We recently took our first European vacation with both kids. Traveling with a baby and toddler is not for the faint of heart, but it is most definitely doable. This topic was probably the most talked about during my travels; for every IG story that I uploaded I had a few moms reach out and ask for ideas for traveling with littles. Europe was our first 8+ hour flight, but we have traveled extensively with them (as soon as their vaccines allowed us). We got our routine and packing list down. It all comes down to planning ahead, packing smart and being patient. You’ll arrive to your destination before you know it.
All products are linked and available to shop at the bottom of this post.
Prep & Planning
- If you are traveling with a toddler who’s over two years old (they’ll need their own ticket and seat) make sure you secure seat numbers by paying ahead, you don’t want to end up getting separate seats from your children. If you are able to book a window seat for a toddler you’ll be ahead on the entertaining-while-flying game.
- If it’s a long flight and you are traveling with a baby under 12 months-old, I recommend you request a bassinet. They are free but there’s usually only a couple available per flight. They attach to the front wall/partition of the plane so you do have to book those seats first, then call and book the bassinet.
- Because my husband travels so much, and we stick to a single airline, we often get upgraded. Such upgrades often come with bedding and blankets, but I still always pack their Little Giraffe blankets. Eloise has the pink one and Nico has the blue one. They are the warmest most perfect stroller/travel blanket.
- Bring all of the snacks. Pack a lot of variety and small portions. We usually swap activities and snacks to keep them busy. We usually have: yogurt (frozen sticks), cheerios, crackers, popcorn, cuties/oranges, bananas and M&M’s as a last resource (it’s the iPad of snacks HA!). I love these reusable containers.
The Carry-On & Stroller
- Bring a travel stroller. Prior to taking our first flight with Eloise we did extensive research on bringing our existing stroller or buying a travel one. Long story short, airlines often break strollers and they are not responsible for the damage or cost to replace. For this reason we decided to invest in a Silver Cross travel stroller that folds into a carry on. This is our most loved travel baby item, it deserves it’s own post (coming up soon!). It is on the pricier side but there are other good options like this one and this one.
- Pack a lot of small activities. I have one of these Pehr bags for each of my kids and will typically fill it up with toys when we travel. Some of my favorites include:
- Small play-dough jars
- Stickers
- Gel Clings (Target dollar bin often has seasonal ones for $2 dollars)
- Coloring pad and markers
- Polly Pocket
- Jewelry making set
- Current favorite toy (it’s small Disney princesses for Eloise right now)
- For Nico is usually whatever baby toy he’s into, plus his grapple. This magical device that prevents his toys from falling to the floor.
- We typically use a backpack as a diaper bag when we travel (this Tory Burch has been my go-to since I got it, very roomy and easy to clean). I’ll pack one full extra outfit for each kid for every four hours of flight. So for Europe I had two outfits for each kid plus pajamas.
- Because I packed more than usual for Europe, I used this carry-on bag. It was great because I could access all of my things easily.
- For long flights I will pack slippers for my toddler. She usually likes to take her shoes off and slippers are much easier to slide in and out (particularly for bathroom breaks).
- For Nico I will pack a diaper for every two hours I’ll be out. Never actually go through all of them but I like having enough.
- Bring the iPad. It is out last resource for entertaining. We will use up all of out other activities before we bring it out. But it does always work. The Peppa Pig app is great and has features that work even if there is no WIFI available.
- Bring hand sanitizer and wipes. Airplanes are yucky and it’s best to sanitize your space as much as you can before your littles take over the space. We bring Clorox wipes and my favorite sanitizer from Trader Joe’s.
Packing
- We do one large luggage for both kids and separate their clothes in color coded packing cubes. This helps us find stuff quick as I have a cube for outfits, one for pajamas and one for socks and undies.
- I pack an outfit per day, plus an extra outfit for every 3 days (which I typically have in my diaper bag). One pajama set per night plus two extra per kid.
- Both kids have their own monogrammed toiletry bag. That’s where I put Eloise’s bows and accessories as well.
- I pack this drying rack plus my own small detergent. Makes bottle washing at a hotel so much easier.
- This bottle warmer works like a charm.
- We travel with our Hatch. Both kids are used to it and we use it to signal it’s time for bed.
- We always travel with our baby first-aid kit, this bag makes it super easy to spot what we need right away. We typically have:
- Band Aids (Peppa Pig of course)
- Neosporin
- Arnica
- Baby Tylenol
- Baby Motrin
- Fever Patches
- Thermomether
- Nose Frida
- Medi-Frida Pacifier
- Elastic Bandage Wrap
- Dramamine
- Lollipops (works wonders when they are on tears)
- Use a travel wallet to keep track of all your passports and tickets. I have this Smythson one and love all the room and tabs to keep all my things organized. Amazon has this one and this one available at a lower price point too.
Hope my tips are helpful to you. Traveling with children is different, but seeing your kids enjoying the destination makes it all worth it.
Until next time,
Nicole
