Preparing to Travel With Kids

1. Pre-Trip Planning

Choosing the Right Destination:

Is there such a thing as the right destination for family travel? For babies and toddlers you can literally take them anywhere. In my experience it is the easiest time when they are smaller baby – tiny, portable and with limited grumbles about not liking a place! This really is the time to go for that trip for you!

My eldest had her first long haul flight to Cape Town at 11 weeks old and the youngest at around 5 months old. We’ve found regular travel whether by plane or train, definitely helps in trying new experiences, adapting to change as well as open minds and hearts to different cultures and ways of life.

Trying new foods along the way and seeing how things are differently from home has helped expand their horizons.

With older kids, you may want more focused amenities (e.g., kids’ clubs, pools, water parks) or if if a little older then they may enjoy museums. We’ve found that every destination we’ve visited has something for kids interests, whether that’s a park, beach, hill to climb or a theme park or interactive hands-on museum or petting zoo.

My main point, is go where you want to go!

2. Packing Essentials

READ: Packing List

You actually don’t need as much stuff as you think you need. Some friends of mine can pack so light with just a backpack for every family member. I am not that person! But you can buy a lot of things at your destination. There will always be babies and kids in nearly every place you visit. I do always pack enough nappies/diapers/ snacks for the journey and extra in case of delays. Everyone has a spare change of clothes in their carry on.

But there are a few things that I found super helpful on a beach trip. Like when our youngest wasn’t crawling but couldn’t be in the hot sun, I packed an Inflatable Play Nest e.g GALT – we loved using ours in Kefalonia. It packs up really small too and deflates easily. I thought it was well worth bringing in our suitcase and she loved having it!

On her big sister’s first trip at 11 weeks old, I took a UV sun tent on our flight to Cape Town – in retrospect, I probably didn’t need that as I could have moved an umbrella for more shade – but it gave me peace of mind at the time. I definitely packed less as we did more trips.

For babies and toddlers, it may just be inflight essentials and some travel activities to while away the flight time.

Don’t forget other bits like a travel stroller, baby carrier or care seat and of course the all important charging cables, power packs and plugs!

3. Look out for Play Areas As You Travel

If you are flying, look out for airport play areas, most major airports have something for kids to burn off some steam before boarding. If on a long road trip, some gas stations even have play areas.

For road trips, we found leaving earlier was better when everyone has some patience and hopefully had a good nights rest before.

With a flight, you are bound with flight times. The nicer flight times when you don’t after to get up super early or arrive super late are usually the more expensive.

4. Accommodation Tips

The accommodation is likely more important to you than the how to get there. The two key things for us are:

Room Setup:
- How is the sleeping set up, will the kids fuss if sharing a sofa bed, is there a balcony for the adults to hang out whilst the kids sleep? Do they provide cribs, baby-proofing, or kitchen facilities.
Nearby Amenities:
- How easy is to get to attractions or just visit a park, playground, or supermarket. Is public transport good or can I walk?

5. Safety and Security.

ID and Safety:
- Consider identification wristbands for kids.
- Set rules for staying close in busy places.
Dealing with Emergencies:
- Knowing the local emergency number and have it written down. Also have a copy of you passport in your phone or a paper copy handy.

Preparing for A Flight

Is it worth preparing and reading up before you go or book? Absolutely! I scoured the web, asked questions on social media all before our first trip despite knowing a lot about how it works as I helped lots of parents when I was flight attendant.

Before you book and if you have some flexibility, consider the timing of your flight and transit stops. We’ve tried early evening, day, night and everything in between and the best advice I can give, is choose a flight which works best for you eg a more direct flight, less transit stops or one that fits your budget.

Obviously 4am flights are not ideal if you have a short haul flight, but might not be so bad if you are flying from Australia to UK. Consider how long the journey will take to and from the airport and how your child adapts to changes in their routine.

Dress you and baby in comfortable and easily removable layers. Crammed in a refined space with baby asleep on you when you are feeling hot will require some Houdini moves, so easily removable layers can help. Aircraft cabin temperatures do fluctuate, so whilst you may feel hot on the ground, you may feel chilly after a couple of hours.

Do Babies Fly for Free?

It depends: Babies do not fly for free internationally on any airline regardless if they are lap infant or not. Be prepared for most flights with under 2’s to cost 10% of an adult fare + applicable taxes. If you are travelling with infants, research what airlines offer.

Some countries like the USA offer free flights for infants if it is an internal flight and they are seated on your lap as a ‘lap infant’.

Travelling with baby on a plane gives you the option to purchase a seat for them if you do not want have them travel as a lap infant. If you purchase a seat for your baby, fares are usually around 60-75% of an adult fare. Sometimes going directly to the airline offers you a better deal but it is worth trying Skyscanner too.

