary school” or “public park” on google maps
• Download the app “Playground Buddy”

7. Music and Car Dance Parties

My kids love a good dance party. At home, we turn the music up really loud and “do circles” around the dining room table. Dance parties cure most bad moods even in the car. Find a song with a good beat and turn it up loud! It’s even better if your kids are familiar with the song or you have a few favorites ready to go on a Spotify playlist or a CD. Maxwell’s very favorite right now is the Hamster Song . (Listen at your own risk, kids love it, but it’s fairly annoying.)

8. Learn Something New

Since you’ve got lots of time, why not teach the kids something new! I found number flash cards in the Target Dollar Spot and decided to teach Maxwell to recognize numbers 0-9. On one side of the card was the number (3) and on the back side was for example, 3 apples. Sometimes I quizzed him, sometimes he quizzed me, sometimes he would ask for a hint and I would hand him the card so that he could count the items on the back of the card. We worked on numbers in sets of 3. So, we started with 0-2. Once he mastered those we would try and find those numbers on road signs. We did this in spontaneous spurts of 5-10 minutes or whenever he asked to “learn numbers”. There was also a prize involved, ha! It worked surprisingly well, upon arriving home he could identify all 10 numbers!

9. Leave Early or Drive Through the Night

Driving through the night is not an option for us, but I know lots of people that swear by this method. Mama needs sleep or everyone will be grumpy! We were on the road by 4am to get 4 hours under our belt while the kids were sleeping. When both kids were up and ready to move by 8am, we stopped and had breakfast. Here’s picture proof we were on the road by 4:36am! For the record, I love the navigation system in the Kia Sorento. It’s bright, user friendly, includes street signs, speed limit sign, and you can see how many miles until the next turn on the driver’s dashboard.

10. Leave Room Between the Car Seats

We are going to talk about car organization in #12, but I think this is worthy of its very own bullet point. It’s very simple: Do not pack anything to go between the 2 car seats in case you need to jump back there and console a total meltdown. I only had to use this tactic once per 777 mile trek, but when you need it, you really need it.

11. Window shades

The Kia Sorento comes with window shades built into the back windows! You can roll down the window and the shades stay up. It’s amazing! I’m a big fan. If your car does not have built in shades, you can buy these that suction cup to any window .

12. Recline Car Seat

This is especially important for our 17 month old. Our Britax Marathon car seats have 7 recline positions and we adjust hers to recline to the 7th position. It ensures she is ready for sleep at any moment! Also fair to note here, dress kids comfortable and bring their favorite sleep item in the car. Don’t pack it in the suitcase like I did one time. My kids need their “blanks”! After all, the ultimate goal of the road trip is to get the kids to sleep! Also, I spy a lone Cheerio on the “blank”, ha!

13. How to organize a car for a toad trip

The next tip for road trips with toddlers involve how and where to put things in your car. I swear just knowing where stuff is hiding in the car is half the battle. I cut the flaps off of diaper boxes and use them to store dry snacks and books/activities on the floor of the back seat. The soft cooler goes in the middle.

Another tip for road trip car organization

Use a hanging jewelry organizer ( this one is perfect! ) to hang on the back of the passenger seat to house things like toy cars, kid sunglasses, hair ties, socks, chap stick, and small fidget toys!

14. Road trip shoe trick

In the name of car organization and knowing where things are, Andy invented this shoe trick. After hunting for kid shoes at multiple pit stops, he started stowing kiddo shoes in the space behind the carseat. Genius!

15. Hand Sanitizer

Go ahead and stick it right in a cup holder so you don’t loose it.

16. Diaper Bags & Trash Bags

The diaper bag should include bazillions of diapers, a ridiculous amount of wipes, and at least one change of clothes for each kid. I pack these goodies in my everyday backpack diaper bag and make sure it is the last thing packed in the trunk of the car. If you have a diaper situation, you’re stopping anyway so I prefer the diaper bag in the trunk versus at my feet.

If you are looking for more travel tips with kids, I’ve got you covered:

• Tips for  long road trips with a bab y
• Tips for traveling with a baby via airplane
• Traveling with a  mobile lap baby via airplane
• Tips for  flying with a toddler
• 26 Car games for kids

Did I miss any tips for road trips with toddlers? I’d love to hear…

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Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply, comments & reviews.

September 3, 2020

Is it okay to have his seat reclined forward facing? My son is 3 and I have the option to recline it and just want more tips on how to make it safer!

September 4, 2020

Hi Amber! I would check with the maker of your brand of carseat.

August 27, 2020

Thanks for the great article, love the tips. But, with the pandemic still in effect, do you have any additional tips that are specific to travelling now? We have an 18 hour drive planned for October and we have a 4.5 year old and a 1.5 year old who have never done more than 2 hours in the car. I do not think we will be able to stop at playgrounds and we have to be really particular about what “to go” food we partake in because restaurants will be out of the question. Thanks!

October 18, 2020

The only thing extra that I’m adding to my list that isn’t suggested here, is an on the go potty station for my trunk (with corresponding toiletries in diaper bag). We’ll be stopping for picnics and stretches in parking lots as opposed to utilizing restaurants and public spaces (6month old and 2.5 year old)

December 1, 2019

When temps are high slip an icepack behind the cushion of their car seat.

July 30, 2019

1.5 year old should be rear facing..

August 7, 2019

I bet the kid survived just fine.

August 10, 2019

Not if thay are over 20 lbs

August 16, 2019

In several states Amber is correct- it is legally required that a child under two is rear facing. And the thing about driving through other states on a road trip is that you’re required to follow their laws. (You wouldn’t tell a cop pulling you over for speeding, “Well, the speed limit is higher in my state!” would you?). Regardless of laws, children under two are safest rear-facing according to science.

October 22, 2020

You are correct. Best practice is to leave. A child read facing until at least 2 years old or they maximize the harness weight for the rear facing position of their car seat.Children are much safer in an accident rear facing.

June 20, 2019

This was really helpful for me as we are about to take our first road trip as a family with my 2 year old in August. He’s never been in the car longer than 3 hours and even then it seemed challenging. I would love to get more information on who to contact about a collaboration with Kia as well if you don’t mind sharing? Ironically I own a 2017 Kia Sorento but would also be very interested in testing out a newer one with a navigation system like the one you drove and bonus features. Thanks so much!

June 16, 2019

Best tips I have read. Affiliate links are subtle, ads are not overwhelming, I love it so much. Great travel hacks, we are traveling soon and I will be using all of these! Thank you! Just gained a fan.

July 21, 2018

August 29, 2017

I have a trip tomorow with my kid… Definitely going to have to give that a try.

August 26, 2017

These are all fantastic tips! We have three kids between ages 2 and 8, and road trips are becoming more and more common. We love to have the oldest run a few rounds of Mad Libs during a trip. It’s a great way to reinforce language skills and writing during the summer. Though, using the post-its is total genius with the little one. Definitely going to have to give that a try.

Ohhh Mad Libs is a great idea with oldder kiddos!! PLus I LOVE them! Thanks for the tip!

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Packing Lists , Travel Advice

20+ toddler travel essentials for 2024 – with packing list.

Items that helped us through the challenging toddler travel years

We’ve never denied that one of the most difficult phases we went through with our children was the toddler years. At home and travelling. The memories are still very fresh!

It never stopped us from travelling, but it certainly added to the amount of gear we needed to lug around the world with us (it’s kind of the same as babies, only it feels bigger and heavier, AND you’re chasing a little one around too!)

Essential Gear for Moving Around With Toddlers

Sleeping away from home, toddler meals on the move  , toddler essentials for flying, toddler entertainment on the move, other essential toddler items not to forget, this post is part of our best toddler travel advice series.

I bet if you’ve picked up this article, you already know toddlers have a mind of their own!  Not all tactics for keeping toddlers nearby when you’re in busy places will work the same. 

We’re going to suggest a few travel accessories for toddlers here that have variously worked with our three children – but we know they won’t suit all!

Toddler harness / reins

Some will love ’em, some will despise them!  Having a cute little character will definitely help your kids grow an attachment to this essential piece of toddler kit for a family trip. Perfect for crowded places, we haven’t left home without one of these for years.

Accmor Toddler Harness Leash

3 in 1 Toddler Harness Leash

Accmor Toddler Backpack Leash

You can see our complete guide to buying toddler reins and harnesses here

Collapsible Stroller

Once you have outgrown a full-sized baby buggy that carries basically your whole life in, it’s time to downgrade to something more sensible, practical, and lightweight for your family vacation.

We love the brands that collapse small enough we can take them right up the plane door and onto the plane with us, fitting into the overhead bin with your carry-on bag.

The Babyzen Yoyo was the first brand to achieve this and is still a great option, but there are many brands that have now followed suit.

We have used our trusty Mountian Buggy Nano for years, but you can also try brands such as the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 or the immensely popular microsized GB Pockit that comes in several variations.

Evenflo GOLD Otto Self-Folding Stroller

Mountain Buggy Nano V3 Stroller

gb Pockit+ All-Terrain

You can see our full guide on how to select the best plane stroller here.

Just be conscious of your child’s height and weight;  hopefully, this investment can last you all the way through to the preschool years. Try not to compromise too much when it comes to your tot still being able to comfortably recline and having a decent-sized shade covering and storage basket, features we would still look for even in a travel stroller. 

We also review the best lightweight double strollers for twins and baby/toddler combinations here.

TIP : If you are still looking to travel with a larger stroller, we suggest you protect your gear when flying or stowing on transport by placing it inside a stroller gate check bag – our full review of your different stroller travel bag options here . 

Toddler Carrier

By now, I am guessing most of you freuent travelers have discovered the joys that a baby carrier brings.  Many brands now see a child all the way through to their toddler years. 

We have used our Ergo across the continents for many years – but with our youngest now 4 (and, to be fair, a happy walker/runner – unlike the first two!!) we are finally ready to say goodbye – one of our best pricier bits of toddler kit we’ve never regretted investing in.

Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier

Beco Toddler Carrier with Extra Wide Seat

Infantino Carry On Multi-Pocket Carrier

You can find our comprehensive toddler carrier comparison guide here. 

Hiking Toddler Carrier

For those who do more heavy-duty walking and hiking, you can’t look past the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro . It is one of the most expensive on the market, so you could also look at the Deuter Kid Comfort II which is slightly lighter, but doesn’t include the built-in sunshade.

Deuter Kid Comfort Pro Child Carrier

ClevrPlus Deluxe Adjustable Baby Carrier Outdoor

Luvdbaby Premium Baby Backpack Carrier

See our complete comparison of hiking carrier backpacks here

Car Seats for Toddlers

Outgrown their baby capsule that conveniently fits with their travel system but not ready yet for a simple collapsible booster ?  Yep, this is one phase of travelling with kids that I’m afraid will be with you for a long time, even well beyond the toddler years!

Depending on your child’s age and stage, there are a few options, but inevitably, accept it’s a continual upgrade process (and one of the bulkiest and most inconvenient parts of toddler travel – sorry!)

Where possible, we try to arrange for pick-up services that include a seat or hire cars at a destination – but we know all too well, that travelling home to Australia (where car seat laws are IMMENSELY STRICT) hiring is not financially viable after more than a few days x 3 children, so for years, we’ve kept a complete set of extra toddler seats at the grandparents.  

Safety 1st Grand 2-in-1 Booster Car Seat

Evenflo Chase Harnessed Booster

Britax Emblem 3 Stage Convertible Car Seat

Tip: If you have any intention of travelling with your car seat on the plane, too (you need to buy a separate seat for the infant) then the car seat must be compliant for whichever airline you are flying with. FAA rules are a pretty good for international guidance – but note they apply specifically to US-based carriers, you need to check the rules for the country your carrier falls under.

Find our complete guide on how to travel with car seats on planes here

Don’t forget if you are checking your car seats rather than using them on the plane, you will need to make sure they are adequately protected to prevent handling damage in the hold.

This is our detailed review of the best car seat travel bags .

Toddler Neck Pillow

Another thing we noticed once our kids were out of their snug little capsules and into proper car seats is how much their heads seemed to wobble around when they were drowsy! We’ve researched and tried many a brand of head cushion to get the right fit:

Unicorn Toddler Neck Pillow for Kids

BCOZZY Kids Travel Neck Pillows for Toddlers

INFANZIA Kids Chin Supporting Travel Neck Pillow

You can see our extensive head toddler cushion review here .

Do note, if you want to use them in their car seat, as supposed to say on a train or plane, many of the cute toddler brand ones are too bulky. Microbead products like the BCozzyKids Travel Pillow we have found to be the most adaptable to different positions and modes of transport, even if they look thinner they still do the job well.

Just when you thought you had your nice little routine – then you up sticks and change time zone….. I won’t deny that some of the worst jet lag we have experienced actually happened during the toddler years. 

We have a full guide to jet lag survival with kids you can read here , but the primary things I would worry about packing to conquer this are:

This has been my go-to bedtime tool for years (still IS!). OK, it works a charm for 2/3 kids at least!  No matter where we are in the world, once you have a strict bedtime routine happening, the clock is a great first indicator to them whether they should be getting out of bed or not

Just be conscious of wattage if you are taking any electronic devices with you.  We have lugged many an item halfway around the world to discover it doesn’t work at our destination.  Particularly if you are flying US to a lot of other countries and vice versa, you will need to take not only international plugs but a wattage adaptor, like one of these:

Tommee Tippee Groclock Sleep Trainer Clock

Kids Ok to Wake Clock for Kids  

Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine

Black Out Curtains

Another thing that helps with sleep patterns and time zone adjustment is having a dark room.  If there’s no guarantee the hotel room at your destination will have blackouts, so this is a great BYO solution if you can afford the space in your luggage, as they are a little bit bulky.

Most portable blackouts stick up with suction cups.

Gro Company Gro-Anywhere Blind

RUseeN Portable Blackout Shades 

Amazon Basics Portable Travel Window Blackout Curtain

Portable Toddler Cot

There’s also no guarantee your destination will have the best sleeping arrangements for your child either.  During these toddler years, we did intentionally look for hotels or apartments that COULD provide us with a cot, but many times especially staying with friends and family this wasn’t an option. We invested early on in a good, lightweight, portable cot (don’t get confused into thinking a bulky pack-n-play pen is the same thing!). 

Phil & Teds Traveller Travel Crib

Milliard Folding Floor Sleeper Cot

Regalo My Cot Pals Portable Toddler Bed

You can see our full range of toddler bed options reviewed here.

We tested the Phil & Teds Traveller a while ago and haven’t looked back since. We still think its one of the lightest and best-priced models on the market, but does take little construction skills.

Portable high chair

You can’t always rely upon every restaurant or hotel having a high chair, so it’s great if you can BYO an easily portable option.  They come in all sorts of designs, from clamp-ons to boosters or cloth wraparounds for restaurant chairs – each with its pros and cons.

Summer Pop ‘n Dine SE Highchair

Baby Delight Go with Me Uplift Deluxe Portable High Chair

Regalo My Chair 2-in-1 Portable Travel Booster Seat

You can see our full review of travelling high chairs (and whether we think they’re worth the luggage space) here.

Spill-proof sippy

You’ve no doubt moved on from purely boob and bottle to a sippy by the toddler stage.  It’s perhaps not until you’re on the move you realise that these things leak so darn much! Or that your toddler terror will do anything to deliberately make them spill! 

We have been through many different brands of leaf-proof sippy cups – just accept no matter which you try, they’re not fail-proof!

Contigo Kids Spill-Proof 14oz Tumbler

First Years Dinosaur Kids Insulated Sippy Cups

Elk and Friends Kids & Toddler Cups

(Note if you are taking any sort of water bottle on a plane, they can pressurise. We have had many a bottle explode water everywhere over the plane when opened… you have been warned!)

Easy clean bibs

Neoprene-style bibs were by far one of our greatest baby-to toddler year discoveries! (Sorry to all our family and friends who received these as gifts from us!) But we truly love them!

They dry so quickly and can be strapped high on your toddler’s neck without choking them so there’s no seep through.  We normally get several wears before they need to go in the wash, and they don’t take up much space, both of which are a good idea for travel.

PandaEar Set of 3 Cute Silicone Baby Bibs for Babies & Toddlers

Nuby 2 Pack Adjustable Easy Clean Soft Silicone Bibs

Snap and Go Easy-wear Bibs for Baby & Toddler

No-spill snack cups

These spill-proof cups might seem like one of the easiest to pack, logical items, but seriously took us years to discover! Do yourself a favour and get one of these for your diaper bag as soon as your kids are onto finger foods. 

They don’t necessarily stop all the crumbs but prevent major spillages and should come everywhere with you, ready to tackle those hangry moments.

Silicone Toddler Snack Cups No Spill

Ubbi Tweat No Spill Snack Container for Kids

Collapsible Silicone Snack Container

Reusable food clips

For when they’re claiming they’re dying of hunger, take two mouthfuls then leave the rest.  Yep, a handful of these cheap but essential clips are a lifesaver in your backpack diaper bag too.

Silicone Food Storage Bags

Otylzto 4 Size Assorted 40 PCS Food Bag Clips

8 Pack Stainless Steel Chip Clips

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks

This is my overriding toddler years memory! OK, there were some classic meltdowns too… But the constant, I’m hungry, minutes after they just declared they were to full for lunch. 

Keeping a good supply of things like rice cakes, carrot sticks, sultanas, cereal bars, and food pouches kept us going on countless day outings and long-haul flights – we have a great list of healthy toddler snack suggestions here.   

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars

Unsweetened Fruit Snacks for Kids

Quaker Large Rice Cakes

Got a little one on the fussy end of the spectrum (aren’t they all?) You’ll want to check out our tips for travelling with picky eaters

Before you read any further, make sure you’ve checked out flying with a toddler section!

Leg cushions for the plane

Guessing you’ve heard these are the latest craze, right? But are they even allowed on planes?  Are they worth the investment? Will my kids actually sleep better on a long flight? What age are they designed for? 

We have tested many of these products on behalf of the manufacturers and have a detailed review, including which airlines allow them here.

BleuWhisk Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed

Inflatable Travel Pillow Airplane Footrest Flight Pillow Toddler

Portable Foot Pillow for Toddler Kids & Adults

So, are these really toddler flight essentials?

My verdict : With one child, set up in the correct position, on a plane that will allow them, yes, they make for a more comfortable flight. But I recommend you read the above article with all the factors to consider before deciding if it’s the right thing for you.  There might be other ways you can get your toddler comfortable without the need for yet more gear (I can see your eyes boggling already how much you have to pack!)

CARES Restraint

As an alternative to taking a full car seat on a plane, but once your tot is simply too big and heavy to take as a lap child, try the FAA-approved CARES Harness.  Ideal for 22-44lbs children – note you do need to have booked the seat to use this.

Cares Airplane Harness for Kids

Airplane Kid Travel Accessories Cares Safety Restraint System

Child Airplane Safety Travel Harness, Safety Restraint

Toddler Plane Bags

You can also see what items we are packing in our toddlers plane bag  here, and read below about toddler entertainment throughout your travels.

Just remember, don’t go over the top when it comes to packing toys for young kids – here are 5 things we definitely recommend do NOT make it into your toddlers plane bag ! 

