Travel with Children

Updated November, 2023

This traveling with kids blog is all about exactly that. The packing, the breaks, the food, the sleep. Everything you need to know about traveling with children.

I absolutely love to travel and have most of my life. So even after having kids, I knew I would continue to see the world. But acting as a family traveling the world is different than traveling by myself. I definitely had to make a few adjustments when traveling with my baby. I’m here to help you determine if you need to make some adjustments too.

The Stuff

The stuff that you need for your children is going to vary based on age and what you have access to. What you would pack for an infant is going to look different than packing for a 6-year-old.

Less is More

You are going to have to bring extra stuff on your trip for your child. There is no getting around that. But truest me when I say less is more. Try to think realistically about the needs of your child. You do not have to stick their entire bedroom in a bag. And they likely don’t need more than one or two pairs of shoes. Remember that everything you bring with you on a trip has to get there, which likely means you will have to carry it at some point or another.

Clothes

When I travel by car across the country and I know I’m going to stop somewhere with a washer every few days, I know I can pack fewer clothes. If I am not sure what I’ll have access to, I know to pack a little extra to be sure. The question is often less about quantity than it is about weather. Unless you know for sure what the weather will be, always pack 1 or 2 pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, 1 or 2 t-shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt, and a hoodie. This is my go to formula for my entire family when it comes to clothes. Then we always pack 5-6 undies and socks each.

Using this formula ensures that we always have the variety of clothing that we need for whatever we are doing. It also ensures we do not have too much stuff. When it comes to shoes, we always pack a pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals. This pretty much covers all of our needs.

Toys/Play

What toys and play you pack is going to be different depending on how old your children are and how you are traveling. You may know I am very anti-screen, so when we drive across the country in the car, I don’t let the kids watch movies or play on phones or computers. I typically will pack easy car activities for them or we bring books. When flying, my options are a little more limited.

I always assume that once we arrive wherever we will be, some amount of gifts and souvenirs will be purchased. These will always be more exciting than anything you have from home. I also keep a stash of toys that only come out when we are going on a trip, so they continue to feel new.

Overall, pack 4-5 toys for your child. Books are a huge must and not often something you can assume you will have access to. So be sure to include a few age appropriate books, or plan to purchase a few where ever you are.

Extras

If your child is still pretty young, you will want to bring either a stroller or a carrier or both. We started out with a carrier, my preferred method of transporting Monster. About halfway through our trip, my partner invested in a stroller, his preferred method of transportation. Either one is fine, just know that with strollers you need more access to elevators and will want to avoid steps only areas. For example, they are great for walking around a store but not for climbing a mountain. Another thing to be aware of is unless you are going to walk everywhere, you will likely need to bring a car seat. This was always my least favorite part of traveling with young kids. We try to stick to public transportation where we can, but that isn’t always viable. One solution we came up with was a travel harness. It is recommended for ages 3 and above and for children weighing 30-60 pounds. It’s completely legal and safe and is a great alternative to a big huge car seat.

The Breaks

You are going to have to take more breaks than usual. If your kid is in a stroller or carrier still, you have to stop and let them stretch their legs. You have to let them get out and play. Not every part of your trip can be travel or shopping or eating. You have to build in kid friendly time. We found that stopping at parks, especially right before a long flight or a long train ride was hugely helpful for Monster’s mood.

The Food

Hopefully you don’t have a super picky eater. Just know that when traveling, your child may be (and hopefully is) exposed to new and different foods. Having them try new food is very important. Also plan on packing some snacks to help them get through the day. Their tummies are small and they need more fuel than we do. It can be very frustrating to be in the middle of an activity or even a commute and have your kid get hangry.

The Sleep

We don’t travel with a crib or a pack-n-play. We often have Monster sleep in a regular bed near ours or sleep in bed with us completely. This helps us when we travel and thus don’t have access to the same sleep arrangements we would at home. Either way though, be prepared for sleep to be a bit more challenging.

We try not to completely disregard sleep schedules while on vacation. But we do loosen the boundaries a bit, including when bedtime and wake up time are. Be sure to hold boundaries still, and insist on going to sleep when it is time. Be gentle and loving. Plan to put some effort into getting them back on track when you return home though.