Traveling with a toddler can be quite stressful as it can easily turn a vacation into work. Unless, you prepare yourself. Living in Germany we have been blessed with the opportunity to travel throughout Europe. Therefore, I have had many opportunities for trial and error when it comes to traveling with my little one.
Here are several tips I’ve discovered to be very helpful when having a baby on-board your travels. Keep in mind these are most beneficial for flights and while at your destination. Although these tips can definitely be applied when on a road trip, the truth is you can practically pack the whole house in a car compared to the baggage requirements of an airline.
Napping on the Flight
When booking a flight, we always try to find the flight that falls around our daughter’s nap time. As an infant she napped twice, once in the a.m. and again in the p.m. These naps gave us more options in flights, however, now as a toddler she only naps once after lunch. If we are able to book a late morning/afternoon flight, then score for us! Cost is also a huge factor for when booking flights, which usually leads to early morning flights. It’s not the end of the world if this timing does not work out. I’ve found other ways to help keep her distracted and happy while we travel. These next tips will help keep you prepared for LONG travel days.
Collapsible Stroller
Taking a decent collapsible stroller with you is extremely vital to your sanity on your trip. We bought the Summer Trend 3D Lite stroller without knowing how much of a necessity it would become. It truly has been a life saver. Not only to keep her strapped in but also to keep us moving. When I travel, I like to see (and eat) as much as possible, therefore, I don’t have time for little feet to hold me back. But the most important need for the stroller is for nap time. Going back to the hotel for nap time is not always realistic when you’re on explore mode. So as the kid naps in the stroller we are able to do some adult things like stop for a cocktail (or two) without any disruptions or walk through a museum.
Snacks on Snacks on Snacks
Snack time is something I look forward to for myself so I can imagine how important and exciting it can be for a little one. When we travel, we like to bring “special” snacks along with her all-time favorites. By special snacks I basically mean new snacks, ones she’s never had but I know she’ll enjoy. With snacks I tend to focus on nutritional value and something filling enough to get her through till the next meal. We all know our kiddos the best so find what you think they’ll love and surprise them with a new snack. For us this keeps her in her seat and willing to relax while either in flight or strolling around through town.
Here are some of our favorites: Happy Tot Organic Super Foods Pouch, LaraBar Fruit and Nut Bar,Nature’s Garden Trail Mix Snack Packs,Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
YouTube/Netflix/Amazon Prime Video
When we started traveling, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video just weren’t cutting it anymore. YouTube shows had become a part of the rotation, so I went for it and purchased YouTube Premium. Here’s why… YouTube along with other streaming apps use a TON of data. The cost for data in Europe is outrageous so we have to be data conscious. With the YouTube Premium you can download the videos and not use any data. Although, I’m pretty sure the best part for the kid is probably the zero-ads feature.
There’s not always Wi-Fi on the flight so this is the way to go, just be sure to download ahead of time. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video also have the download options. The downloads on Netflix and Prime Video will expire after so many days therefore it’s important to check and renew the downloads while on Wi-Fi.
Small Toys, Lego’s, Play-Doh, Books, etc.
We don’t like her to watch movies throughout the entire flight, so we bring toys. Small toys that fit in her little backpack are all we need. She has her favorite little figurines and cars, which those are always a must. I like to also throw in a few Lego’s and small containers of Play-Doh. We kill a good hour by playing with Legos and Play-Doh and will also rotate in some coloring and reading. My priority on these flights is to just keep us all sane. If she is distracted by fun things like snacks, movies, and toys, then hey, we’re all good.
Toddler Backpack = NO diaper bag when out and about
This is something very simple that works out perfectly for us. I still pack her diaper bag for the flight because it can fit so much in it and keeps it well organized. Once we get into our hotel, I then bring out my small handbag for my items and will then stuff a couple diapers, wipes, snacks, and other goodies into her toddler backpack. The same backpack that we took on the flight with her toys. This keeps the big bag off of my back and keeps the small things I need on my hip. Traveling in Europe I learned the hard way about theft, so I don’t wear a backpack anymore. However, if you choose to please be mindful of where you place your valuables at all times.
In case of an Emergency
Traveling in general, can be stressful and somewhat scary. We’ve had a couple cases when one of us gets up ill while traveling. It’s unfortunate, but very important to think about the bad things that can happen on a trip. In a large baggy I toss in the children’s Tylenol, teething tablets, cold tablets, nasal saline, eye drops (for mama), and headache meds (for daddy). If you’re traveling light with only carry-on baggage you can keep these items in a large clear baggy and should not have trouble going through security. Of course, other liquids will need to be in a quart-size clear bag, no more than 100ml/3.4oz.
I hope these tips come in handy for your next trip. Happy travels!!!
Thanks for reading. XoXo