Another popular question I get asked is, “does a 2 year old need a plane ticket?” Yes they do, all two year olds need a plane ticket and their own airplane seat for the flight.

Know the Rules for Flying with an Infant

READ: Rules for flying with a baby.

Decide whether you will be flying with a lap baby (where they sit on your lap usually for free on some occasions – e.g. if a USA domestic flight, or 10% of an adult fare for most long haul airlines) OR if you are going to purchase a seat and use a car seat or CARES harness (available in UK here) to fly with baby or child.
You have the choice of purchasing a car seat or having baby as a lap baby. In the USA, car seat use on airplanes is much more common to see, which the FAA encourage but it is very much a personal choice, with the additional cost of a seat making a trip much more expensive. (I’ve never seen a car seat used on an EU or Australian flight.) You can read more about using car seats as a CRD and CARES harnesses on an airplane on my post here.)
If you want your baby in their own plane seat, you will need to purchase a child plane ticket and bring your own an FAA approved car seat, (or equivalent authorities approval )- this post on FAA approved car seats on airplanes will help with all your questions about this! To find an approved car seat in your country, try this Airplane Approved Car Seat Tool.

When can a baby travel by plane? There is no legal requirement so each airline will stipulate their rules. Check the flying with an infant rules as per your airline regulations. Flying with a newborn baby rules may vary from airline to airline. Some may specify a baby must be at least 7 days old, whereas other airlines may say newborn babies must be 14 days old and/or meet other requirements to travel by airplane. The American Pediatric Academy recommend ideally waiting until your baby is two or three months old to fly.

Travel Documents

A frequent family travel question I am also asked is ‘what do you need for flying with a baby? Always check what travel documentation or proof of ID is needed – even if travelling with an infant domestically. Some countries will require special documentation or full birth certifcates. This information can often be found on your airlines website. If you are planning on flying with a newborn, apply for their passport as soon as possible.
A passport is always the best ID. If you are flying with an infant domestically in the USA, a passport is not required for your baby– BUT it’s still a good idea to take a birth certificate and make sure you have a boarding card or boarding pass issued for your baby.
Find further tips for flying internationally with a baby here. It’s a good idea to have all passports and documentation in one place, this document holder is also RFID blocking and has space for multiple passports and documents.
If you travel fairly frequently, consider signing them up to an airline frequent flier program. Some allow from birth whether lap baby or in own seat and some have miles that don’t expire. The best part is family sharing, so you can all pool points and use for a later trip.

These guides to what the several major airlines rules and requirements for seating, luggage, sleep devices and more will also help you plan your trip.

Air Canada
Air France
Air New Zealand
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines

British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Delta
Easyjet
Emirates

Etihad
Qantas
Singapore Airlines
Southwest
Virgin Australia
Virgin Atlantic

Baggage allowance for Children

All airlines allow at least a car seat OR a stroller – with the majority allowing both for free for those needing one. Lots of airlines provide an infant baggage allowance too, some for both cabin and hold baggage. If you think you will be taking a lot of stuff when traveling with a baby, look at what each airline provides.

Travel Gear and Baggage

READ: Travel Products We Use and Love.

When I am asked by other parents ‘how to travel with a baby’, travel gear plays a big part. The best travel essentials with baby definitely include a baby carrier. For those walks to baggage reclaim and through customs, I found it more convenient to be baby-wearing and have your hands free to push the trolley- especially if you are flying solo. There are also so many amazing travel strollers on the market these days too – some which you can take as hand luggage. You may want to consider taking a portable travel highchair too.
- Read more reviews on my recommended products in these posts:

Pack more than you need when..

it comes to diapers/nappies and wipes and traveling with an infant on a plane, always pack more than you need for the trip and have them easily accessible in your carry on, in case you are delayed on the airplane and can’t access your hold baggage. Some airlines will allow a carry on diaper bag or changing bag for free. Otherwise it will need to be part of your carry on allowance.
This diaper bag doubles as a travel bassinet and changing mat and this one has extra space for extra carry on items as well as a a foldout changing mat.

Pack Ziploc bags! We put a change of clothing in each one, nappies/diapers and wipes etc, so you can easily find them and whip them out quickly!

Pack A Change of Clothing for You AND Baby

Pack an extra change of clothing for you and baby in your carry on. We have to rely on this several times, and once we went through our changes of clothes and my daughter ended up wearing an over sized pyjama top from first class! You never know when someone will feel poorly or an accident can happen! My husband got covered in puke on one long haul flight and no he didn’t have a spare change of clothes!