Wildkin Kids Insulated Lunch Bag

Solar System Planets Kids Backpack Toddler

YUPING Toddler kids Dinosaur Backpack

Tip: Until they are old enough to carry their own bag for the entire journey, do your self a favour and skip the cute novelty rolling bag until they are really ready or you are simply making additional luggage for yourself.  Fine with one kid, but when you have multiple children to consider ….  

Small tablet

We recommend these only for your older toddlers verging on preschool age.  I don’t recommend them for younger toddlers because I know how frustrated mine got when they couldn’t raise the sound, and I’m a strict headphones-only mamma when it comes to electronic devices being used in public places. 

And you reckon you can make a small toddler keep headphones on?

We have snapped our way through too many pairs (yes, even those claiming to be best ‘unbreakable’ on the market) through to your cheapest Walmart ones. NOTHING works on a wiggly toddler, so tablets are a no-go until they can sit still or survive on mute. 

When your toddler is ready to try, here are the best toddler headphone brands we recommend you start with.

For years we gave our kids our hand-me-down ipads but as they are starting to get outdated, we have discovered Amazon Kindle Fire , with its super sturdy case and ability to connect via Google Play and the Android system, as well as subscribe to FreeTime Unlimited for kids. 

Amazon Fire 7 tablet

IWEGGO Tablet 8 inch Tablet with Case

Tibuta Android Tablet

We talk more about Amazon Prime and why it can be a traveller’s best friend here.

Other favourite portable toddler toys:

• WaterWow books by Melissa & Doug
• Quiet Books
• Gel Stickers
• Triangle crayons

Jungle Animals Thick Gel Clings Winter Safari Window Gel

Triangular Crayons

My Busy Book Baby Soft Toy

For more travel toy ideas, pop on over to these detailed buying guides:

• Best travel toys for one-year-olds
• Best travel toys for two-year-olds
• Terrific toys to pack for a 3-year-old
• More toddler plane bag ideas
• Engaging road trip toys for toddlers
• Is it worth getting a travel tray for your toddler to play?
• A spare change of clothes
• Beach and water safety wear
• Wet bags for spares or dirty items
• Hand sanitiser
• Small detergent bottle for washing bottles and cups at your accommodation – don’t forget to check out our complete guide to travelling with bottles & sterilising here.
• A good first aid kit/medicine bag – you can see our complete family first aid packing guide here.

Germ-X Original Hand Sanitizer

ALVABABY 2pcs Cloth Diaper Wet Dry Bags Waterproof

First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Emergency Kit

Potty training stage?

We talk about potty training on the move in a lot more detail here , but for anything around toileting don’t forget:

• Wet Wipes! Not just for clean bums, you’ll want these little gems with you for YEARS! 
• Pull-ups, even if they are relatively newly trained, you will want to consider this fall back for long journeys
• Piddle pads for the seat , a great back up to prevent leakage

Wet Ones Travel Wipes

Toddler Pull Ups

Piddle Pad Car Seat Protector

Never forget a thing next time you’re packing by downloading our Family Travel Checklist   

Now we never said travelling with toddlers was light, right?  But it is still rewarding. With the right gear and right frame of mind, it really is a magical age to start opening children up to the world around them and creating wonderful happy memories.  

Further reading on the toddler years:

• That time we took 3 under 5 on a 16-hour flight
• Taking your toddler hiking; how to make it fun!
• Surviving a road trip with a toddler
• 5 travelling lessons my 3-year-old has taught me
• Our Best Toddler Travel Advice Home Page

Bookmark this page, share it with your friends or save it to Pinterest for later

Are your kids a little older?  See what gadgets we recommended for older families on the go , or pop back here if you’re still at the baby age and need our Ultimate Baby Travel Checklist

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links.  Purchasing any items listed on this page through an affiliate link will not affect how much you pay for the item but may earn us a small commission. Our  full disclosure policy  can be found here.

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2 thoughts on “ 20+ Toddler Travel Essentials for 2024 – With Packing List ”

Based on this guide, I need to carry the entire house with me on the plane or train. We travel a lot and each of us has only one backpack. Our toddler’s backpack goes in the stroller and has a bag of nappies, wipes, baby food, baby water, a toy or two, his clothes, home shoes, and essential meds and swimming gear if we plan to. That’s all and never had any trouble. Most taxis and car hires have toddler seats. Sometimes we take baby carrier. That said, our kid is a bit of adventurer. He wont use anything special if we don’t use it

That’s great you’ve learnt to travel light with your tot. It really depends on your style of travel and destination. Certainly, our needs have changed between kidsand we hope that by presenting a number of options, we can prepare first-time travelling parents with the information they need for different travel scenarios with toddlers – all these items we’ve needed at some point in our travels. Thanks for taking the time to stop by the blog and comment, happy travels 🙂

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The Ultimate List of Toddler Travel Essentials (+Toddler Packing List!)

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Traveling with a toddler is not the easiest of feats, but it can be made a lot easier by bringing a few toddler travel essentials. These are items that make traveling with a toddler go much more smoothly for everyone in your travel group.

On our many trips with our toddlers, we’ve come to learn that there are some items that we just can’t do without when traveling with young kids. And others that we can ditch to save the luggage space…

In this article, we’ve included detailed descriptions of the toddler travel essentials that you won’t want to forget on your trip. We’ve also provided a toddler travel packing list to make packing for your child that much easier! Read on for everything you need to bring for a successful trip with a toddler.

If you’re planning on visiting the beach, check out our article on the beach essential for toddlers .

Toddler Travel Essentials

Getting around

These are a few essential items that make getting around with your toddler a lot easier during travel.

• Toddler carrier

When traveling with a toddler, a carrier is at the top of my list of toddler travel essentials. 

Toddler carriers can make life so much easier when traveling. They allow you to easily take your child places that are less stroller friendly and provide a perfect place for nursing (if your child is breastfeeding) and napping on the go. They’re also great for containing toddlers in places that might not be safe for them to roam free (say at the top of a bell tower or the edge of the grand canyon).

We’ve carried our toddlers in carriers all over the world and find it to be one of the easiest ways to travel with a toddler.

To find the best carrier for your child, see this article on the best toddler carriers for travel .

A stroller may or may not be a necessity for your trip, depending on what kind of trip you’re taking. We’ve taken trips with just a toddler carrier and others with both a carrier and a stroller (I always bring a carrier, even if I’m bringing a stroller). 

Strollers can be very useful for navigating the airport with a toddler and for trips where you’ll be visiting stroller-accessible locations. They’re nice to have along to give you a break from having to carry your child all the time (or chase them down constantly).

We love our gb Pockit for travel. It’s the most compact strollers out there and folds down small enough to fit into the overhead bit or under your seat on the airplane. Be sure to see our full gb Pockit stroller review .

Travel car seat

A car seat is typically going to be one of your toddler travel essentials, barring a few locations where you can get by just using public transportation. But if you’re planning on getting around by car, you’ll want a car seat to keep your little one safe. Strapped in their car seat is also the safest way for toddlers to fly on a plane. 

Younger toddlers might still fit within the safety requirements for an infant car seat, which are great for travel. Infant car seats are lightweight and easy to transport. 

If your child has outgrown their infant seat, it’s worth it to invest in a lightweight travel car seat. Trust me, after you’ve spent your whole trip hauling that thing around you’ll be glad to have left your heavy, bulky regular seat at home. Our favorite travel car seat for toddlers is the Cosco Scenera next.

Car seat bag

If you’re bringing a car seat, you’ll want to bring a car seat travel bag. These bags make transporting your car seat much easier and more manageable. 

There are a lot of different options out there so check out our review of the best car seat travel bags to find the best one for your trip.

Food/Snacks

These food relate toddler travel essentials will make mealtimes and snacks with your toddler go a lot more smoothly while on your trip. 

A bib is a helpful way to keep your child cleaner while eating. As an added bonus, it keeps their clothes clean as well, which makes it more likely that you can pack light and reuse outfits. 

These waterproof bibs are lightweight and pack down to practically nothing. We also love these silicone bibs which take a bit more space but are easier to clean and dry more quickly.

Snack catcher 

Snacks are a great way to entertain a toddler while traveling. And a snack catcher allows them to feed themselves independently without making a huge mess. This can be a helpful tool for distracting and redirecting a child who is getting bored or on the verge of a meltdown.

Our favorite snack catcher for travel folds down compactly, making it easy to store when not in use. The material it’s made out of does tend to collect lint and crumbs, so I recommend bringing a baggie to store it in when you’re not using it.

• Travel high chair

A travel high chair can be a useful item for traveling with a toddler. It ensures that your child always has their own seat at the table and helps keep them contained so that they’re not climbing all over you or running around. This can make for a much more relaxing meal for yourself and your toddler. 

Travel high chairs are not always necessary if you’re going someplace where you know high chairs will be available. However if there aren’t high chairs, or if you’re not sure if there will be, bringing your own can be a nice way to ensure that mealtimes go smoothly.

• Water bottle

You’ll want to make sure your child is drinking a lot while traveling, so be sure to bring a water bottle and offer it to them frequently throughout the day.

We prefer the straw kind because they are easier for our toddler to use and less likely to spill.

• Disposable place mats

Feeding a toddler when you’re eating out can be tricky. The places you eat might not have toddler-safe dishes andd it can be a pain to have to feed your toddler bite by bite (plus in my experience toddlers often insist on feeding themselves!). 

That’s where these disposable place mats come in so handy. They have adhesive on all four sides to secure it to the table, providing a clean and stable surface for your toddler to eat on. Once they’re done eating, you can easily pull the place mat off of the table and throw it away. This helps to minimize mess and allows your child to have an independent eating experience without you having to stress about them breaking the dishes. 

Sleep Items

Some of the most important toddler travel essentials are those related to sleep. Whether or not your toddler sleeps well can make a huge difference to the success of your trip. A tired and grumpy toddler makes for a very long day while traveling. 

These sleep items are ones that can be hugely helpful in getting your toddler the sleep that they need. For everyone’s sake!

• White noise

We always bring white noise for our children while traveling. It helps block any ambient sounds that they might not be used to and also means that we don’t have to be quite so quiet as we’re moving around our hotel room or Airbnb. 

Oftentimes we’ll just use a white noise app on our phone, but if you want to be able to use your phone for other things, you can bring a travel white noise machine . 

While you’re away from home, you’ll want to make sure your toddler has a cozy and comfortable place to sleep. There are a couple of different ways you can do this. 

First, if your child sleeps in a crib you can see if your accommodations have a crib or pack ‘n play available for you to use while you’re there.

If you have a bed for your toddler, consider getting portable bed rails to keep your child from rolling off the bed in the night. These bed rails are placed underneath the bottom sheet to form a barrier at the edge of the bed. They provide a lot of peace of mind for when your toddler is sleeping in a full-sized bed. We’ve compiled a list of the best portable bed rails for travel with a toddlers to help you out. 

You can also choose to bring a portable toddler bed for your child so you can set up a cozy spot for them to sleep wherever you are. These can come in several different forms, from toddler cots to inflatable beds to pop-up tents. You can see our reviews of the best options for portable toddler beds if you need help picking a good one.

Whichever option you pick, make sure that your child knows what to expect and do your best to make sure it feels as safe and familiar as possible. 

Favorite stuffed animal

If your child has a special stuffed animal or blanket, make sure to bring it along to help them feel comfortable and safe during their sleep time. 

You could also bring along a favorite story or two as part of their bedtime routine. The key is to help it feel as much like the environment they’re used to as possible. 

A monitor may or may not be necessary, depending on your accommodations. If you’re all sleeping in the same room this may not be helpful as you’ll be able to easily hear if your child needs you. 

However, if you have a suite, an apartment, or a balcony, a monitor can give you a lot of peace of mind knowing that you can keep a close eye on your baby while in an unfamiliar place. 

You can see our recommendations for the best portable baby monitors to help your decision.

Blackout options

For many young children, keeping a dark sleep environment is necessary for a good night’s sleep. This can be especially true if you’re changing time zones and trying to adjust their sleep schedule. 

Many hotels will have blackout curtains in their rooms, however rentals or Airbnb’s often do not. We had a couple of really bad experiences with our children waking up extremely early in a new place due to light and since then I always bring a black out option for our toddlers. 

One way to create a dark environment is to bring travel blackout curtains . These curtains have suction cups that you can use to attach them to the window, darkening the whole room for sleep. 

Another great sleep aid is a SlumberPod (see our full SlumberPod review ) or SlumberPod alternative to create a dark sleep environment for your child. These products go around your child’s bed to block out light to help them sleep better and longer. The nice thing about this option is that it creates a private sleep area for you child, meaning you don’t have to be quite so quiet and careful about light if you’re sharing a room with your child. 

• Toddler airplane bed

If you’re flying with your toddler, another helpful sleep tool is a toddler airplane bed. These are products that can be used to extend the length of the seat and provide a comfortable place for your toddler to sleep on the plane. These can make a huge difference for international or long-haul flights where you’re traveling through your child’s normal bedtime.

There are few different kinds of airplane beds, and you can learn about the best options in our article on the best airplane beds for toddlers .

When you’re traveling with a toddler, there are a few health items that you want to make sure to always have on hand. 

Medications

If your child has any medications, be sure to bring enough for your trip plus a bit extra to account for unexpected delays. 

Also remember to pack your child’s medication in your carryon luggage so that you aren’t caught without it in case anything happens to your checked luggage.

• Thermometer

Traveling with a thermometer ensures that you can monitor a fever if your child happens to get sick. I never travel without one and have actually had to use it a surprising number of times while on trips. It provides a little extra peace of mind knowing that you have a way to assess the severity of a sickness.

You never know when a child might get sick and bringing along some pain medication can make any unexpected sickness a lot less miserable for your child. This is another one I’ve had to use several times when traveling and I’m always so glad that I have it on hand. 

Hand sanitizer/sanitizing wipes

Traveling with kids means exposing them to lots of germs, which can often lead to them getting sick. And toddlers are the worst at this, as they tend to touch everything and then stick their hands in their mouths. Bring along hand sanitizer so that you can sanitize their hands frequently, especially before they eat. 

Sanitizing wipes are also very helpful for wiping down surfaces such as the tray tables and arm rests on the airplane and tables at restaurants. 

No one wants a sick kid, especially when you’re far from home. While you can’t always prevent sickness, sanitizing often definitely increases your chances of keeping everyone healthy.

Toddler travel essential basics

Having awesome travel activities is an absolute necessity when traveling with a toddler. That doesn’t mean that you need a lot of activities, but you do want a few great options that can capture your child’s attention and that they will return to over and over. 

Over our years of traveling with toddlers we’ve found some great activities that our toddlers always love. You can get some ideas from our list of our favorite toddler activities for planes and our favorite toddler activities for road trips . 

Consider not only activities for the flight or drive, but also for your hotel room and when you’re out and about. 

When you’re traveling with a toddler, you’ll want a great diaper bag to carry all of your essential items. I highly recommend a backpack diaper bag for travel. They are typically much more comfortable, secure against theft, and easier to carry over long periods of time. 

Diapers and wipes

If your toddler isn’t potty trained, don’t forget to bring along diapers and wipes. You can choose to bring along enough for your whole trip or, if you want to pack lighter, you can pack enough for the first few days and plan on picking some up at your destination (make sure it’s a place where they’re easy to find).

When possible, I try to just bring along all the diapers and wipes I will need for my trip to save myself the hassle of needing to pick some up during the trip. However, I know people who would prefer to pack less up front, so do what makes the most sense to you. 

Be sure to bring more diapers than you think you will need in your diaper bag if you’re traveling by plane. The middle of a long flight is not the place where you want to realize that your child is going through more diapers than you anticipated. 

• Travel potty

For toddlers who are potty trained or in the process of potty training, a portable potty can be a lifesaver when traveling. 

There are a few different kinds, but one of the most useful for travel is a foldable seat that can be placed over a larger toilet to make a secure and smaller seat for your toddler. This allows toddlers to feel safer on a toilet and helps to prevent any potty training regressions while traveling. They’re also compact and can easily be folded up and carried in your diaper bag.

See our list of the best travel potties for toddlers for the best options out there. 

Clothes are obviously going to be a travel essential. We’ll highlight a few items in this section and you can find a more detailed list of clothes down in the packing list.

If you’re trying to pack light, bring outfits that can be mixed and matched.

Make sure that you’re packing weather appropriate clothes for your toddler (eg. sun hat, swimsuit, sunglasses vs winter coat, gloves, warm hat). 

Plan on bringing an extra pair of pajamas or two in case of nighttime accidents. It’s also a good idea to bring an extra pair of shoes in case you lose one or they get wet. 

Toddler travel packing list

This is our tried and tested toddler packing list that I use for every trip. I love being able to pack for a trip and know I’m not missing anything important as long as I double check my trusty list!

Packing tip: Spend a few minutes thinking about your toddler to determine if there are any toddler travel essentials that you should include that are specific to your child. For example, our oldest went through a phase where he couldn’t handle the smell of the toilet, so there was a period where we always carried a travel sized Poo-Pourri around with us. Our other two never had the same issue, so that wasn’t included in their packing lists. There might be items that your child needs that other people wouldn’t think to include.

• Car seat travel bag

Food/snacks

• Snack catcher

Sleep items

• Stuffed animal
• Monitor 
• Blackout option
• Hand sanitizer/wipes
• Travel activities
• Diapers/wipes or undies
• Toothbrush/paste
• Pants/shorts
• Jacket/Coat

Warm weather gear

• Swim diapers
• Floatie/life jacket

Cold weather gear

Final Thoughts

With a little preparation, traveling with a toddler can actually be a lot of fun. We’ve had great experiences traveling with our toddlers over the years (along with the occasional meltdown of course).

These toddler travel essentials will help your trip go a lot more smoothly. And you can rest assured knowing that you’ve done everything you can to set yourself up for success!

Other posts you might be interested in:

How to Get a Toddler to Sleep on the Plane (Tips that work!)

The Best Airplane Snacks for Toddlers

How to Have a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler

How to Fight Jet Lag in Babies and Toddlers

11 Helpful Tips for Hiking with a Toddler

Related Posts:

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What It’s Like To Fly With a 1-Year-Old [Our Top 5 Tips for Success!]

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Table of Contents

Flying with a baby under 1 year old, flying with a toddler older than 1-year-old, should you buy a seat for your toddler, traveling with breast milk or formula, helpful travel accessories, lounge access with babies, tips for flying with a 1-year-old, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

My kids have been on countless planes, trains, and automobiles and have stayed in hotels, Airbnbs, and even an RV. They’re now 3 and 5 years old, carrying their own backpacks and attempting to pull their own carry-ons, but this wasn’t always the case.

If you’re new to traveling with small children, it might seem overwhelming or outright impossible. Sure, there’s a lot of stuff to pack and juggling to do while taking care of a tiny human, yourself, and all of your things. But it’s probably simpler than you think, especially if you follow some of the tips outlined below .

When kids are especially small — think a few months old to about a year old — it’s downright easy to travel with them. The plane provides white noise and lulls them almost straight to sleep as soon as you’re in the air, barring any pressure change discomfort, of course. They aren’t moving too much, nor are they requesting (demanding) to get out of your arms or the seat and walk the plane.

