We’ve all been there: you’re on a plane with a toddler, and you can feel the nervous energy of the passengers around you, silently hoping you won’t be sitting next to them. Traveling with toddlers can be a real challenge, and flying with them often feels even more daunting.
To help you maintain your sanity on your travels, we’ve created this Toddler Travel guide. After all, the purpose of going on holiday is to escape stress, not add to it! This guide offers a few helpful tips and tricks for traveling with toddlers, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable journey for you, your family, and everyone else on the plane.
Plan Ahead
Traveling with a toddler requires preparation from the moment you start planning. The key to keeping your child calm and comfortable is organizing your journey around their needs and packing the essentials. It’s important to prepare your child for the trip so they understand what to expect, making the experience feel exciting rather than overwhelming. If you approach it in the right way, your toddler will likely look forward to the adventure. However, don’t expect them to stay engaged and excited during long flights or car rides—that’s where careful planning really makes a difference. Booking activities and attractions ahead of time can also help keep things running smoothly, and platforms like Bookmundi can assist with finding the top things to do around the world.
The first and foremost thing that you need to do is plan according to your toddler’s needs. If your child needs a darkened room to sleep, flying during sleeping hours is perhaps the best option. On the other hand, if all that commotion is likely to keep your child awake, it’s better to book morning flights so that your child is at his or her freshest during the flight.
It is equally important to take your time. Time is one of your biggest assets while traveling with kids, whether it’s during transit, at the airport or while sightseeing. Kids love to explore new things and really don’t care about the time constraints of travel. So instead of losing your cool and stressing yourself, simply factor in some extra time into your itineraries.
And finally, it pays dividends to book ahead. Whether it’s something as small as your airline seat or as major as your accommodation, avoid spontaneity when traveling with kids. The ideal thing to do is to have everything planned before setting foot out of your house. Trust us, there could be nothing worse than reaching a hotel only to realize that it’s full and then having to deal with a hungry toddler bawling away in the backseat of your rental vehicle.
Pack the Right Stuff
Packing is of utmost importance when it comes to traveling with kids. Kids love travel, but things like airplane rides and long road trips aren’t always fun. Bored kids are likely to irritate you to no ends, but a little bit of planning before departure could save your sanity while on a holiday. This is where packing comes in.
Let’s start with the basics. Pack a small bag that contains a toothbrush, PJs, clothes for the next day, an extra change of clothes and any other item needed on the given day. This gives you a lot of flexibility, and that’s something you’ll learn to value while on a holiday with toddlers. If there’s some extra room in the bag, make sure that you take your toddler’s blanket and pillow. Kids like sleeping in their own stuff as it increases their comfort factor in a new place.
Don’t forget to carry paper towels as well as a box of wipes, and keep both items within easy reach. Babies and small kids love to drop and spill, and things like wipes could prove to be indispensable while traveling. Medicines are equally important as well. Children tend to fall sick during a holiday and easy-to-swallow medicines could end up saving the day and dampening the impact of those frayed temperaments and painful nights. Other items that you need to carry include band-aids, antiseptic wipes, thermometers and sting treatments.
Carry some snacks for the ride. Eating gives your kids something to do, and choosing options that they usually take a lot of time to eat works perfectly while traveling. A word of advice though. Make sure that you pack healthy food. There are already more than enough factors that could force them to fall sick. Don’t add to the list by sugaring them up.
Last but not the least, pay a lot of thought on what kind of entertainment options to carry along for your toddlers. Videos are a must during any holiday. Discipline them all you want at home, but download enough age-appropriate content to keep them busy for hours while traveling. Other things worth considering include a selection of toys, a pack of Uno cards, coloring paper and crayons. Having a tantrum kit helps as well. Bring along something that your toddler considers to be a special treat and use it only as a last resort. At some point of your journey, your child will head towards a complete meltdown, and this tantrum kit might just save the day.
Miscellaneous Tips
Kids love using things like boats, buses and trains, so ditch those rental cars and choose public transport wherever possible.
Avoid the temptation to feed sweets. Pack things like cheese cubes, bagels, fruits and breadsticks instead.
- Dress the child in layers or make sure that you carry a blanket. Most airplanes tend to be cold and hardly any airline offers a blanket anymore.
- While traveling on an airplane, do slow laps around the plane once an hour. This keeps your kids happy and doesn’t make them feel restless.
- Allocate some extra airport time and allow your kids to move around. It helps them to explore the area and ensures that they don’t get antsy on the plane.
- Make sure that you board as late as possible. If you’ve pre-booked your seats, it’s never an issue. And trust us. There is nothing worse than a toddler who is tired of the plane even before it’s taken off!!
Don’t forget to check our Top Destinations for Toddlers also.