Pack Essential Medicine in Your Carry On Bag

Don’t forget to pack any essential medicine in your carry on. If it’s over 100ml or breaks the 3-1-1 liquid rules, ask your doctor for a note and check with your airline. Liquid medicines are exempt from TSA limits in the USA, but this is not always the case in other countries. Bring Calpol 5ml sachets or Tylenol/ Acetaminophen ‘Dr Kids’ single dose vials in carry on just in case little one feels poorly or is teething. If you have any health needs, check with health services or other medical professionals before you fly.

For a more comprehensive baby travel checklist – see here. It also includes a free checklist to print out and is very useful if you are traveling with an infant on a plane.

Remember!

That cheap flight may not be so cheap if you have to pay extra for baggage. I often use a stroller or gate check bag and put a few extra items like nappies/diapers or soft toys to also save space in my hold luggage and help protect the stroller or car seat more. You may be able to use your carry on allowance to use a stroller that fits into the overhead bin too. Find more suggestions for compact strollers for the overhead bin here.

Seating Options

READ: Best seats when flying with a baby or toddler.

You have the option of your baby flying as a Lap Baby Or With a Car Seat or another restraint device

If you are traveling with baby and are thinking of purchasing an extra seat and using your car-seat on a plane, look at airline policies on car seats first. When you travel with a car seat on a flight, rules can vary. Some airlines allow both forward and rear facing car seats on an airplane seat, others only forward facing.
Planning some luxury on long flights with baby? Often a car seat or child restraint device such as the CARES harness won’t fit on the new business and first class style seats. Do check on your airlines website first for any requirements that need to be met. An AMsafe CARES harness can only be used for children meeting the weight requirements of between 22 and 44 pounds. (This is usually around 1-4 years old) and is the ONLY approved harness allowed on flights. WATCH OUT FOR FAKES – ONLY THE FLY SAFE CARES HARNESS by AMSAFE is APPROVED.
If you are flying with two babies under two years old, and are not flying with another adult, you will need to have at least one baby in a car seat as you cannot have two babies on your lap. If you are travelling on a USA airline, this post on FAA approved car seats will be very useful!
If you have two kids under two and are with another adult, on smaller planes you may not be able to sit on the same row due to the number of oxygen masks provided.
Airplane travel with baby usually involved traveling with a bit of gear. If you are flying with car seats and strollers and not using your car seat as a restraint device, these can be gate checked for free. Most airlines allow you to take both the car seat and stroller but this can vary to just one piece. Check first! If you are checking a car seat, it’s a good idea to get a padded protective bag for it. You can read more recommendations for padded protective bags here.

At The Airport

READ: AT THE AIRPORT

Pack any liquids in an easy place to access quickly. If you have a clear small single, transparent, resealable plastic bag, which holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm, use that to save time at the airport.

Decide whether to gate check your stroller or check it in immediately. I’ve done both, and I prefer checking it immediately, unless it’s a small cabin sized stroller that meets hand luggage conditions.

Plan to leave extra time for the airport- especially for security eg TSA and the x-ray machine. An extra 30 minutes is ideal if flying with infants or young children, with all airports having different layouts and some better signposted than others! Be prepared to take your baby out of the stroller or baby carrier for the x-ray machine.

If you are in the UK, consider ordering some supplies from Boots to pick up after airport security. This includes diapers/nappies, milk, wipes, suntan lotion even baby bottles etc. The benefit is you should pass through security a bit quicker with fewer liquids. This was one of the best tips I was given, especially when I was flying solo.

At the airport is a great time to top up your bottle warmer flask or thermos – I used a Tommee Tippee warmer which we refill at the Starbucks or airport cafe once past security with boiling water.

Look out for a family line at the airport check-in and/or security or ask if there is one if it is not obvious. British Airways have a dedicated family check in area in London Heathrow Terminal 5 (to the left of the building) with some activities to keep kids occupied whilst waiting. Many airports have a security line just for families too.

Some airports have soft play facilities and let your kids burn off some steam for a bit before the flight. If not, use a blanket on the floor for them to stretch out a bit.have great play areas, for kids to burn off steam before you board too!

Some airlines/airport provide complimentary strollers to use as part of their family-friendly facilities, like Emirates at Dubai International Airport. Great to use if your child is tired in transit.

Visit the airport restroom before you board your flight to reduce any poonamies. Although, inevitably, they always do a big poo when it’s trickier to change them.

Baby-wearing makes it a little bit easier to board if you don’t have a stroller you can bring inside the airplane cabin with you. With a baby carrier there is less stress folding up your strollers and managing baby and bags as you board. American Airlines stroller policy is here.

One of my favourite tips for families is to board a bit later than everyone but have your partner board earlier to secure space for all your gear.

Although many airlines give families the option to board first, there is generally no point in having an older wriggly baby or toddler or kid full of beans restrained on a plane waiting for everyone else to board. This is certainly the case for day flights. If it’s a night flight you may find it easier to get them settled first and to board first.