You can wear your tiny human on your chest or back and they pretty much go wherever you take them without protest. Their schedule and eating habits are predictable and they’ve yet to have their first meltdown.

The early days are almost blissful.

And then they turn 1.

The older your child gets, the more curious they become . The 1-year-old stage is a fun time because they’re walking, or just on the cusp of it, suggesting that they’re ready for more independence, have a sense of humor, and are generally well-tempered. This is a sweet spot right before their inability to communicate leads to temper tantrums and frustration.

Hot Tip: The biggest difference between flying with a 1-year-old and a younger child is how alert they will be.

Your 1-year-old might want to stand in your lap, or in the seat, and wave at, smile at, and talk to other passengers. For more active toddlers, you may have to walk around the cabin with them . And if they’re walking, they’ll likely want to walk on the ground themselves.

They’re hopefully eating solid foods so you’ll have to remember to pack food that you know they’ll like. Don’t rely on getting something at the airport or even the food provided on the plane. They’re also larger, so that tiny, inaccessible plane bathroom won’t be fun for either of you when it comes time to change a diaper at 30,000 feet.

But the biggest difference of all might be whether or not you buy your ever-growing infant their own seat.

When my kids were young enough for it, I was of the mind that as long as my kids could fly for free, we wouldn’t buy them a seat. Plus, they’re only small for so long and I always loved holding onto them when they slept. Add to that the increasing costs of airline tickets, both in cash and miles, and I’m glad that we were able to save the money with a lap infant when we could.

To make having a lap infant easier, either my husband or I would wear the baby in an Ergobaby carrier when they slept so that we had full use of our arms . We could even sleep ourselves without fearing that the baby would fall out of our arms.

I know a lot of parents who prefer for each member of their family to have their own seat, mostly for the sake of space. But in addition to that, some children just don’t sleep well being held — not to mention the adult holding them might be pretty uncomfortable, too.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that children fly in a child restraint system (CRS) , which is essentially a car seat . There are specific requirements for CRS devices, so be sure and check out the website before you fly to make sure you’ve got the right type.

You’ll get a baggage allowance for your 1-year-old when you purchase a seat no matter how old they are. This would allow you to pack more freely instead of packing your child’s items together with the items in your carry-on … something I’ve done many times.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated in a row that has an empty seat next to you and your child can sit there free of charge when the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is off.

Baby bassinets are detachable bassinets available on some planes in the bulkhead seat. These bassinets generally have age, weight, and/or height restrictions for use, and with a 1-year-old, your options to use a bassinet may be getting limited .

If you’re inclined to use a bassinet for your baby — particularly on a long-haul flight where you want to ensure the best rest possible — you’ll need to call the airline right after making your reservation to reserve your seat and bassinet.

Hot Tip: Not all airlines offer bassinets. Before you book, check out our ultimate guide to baby bassinet seats on over 50 airlines to find out if your preferred airline offers a bassinet or not.

Economy vs. Business Class Seats

The debate about whether or not kids and babies should be in premium cabins is one we won’t settle here. Still, parents traveling with young children may want to know some of the pros and cons of flying business class with a baby .

In business class, you’re guaranteed to get more legroom and larger seats. When traveling with a lap infant especially, it never hurts to have as much room as possible. In economy, you cannot sit in the exit row where you’d normally expect to have the most room in the back of the plane. That means that you’ll be jammed in a row, potentially with strangers.

With fewer passengers to take care of in business class, the flight attendants should have more time to help you when you need assistance. For example, you may need water to make a bottle or you forgot your child’s juice. In business class, you can expect to be taken care of a little more often.

Unfortunately, just by the sheer volume of folks in the economy compared to the number of attendants, you won’t receive the same service.

In premium cabins, depending on the airline, you may be able to reserve an infant or child meal in advance to be served during your flight. If flying domestic economy, you won’t have this option.

And lastly, flying in business could be cost-prohibitive to many. Even with points, business class seats often cost a significant amount more than economy class tickets. It’s easy to feel that the pros listed above don’t outweigh the dollar amount you’ll have to pay for those conveniences.

Ordering Kids’ and Baby Meals

International airlines shine when it comes to their meal services (even in economy). As such, you can expect to be able to order a kids’ meal in advance of your flight or when you get on board.

The makeup of the meals and offerings varies depending on the airline, of course. Some airlines, usually depending on the length of the flight, will offer hot meals like pasta and even hamburgers. Others might only offer a kids’ snack box.

Whether or not these amenities are included in the price of your ticket depends on the airline as well. For example, United brought back kids’ meals that can be ordered at least 24 hours before your flight for flights over 2,000 miles and where a complimentary meal will be served.

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), breast milk , formula, and toddler drinks are considered medically necessary. Breast milk, formula, toddler drinks, and baby/toddler food (including puree pouches) can exceed 3.4 ounces and do not need to fit in quart-size bags.

You are recommended to let the TSA agent know that you’re traveling with these items at the beginning of the screening and to take it out of your carry-on.  It is also recommended that these items travel in clear containers for the sake of expediting the screening process.

Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes breast pumps as a medical device and as such should be allowed in addition to your carry-on and personal item, this depends on the airline. It’s a good idea to call the airline you’ll be flying with before you check in for your flight to ensure that you can bring your breast pump onboard.

As your children get older, they’ll likely want to help carry their backpacks or pull their own luggage . Eventually, you won’t need to carry or push them in a stroller everywhere because they’ll want to walk on their own, too. In the meantime, however, when traveling with a 1-year-old, all of that still falls on you. Luckily, there are plenty of travel gadgets and accessories to help make it easier.

Umbrella Stroller

Umbrella strollers are lightweight, foldable strollers for babies old enough to hold their heads up. An infant stroller most likely works together with your car seat, which can be bulky and hard to maneuver through the airport. If your child is big enough, an umbrella stroller is the way to go.

Whether or not you go with the convenience of an umbrella stroller or elect for your larger stroller, you can gate-check your stroller and keep it with you right up until you board the plane. Your stroller will either be waiting for you at the gate when you land or will have made its way to the baggage carousel.

Car seat requirements are not the same for cars and airplanes, and to use your car seat on the plane the car seat must be FAA-approved .

It’s important to note that the EU has different requirements for car seats than the U.S., so you’ll want to be aware of this if that’s where you’re traveling. One major difference between EU and U.S. car seats is that EU-approved car seats do not have chest clips. EU regulation states that a child must be able to be removed from the seat in a single motion.

Diaper Bags: Backpack vs. Purse

I think that baby backpacks are better for travel than baby purses (one-shoulder baby bags) for a few reasons.

First, you have a full range of motion when wearing a backpack with weight evenly distributed through your back instead of on one shoulder.

Second, a backpack tends to have more pockets for all the things you’ll be carrying for your baby. It doesn’t hurt that it’s probably easier to convince your partner to share the responsibility of carrying a backpack vs. a purse.

Speaking of all the things you’ll be carrying, here are a few items that should make traveling with a 1-year-old a little easier:

• Bottles, bottle liners, tops
• Extra clothes for you and baby
• Extra socks (and maybe shoes)
• Foldable changing pad for changes in public restrooms
• Formula dispenser
• Hand sanitizer
• Plastic bags for dirty clothes, diapers, etc.
• Spill-proof and independent snack dispenser
• Spill-proof sippy cup

Hot Tip: Check out our in-depth buyer’s guide to the best travel diaper bags , featuring both backpack-style and purse-style options.

There seems to be an ongoing debate on social media about babies in premium cabins (more on that a little later) and whether or not they should be allowed in lounges.

Lounges don’t typically have age restrictions (kids under 2 are even generally free!), though most don’t have amenities geared toward children. But what you get at a lounge is more space to spread out, with time away from the gate to relax and gather yourself before you fly.

Centurion Lounges , however, do a great job of welcoming and catering to young travelers with family rooms decked out with toys, games, TVs, and kid-size furniture. But even without that family-specific amenities, lounges are a great place to chill out before or after a flight with your baby.

At the lounge, you can also get warm water for formula, warm-up milk and kids’ food, and grab some fruit or other snacks for later.

Whether or not you choose to purchase a seat for your 1-year-old, we have some tips for making flying easier.

1. Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks

I used to think people were exaggerating when they said to bring more snacks than you think you need. But I underestimated just how important a well-timed handful of Cheerios would be.

It’s not so much that your child will be hungry, but that snacking tends to quell a fussy toddler. I cannot explain it any further than that.

Pack the snacks you know they love and maybe even a few surprises. There’s an endless list of snacks you could bring. Fruit, Cheerios, Goldfish, pureed food packs … anything that your child can safely consume will work.

Don’t forget that TSA allows water and food for toddlers in reasonable quantities above the standard 3.4 ounces allowed for all passengers. A standard sippy cup is probably enough to get you through your whole travel day.

2. Schedule the Flight Around Nap Time

This is one of my favorite tips, but I think whether or not a flight is timed well will depend on your child .

For some toddlers, the sound of the airplane in flight works like white noise and helps them sleep. But as they get older and are more alert for longer periods of time, the excitement of a new adventure might energize them enough to try and stay awake for longer than you expect.

In this case, scheduling a flight around nap time won’t matter. But for a first flight with a 1-year-old, it’s worth a try. If you find that your child didn’t stick to the schedule, you won’t have to worry about it next time. We live and we learn.

For long-haul flights, I recommend scheduling a red-eye flight to your destination and skipping the last nap before the flight . The reason for this is that the cabin is dimmed along with the white noise of the plane. I’ve never met a traveling child that could resist the urge to fall asleep under those conditions. Hopefully, they’ll be tired enough to sleep through the entire flight.

3. Bring New Toys and Activities

At 1 year old, your toddler will likely be awake for at least part of your flight, so you’ll want to have something to occupy them. Tablets are an easy go-to, but understandably, some parents won’t want to introduce screen time at this age, or at all. But if you do decide to go with a tablet loaded with movies, TV shows, or games, be sure and bring along child-safe and cordless Bluetooth headphones . Child-safe headphones should remain at lower decibels to preserve their tiny eardrums.

Avoid toys that make any type of noise so as not to disturb other passengers on your flight.

Hot Tip: Keep in mind that at a year old, your child may not be able to stay engaged by 1 toy or activity for very long, so it’s a good idea to have several options.

Luckily, there are a lot of other activities that are appropriate for this age. Here are a few of my favorite ways to entertain a 1-year-old on a flight:

• Window Clings : Your toddler can stick these on the window themselves, pull them off, and repeat to their heart’s content. Another alternative is circle stickers, like what you’d find at a garage sale. Really, any sticker will work, just test out how easy they are for tiny fingers to peel off.
• Flash Cards : Even if your toddler isn’t talking yet, flash cards can be a great way to practice learning their shapes and colors. Animals and objects flash cards are also a great way to increase your child’s vocabulary.
• Books : Bring along your toddler’s favorite picture book. Pop-up books are always a hit as well. If you can, bring a book that’s age-appropriate and talks about where you’re going, what you’ll be doing, or flying on a plane.
• Play-Doh : Play-Doh is a tactile activity that lets your toddler use their hands. You can even bring plastic cookie cutters to make different shapes out of them. Clay, an alternative to Play-Doh, is a little more difficult to mold but also a worthy activity for a 1-year-old and even helps to strengthen their grip.
• Coloring Books : Again, coloring books are something that your child can do with their hands. Get the jumbo crayons that are easier to hold and choose a coloring book that has characters they recognize. You can color, too! This is a great activity to do together.
• Water Wow! Books : Water Wow! books by Melissa and Doug are awesome and were an instant hit for my kids. You fill the paintbrush with some water and let your toddler “paint” the pages of the cardboard book. There are several designs to choose from, including construction, numbers, alphabet, and animals. The best part about these is that when they dry, the color disappears so you can use them over and over again.

In addition to the activities above, be sure to include items that are brand new to your child . In fact, all of the items listed could be brand new and you could gift wrap them . It’s the novelty of the surprise that gets them excited and wanting to play with whatever the new toy is. Who doesn’t love unwrapping a gift?

4. Pack Smart

I wish that I could tell you that packing gets easier as your kids get older, but I can’t say that.

Yes, you can probably leave their 10 favorite blankets, nappies, and toys at home, but you’ll still need to pack a considerable number of items when you’re away from home. For example, I always packed 2 outfits per day that we would be away, plus a couple of extra. I didn’t plan to change my child’s clothes more than once per day, but we all know that stuff happens .

I would also bring an extra top for myself on travel days in case that stuff happened on me.

Your 1-year-old likely has at least 1 pair of shoes and might need a coat (and sweaters depending on the weather at your destination), gloves, and beanies. Clothes only get bigger along with your child and consequently take up more room in your luggage.

Packing cubes have been a dream for both packing compactly as well as organizing my family’s bags. We each have our own set of cubes in different colors and I roll whole outfits together to save time when we’re getting dressed in the morning .

Rolling outfits works best for the kids’ clothes since my and my husband’s clothes are too big to roll together like this. This trick also helps me avoid over- or underpacking because I always know what’s meant to go with what.

Once we arrive at our accommodations, I leave the clothes in the packing cubes and just put them into the dresser drawers. Packing cubes have immensely simplified the way I organize and pack for my family.

5. Go With the Flow

I wish I had a dollar for everything that didn’t go according to plan since I started to travel with my family.

Flight delays and cancellations , lost items, cranky kids, and more, will inevitably happen to you. One of my children almost always catches a cold 2 weeks before a long-haul flight. We even ended up in a clinic in Amsterdam on our first family trip to Europe and returned home with ear infections (yes, the whole family).

When you go with the flow of each day, it allows you to take each inconvenience in stride instead of letting it ruin or make you regret your whole trip. Traveling with children requires patience and grace with them as well as yourself, especially when it comes to how you plan your days.

You can’t pack each day with museum visits, tours, and other activities when traveling with small children. They simply don’t have the stamina to keep up and will let you know when they’ve had enough.

Schedule your activities around their nap times to maximize your experience together and to better ensure a good mood from your little one.

We can only plan so much and the rest is out of our control. Temper your expectations and you’ll be able to enjoy your vacation with your 1-year-old.

Traveling with a 1-year-old is different than traveling with a younger baby, but not always in a bad way. It’s true that traveling with babies younger than a year old is easier because they sleep more often, are easier to transport, and are overall more amenable to most situations. But traveling with an older toddler can also be more fun for you.

If you plan accordingly — while saving room for things you can’t control — and follow at least some of the tips outlined above, I trust that you’ll have a great travel experience when flying with a 1-year-old.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep a 1-year-old calm on a plane.

If your child is particularly anxious or energetic at any point during the flight, give them their favorite toy that usually calms them down. A pacifier or a bottle is great during takeoff and landing, especially for helping with inner ear pressure. Their favorite stuffed animals, blanket, or book are additional comfort items you could try.

What can you do if your baby cries on a plane?

You know your child best and what usually calms them down, so start with what you know.

Some other tips to try: shushing while rocking, walking the aisle when the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign is off, and good old-fashioned distractions usually help. Alternatively, ask yourself the classic question: is my baby tired, hungry, or wet?

How can you relieve ear pressure for a baby when flying?

During takeoff and landing, you want to make sure that your child is swallowing to avoid or alleviate ear pressure. The best way to do this is to give them a pacifier or bottle. Snacking may also work.

Where do you change diapers on a plane?

There are changing tables in the lavatory located on airplanes. Unfortunately, not every plane has changing tables in the lavatories.

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About Ashley Onadele

Ashley discovered a love for travel in college that’s continued as her family has grown. She loves showing parents how they can take their families on trips using points and has contributed to numerous publications and podcasts.

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How to Survive Flying with a Lap Toddler

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: September 14, 2023

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Flying with toddlers is hard. They are fully mobile, totally opinionated, and incapable of all reason and logic at the most inopportune moments.

But why stop there? If you are really up for a family travel challenge, fly with your toddler in your lap. Up until your little one’s second birthday, your child is eligible to fly for free as a lap child on all US airlines and many other airlines around the world. Many budget-conscious families take advantage of those savings for as long as possible, which can make for some very tight accommodations in tiny airplane rows.

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

Should You Fly with Your Toddler in Your Lap?

I’ll level with you: the lap toddler is controversial. In fact, all lap children are controversial. Airline safety experts agree that the safest place for your kiddos is in their own seats in child restraint devices (a car seat or CARES harness ).

But until and unless the FAA rules change, parents get to make that safety call for themselves. I’m not going to judge. While I always tried to buy a seat on airplanes for my children whenever possible, they’ve both also flown in my lap several times too over the years.

There is an additional reason, however, that lap toddlers are so controversial. Toddlers are just very different than babies. Toddlers are much bigger and more likely to have developed an independent streak. They can throw serious tantrums when things don’t go their way. Once your child is fully mobile and can walk (somewhere around 10-18 months old for most kids), all bets of containing them are off.

In short, they are just more likely to need the extra space of another seat. (My friend and fellow family travel blogger over a Points With a Crew wrote a brilliant diatribe calling for the end of the lap toddler for just these reasons.)

So, should you take on this air travel challenge? Before you make the call to fly with your 1 year old in your lap, make sure to assess your child’s personality and the length of the flight you are planning to take. My first child, for example, was fiercely independent and did not make a good lap toddler at all. Luckily, my son was much mellower. While budget is often the final deciding factor, your sanity is worth a lot too.

If you’ve thought it through and have made the call to travel with a lap toddler, godspeed and good luck. Now you need to live to tell the tale! (I’m exaggerating here of course, but only somewhat.)

Here are my best tips for lap toddler travel success – a.k.a. how to survive flying with a lap toddler. And while these tips focus on having a toddler in your lap, most of them work for flying with a toddler in his or her own seat as well!

Tips for Airplane Lap Toddler Success

1. Pick the right flight and time.

Is your toddler super-cranky during the pre-dinner witching hour? Don’t pick a 5 pm flight. Does your little one really need a full night of sleep to make it through the day? The 6 am flight is not for you. Would being stranded overnight after a missed connection be really, really rough with a toddler? Don’t book a connection onto the last flight of the night that gets you to your destination.

In short, don’t pick a flight that sets you up for failure before you ever leave. I happen to think that mid-morning flights are just about right for many toddlers. They give you enough time to wake up at a reasonable hour and get to the airport but they are still substantially before nap time meltdowns start.

Of course, if you are flying longer distances like on cross-country or international flights you won’t be able to time things perfectly. But when you do have options, set yourself up for success, even if it sometimes costs a tiny bit more!

2. Maximize your chances of getting an extra seat.

Even if you don’t buy a seat for your toddler, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get one. If there are empty seats on a flight, many airlines will try to make them available for families with lap children to use.

The easiest airline on which to make this happen is Southwest. Because of the airline’s open seating policy, if there is even a single extra seat on the plane, you will be able to snag it for your child. Just double check with the gate agent and ask nicely. The answer, in my experience, has always been yes. I had a better than a 50/50 success rate on Southwest flights, even when traveling at peak periods. See my complete guide to traveling Southwest with kids for all the details you need to think about when flying the airline with little ones.

