Essential Tips for Stress-Free Travel with Toddlers

In the past three months, we’ve spent about six weeks traveling to Australia, New York, Fiji and California and by this point we’ve rounded up a lot of tips on traveling with toddlers.

From drowning in snacks to hoarding Target dollar section shit for a rainy day (AKA twelve minutes into your 12-hour flight), let’s talk about how we survived such long travel days with a 1- and 3-year-old.

Let me tell ya, I was going into these long, long flights fully expecting overtired meltdowns, kicking seat backs, and me giving the kids a little razzle dazzle bribery under my breath. But, actually, I’ve either blacked out the memory of any meltdowns or the kids actually did really well!

So, here are my top tips for traveling with toddlers:

Carry-on essentials

The thing that’ll really kill you traveling with toddlers? Not enough snacks. We had an entire carry-on bag (a canvas-type tote bag) of snacks, and I packed one of those big freezer gallon ziploc bags full of ready-to-eat snacks for each leg of the journey. Having that one bag of assorted snacks to grab is so handy, and then they think that’s all the snacks you’ve got which is a handy little trick.

Also on the carry-on topic, I made a packing cube for each kid full of little activities I could pull out at random intervals. Not having to dig through a backpack for a scattered toy truck or something really helps that sanity, and easy toys that they’ve never seen before are a surefire way to get at least 20 minutes of quiet.

I did make a roundup of my favorite toddler travel essentials, but I also raided the Target dollar spot and craft sections to find all the trinket things.

We used this backpack (which we love) as a carry-on and it fits so much in it. Rounding out the snacks-and-toys line-up of the carry-ons, we also always pack a change of clothes for everyone, medications, toothbrushes and toothpaste, portable chargers, and kids’ tablets and headphones (these ones are super easy for kids to use and go on sale a lot!).

Book night flights if possible

This isn’t really a packing tip, but it does make a difference for long haul flights. Trying to book flights around nap time or at night as much as possible is absolutely the move, and for us on those super long Australia flights, we changed both kids into PJs or comfy clothes right before boarding so they get in the sleep-and-don’t-bother-mum-and-dad spirit.

Invest in a travel stroller

Last summer, we bought this travel stroller we saw a friend use and it’s been such a game changer. It folds up small enough to fit in a (large) backpack, to fit under tables at restaurants or in plane overheads, and we’re always being stopped to ask about it when people see us dismantle it in public. We’ve used this thing absolutely everywhere (including on gravel and sand and cobblestones) and it’s held up so well.

We also recently got this little stroller handle for our oldest to hold onto while we walk in public, too.

Oh, and when you’ve got a littler baby/young toddler, a wrap (I loved Solly Baby ones with both kids) or a good carrier are must-haves.

Use all the packing cubes

I never used to be a packing cube girlie, but since having kids it’s helped so much when traveling with toddlers. I use one large packing cube for everyone in the family to keep all the clothes organized.

For the kids’ stuff, I lay out full outfits (undies, socks and all) and roll them up individually then put them in the packing cube. It helps so much in the mornings getting ready, especially if you’re on a more action-packed/theme-park/city-exploring kind of trip. Nothing incites Jim Halpert pans-to-camera more than when a goddamn sock is missing as we’re walking out the door.

The one caveat to my packing cube situation, though, is that I designate one cube to everyone’s swim stuff if that’s an element of the trip. Being able to grab all the swimsuits and hats and sunscreen in one go is a real hero move.

Oh, and this is my all-time favorite toiletries bag that is like a Mary Poppins bag: every time I think I’ve filled it to its absolute limit, I can usually sneak one or two more things in there.

Diapers & baby stuff

This one depends on the length and location of the trip, but in the last couple of years we’ve done quite a bit of domestic travel with a west coast road trip, a New England road trip, a Chicago weekend getaway, Disney World, and New York City, so this has come in handy.

Instead of filling up valuable suitcase space with diapers and wipes, snacks, etc., just pack enough of that stuff for the journey and place a Target or Walmart pickup order at wherever is closest to your accommodation when you get there.

I usually order a smaller size or quantity of everything so there’s just enough for however long we’re staying, and it’s definitely worth the saved space if you’re going to be gone for a while and staying in one location or renting a car.

The same applies for just buying those things locally if you’re traveling internationally and know you’ll have a store nearby, but knowing you’ll have a Target in the neighborhood and doing pickup definitely streamlines it.

Gadgets

Our kids are luckily pretty adaptable to new rooms and sleeping arrangements, but we do usually travel with a baby monitor and white noise machine to give them some consistency.

We keep the electronics like the cords and chargers all in one travel case and it’s so handy especially when you’re arriving somewhere late and don’t want to go digging through the suitcase to get the kids set up for bedtime.

We’ve got a few more trips planned out this year and 100% plan to implement all this stuff again. I’m dreaming of the day our kids are in the 6- and 8-year-old range and require less stuff every time we leave the house, but for now, these tips have helped us travel with toddlers mostly stress-free!

Do you have any to add to the list? Let us know!

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