Other airlines are a mixed bag, as you often need the gate agent to rearrange seat assignments to leave an empty seat next to where your family is sitting. If you want to maximize your chances, book yourself and your partner or other child into an aisle and window seat (leaving an empty middle seat) near the back of the plane. Those are often the last seats to be filled and may be empty anyway. This strategy works best when planes aren’t full or close to full, so I’d only attempt it flying during lower demand times.

3. Electronics are a must.

Yes, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for little ones until their second birthday. But I recommend leaving your perfect parenting pride behind on the jetway. You won’t wreck your toddler’s development by allowing some videos or apps in-flight to get through a tough moment on a single airplane flight (or in my family’s case, dozens of flights!). A little screen time can definitely be a lifesaver with any toddler in a moment of tiredness or boredom.

With the exception of JetBlue, very few airlines have seat back entertainment anymore on domestic US flights, so be sure to pack your own screen. We have found an old iPhone works great, especially if you have any ancient enough to still have standard headphone jacks that match what you’ll find on many toddler headphones . (If not, I carry this lightning connector to headphone jack adapter ).

Related : Tips for Flying JetBlue with Kids

Related : Best Airlines for Flying with Kids

4. Bring non-electronic entertainment to keep little fingers busy.

Although electronics can be amazing distractions, toddlers have incredibly short attention spans. You’ll be lucky to get 5-15 minutes of sustained attention out of a TV show or movie for the under 2 set, so a phone or tablet simply cannot be the only entertainment you bring.

What worked for my toddler? Wikki Stix were a very big hit as my son neared his second birthday (one word of warning – these are NOT good for toddlers who still mouth objects, but my little guy never tried to eat them). I’ve also had good luck with little cases to open and close filled with treats like goldfish or M&M’s. My toddler loves opening each compartment and grabbing the goodies inside.

Other toddler-friendly entertainment ideas:

• Matchbox cars
• Post-it flags (easy to remove without leaving residue)
• Toys that shake and rattle (a box of Tic Tacs actually works well!)
• Bendy straws
• Coloring pads with triangular crayons  (they don’t roll off tray tables – so simple but so brilliant!)

Check out my post with 20+ tech-free travel entertainment ideas for kids  for lots more inspiration.

5. Bring a wide variety of snacks.

For toddlers, food is entertainment too. Bring a wide variety of non-messy, toddler-friendly food and bring out new items at strategic moments to avoid meltdowns. Double bonus if the food takes a long time to eat.

I pack snacks in individual Ziploc bags and then put them into a snack trap to eat to help contain toddler messes. If you have more than one child in your family, I recommend packing a matching set of everything in separate bags so kids don’t have to share and aren’t jealous of each other’s snacks.

Related : 50 kid-friendly snack recommendations for air travel

6. Walk the aisle. But not too much.

Trying to keep an active toddler in your lap for a long flight is a pretty tough endeavor. Handing them back and forth between two adults helps (assuming you aren’t a parent traveling solo), but that only goes so far. Toddlers want and need to move!

For anything longer than an hour flight, plan to spend some time in the aisle getting a little exercise. Letting them take a lap or two can burn off some energy. Just try to time these walks around the beverage and food service so you can stay out of the way of flight attendants. And don’t crowd folks waiting for the bathroom or stay in galley areas too long.

7. Pack a baby carrier.

Most parents ditch the baby carrier before age 2, but it can still be a great tool when flying with a lap toddler (although it can’t be used on takeoff or landing). Sometimes, you just need to keep your toddler contained.

More importantly, the carrier can be particularly good for getting your toddler to sleep on you. We used a carrier for a flight with my then almost 2 year old son when we departed late in the evening and knew he would sleep most of the flight. It worked like a charm and was much more comfortable than trying to get him to stretch out across my lap awkwardly for bedtime.

If you don’t already have a soft carrier, I recommend the Boba Air as an inexpensive and low bulk option for air travel. It’s the closest successor to the one my family used regularly, the Bitybean (which is now sadly off the market!), and can be used for toddlers up to 45 pounds.

8. Don’t stress the nap.

Depending on your child, you may or may not get your child to nap on the plane if you are flying at nap time. Some kids conk out as soon as the plane starts moving, but my daughter never napped on planes between the ages of 1-3. She was simply too distracted and excited by the new environment. I certainly tried mightily to force a nap (rocking her, etc.) which ended up being more trouble than it was worth and probably provoking bigger meltdowns.

I was much more flexible with my second child at nap time on planes, and it went much more smoothly. And sometimes we even got a nap without trying because I was less stressed about the schedule.

Final Thoughts

While it may seem daunting to fly with a toddler at all – much less with a toddler in your lap – I promise it is worth it. The flights themselves are long but these years are short. I’ve gotten through it with two kids and you will too. Take some of the ideas above, do the preparation you need to match your family’s preferences and your child’s personality, and go get out there!

Have you flown with a lap toddler? How was it? What are your secrets for toddler travel success?

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Lara Walklet

Sunday 1st of December 2019

Really good suggestions. The post-it flags were extra great for my 1.5 year old.

evalinesees

Thursday 14th of November 2019

ooh the special vegetarian meal is brilliant!

Stephanie Ford

Saturday 24th of August 2019

Have others found they are not able to use carriers during flight? That was my back up plan if in desperation, oh no!!!!

Thursday 1st of August 2019

CARES is the only FAA approved one

This is such a great article! I have tried a lot of things mentioned as we frequently travel from L.A. to London with our 4 y.o & 18 m.o. - there are some gems of advice here I haven’t found elsewhere: the veggie meal & the lightweight baby carrier.

My newest obsession when flying are very lightweight tray table covers with sides, so you don’t spend the flight picking up the stuff they inevitably drop from the gross plane floor. They work with babe in lap & even in the bulkhead as they don’t require seat backs.

I have to admit I find wikki sticks end up with us all covered in wax & unable to remove it (wipes don’t work) so we use pipe cleaners instead.

A backpack that is “clamshell” or “front loading” style where the entire front zips open can also be a lifesaver as you can open it one handed & see everything inside.

& sooo many sanitizing wipes to clean everything off before you settle in so you’re little one doesn’t pick up too many germs. & of course the obligatory travel hand sanitizer- those tiny ones that attach to the side of your bag are the best as they are easy to find even in the dark!

Speaking of dark..I always bring a thicker blanket that can block out light (not just a muslin swaddle) as I feel like they always bring the lights up just as my kids fall asleep. You can usually stretch the blanket from behind your shoulder to the seat in front or catch it in the tray table.

Gel clings if you have a window seat are also amusing for my kids, I always pick some up in the dollar section at Target.

Those are my 10 cents! Thanks for this great article.

Road Trip with Toddler – 9 Essential Survival Tips

By Author Jurga

Posted on Last updated: September 8, 2023

Any parent knows how challenging a road trip with toddler can be. Are you also at your wits’ end on how to survive long drives with kids ? This article is for you!

As a mother of three boys who differ in age by less than 2 years (the two youngest are twins), I know exactly how emotionally exhausting long car drives with kids can be. Especially when they are little and there is no way to reason with them…

Not only is car travel with toddlers tiring and frustrating, but let’s be honest – it’s really dangerous too. After all, how can a driver concentrate on the road when a bored child is constantly requiring their attention. Or – in case of 2 kids and more – when there is a constant war going on in the back seat…

If there is one thing that we quickly learned when road-tripping with kids is that children need space . Young kids also need constant entertainment and are simply not capable to remain quiet when sitting in a car for hours in a row… There is no way around this, so you have to accept it…

However, it doesn’t mean that you cannot do something that would make your family road trips more pleasant for everyone involved: your kids, your partner, and yourself.

I have to admit that we still haven’t found one secret formula to traveling with kids in a car that works all the time . Having said this, let me share a few time-tested tips for traveling with kids in a car that helped us time and again .

Most of these tips are applicable not just for toddlers and young children, but for older kids as well. However, road trips with toddlers are definitely the toughest, so I’ll focus on that.

I guess I don’t have to tell you that you have to use the right car seats for your children or that you have to check that your car is in order before you set on a road trip with kids. This article is not about that. Instead, it’s about all the best hacks for traveling with toddlers in a car that will help you survive the long car rides. Take a look!

Below are our essential tips for traveling with young kids and toddlers in a car:

1. Separate the kids!

If you are traveling with more than one child in the car, try to keep the kids apart. As far from each other as possible!

One of the biggest challenges when traveling with kids in a car is that they start to fight. You hardly leave your street and they are already complaining about each other… By the time you reach the highway and cannot just stop anywhere, they are fighting…

There is just one way to prevent this from happening and that is to separate the kids. If your car is big enough, make sure that the kids sit as far from each other as possible .

At home, we drive a 7-passenger minivan, which we bought the moment we heard that we would have twins. However, when we are traveling overseas and renting a car, we usually find ourselves in a regular 5-passenger vehicle… When our kids were little, I would always sit in the back in order to separate them…

There are many advantages of going to sit in the back, between your kids. You can interact with them, point out some interesting things on the road, play a game, read a map together, or simply let them lean against you if they want to sleep.

However, I understand that it’s not always possible and definitely not a viable solution when you are the only adult when driving with kids. In any case, do whatever is possible to have the kids sitting as far from each other as you can.

2. Drive at night

When our kids were little, driving at night was the only way to survive the really long drives. We don’t do it now anymore (must be getting old), but it was a real life-saver when they were toddlers.

I don’t encourage you to do this often, driving at night must be your last resort. If you are not comfortable driving at night, then don’t. It’s also not a viable solution if you are making a long road trip – after all, you can’t do sightseeing during the day and then drive the whole night long. Sleep is extremely important, not just for your kids, but for you as well.

However, if you are going on a family holiday that requires a 10-hour drive from point A to point B, you are well rested before your trip, and have at least two people who can take driving shifts, it’s really worth considering driving at night. There are usually no traffic jams or road works at night, which usually means that you’ll reach your destination faster. On top of that, you don’t have to take pit stops for kids, as they’ll usually sleep through the night. 

If you are not comfortable with driving at night, a better option might be to leave really early in the morning, around 3-4 AM (just make sure you get enough sleep before you leave!). That way, you can cover a big distance before the kids will wake up without feeling completely exhausted yourself.

3. Plan your trip itinerary with kids in mind

We have made so many road trips with our children over the years. Our twins had just turned 2 when we visited South Africa , a year later we made a 5-week road trip in Australia , and then that same year we also made a 4-week road trip in Namibia … 

One thing we learned when road-tripping with toddlers is that it’s crucial to plan your trip itinerary with kids in mind . Here are a few examples.

If you have a long drive ahead, it’s best to leave really early in the morning. Wake your kids just before you leave, make sure they go to the bathroom and then leave immediately. With a bit of luck, they will sleep further in the car. Even if they won’t sleep, it will take them some time to properly wake up. They can then quietly have breakfast that you packed and, before you know it, you’re two hours further without them even realizing it.

If you are on a road trip, try to visit some place nearby first thing in the morning. Ideally, it’s not further than 1 hour driving distance from your hotel, so that the first stretch of the trip will not be too long. After your visit, the kids will have moved a bit and will be more willing to rest.

Once again, they can have a picnic lunch in the car, which will save you time and will make the drive look shorter. Also, early afternoon is perfect for driving long distances with toddlers, because it’s usually their nap time.

Ideally, you don’t plan any road trip stops during your kids’ napping time or you risk having to wake them up, which means you’ll have to deal with a grumpy child for the rest of the day… At the same time, you have to make sure that you are flexible enough to make stops when your kids are awake, which brings us to the next point.

4. Let the kids move

Sitting in the car for a long time is hard for everyone, but it’s simply impossible for toddlers. No matter how much you try telling them that you’ll reach your destination so much quicker if you can just drive without having to stop, young kids just have to be able to move.

So even if it’s very tempting to drive straight to your destination, you really should try to plan a couple of short stops along the way . 

Make sure to stop at the places where kids can move. A playground is perfect for smaller kids; a short hike or a picnic will suit children of any age. Don’t expect to just find places like that as you go – you really should do some research upfront.

Look for parks, playgrounds, quirky roadside attractions – anything that can break the drive without taking too much time. If there are no exciting short stops along the road, think of taking a ball with you – there is always some place where you can play ball for a couple of minutes. 

You’ll be surprised at how much effect a short stop like this can have on your children. Young kids might even get tired enough to take a short nap afterwards, which is always a huge relief when traveling in a car with toddlers.

5. Stock up on healthy snacks

There is hardly anything worse than a hungry baby or a toddler stuck in a car seat with a long drive ahead. Prepare for this and make sure that you always take some snacks when traveling in a car with young kids. This will not only save you time, but will also prevent you from buying chips and chocolate bars at the nearest gas station…

I would not recommend any snacks with sugar when traveling in a car with kids as it will only give them more energy. Energy, which they will not be able to get rid of… Not even to mention sticky hands and crumbs all over the place…

What we usually do is take fruit that isn’t messy, e.g. apples, grapes, bananas, or mandarins. Our kids also love raw veggies; especially carrots are perfect since they keep young kids busy for a long, long time… Dried fruit is also great to have when traveling in a car with kids.

6. Play road games

Probably the best way to keep young children entertained in the car is by playing road games . Toddlers love playing games, but older kids will enjoy it as well. This is something children always love to do, no matter their age. The only problem is that you will get tired of this long before they will…

To tell you the truth, we always try to pack light (here you can find our family road trip packing essentials ), so we don’t take that many games or toys when traveling with kids in a car.

One game per child is our absolute maximum and the kids can take turns at which one they play. We love SmartGames for 1 person – they are small to pack, keep the kids busy, and there is no reason to fight when you are playing on your own.

When we drive just short distances, it’s also easy to keep the kids busy by asking them to look for a car, a truck, a bus, a house… However, when driving for a longer time, it’s so nice to have at least a few minutes for yourself. That’s where road trip games come in.

Our kids especially like road trip bingos – it’s such a great way to keep children busy in the car for a long time!

7. Listen to kids’ music and audiobooks

When you are embarking on a really long drive with kids, sometimes snacks and road games are simply not enough. After all, most of the activities mentioned above require at least some involvement from a parent, and it’s just not always possible.

When traveling with toddlers in a car, we found that when everything else fails, music and audiobooks do wonders . I remember that we were so impressed with the effect it had on our kids that I even wrote a blog post about this  magical solution to keep kids quiet in the car during very long rides .

Put on your kids’ favorite music or stories and it will keep them quiet for hours…  When traveling with toddlers, be prepared to sacrifice as they’ll often want to listen to the same song or story five times in a row. Even then, I find it totally worth it as it helps to survive the long drives with kids and stay sane.

Music and stories do wonders for us every time. Repertoire has changed during the years, but it’s still our favorite way to entertain our kids in the car when we are all too tired for all the rest.

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8. Digital tablets, films, and games

The last resort when traveling with toddlers in a car is to switch on a movie or let them play games on a tablet .

I know that many parents use this as the first and the only way to entertain their children and I certainly understand that it’s very tempting at times. However, we find that too much screen time has a negative effect on our kids’ behavior, their interest in places that we visit along the way, and their ability to keep themselves entertained without the screen…

I find that the children (and the parents) enjoy a road trip much more if they are more involved and aware of the surroundings, instead of looking at a screen the whole time. However, as a mom of three, I can tell you that there are times when you’d do pretty much anything just to make sure that everyone survives the long drive in a car.

Anyhow, watching a movie in the car is always a huge hit with our kids. If your car doesn’t have built-in screens, you can use a portable DVD player or a tablet, and it will sure keep your kids quiet. Well, at least for the duration of the film or a game. Because afterward they might be quite agitated from all the impressions on the screen.

9. Pack strategically

I want to add a few more tips for traveling in a car with kids. One of the most important tip is to pack smart . Road games, crayons, snacks, audiobooks – make sure you have everything you might need during the car ride within easy reach. Some people like to use travel trays for young children. That way, everything stays somewhat organized.

It also helps to know where a spare set of clothes is located, so that you don’t have to unload the whole car in case of a little accident.

Here are some other items that you must have when traveling in a car with toddlers:

• Toilet paper and/or wet napkins.

• Sickness bags.
• First aid kit.
• Your kids’ favorite cuddly toy.

So, these are our main tips for surviving long car trips with toddlers and young children.

If you want to share your hacks for traveling with toddlers and young kids by car, feel free to leave a reply below.

READ ALSO: Tips for Traveling with Kids – in this guide, you’ll find all our top tips for turning any family trip into a big success for everyone. Check it out!

More tips for traveling with kids:

• Road trips:  What to pack for a family road trip
• Flying with kids:   What to pack for kids on the plane (ages 3 to 8)
• Books:   Best travel books for kids
• Shoes:  Best travel shoes for kids
• Luggage: Best travel bags for kids
• Booster seats:  Best booster car seats for travel
• Gear: Best travel gear for children
• Best Family Travel Destinations
• Best US National Parks to Visit with Kids
• Lesser-known National Parks for a Family Vacation
• Spring Break Destinations in the USA
• Spring Break Destinations in Europe
• Tips for Planning a Trip to Europe
• Universal Studios Hollywood
• Warner Bros. Studios Hollywood vs. Universal Studios Hollywood
• LA Itinerary
• San Diego Itinerary

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Monday 22nd of February 2021

Planning a short road trip! This was useful.

Tuesday 23rd of February 2021

Glad to help, Lana. It's never easy with toddlers who have to spend a long time sitting quietly, but if you plan well, you'll be fine. Have a great trip!

Tuesday 29th of December 2020

Driving at night is the only option for us! Although thanks for the other tips - maybe we'll try some of those out. But for now driving at midnight is the perfect solution. The kids wake up but just for a minute. When we try to drive during the day we have two vulcanos on board!

Thursday 31st of December 2020

Ha ha, volcanoes on board. I know what you mean. We have three of those. :) If you can drive at night, keep it safe, and still function during the day, then it's definitely a good option when the kids are young. We did it a few times, but ideally when driving back home. It's really tiring and often, you arrive at your destination and are completely exhausted, but the kids are in top shape and full of energy. Not an ideal combination. I guess there is just not one solution that fits every situation. You just have to find what works for your family for every road trip. What worked when kids were babies might not work when they are toddlers, etc. Happy travels and drive safely!

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41 Must-Have Tips for Cruising With Babies, Toddlers, or Small Kids (From Someone That’s Done It)

When it comes to a family vacation with babies, toddlers, or small kids, there’s not much that’s better than taking a cruise.

Cruising offers a chance for the entire family to sail together, with something they will enjoy doing no matter their ages. So whether you’re traveling with a one-year-old, a ten-year-old, or something in between, everyone will have a chance to make the most of their vacation.

Of course, if you’re a parent then you know that even the simplest of tasks takes planning when you have kids. A cruise is no different. While it’s an easy vacation with the kiddos, there is still plenty for you to know and lots you can do to make the cruise go even smoother.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the most useful tips for cruising with babies, toddlers or small kids from our own experience in having sailed several times with our own son.

From how to keep them entertained on the ship to making sure they stay healthy, these tips run the gamut of what to think about before you take a cruise.

Know How The Kids Clubs Work

The large cruise lines cater to families, and perhaps the biggest draw for both children and adults in the dedicated kids area. Here, parents can drop off their kids for free while the kids get to play games and hang out with others their age. Parents get some time to enjoy the cruise while knowing that the kids are being supervised and also having a lot of fun. 

Kids clubs run from ages 2-17 and groups are broken down by age so that kids will always be able to find someone to play with. You simply drop kids off when you want (hours will be listed in the daily planner) and then pick them up when you’re ready. Parents of small kids will be given a shipboard phone in case you need to be contacted.

Older kids (usually 12+) can check themselves in and out without a parent so they can come and go as they please. 

Most Kids Clubs Are Only For Kids 2-3 Years or Older

One drawback of the kids areas? These spots are only for children that are a little older. For example, kids must be two years old before they can join in Carnival’s kids activities on their own; Royal Caribbean requires kids be at least three years old. There are still things for them to do in the area under those ages, but you must supervise them or pay an extra fee for them to be watched.

In other words, if you’re the parent of a small child and plan to bring them, you’re still going to have lots of time watching them.

You May Be Able to Leave Your Kids While You Go to Port

We’re not sure of every cruise line’s policy, but we know at least Carnival — one of the most popular cruise lines for families — allows you to drop your kids in the play area and head off the ship when in port.

That means the kids can stay and play while parents go explore ashore. If you are on an excursion from the cruise line, then the ship can contact you if you’re needed. If you’re exploring on your own, you’ll want to leave instructions on how reach you.

Personally, we find it a little weird to leave the kids on the ship, but it is something you can do if you like.

Yes, You Can Pack Food and Snacks

Given all the strict rules around bringing drinks on board a cruise, it might seem like you wouldn’t be able to bring food either. In fact, bringing pre-packaged, sealed food is perfectly fine . Feel free to bring baby food (including those pouches that kids love), as well as your kid’s favorite snacks to keep them happy on the trip.

Just make sure that you don’t bring any homemade food . It’s not allowed on ships due to health concerns and issues with customs in other countries.

Don’t Be Afraid to Overpack for a Baby

In general, we recommend packing less than what you need . No one needs four different swimsuits or six pairs of shoes on a cruise. However, being a parent, we are more than willing to overpack when it comes to our kid.

The reason being, with so many people on the ship, it’s nice to do your best to keep the kid happy (especially young ones that can throw tantrums) during the cruise. The last thing you want is a baby who is grumpy and crying — and bothering other passengers — because you forgot something at home. It’s also not easy to run out and grab things like diapers or formula.

Pack Plenty of Over-the-Counter Medicine

Kids — especially small kids — seem like they constantly get sick. The only thing worse than a sick kid is not being able to provide them any relief. There is a doctor on board every cruise ship, but it’s still a good idea to pack over-the-counter items like Benadryl and Tylenol for them to take should they come down with a bug.

Only a Few Ships Allow Kids in Diapers to Swim

Is your little one still in diapers? If so, then you should pick your ship carefully. Most ships don’t allow kids that aren’t toilet-trained into any pools due to health regulations. There are a few ships that we know that have special areas for smaller kids still in swim diapers. It’s usually a section of a larger play area, but better than no water time at all.

Even better is to find a ship that offers a splashpad-type park, like what’s shown above. These spots often allow kids of all ages.

Bottom line: If you still have a kid in diapers, then don’t expect to spend a ton of time playing in the pools on the ship. You can, of course, find a beach in a port to get their time in the water.

Get the Balcony Cabin if You Have a Kid That Naps

At home, those mid-afternoon naps are amazing. You can get so much done around the house while the kids get his/her rest. On a ship? They are kind of boring. When the kid takes a nap, you are stuck in the cabin keeping an eye on them… instead of hanging out poolside or playing in the casino.

That’s why we suggest a balcony cabin for parents with napping kids. This way, there is a space you can go out, talk in a normal voice, and get some fresh air. It’s much nicer watching the waves go by on the balcony than sitting in a dark cabin.

Prepare For Dirty Diapers

Have a ‘Diaper Genie’ at home? They are great for keeping dirty diapers from stinking up the house. But what about in a small cabin? What do you do with those soiled diapers?

If you have a balcony room, you can set the dirty diapers in the room trash can and set it outside to keep the air in your cabin clear. If you don’t have a balcony, we suggest bringing some Ziploc bags to seal up those dirty diapers, along with some air freshener. The room steward will empty the trash when they clean, but that can be several hours.

Cribs Are Available for Cruise Cabins (Free)

Does your kiddo still sleep in a crib? No need to bring the Pack-and-Play, cruise lines have cribs that they can put in your room. They won’t be overly fancy, but it is a dedicated spot for your little one to sleep while on vacation. Best of all, there is no charge for this service.

Just call the cruise line before you sail or let the room steward know when you get on the ship.

Arcades Are Great For Entertaining Bigger Kids

Modern cruise ships all have an arcade tucked away that’s perfect for the kids to have some fun on their own — or with mom and dad. The arcades can be pricey, but it’s worth it to let the kids go play get some alone time during your cruise… or to see the smiles on your kid’s face.

Instead of quarters, the arcades use your room’s keycard to access your onboard account. For that reason, you’ll want to make sure that your kids understand a budget before you let them loose on their own. It’s extremely easy to run up a high bill.

HDMI Inputs Don’t Work on the TV

Do your kids love to play video games or watch DVDs? There is some bad news — the inputs on cruise ship television sets are typically disabled. That means you can’t switch over the watch a DVD player hooked up to an HDMI port.

Instead, your best bet is to bring a console that includes its own monitor. If you want to watch movies, try bringing a laptop. The good news is that Nintendo Switch is popular with the younger kids and features its own screen.

You Can Stream Shows and Movies for Kids… Usually (Downloading Is Safer)

We all know that a movie or a show is a lifesaver for a parent. When you just need some peace and quiet, nothing does it quite like putting on a favorite show. In general, we suggest downloading programs ahead of time so they are for sure available. But in most cases you can stream on a cruise ship.

Just be warned that you have to purchase an Internet package, which can be pricey — up to $30 per day on some cruise lines.

As well, internet at sea isn’t perfect. Sometimes streamed shows can be pixelated instead of perfect HD quality due to the connection. Downloading before you get on the ship means you don’t even need an internet connection.

Umbrella Strollers Are the Best Idea for Cruising

If your child isn’t quite big enough to walk all day, then you’re likely bringing a stroller. But leave that big bulky jogging stroller at home. Space is tight in a cabin, so smaller umbrella strollers — which also fold up to fit in a closet — are ideal. When it comes time to use, these small strollers are also easily maneuverable down the ship’s narrow halls and can easily turn to navigate a crowd.

Place Mats Are a Must for Little Eaters

Cruise ships have high chairs for your little one to sit in, but we also suggest bringing a silicone place mat for them to use while they eat. These mats stick to almost any surface and are easily washable. This way, not only do you keep the table or high chair from getting dirty, but you also keep food from sitting on a potentially unclean surface. It’s just a better solution all around for when it’s time to eat.

Don’t Forget to Pack a Nighlight

Chances are you still get up at least once or twice to soothe your kid while they sleep. Or even if your kid sleeps all the way through the night, you might get up to use the restroom. In an unfamiliar cabin with lots of heavy furniture, that can be a disaster for your shins and feet.

Be sure to pack a small nightlight to provide a little extra light to see by if you have to get up in the middle of the night. This is especially important for dark interior cabins.

Mealtimes Are Easiest in the Buffet

Most people envision eating in the main dining room, cracking into a lobster or slicing a steak. Truth is that parents with small kids — the sort that won’t sit still to eat for more than five minutes at a time — might prefer to dine in the buffet during the evenings.

At night, the less formal buffet is also less crowded, meaning you won’t be as stressed if someone doesn’t want to sit down and eat their dinner or throws a fit because they are tired.

Plan on the Heat and Humidity Zapping Kid Energy

It’s not often mentioned, but the heat and humidity of the Caribbean can zap the energy of even the most energetic kids. If you have an especially small kid or toddler, expect them to be able to stay up only half as long before they need to nap and recharge.

If you are planning a long excursion without many points to take a break, then you might want to reconsider your plan. If you have a kid with a lot of energy, then you will be happy to know they should sleep very well after a long day in the heat.

Keep Excursions Simple

Some excursions have a ton of elements — taxi rides to adventure parks to beach breaks to boat rides. The smaller your kids, the smarter it is to keep things simple.

Just heading out to the beach is more than enough for babies and toddlers. Don’t stress yourself out trying to handle a kid on a wild excursion; you’ll just make your trip less enjoyable for both you and your kids.

There Are Only Showers…No Tubs

If your kid is used to taking baths, then they (and you) need to be prepared for the showers in the cabin . The showers come with a detachable spray handle, and are pretty small. It’s easiest just to have them stand while you give them a quick bath. If they like playing with a water hose, then showers with the spray handle are a lot of fun for them.

Pack a Passport… or Birth Certificate

What sort of documents do you need to travel with a child? A passport is always the best idea as it offers the most flexibility. Should something happen and you need to fly back home, a passport is vital.

However, on most cruises (those that begin and end at the same port), kids can travel with an official birth certificate. Frankly, this is much easier and less expensive than getting a passport and works in most cases. Older kids and adults (those 16 years or older) also need to have a photo ID.

Plan Your Day Around Naps

In addition to realizing that the heat can take a toll on kids, you should also be sure to plan your day around naps. There’s nothing worse than being out and about when your kid decides it’s time to crash. It puts everything on hold.

Be sure to plan on being somewhere that the kiddo can nap — whether it’s hanging out on the beach under an umbrella with a lounger or making it back to the cabin in time for naptime.

Babies Must Be Six Months Old to Cruise

If you have a newborn, don’t plan your cruise just yet. In most cases a child needs to be at least six months old before they are allowed to board the ship. There are some trips where a child must be at least one year old before they can sail. This includes sailings over long distances with more than two consecutive days at sea.

The cruise lines don’t want to have a small child on the ship and be too far from any possible medical help should an issue arise.

Have Enough Diaper and Formula? Bring More

The thing about cruising is that if you run out of something, you can’t just easily run to the store for more. So when you are packing consumables like diapers, wipes, and the like, go ahead and pack even more than you normally would.

Worst case scenario is that you don’t use them on the ship. Best case is that you have an issue and end up being covered until you can get back to home.

If You Need More of Something, Pharmacies in Port Are Lifesavers

Say you do run out of diapers…or wipes…or formula, or anything else that a kid might need. Don’t worry, while you might not be able to get some right away, most ports of call have a small pharmacy or store within them that sell these types of items.

It’s best to simply pack everything you need, but if you do get in a bind, it’s nice to know there is a place where you can pick up the basics.

Sleeping Can Be Difficult With a Baby/Toddler in the Room

Are you used to sleeping in your room while your child sleeps in another? If so, be prepared for some rougher nights. It’s one thing to hear your kid cry through a baby monitor set at low volume. It’s another thing altogether to have the baby making noise in their crib that’s just a few feet from your bed. In the middle of the night, it’s especially loud.

Be ready and expect that you might not get the greatest night’s sleep while your little one is sharing the cabin.

Sunscreen is a Must, but Shirts and Hats Are Better

Yes, you likely already know that sunscreen is a must. At the lower latitudes the sun is stronger and can burn sensitive skin quickly. But let’s face it, putting on sunscreen every hour is a greasy affair — and not much fun when you’re trying to do it to a wiggly two-year-old.

Instead, look for a swim shirt that covers up most of a kid’s torso, leaving just face and arms to sunscreen. A wide-brimmed hat is also a smart idea. Not only is it easier than having to lotion everywhere, it’s also more foolproof and quicker.

Make Sure You Get a Kid’s Life Jacket in Your Cabin

In your cabin closet, you’ll find life jackets for use in case of emergency. Be sure to check that there is also a kid’s life jacket if you are traveling with child. If not, just ask your cabin steward, and they can get you one. Chances are slim that you’ll use it, but you should have it just in case.

Order Bottled Water to the Room if Your Kid Uses Formula

Yes, you can arrange to bring water onto the ship if you have a kid that needs it to mix formula. Or you can also fill up some water bottles at the buffet and bring it back to the cabin to mix.

Instead, it’s easier just to order some bottled water delivered to your room. Carnival, for instance, has it for about $10 for a 12-pack and it keeps you from having to lug on heavy water bottles when you board the ship. 

You can also get water out of the bathroom sink, but to us that just seems wrong for some reason.

Have the Length of Your Cruise Correspond With Your Kid’s Age

Have a one-year-old going on his or her first cruise? Don’t try to do a week-long trip. The younger your kid, the better it is to do shorter cruises. As your kid gets older, however, then the length of the trip can increase.

With small kids, you’re never sure how they might react to something new — even if it’s supposed to be fun. As well, older kids are also better able to take advantage of all the things to do on the cruise and are less likely to be bored.

Most importantly of all, parents don’t have to be stuck in a tiny cabin with a young child for hours on end, and if your kid were to get sick or have a bad time, it’s a lot nicer knowing it’s only a few days until you are back home instead of it being a week or more.

Magnetic Hooks Are Ideal for Drying Swimsuits

Kids love to swim, and there is only so much space in the cabin to hang wet clothes. Instead, bring a few magnetic hooks with you . You can stick these hooks on the metal ceiling, and use them to hang up wet swimsuits.

There is also a retractable drying line that runs across the shower, but we find it usually gets in the way to hang clothes here. As well, the swimsuits don’t dry as well in the damp bathroom.

Expect Your Toddler to Find the Dirty Spots in the Cabin

Every person should expect a clean cabin when taking a cruise, but just like any hotel, there are still spots that don’t get much cleaning attention. Behind and under beds, and tucked away corners may still be dirty.

If you have a baby or a toddler, expect them to find these spots when they are crawling around the room. It’s a bit gross, but it’s a fact of life. That’s what wet wipes are for!

Life Jackets & Lifeguards Are There, But Keep an Eye on Kids

Have a kid that’s not a great swimmer? One nice thing is that cruise lines have life jackets for kids to use and there are lifeguards on duty. 

Head to the pool and you’ll see the guards keeping an eye on things. And nearby you’ll find racks of different sized life jackets. They are free to use; just find one that fits and put it on. Even if your kid thinks he is a good swimmer, a life jacket — and keeping watch — isn’t a bad idea. Cruise pools usually don’t have a shallow end and if the ship is moving, the water can surge back and forth making it more difficult for smaller kids to swim.

Get Snacks for Kids in Port of Call… Don’t Bring Food From the Ship

Any parent knows that the most important word to a kid is “snack.” That’s why it’s tempting to grab a couple of items from the buffet or to bring some snacks from home onto the ship. But, just know that you can’t bring food with you into ports of call. Due to customs, authorities are fairly serious about not bringing things from the ship onto land. 

Instead, if you need something for your kids to eat, you’ll want to make a stop at a store or restaurant to get something while visiting. 

Going Off-the-Beaten Path Means Fewer Facilities for Kids

If you are cruising with kids, then you’ll want to stay in the more touristy spots near the ship and popular attractions. As a rule of thumb, the more off-the-path your destination is, the less likely it is to cater to families. So, for instance, it’s less likely to have changing tables or places to entertain kids. Stick with the more touristy spots and you’ll likely have all the comforts you would expect of back home.

Understand the Muster Situation with Kids

Before your cruise, you’ll have the muster drill, where you learn about the procedures in case of emergency. This includes finding your muster station — the assigned spot to meet. But what if you and your kid are separated (such as at the kids club) when a call to muster takes place?

When you cruise, small children are given a wristband with their assigned muster station. They will wear this at all times. If you are not with your child, then the staff will ensure that kids are escorted to the correct muster area based on this wristband to be reunited.

Bring an Outlet Adapter for Gadgets

These days even kids have lots of devices that need to plug in. For babies and toddlers, this can include sound machines and nightlights, as well as chargers for tablets and more. But many older ships have one or maybe two outlets. 

The lack of outlet space is frustrating. No worry, just pack a cheap outlet adapter . They can be found for about $5-7 and plug in to give you multiple outlets where there was only one.

Newer ships are better about having more outlet space.

Prepare for Seasickness… Just in Case

Seasickness isn’t a huge deal on a cruise, but it does happen for some people. If you’re traveling with your little one on a ship for the first time, then you should be prepared for the possibility. Be sure to pack some seasickness remedies and don’t hesitate to use them if your kid complains of feeling queasy.

The good news is that cruise ships are pretty stable. It’s most likely you won’t even notice you’re on the water.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Having Your Own Vacation

When you cruise with a child — especially a baby or a toddler — it can feel like anything but a vacation. Children are a lot of work, and you deserve to take some time to yourself. Don’t feel guilty about dropping the kids off and enjoying some pool time, the casino, dinner, or the evening show with your spouse. Remember, it’s your vacation too.

Make Sure Kids Understand the Danger of the Ship’s Railing

Every year there are stories of people falling overboard due to climbing on the ship’s railing and losing their balance. NEVER let your kids climb on the railing , and make it clear right from the start how dangerous it is to even think about sitting on the rail. Unfortunately, it’s literally a matter of life and death in some cases.

Pack a Couple of New Toys for the Trip

One pro-tip: Try packing a couple of new toys with you to surprise your kid in the middle of the trip. We’ve found that this is a great way to keep smaller kids entertained if they get bored while at sea and can’t run around like they would at home. It’s also smart as a technique to use when they start to get fussy at an inopportune time. When you feel a tantrum coming up, pull out the new toy and watch their mood change instantly.

Think of it as a cheap insurance policy to keep them entertained and happy.

For more on cruising with babies and toddlers, read our complete guide here .

Have more tips on cruising with your baby, toddler, or small child? Let us know in the comments below.

Popular: 39 Useful Things to Pack (17 You Wouldn't Think Of)

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Did you feel that there was enough room to move around with the crib in the room? I know they typically put it beside the couch and it looks like it would leave little to no room to maneuver around.

There’s not a ton, no. Cribs are kinda bulky in general and then put it in a relatively small cabin and you don’t get a lot of options.

thanks a lot for wonderful suggestions, Just want to know will my one year old boy be able to eat from any buffet items, is there any food items suitable for them.

Sure. There are plenty of food options, including lots of fruit and cut veggies at the salad bar. You can also bring on foods like pouches if you want.

thanks a ton

Definitely a few tips and tricks we never would have thought of! Taking our kids on their first cruise soon, they’re so excited!

You’ll have a blast!

Are 2 yr old require to sleep in a crib? I would rather him sleep on his own bed.

No, they don’t have to sleep in a crib. One is just provided if needed.

Taking our 1yo on a cruise in 1 month. Great article and advice. Thank you.

Hope you have a great time!

One of the most helpful packing lists I’ve read! Thank you!

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Hotels with cruise shuttles for every major port in america, 107 best cruise tips, tricks, secrets, and freebies, 39 useful things to pack for your cruise (including 17 you’d never think of).

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How To Travel Alone With a Toddler on a Plane

d3sign / Getty Images

How To Pack and Prepare

• Things I Needed

Things I Bought But Didn’t Use

Other helpful tips.

The thought of traveling alone with my 26-month-old toddler for her first flight this summer was overwhelming, to say the least. But, I was determined to be prepared. After reading what seemed like hundreds of articles to ready myself, I started to feel a little more at ease There were all types of suggestions like "book the flight during nap time," "pack snacks," "bring these exact coloring books."

I also spoke to other moms, crowdsourced on Instagram, and spent hours meticulously and methodically packing. Honestly, I was probably over-prepared but I didn't want to risk a meltdown—from me or from my toddler. I was ready...or at least physically. All those preparations still didn't negate the fact that I was still a little terrified to travel with my "terrible 2s toddler" for the first time.

If you're a parent of a toddler, then you know that you can't really plan for everything. Toddlers are wonderfully unpredictable. Naturally, I came up with all sorts of "what-ifs" like what if she had a tantrum or a blowout as we boarded? Would there be a fussy refusal to wear a mask on the plane? We had a long journey ahead of us—6 hours total—and I feared the worst but hoped for the best.

All in all, my daughter did great on her first long trip. But after taking two planes, two trains, and countless car rides, I learned a thing or two about what to bring, and what I definitely should have left at home.

If you have a trip coming up with your toddler, I may not be able to completely erase your fears or those nagging "what-ifs," but I certainly can let you in on how to prepare, what to pack, how to deal with fussiness, and more.

Depending on your destination (a hotel, an Airbnb, staying with family), it's incredibly helpful to send as many necessities as possible ahead of time. After all, packing these things or loading them onto a plane with you, is just not feasible.

However, if shipping things is just not economical or feasible for you, you can also rent gear if you're traveling to a larger town.

I was staying with family, so I shipped a car seat to my mom before I arrived. This way, I knew exactly what would be waiting for me once I got there. If you choose to ship instead of rent, just be sure to send it with enough time for your family or friends to properly install the seat before you get there.

My choice was the new-to-market Evenflo Gold Revolve360 Rotational All-in-One Car Seat , but it was a little confusing for them to install. So, my step-dad went to a certified car seat installation location for help.

If you have family that will be installing the car seat for you as I did, you may want to contact the local police stations and fire departments to see if they offer this service. You also can search for a location or a specialist near your destination . After all, you don't want to try to install a car seat after you just spent hours flying.

Think Through Sleeping Arrangements

When it comes to toddlers, you probably already know how active—and curious—they are. That's why it's so important to think through the sleeping arrangements and try to determine what will work best for your family.

Even though my daughter probably could have slept in a twin bed or on a cot, I still sent a pack and play to my parents' home—especially because she is still in a crib at home. For me, I just felt more comfortable having her "contained," especially in an unfamiliar room. Plus, because she still sleeps in a crib at home, I didn't want her first taste of freedom to be while we were on the road in someone else's home.

My daughter is used to a pack and play, so it made sense to use one on the road. My pick was the BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light . It's super easy to set up, was larger than some other models, and is recommended for children up to 3 years old.

Of course, if you're not staying with family or friends, you may not have the option to ship a pack and play. But, you can call your hotel to reserve a crib or a pack and play for your stay if you want.

Overall, my suggestion is to try to replicate your toddler's sleeping environment at home as much as you can. After all, your toddler will be adjusting to so many new things, that having some familiarity—especially at bedtime—will help things go more smoothly for both of you.

Be Strategic About Packing

Rather than try to pack all the extras that go with having a toddler—like diapers, wipes, and bubble bath—I placed an order for curbside pickup at the local Target. There, I was able to find all of my daughter’s favorite snacks and drinks, diapers, wipes, and even a fun bathtub mat. My family picked it up the day before I arrived, leaving enough time for them to shop for anything that was unavailable or missing.

Then, when it came time to pack for our trip, I packed one large suitcase that I checked and didn't have to include all those bulky items. If you're using one suitcase, like me, be sure to save room for those all-important gadgets that are a necessity when you have a toddler.

In my suitcase, I included important things like her white noise sound machine and my video monitor, the Nanit monitor —things that are absolutely necessary but could ultimately be replaced if my luggage was lost.

Meanwhile, in my carry-on, I made sure to pack things that could not be easily or immediately replaced like her sleep sack, her lovey, and her blanket. Plus, I knew I would need these items soon after arriving at my destination since my arrival coincided with her nap time.

Take time to think through what things you can buy once you get there, what can be replaced if it is lost, and what you need to keep on your person at all times.

For me, life without my daughter's lovey and blanket would have been a real challenge, so I made sure to keep those things with us in our carry-on. Plus, if I needed to whip them out on the plane, they were always within reach.

There is nothing worse than for a 2-year-old to ask for their blankie only to be told that it is in the underbelly of the plane. That was not something I wanted to try to explain to my toddler at 30,000 feet surrounded by complete strangers!

Necessities for the Airport and on the Plane

When you are traveling through the airport and flying on a plane with a toddler, there are a few items that are an absolute must. Aside from the things you traditionally have handy in your purse or diaper bag—snacks, diapers, wipes, and toys—you'll also want to think about how your child will be sitting on the plane. Here's my list of must-haves for the plane.

Snacks were the number one item that moms told me to pack, and that advice really paid off. I carefully packed all different types of shelf-stable snacks in her bento box lunchbox, and that kept her occupied before boarding and while in the sky.

If you don’t have a large bento-box style lunchbox , using a crafting box—or even a large weekly pill container—with many small compartments is a great way to separate snacks. Not only are you separating the snacks in an interesting way, but the novelty of having so many things to explore can keep your child occupied for a good bit of time.

I included mostly familiar snacks, as well as some new, yummy foods to spark her interest. We flew during her normal morning snack time, so she was hungry. Plus, it was fun for her to try new things. Get creative when packing snacks for your flight. You will be glad you did.

Wipes and Diapers

When you have a toddler, you can never have too many wipes. After all, there are diapers to change as well as messy fingers and faces to deal with. In my bag, I included travel packs of both gentle wipes for diaper changes and wiping her face as well as anti-bacterial wipes for cleaning the tray table, seat, and armrests.

You also want to be sure you have plenty of diapers during your travel time. Count out how many diaper changes you would normally need during that timeframe and then add a few more. You never know when your toddler will have a diaper malfunction.

To make things easier on me, I changed her diaper in the airport bathroom before each flight. I wanted to avoid changing her on the plane if I could. There's nothing worse than trying to navigate a tiny airplane bathroom with a fidgety toddler.

Changing Pads and Extra Clothes

Instead of using the travel changing pads that come in most diaper bags, I opted for disposable dog training pads. As weird as that might sound at first, they are great for bathroom changing tables.

By using these large pads, I didn't have to worry about transferring germs back into my bag. I just tossed them when I was done. Plus, they are great for mopping up water in a pinch in case of a spill.

Another thing to pack in your carry-on just in case? A change of clothes for both you and your child. Accidents happen and there is nothing worse than traveling 6 hours with food or other stains on your clothing.

Coloring or Drawing Tablet

Many people suggest bringing a coloring book and crayons on your trip. While this is a great idea, in theory, I don't know many toddlers that can be trusted with regular markers or crayons, including my 2-year-old.

For instance, on the first leg, we used a Melissa & Doug on-the-go coloring book. It came with regular markers, and even sitting right next to her, my daughter managed to color the tray table. On the way home, I spotted crayon marks on the window shade from a previous passenger, so I know all parents of young ones deal with this.

Similarly, the popular “Water Wow” coloring books claim to be mess-free, but my daughter quickly figured out how to unscrew the cap and promptly dumped water over her entire outfit. The best option, I learned on the way home, is to stick with something electronic while on the plane. You won’t lose any marker caps or risk the ink drying up. I opted for an electronic LCD tablet and it worked out great.

A Safety Device

For children flying on an airplane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends a Child Restraint System (CRS). If you chose to use a car seat, you’ll need to double-check the dimensions of the car seat and the airplane seat. I also strongly encourage you to you install the car seat in a window seat location.

If you choose to bring a car seat, you can have your child sit in the seat while traveling through the airport. Buy a travel cart specifically made to wheel a car seat or a special travel strap that attaches to your rolling luggage. Remember, children over 2 and children sitting in a car seat must have their own seat on the plane.

For me personally, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle my carry-on, our stroller, my toddler, and a car seat, so I opted for the CARES Child Safety Device . This is a seatbelt-like harness that is FAA-approved for children weighing between 22 and 44 pounds. It folds up and weighs less than 1 pound, so it’s not a burden to put in your carry-on. What's more, I was able to quickly install it on my own in under 2 minutes.

Stroller and Bag Cover

A travel stroller is a must in case your gate is the very last one in the terminal like mine was. Toddlers don’t tend to walk fast, so having a stroller is key to being on time. Before boarding, I folded the stroller and put it in a gate check bag . There was plenty of room left in the bag for coats or anything else I didn’t physically need with me in the cabin. I bought my gate check bag on Amazon for under $20.

I heard from other moms that gate check bags get quite dirty and sometimes rip due to rough handling, so I didn't want to spend too much. As you get to the jet bridge, fold your stroller and put it in the gate check bag (mine is bright red and says " gate check" in large letters ). The attendant will tag the bag.

Then, you just leave it at the bottom of the bridge, just before entering the plane. Most of the time, you can retrieve it after the flight in the same spot you left it, just after exiting the plane on the jet bridge. In certain instances, it may be sent to baggage claim, so be sure to listen for announcements. Gate checking strollers or car seats is a free service, so make sure you take advantage of it.

Backpack for Your Child

Although there are super cute rolling luggage options for kids, I knew I would get stuck wheeling my daughter’s suitcase while also trying to push her stroller. Instead, I opted for a “ busy backpack ,” which doubled as a toy as well as a backpack to hold sticker books , snacks, and her iPad.

Her busy backpack has snaps, buttons, a zipper, a faux shoelace, buckles, and colorful numbers printed on the straps. She LOVED carrying the backpack around because it gave her a sense of independence, and also really helped me out to have some extra packing space.

There are certain items I thought would be a must for traveling that I didn't end up needing. I definitely leaned on my daughter's iPad for a few moments of quiet time.

Meanwhile, some people swear by headphones, but I never used hers. In addition, placemats were something I thought would keep us safe from germs, but simply wiping her tray table down with a wipe was faster and easier. Here's what I could have left at home.

I bought special placemats with sticky edges for the tray table. When it comes down to it, you have just a couple of minutes to get situated and get your child occupied when you first get on the plane.

So, I didn’t bother using these placements—it was much quicker for me to just wipe down the table with an anti-bacterial wipe. These placemats might be helpful if you’re eating a full meal on the plane, but on my short trip, we only had snacks, so I would advise leaving them off your shopping list.

Though her iPad was a lifesaver, we did not use the headphones I brought along especially for this trip. First, she didn’t want to keep them on her head.

Second, the plane was so loud it provided built-in white noise and drowned out the sound of her iPad unless you were within a foot of the device. Furthermore, all the other passengers were wearing headphones, so I knew she wasn’t bothering anyone by having her iPad volume on low.

Preparing for a trip with your toddler can feel overwhelming. You never know if your child might get overwhelmed by a large population of people or feel claustrophobic on the small aircraft. Although you can't plan for everything, here are some additional tips that can help you survive traveling with your little one.

Have a Back-up Plan

I live in New York City, so I don’t own a car or a car seat. But, when we were leaving we were able to quickly and easily call an Uber with a car seat to go to the airport. However, when we landed at home, there were no cars with car seats available, and every car service was at least 2 hours away.

Eventually, I took the Air Train home (an option from both Newark and JFK in the New York area) but it was a long, unexpected, and difficult leg of my journey. Transferring to multiple trains with a 50-pound suitcase and a baby in a stroller was not easy.

That's why you need a backup plan in case things don’t go as scheduled. Rather than rely on Uber and public transportation, you may want to schedule a car service in advance for airport transfers or have someone meet you at the airport. Just make sure they have a car seat already installed if you're not traveling with yours.

Beware of Packaging

I bought some quiet, mess-free, sensory toys called Wikki Stix for the plane ride that were great. You can create an endless array of different shapes and the Stix have a textured feel that's not sticky.

However, I was surprised that the packaging was so loud and obnoxious. I would encourage you to open any new toys at home (away from your child) and repackage them in a less disruptive bag or box. There's nothing worse than crinkling plastic and packaging that disturbs those around you.

Wrap "Presents"

One thing that worked well for me was buying some small, new toys and trinkets and wrapping them in tissue paper. When my little one started getting fidgety, I would tell her I had a "present" for her. Not only was this a new and exciting toy, but the extra step of taking off the tissue paper added a few minutes to the experience.

I bought some small Blippi toy vehicles, Melissa & Doug's Lace and Trace pet set, and even wrapped a couple of sticker packs. Toys don't have to be expensive to be exciting. In fact, my mom famously tells me that I used to be most excited to individually unwrap an entire box of Band-Aids on long car rides.

It's normal to feel rushed when you have a little one. But, try not to stress over taking an extra minute to put your bag in the overhead or find your boarding pass in your giant purse. People are remarkably kind when they recognize that you are traveling alone with a little one.

Plus, take advantage of the early boarding with small children. This will give you extra time to get situated and you will feel less like you are holding people up. And, don't be afraid to ask for help—multiple people along my journey helped me with my luggage. Most likely, someone has been in your shoes before, and they will be eager to assist.

A Word From Verywell

Traveling alone is stressful to begin with, and can be especially worrisome if you have a tot in tow. We hope these tips help you plan for a less stressful trip so you can enjoy your vacation or trip with your little one.

Federal Aviation Administration. Flying with children .

The Car Seat Lady. Before you fly, know your rights !

By Dory Zayas Dory Zayas is a freelance beauty, fashion, and parenting writer. She spent over a decade writing for celebrity publications and since having her daughter in 2019, has been published on sites including INSIDER and Well+Good.

22 Tips For Surviving Long Flights With Kids

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Flying with kids is generally not an easy, breezy experience ― especially now. But there are ways to alleviate the stress.

We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share travel tips and hacks that have made long flights with kids more bearable.

Naturally, many parents offered some funny joke responses like “Put your children on a different flight”; “Buy the middle seat between two strangers” and “Vodka!” But others shared their real kid-tested wisdom.

Here are 22 travel hacks that have helped parents survive long flights with their children.

1. Get The Kids Involved In The Process

“Treat it as an adventure and get them involved and excited. Brainstorm on fun things they would like to do on the flight and then have them pack their backpacks accordingly.” ― Marie Nicole Feanny

“We had our daughter pick out her own activities. ... I truly think if the child is old enough to participate in the preparation, that gives them ownership and buy-in of the process.” ― Patty Bucklin

2. Use A Foldable Wagon Or Travelmate

“Get a foldable wagon for the airport. You can check it at the gate. It’s awesome for carrying all the stuff and the kids.” ― Colleen Turner

“ Go-Go Babyz so their carseat doubles as a stroller to get through airports easier.” ― Courtney Mae Klaus

3. Choose Your Seats Wisely

“When flying on Southwest or another airline where you get to choose your seat as you board, I try to sit next to a ‘grandma’ who makes eye contact and smiles when she sees my kids. They are usually a lot more likely to not mind if your kids cry at all, and are often even willing to lend a hand with helping (which is especially useful when flying solo with your kids).” ― Amanda Couture

“Try for the front row, so your kid doesn’t kick the seat and can sit on the floor and play.” ― Lauren Elizabeth Metzel

4. Take Care Of Their Ears

“Make sure they are suckling, drinking or chewing something during takeoffs and landing, to avoid ears hurting.” ― Isa Yosoyesa

“Depending on age, a pacifier, bottle for taking off/landing, lollipop, throat lozenges or gum can help relieve pressure.” ― Beth Spiegel

“For babies, have bottles and pacifiers for take off and landings (or nurse).” ― Marc Strawderman

5. Carry On Extra Clothes

“Always have an extra change of clothes for everyone, yourself included.” ― Victoria Acosta DeFelice

“When my daughter was younger we used to pack changes of clothes in Ziploc bags. In each bag was a nappy, a change of clothes and socks. Then, if there was an accident I could take out the Ziploc, change her and put the dirty clothes straight in the Ziploc and seal. It was also easier to grab hold of when in a hurry or in a confined space like an airplane.” ― Ellie Henry

6. Don’t Board Early

“We find it’s harder to keep them entertained on long flights when you sit for an additional 30 minutes while others board, so we wait towards the end of boarding to get on.” ― Heather Heavlin

7. Pack All Of The Snacks

“You can never have enough snacks.” ― Victoria Acosta DeFelice

“We pack a lunch box (minus the drink) so she has an actual ‘meal’ ― sandwich, chips, fruit. A few treats are also good.” ― Patty Bucklin

“For toddlers, bring plenty of snacks such as puffs.” ― Marc Strawderman

8. Engage In A Little Bribery

“Bribe them for good behavior. Granted this doesn’t necessarily work for babies. With that, just pack what you need, cross your fingers and hope for the best.” ― Marie Nicole Feanny

“Buy a new special small toy and tell them you have a surprise for them, but they only get it halfway through the trip, and only if they behave.” ― Jessica Kohoutek Behzad

9. Pick Up New Toys And Books

“I liked to pick up fun things, like small toys/games, stickers, books, etc., leading up to the trip. I would pack my son’s favorite stuffed animal and a blanket in his travel backpack, along with all the new things he had never seen before. We usually had enough fun things in there to keep him happy and occupied both to and from our destination.” ― Julie Turnbull Syers

“For my toddler, I always make a trip to the dollar store and buy $15-$20 worth of throw-away toys that she’s never seen before. Each time she’s getting restless, I pull out something new. I almost never make it through the whole stash.” ― Erin McDaniel

“Save prizes from Happy Meals or pick up some silly cheap ones from the dollar store.” ― Erin Columbare

“Activities and toys that haven’t been seen before or in a while are good.” ― Lisa White Polakowski

10. Try The Raisin Trick

“We use lots of little things in plastic boxes or wrapped up in wrapping paper. One of our favorite things has been a small pot of raisins ― it can be a shaker as long as lid is secure, you can use it to count the raisins, you can give a few at a time to last longer, and smaller children will have fun taking the lid off and putting it back on again. We had this as the only entertainment for our 2-year-old on a very delayed flight which was only supposed to be a 79-minute flight and it kept her busy for hours!” ― Lorraine Calvert

11. Find Toys That Interact With The Plane

“ Window clings are great to play with on the windows.” ― Erin McDaniel

“ Toys that have to do with the airplane itself are great.” ― Colleen Turner

12. Invest In Mess-Free Coloring Books

“ Melissa & Doug’s Water Wow books are great for travel.” ― Lisa White Polakowski

“ Crayola Color Wonder is great as it doesn’t mark on anything but the special paper.” ― Molly Kilkenny

13. Break Your Screen Time Rules

“Let them watch the video screens or tablets. It’s fine.” ― Jamie Martin

“Download movies on their tablet and bring their own headphones.” ― Victoria Acosta DeFelice

“Make sure your electronics are fully charged! Otherwise, you risk having an exhausted, whiny kid in a 3-hour customs line! ― Tatyana Fisher

14. Bring Simple Yet Dynamic Toys

“ Pipe cleaners are good for at least an hour of fun ― making sculptures, inventions, and jewelry.” ― Cindy Rathgeber

“Fan favorites with our kiddos are painter’s tape and dollar spot Band-Aids ― fun to play with and they don’t damage anything when it’s time to clean up!” ― Julie Eberhart Morrow

“My son loves tape and string and things to attach. It keeps him busy and creative and within his seat.” ― Beth Spiegel

“Toys with buckles and clips are awesome.” ― Colleen Turner

15. Buy Sticker Books

“I bring sticker books (wrapped as presents).” ― Claudia De Alba-Larios

“ Melissa & Doug has reusable sticker books.” ― Jamie Martin

16. Use Pacifier Clips To Avoid Losing Toys

“ Paci clips for all toys for babies and toddlers.” ― Sarah Samad Callton

17. Give Your Kids Small Backpacks

“Let each kid carry a small backpack with the things they would want most so they can easily access their stuff ― books, stuffed animal, blanket, snacks, etc.” ― Victoria Acosta DeFelice

“Each kid should have in their own backpack a change of clothes, snacks, headphones and toys.” ― Aruna Radhakrishna

18. Forgo The Lap Seat If Possible

“No lap children. Transatlantic and transpacific flights have turbulence that’s hard to predict and prepare for. Don’t let your baby’s head hit the ceiling and risk injury. Arrange for them to have a carseat and their own seat.” ― Rachel Mace

19. Don’t Forget About Sleep Schedules

“Try to get them to the airport well rested, so they don’t get overtired and wired up during the boarding process. Then protect their ears during take off and hopefully they fall asleep quickly.” ― Isa Yosoyesa

“Try not to skip or delay naps because that’s when babies and toddlers are most likely to have meltdowns.” ― Erin McDaniel

“If your kids don’t sleep on planes, try to fly in their normal waking hours, and pay more for flights that are more convenient, with less stops.” ― Aruna Radhakrishna

20. Make A Peace Offering To Your Neighbors

“Funny little gifts for your neighbors on the flight, like a pair of ear plugs and some chocolate.” ― Colleen Turner

“I bought the lady in front of me a drink!” ― Tracy Deakin

21. Manage Expectations

“I feel like you need to prepare as much as possible and then go into it with the right attitude. Go into it thinking that it very well may be an exhausting rough day, and since you know that you are going to keep your attitude and mood positive and steady no matter what. And then if all little ones do well, you will be pleasantly surprised.” ― Jessica Kohoutek Behzad

“Don’t ever expect them to sleep on a plane, even if it’s a red eye or their normal nap time. If they fall asleep, FANTASTIC, but you don’t want to be unprepared on a super long flight because you thought they’d be sleeping most of the time. Make plans for what you’re going to do if they stay awake the whole time. That goes for babies too.” ― Tina Schumacher Gess

22. Breathe

“Relax. Know that other parents have done it and survived. ... And even though you want to be aware of the other passengers, your child has as much right to his seat (and space) as any other passenger. Staying calm is essential.” ― Claudia De Alba-Larios

Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Long haul flights with toddlers: your essential SURVIVAL GUIDE

Posted on Last updated: 21 March 2024

Honest, down-to-earth advice on travelling with toddlers on long haul flights.

So first of all, a brutally honest admission… a long haul flight with toddlers can be tough. You board the plane, casting apologetic smiles to your fellow passengers. Some smile back, others appear sympathetic, a few look terrified. Almost everyone is secretly trying to check your boarding pass to see where you are sitting. Console yourself that it was probably you once.

You may be guilty of pre-judging as well, admit it. Check out those childless travellers with their gently reclined seats, earphones plugged in listening to a band you’d have liked three years ago, a book they’ll never read resting on their knee. Take our advice and ignore them when they casually order their fifth mini-bottle of wine.

Despite all of this, a long haul flight with toddlers is manageable and you have the reward of awesome travel memories to outweigh the challenges, so read on!

Check out our article for surviving jet lag with kids . 

As parents, your task is to keep your little people as content, calm and cooperative as physically possible whilst in the air. Easier said than done. Normal parenting rules that you may follow at home, must, ahem… fly out the window.

This is a FLIGHT SURVIVAL guide for travelling with toddlers on long haul flights. Including the best toys for toddlers on plane, the best airplane snacks for toddlers, and lots of ideas for how to entertain toddlers on a plane. For even smaller travellers, check out these tips for flying with a baby , where you will also find tips on airplane bassinets . 

Top tips for travelling with toddlers on long haul flights

1. don’t board too early .

Airlines give priority boarding to families but this is often up to an hour before the flight takes off. Ignore those muffled announcements and stay where you are. This is an extra hour of unnecessary entertainment and you don’t want to use up all your tricks before they even start the engines.

2. Get the bassinet seats as they provide more room 

This should be possible if travelling with an under-2 and it’ll help if you arrive at check-in early. The baby/toddler can then play on the seat, while one parent glamorously sits on the floor. Suggested games include: seat-buckle game (locking and unlocking seat belt), the window shutter game (Up and down. Up and down. You get it.)… and finally the advanced earphone-socket-game (trying to get that jack into the socket).

3. Pack light and only have one cabin bag for the whole family 

This bag is ideally a rucksack so you still have two hands free. In it pack:

• kids’ tablet
• kids’ magazines – we love the CBEEBIES ones
• 10 in 1 colour pen – rather than a selection of pens and their lids that you’re forever picking up
• paperback books (new for novelty value!)
• sticker book (again new) – peel off the section around the stickers so that it’s easier for little fingers to remove the stickers
• a full pack of biodegradable wipes
• formula etc (if you use)
• breastpads (for breastfeeding mums)
• snacks (see below)
• travel potty
• 1 beaker to share
• 1 change of clothes for each child
• comforters.

Note that there’s no need to take regular cow’s milk on-board. Good airlines (and some of the bad ones) supply it and will happily heat it up for you. Just ensure you give them about 15mins advanced warning as, for some reason, this is how long it takes at 30,000 feet. Must be the altitude…

Oh and don’t pack books for yourself. It’s just not going to happen.

4. Pack a travel potty 

Sod’s law your little one needs to pee when the seat belt signs are on. And however much you beg the air steward, everyone must stay seated. With a travel potty they can slyly do the business in their seat. We actually had to do this on one flight and it worked a treat. Thankfully it wasn’t a no2.

These foldable travel potties are very handy. Although boys can use an empty plastic bottle if needs be (no judgement – this is an emergency situation!)

• At the park? On the road? On vacation? The comfy do is a handy solution to give immediate relief to…
• Fits easily in any bag, quick to assemble, stable to use and simple to dispose of
• Hygienic, no-mess, comfortable travel potty for kids 2-6 years old, up to 65 lbs. Especially…
• A kit contains: 1 multiple-use, folding cardboard potty and, 4 single-use liners
• Once the 4 liners are finished, you can continue use the potty with any available liners as, reused…

5. Snacks 

Raisins, biscuits, satsumas in tupperware box and sandwiches work well for us. Nothing that squishes, can spill, gets messy or takes up too much space. Lolllies (yes, that sugar-high powerball on a stick) work very well for take-off and landing.

But if your little one(s) is asleep for landing/take-off (you lucky parent!), don’t wake them to feed or suck on a lolly. Let them be. They don’t feel the change of air pressure when they sleep.

6. Best toys for toddlers on plane

Parents main concern when doing a long haul flights with toddlers is how best to how to entertain a toddler on a plane. A word of warning… DO NOT pack lots of small little toys to bring out throughout the flight. They will last for 30 seconds each and you will have a nightmare scrummaging around the floor trying to find and collect them all.

If you’ve followed our advice above, you will have magazines, sticker books, reading books and the tablets. You honestly don’t need any more toys.

You can always get creative with some items on board your flight:

• sick bag puppets – draw on funny faces and put on a show
• tower building – get some plastic cups from the cabin crew, decorate with stickers from sticker book and build
• straws and spoons (again from your favourite cabin crew member) are always a big hit with the teethers – make bracelets and necklaces from straws, the straw-sucking game (tear up little pieces from inflight magazine and place in one plastic cup, pick one up by sucking through straw and transfer to another plastic cup)… There’s so much more we could list. Think we need to write a whole separate blog on this!

7. Screen time 

Allow your kids as much screen time as they desire, and then some. No judgement here! Get them a kids’ tablet (ideally one each in the same colour to avoid endless negotiations) and load it with all their favourite TV shows, games (the CBEEBIES app is fab!) and e-books. And let them play around with the camera, taking photos of view out of the window and then talking about what they can see.

8. Aisle walking 

Time this carefully around trolley service. This easily fills 20 minutes. And stop by the toilet to stand on (and jump off) the baby changing table for a change of scenery. It honestly works.

9. Make friends with the cabin crew 

You’re going to have some demands and you need them on your side. They may even play with your little one for a minute to give you a well-deserved break.

10. Make friends with other parents with kids the same age 

Very easy to do this on an aisle walk. And hopefully your kid finds a play buddy!

11. Schedule breaks between parents 

Amazing how a 10 minute breather at the back of the plane can refocus for the next window shutter game. If you’re travelling as a single parent, don’t feel bad asking one of the cabin crew to watch the kids whilst you ‘go pee’.

12. Nap when the kids nap 

This has been drilled in to you since you had your first baby. You never adhered to this rule at home as there is always washing, picking up toys, emails to catch up on etc. You have none of those distractions at 30,000ft. Plus, if you are flying with toddler on lap, well you’re kinda stuck.

Treat yourselves to a beer, then put your feet up and shut your eyes. I know you want to tuck into a film, but you will waste 10 mins deciding what to watch, 5 mins waiting for replacement earphones as yours, surprisingly, don’t work (damn that earphone-socket-game), get 8 mins into it and… ‘waaaaaaa’.

Final thoughts on surviving a long haul flight with toddlers

Depending on the ages of your little ones you may find none, one, some, or all of these long haul flight with toddler tips helpful – we hope it’s the latter! And if all else fails, just remember that long-haul flights are temporary, but the great travel memories you’ll create when you reach your destination last a lifetime.

Don’t let long haul travel with toddler, put you off doing that trip. Our boys have now grown out of the toddler stage, but whilst they were toddlers and we weren’t tied down to expensive school holidays we flew all across Asia and Africa with them.

And just remember, yes flying with a toddler has it’s challenges. But it is just a stage and it does  gradually get easier.

You may also like to read: How we afford to travel Surviving jetlag with kids Best family travel destinations

How to Take a Road Trip With a Toddler

Fact-checking standards, latest update:, tips for taking a road trip with a toddler, consider your departure time, plan for breaks, read this next, map your route, bring out the entertainment big guns, but don't hand everything over at once, alternate drivers, if possible, prepare for queasiness, expect some stress, road trip essentials for toddlers, personal care items, entertainment, toddler comforts, best snacks for a road trip with a toddler, toddler road trip activities.

Long car trips with toddlers can certainly be taxing, and reaching your destination will likely take longer. But with a little advanced planning (and plenty of breaks!), you can navigate the inevitable speed bumps and reach your destination with a happy passenger. 

What to Expect the Second Year , Heidi Murkoff.  WhatToExpect.com, 9 Fun Travel Games for Kids on the Go , October 2021.  WhatToExpect.com, Healthy Snack Ideas for Toddlers , February 2021.  WhatToExpect.com, Toddler Air Travel: What to Know Before You Fly , January 2019.  American Academy of Pediatrics, Is It Safe for My Baby to Travel in a Car Seat a Few Hours At a Time? , August 2021.  American Academy of Pediatrics, Travel Safety Tips , August 2018.  KidsHealth From Nemours, Staying Healthy While You Travel , January 2021.   

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35 Baby Travel Tips | Infant to 1-Year-Old + Minimalist Baby Packing List

Posted on October 10, 2017 Last modified on August 28, 2023 By Beth

I have been working on this guide for a year. This is all of the knowledge I’ve accumulated from traveling with Eula during the first year of her life. Before her first birthday she’d been on over 40 flights and to at least 10 countries. I lose exact count, to be honest. We’ve dealt with sickness on the road, jet lag, packing, blow outs, missed flights, you name it. And it’s all been fine. After over a year of traveling with a baby I can say with complete honesty that it’s totally worth it and totally doable.

Yes, it’s harder. Of course it’s freaking harder. Not having a baby vs. having a baby. You do the math. But it’s not that hard. When it is hard just remember, this too shall pass. Have a relaxed, what happens happens attitude. No flight ever lasted forever, no crying spell either, no cold, no jet lag. If you’re the sort of person that would get totally freaked or exhausted or just generally not enjoy yourself over a crappy night’s sleep or on the road inconvenience, then maybe it isn’t the life for you.

But if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you value travel, and in that case, it’s worth it. Totally. Babies love to watch the world go by, and ours was always happiest on the move and meeting new people. Keep reading below for my tips & experiences, packing list, a list of favorite gear, and for photos of Eula’s first year growing up on the road! Keep in mind, what worked for us won’t work for everyone, but this is what we did.

Table of Contents

35 Tips for Travel with a Baby Under 1 Year Old

Get the bassinet on long haul flights & an aisle seat at the front of the plane on shorter flights., when can baby safely travel, take as little baby gear as possible., wear your baby., pack light., don’t travel with a lifetime supply of diapers., breastfeed if you can., rent a car with a carseat when you can., not renting a car take the train., eat dinner early., look into local baby sitter or nanny services for date nights or other baby free times., know when to call it., priority boarding, security, and customs: use them with impunity, protocol for going through security varies by airport,  ask for a crib at the hotel or airbnb., rain noise and other sounds on your phone., dave and ava, magic fingers, musical hands: baby show app & baby games apps for phone or ipad., trash can be toys, babies need passports too, even when flying with infant in arms, sometimes there’s a fee., have travel insurance and know where to find the local doctor / emergency room at your destination., blow outs. they happen., on that note…do laundry while on the road., there are huge benefits to traveling with a baby under 1, baby jetlag is real, but you can cope if you plan for it and mentally accept it., gate check strollers and car seats., there are pros and cons to both hotels and airbnb’s/apartments., don’t worry too much over the “nap schedule”., request an empty seat next to you on the plane., be smart and clean, but let the germaphobia go the older they get., you can change a diaper anywhere., babies don’t need a ton of baths, and sinks & buckets work fine., easy flights are worth spending a little more on if you can afford to., move around less., introducing food at 6 months on the road, a bit of our experience..

Eula actually clocked in 6 months old in Morocco, and we waited to let her try solids until Paris just because we didn’t want to take any chances with food born illness. Now at 13 months, I happily let her nibble off of my street food here (I’m writing this from my friend Emma’s flat in Marrakech!) Once we did introduce food, we let her try things at her own pace and we really let local norms guide us. If local children ate it, we let her eat it. I still avoid giving her raw foods (like salad) in countries where the water isn’t very clean because not only is the food not cooked to kill bacteria, it’s washed in the water. That said, I make an exception for fruit with skins and things that can be peeled.

Minimalist Baby Packing List

The diaper bag + carry on packing list.

• Baby Carrier – see the gear list below for faves
• Extra Clothes  – for everyone, mom & dad include — babies blow out, enough said (this was a bigger problem 4-7 months, after which it pretty much stopped)
• Extra Sling – we use a more structured carrier but carry a cloth sling like a Solly Wrap as a back up (in case of blow out emergency) because it’s compact.
•   “Toys” – something amusing for baby, we usually carried a *very* few items that we knew would amuse her and used found objects as the rest (can’t get away with pretending trash is a toy forever, so might as well while you can!)
• Blanket  – handy to cover them up when sleeping on long haul flights or to give them a spot to sit on the floor (I don’t recommend a sleep sack for this because it can be tricky to get them in it once asleep on a plane)
• Snacks – For older babies that have started solids. Fruit, yogurt, bars, all good. I never thought I’d be a pouch carrying mom, but the organic food pouches that have nothing in them but actual food and a bit off water are amazing for travel. And if they are over the 100 mL limit, security usually makes an exception for baby food. I love the brand Smowl, but I don’t know if you can get it in the states. You can probably order them online. They make baby smoothies in pouches with coconut milk, quinoa, fruit. She loves them.
• Pacifier & pacifier clip + back up
• Zip locks bags / trash bag –  for dirty diapers and soiled clothing
• Dedicated Changing Blanket –  we like the Solly swaddling blankets for this as they fold up really compact though something fluffier would probably be more comfortable/absorbant.
• Hand Sanitizer/Disinfecting Wipes –  I like the ones that smell like lavender! But anything will do.
• Stroller  – optional  We didn’t often take one when she was small but we use it more the older she gets. My recommendation is below on the gear list.
• Carseat – optional –  I would only bring this if I had to, and so far I haven’t had to, so I’ve never travelled with one. When she is older and in her own seat, we might. Whatever you do, make sure your carseat clips into your stroller. The last thing you want to do is haul a carseat around by hand. Just no. There are many adapters available that make many carseat/stroller combos compatible.

For the Suitcase  – We prefer Away Bags!

• baby safe sunscreen (if going to a sunny destination)
• small hand breast pump (for nights out!)
• a couple of glass bottles for storing and serving milk
• nose aspirator (babies are nose breathers!)
• bed of some sort 
• medical supplies – bandaids, thermometer, diaper cream, Tylenol for fever if you use it, cornstarch (instead of baby powder)
• baby clothes (jammies, outfits, bonnets, bibs, shoes, sweaters & jackets if cold)
• sleep sack or swaddler (ours never liked to be swaddled so a sleep sack keeps her from kicking blankets off and is safer for little babies)
• a few days worth of diapers & wipes
• extra blankets

My Favorite Gear

• Lenny Lamb – (we used up until about 8 months)
• Ergo Baby 360° (used 8 months+)
• Solly Wrap (used first 3 months and as back up)
• Solly Swaddle blanket (used as changing blanket)
• Fog Linen, Ellie Funday, and Willaby Clothier blankets – we travel with these 3
• Natural Pacifiers
• Wild Creek Co Pacifier Clip
• BabyZen YoYo 0+ Stroller – This is my absolute favorite stroller for travel. It folds up compact enough to fit in an overhead bin (though you can gate check it if you like), has a sizeable undercarriage, and is so easy to fold up and pop out (for a stroller anyway). Can’t recommend highly enough. You can use it from infancy with the bassinet attachment and switch to the seat once they’re big enough). It also can adapt to many carseats, and has wonderful accessories for different weather conditions like rain, cold, and sun. You may notice she’s in a Stokke Xplory in the photos, and that’s because we use it around town sometimes. But the BabyZen YoYo is it for travel.
• Nuna Pipa Carseat
• Philips Avent Glass Baby Bottles – we traveled with 2-3 of these so I would have something to store and serve milk in when I pumped for nights or lunches out when we had a sitter or during long work days
• Medela Harmony Breast Pump – compact, great. I loved this.
• NoseFrida – a lifesaver when baby has a stuffy nose!
• KidCo Peapod Tent – this has been her travel bed since she was 4 months old. It is amazing, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. So light weight and compact. And so much easier than lugging around a pack n’ play. Plus you can pop it at the airport, beach, anywhere! It’s just a great little baby tent.
• Away Suitcases – the best. Choose the size that best suits your needs. Now that we have the baby and because of my work gear we usually travel with 2 carry-ons or 1 carry-on and the medium sized one. In addition to that we have 2 camera/laptop backpacks and my purse/diaper bag.
• Jet Kids Bed Box – okay, I don’t have this. And I didn’t need it because we don’t purchase a seat for her yet. But when we do, I’m definitely going to get this. It’s a suitcase that turns into a freaking bed on a plane for a baby. I can’t say 100% if it’s awesome because I haven’t tried it, but it *sounds* awesome and certainly looks to be.
• In the Pocket Baby Seat – I’ve also never tried this but someone recommended it in the comments and it looks great! Thanks Camilla!

My name is Beth, Elizabeth Evelyn to be exact. A native Tennessean, I was born in the South.

I am the author behind Local Milk Blog.

Local milk is a journal devoted to home cookery, travel, family, and slow living—to being present & finding sustenance of every kind.

It’s about nesting abroad & finding the exotic in the everyday.

Most of all it’s about the perfection of imperfections and seeing the beauty of everyday, mundane life.

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From relaxing escapes with your infant to deep cultural immersions upon college graduation, here are travel ideas for families with children at any stage.

Once a traveler, always a traveler. There are folks who believe a baby doesn't have to change a thing about a couple's lifestyle, and others who subscribe to the exact opposite theory. But all can agree on one thing: Those who loved traveling before expanding their family likely dream of continuing to explore the world, little ones in tow. One of the most exciting parts of having children, after all, is the way they enrich and amplify almost every experience. Then, of course, there's the awe-inspiring discovery that goes along with watching curious youngsters see and try new things, from delicious foods to beautiful cultures.

Knowing which places around the globe are most appropriate for kids as they grow into and out of different phases can be tough to anticipate. And yes, it's more daunting to fly or contend with jet lag at certain ages. It's true, too, that as little ones become big, trips become more expensive. But all the challenges are far outweighed by the collective joy that's possible on a family vacation, especially one tailored to the brood's developmental stage and interests.

Here, with the help of a few travel experts, we break it down by age group, pairing each with a dreamy destination for exposure to the wondrous world and maximum family fun.

Infants (Ages 0-1): A Mexican Beach Resort

You'll hear it from every parent: Travel while your baby is just that — a baby — because it'll never be easier. Once they start walking, all bets are off. True, you're likely sleep deprived, but doesn't that make it the perfect time to hop on a short flight to Mexico for some R&R and vitamin D?

When planning a first vacation with an infant, Indagare CEO and founder Melissa Biggs Bradley says, "You'll want a warm location with a direct flight, a big beach since infants are still too young to enjoy a kids club, and easy access to good medical care in case of an ear infection or anything more serious."

Expect to bring way too much gear, but don't worry — any parent will empathize. A family-friendly resort in a development like the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita (for West Coasters) or Rosewood Mayakoba (for East Coasters) is a great bet since they'll happily provide the comforts of home (think: crib, mini fridge for milk, high chair, baby bathtub, or diaper pail), meaning you can focus your packing around sun protection and adorable tropical ensembles for your baby. They're also likely to offer babysitting services, in case you'd like to have dinner one night after 7 p.m. As for the new parent exhaustion, a soft, sandy beach is an idyllic place to catch up on Zs, for all of you. There's a reason sound machines come with a blue noise option — the gentle lapping of waves could lull anyone right to sleep.

Toddlers (Ages 1-4): The Island of Hawai'i

To a toddler, there's excitement to be found everywhere. They're like mini explorers, captivated by virtually every landscape and situation. Young kids who have just discovered the freedom of walking, running, and swimming will find pure magic in the Hawaiian islands. The coral reefs, beautiful beaches , Polynesian culture, soulful storytelling, near-perfect weather, and wildlife such as dolphins, whales, and sea turtles hold plenty of appeal for adults, yes, but also for toddlers.

The island of Hawai'i, specifically, offers a diversity of stunning environments, from stark and surreal lava flows to lush waterfalls, as well as resorts with little to no crowds. Mauna Lani , part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, with its ancient royal fishponds, outrigger canoes, and calm beach, exemplifies the family-forward approach. Their Holoholo Kids Crew offers thoughtful programming (think: crab hunting, Hawaiian language lessons, petroglyph walks, and natural dyeing, stamping, and feather art). And while it's designed for ages five to 12, three and four year olds can also attend with their parents (a great excuse for grown-ups to experience all the fun, too). Uncle Danny, the resort's cultural gatekeeper whose domain is the vibrant "house of knowledge," is wonderful with children.

"Many Hawaii resorts have protected ponds where you can take your toddlers into the ocean," says Biggs Bradley. "You can enjoy whale-watching cruises, and, in their later toddler years, they'll appreciate learning about the wildlife, maybe attend lei-making classes, or just relaxing by the pool or on the beach."

Elementary School (Ages 5-10): Rome, Italy

Once your kids have reached school age, they begin to hear a little more about the world around them. Basic elementary school lessons typically include ancient Rome, the Colosseum , and gladiators, says Biggs Bradley, so a trip to Rome "will further engage them in the touring, since what they've learned in school will be brought to life."

There are countless exciting activities available for kiddos, and even picky eaters will find something they love in the boot-shaped country known for pizza, pasta, and gelato. "Pizza- and gelato-making experiences are a must," says Access Italy CEO Simone Amorico, who adds that kids love making ceramics and mosaics, too. He says other can't-miss activities include, "treasure hunts in the Vatican and the Villa Borghese, where they can also ride a four-wheel bike and stop for picnics."

Meanwhile, the fairytale-like Hotel Eden is an ideal base for Roman excursions, and it's not far from Teatro Verde, a theater for puppet shows and musicals, the Explora Children's Museum, and Bartolucci, a traditional wooden toy shop where you can find Pinocchio. "At this age, a typical family tour can be boring, as they tune out and can't wait to leave," says Scott Dunn USA president John Spence. "We had our kids attend a Roman gladiator school so they could gain hands-on lessons in fighting techniques and reenact life as an ancient gladiator — they loved it."

Tweens (Ages 11-13): A Montana Dude Ranch

Between the ages of 11 and 13, kids, or tweens, will likely want some autonomy, but they also need boundaries. A dude ranch or guest ranch encompassing hundreds of acres of pristine, wide-open space makes for a wonderful compromise.

"When kids are in their early teenage years, there is nothing better than a vacation that combines adventure with something new," says Spence. "Watching our kids step outside of their element — horseback riding on mountainside cliffs or even just hiking in the beautiful Montana nature — is one of the best parts of being a parent."

Visiting a 10-square-mile property like The Ranch at Rock Creek — with a slew of included activities like fly fishing, cross-country mountain biking, photography classes, sapphire mining, and horse roping lessons — is quite a novelty for many families. Most kids, however unique their interests, will be able to find something they are stoked about. The younger ones can also attend Flint's Forest Rangers Kids Club (ages four to 12), which offers pre-booked excursions such as wildlife spotting and treasure hunting. Families can come together in the property's western-style bar for bowling, table tennis, and karaoke, too.

And perhaps the best part about Montana, home to dozens of guest ranches, is that it's gorgeous and fun year-round. It's a winter wonderland worthy of a snow globe and, at The Ranch at Rock Creek, cold-weather options include skiing (downhill and cross-country), sledding, ice skating, hockey, and snowmobiling. Expect smiles 24/7.

Teenagers (Ages 14-17): An African Safari

"It is all about the thrill of experiencing something so different from what they've ever seen before," says Extraordinary Journeys ' founder and CEO Elizabeth Gordon of taking the kids on an African safari.

Biggs Bradley adds, "Safaris are a huge area of passion for me, and I was eager to open my kids' eyes to them when they were young. The sweet spot to take children on their first safari is after 14 because by then you can ensure they will really remember the experience. They'll be able to sit in a vehicle for long periods of time and likely won't be nervous about sleeping in a tent." Plus, many camps also don't allow kids under 12 years old.

A safari is a special experience for a family to encounter together, witnessing an exciting array of animals in their natural habitat — not to mention beautiful traditions and cultures, too. "An amazing guide will teach [the kids] about tracking, get them to think like a detective, and figure out what may have happened in the area by looking at footprints," says Gordon.

As Biggs Bradley says of Kenya, "Cultural exchange is key. The opportunity for kids to meet and interact with Maasai people, for example, can be an incredibly memorable part." Properties like Sirikoi , Basecamp Explorer 's circuit, and Angama Mara provide beautiful immersion along with amazing sightings of the world's rarest species.

Another perk? Since Wi-Fi is often sparse or unavailable, families can unplug from technology and simply enjoy being together out in the bush. For even more adventure, consider adding on gorilla trekking in Rwanda (the pricier option) or Uganda (more affordable), especially if doing a safari in nearby Kenya.

College (Ages 18-21): Queenstown, New Zealand

Once kids have gone off to college, it can take a pretty enticing offer to pull them back into the fold for family vacations. Queenstown, New Zealand, is one such attractive proposition. Known as the "adventure capital of the world," it's the kind of all-season destination that offers a scene for everyone — plus, English is the main language spoken.

The birthplace of bungee jumping is home to countless thrills, from exhilarating jumps ( AJ Hackett Bungy from the Kawarau Bridge is the classic choice) to parasailing on bright blue Lake Wakatipu. "Families will love helicopter flights over the Tasman Glacier and along Milford Sound on a sunny winter day, or careening around the bends of the Shotover Canyon on a jet boat in the summer," says Gordon of this "quintessential playground."

For anyone who's not quite as much an adrenaline junkie, there are many hiking — known there as tramping — trails that reveal jaw-dropping panoramas. "New Zealand is a dream destination for a family who loves nature, landscapes, and, of course, adventure," says Biggs Bradley, adding that skydiving, rafting, caving, and fly fishing are also draws.

In the winter, Queenstown's mountains are home to epic skiing and snowboarding. The town itself is walkable and safe, with plenty of places to enjoy a sundowner, lovely meal, or the nightlife. With the kids becoming adults (and the local drinking age being 18), there's also the option to take a day for wine tasting at some of the island country's top vineyards in the Central Otago region about 45 minutes away by car.

To allow your young adults some freedom, try a couple rooms at the boutique QT Queenstown , which is full of art, quirk, and large windows showcasing the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu.

College Graduates (Age 22 and Up): Japan

By the time they've graduated college, many young adults will be ready to dive, respectfully, into a culture as exquisite as Japan's. "Japan is a country you want to travel to when you know your family will truly be able to appreciate what it has to offer," says Biggs Bradley, pointing out the opportunity for deep cultural immersion in food and drink, museums, temples, and shrines.

In a place where there's a fine art to everything from making tea and arranging flowers to lighting incense, it's best to ensure all parties are prepared to be well-behaved and gracious guests. A more mature — or adventurous — palate is also helpful for fully enjoying all of Japan's culinary treasures. Spence calls it "the perfect place for post-graduates who want new experiences," and Japan certainly excels at providing those.

Tokyo is a dynamic urban center where exploration yields unimaginable exploits. A different energy pervades Kyoto's quieter neighborhoods of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, bamboo forests, and famous geisha districts. ( InsideJapan offers wonderful private tours led by local experts.) "Our kids loved trains, making the bullet train around Japan one of the best parts of the trip," says Spence.

Getting around is indeed a no-brainer — trains and buses are always precisely on time, people are friendly and willing to help despite language barriers, and there are many appealing regions (prefectures) with special attributes, such as places known for sake, hot springs (onsen), and art.

Staying in a traditional ryokan is a must, and the fourth-generation Japanese-owned Hoshinoya portfolio includes several luxury options. One of the most memorable additions to the cities, however, is a couple of days near Mount Fuji, where Hoshinoya Fuji offers spectacular views of the elusive volcano alongside exceptional local cuisine and rugged outdoorsy activities, including a food smoking workshop, canoeing, and e-biking. At the end of the day, there's no better place for a globe-trotting family to relax and share stories than around a bonfire under the stars, with live acoustic music, s'mores, and Japanese whisky.

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Are We There Yet? 10 Tips for Surviving Long Haul Flights With Kids

There's flying with kids and then there is surviving long-haul flying with kids. Any amount of time in a small enclosed tube flying through the sky with little ones can be a challenge. However, the challenge is quite different on a two- or three-hour flight than on one that requires up to 18 hours of flying, such as what's necessary on the world's current longest route that stretches 9,500 miles from New York to Singapore . Think about everything you have done in the last 18 hours — likely sleeping, going to work, taking the kids places, cooking, eating, working out, watching TV, etc. Now imagine spending that entire amount of time sitting in an airplane seat next to your kid(s).

Even if you don't choose to fly on the world's longest route with your kids, you may still find yourself on a long-haul route at some point. No matter how many times you have flown on a flight of six hours or less with kids, once you get toward 12 hours or more, it is a bit of a different ballgame. An iPad and a movie can do the trick for many kids on a domestic flight, but you are going to need to dig deeper into that bag of tricks once your travel radius expands .

To help you survive long-haul flights with your kids, we gathered the top 10 tips from our own TPG Family contributors as well from the TPG Family Facebook Group . And no, none of the tips involve surviving by having that third glass of wine, giving your kids sleeping meds (talk to your doc about that one) or never leaving home. You can do this and, as always, we're here to help.

Fly at Night

A flight lasting 12+ hours will include some daytime hours no matter what you do. But, whenever possible, try to schedule a chunk of your long-haul flight at night. Even if your child only sleeps for five or six hours during the "night," that still gets you thousands of miles closer to your destination. When we fly to Europe, the ideal flight for us leaves in the evening around 7pm or 8pm. Most likely there will be an hour or two of meal service after takeoff with the lights on, and then the flight is lights-out until close to landing.

It's All About the Empty Middle Seat

Mom of two, Angelina Aucello , tells TPG that after successfully flying with two little kids for almost 24 hours from New York to Singapore (via Japan) in economy, she became much more confident about long-haul family travel. Her No. 1 tip is that "empty middle seats are everything!"

She recommends stalking the seat map up until an hour before departure to try and secure some extra wiggle room. For traveling families of four like hers, Aucello recommend booking the aisle and the window seat of rows directly behind each other and pray that the middle stays open. You can then designate one parent to one kid for the duration of the flight. (This also helps with sibling rivalry such as fighting over snacks, activities, etc.) For sleeping, the kids slept more soundly once they were able to stretch out an lay down across the seats.

Another traveling mom of two, Terry Ward, similarly says that, "The wisest thing you can do when traveling with young kids on long-haul flights is to give yourself the luxury of traveling in low season." Her children are not yet school aged, so she recommends doing your long-haul travel after school starts in the fall, when you're far more likely to find wide-open planes and plenty of room to stretch out without paying for an extra seat for a lap infant .

Pack Those Snacks — Really

I'll admit to not always packing very many snacks for my kids when we travel on a two- or three-hour flight. However, long-haul flying is a different ballgame and you need to pack like you are going into the wilderness. That doesn't mean packing the kitchen sink, but it does mean strategically bringing things that will keep your kids full and happy.

Aucello reminds us that airplane food (especially in economy) on long-haul flights isn't the most appetizing, so it's critical to bring an overload of snacks in case your child refuses to eat (or is asleep) during meal service. She also recommends sneaking in a few "treats" to remind them that flying is a special occasion and to help reward them for their "best behavior."

We probably don't have to tell you to be sure all electronic gadgets are fully charged, but even a fully charged battery won't last more than a few hours. Not every seat has working in-flight charging capabilities, so packing a backup charger is a very good idea.

Walk the Aisles

When TPG Senior Miles and Points writer JT Genter recently flew on the world's longest flight from Singapore to New York , he logged almost 2.5 miles of walking during his 18 hours on the plane. He did this in part to reduce his chances of developing a blood clot ( as has happened to another TPG staffer ). Even if children aren't an especially high-risk category for deep vein thrombosis, they still need to stretch their legs, so walk those aisles, especially during daytime hours when meals are not being served.

In fact, get your kids moving in the airport as much as possible before ever getting on the flight so that at least your first few hours aren't too restless. If you can find a play area in your departure airport, be sure and use it!

BYO Blind Bags

Any family with kids who watches shows on YouTube has probably heard of a "blind bag." But in case you have missed the trend, a blind bag is a toy package where you don't know exactly what is inside. You can pick up blind bags for all sorts of toy collections at a place like Target , but you can also create your own blind bags with a trip to the dollar store or even garage sales. Even otherwise unimpressive trinkets can be as good as gold when you have thousands of miles still to fly.

When packing some goodies for the flight, consider good old-fashioned coloring books and crayons — preferably the triangle ones that don't roll off the tray tables.

Changes of Clothes (for Everyone)

This is not unique to long-haul flying, but it is especially important for lengthy trips. Do not, and I repeat, do not board a long-haul flight without an easily accessible quick change of clothes for every member of the family. I recommend getting large clear Ziploc bags and putting a complete (labeled) change of clothes for each person into a unique baggie. This makes them quick to grab and the baggie can double as isolation for any dirty clothes that need to be contained. While you are at it, pack some "air sickness bags" and wipes within easy reach, too.

Splurge Miles for the Good Seats

This is The Points Guy, and if there is ever a time to splurge your points and miles , it is for the good seats on long-haul flights. Imagine your family of four flying in this Qatar Airways Qsuites arrangement as opposed to just praying for an empty middle in the back of economy.

Admittedly, getting four (or more) business class or better seats on long-haul flights at the saver award level is ... tough. However, tough is not the same thing as impossible . The trick is often looking early, looking often and paying attention (aka, getting lucky). We have seen six business class saver awards available on the previously mentioned Singapore Airlines' longest flight, lie-flat business class saver awards to Australia for up to nine people and, most recently, up to eight lie-flat seats in Delta One to Hawaii for 37,500 Virgin Atlantic miles each way.

While your time in the sky with little kids in the "good seats" may not be as relaxing as you might hope, it is still probably much more comfortable than sitting in the back.

If business class or better isn't in the cards, consider something like the Air New Zealand Skycouch .

Use a Car Seat or Bassinet

With young travelers, a regular old airplane seat may not be the best bet for hours upon hours of flying. Several families in the TPG Family Facebook Group recommend the use of a car seat for younger kids for more comfortable long-haul flying. If your traveling companion is a baby, you will probably want to reserve the bassinet seats, so call to secure those the moment you book your ticket as they are in limited supply.

Look to Foreign Air Carriers

Facts are facts and international carriers can often be a more family-friendly way to fly on a long-haul flight than a US carrier. Etihad has Flying Nannies . EVA has the Hello Kitty plane , as well as child meals for not only children but also for infants and toddlers . Lufthansa has a cute child's menu and small toys or coloring books and even child amenity kits on some flights from Germany for those in business or first class.

You won't find those sort of things available from US air carriers, so choose your airline wisely. Some international air carriers also allow the use of products such as the BedBox , which is another alternative to business class.

Last but far from least, the most important thing to pack is truly a good and flexible attitude. Surviving a long-haul flight with kids may not always be pretty, but as long as you can remain calm and adjust to their ever-changing needs, all will be OK. You may have to deal with some on-the-ground jet lag , but that's a small price to pay to experience some of the world's wonders with your family along to share in the experience.

Now it's your turn — how does your family survive long-haul flights with kids?