After the peak-pandemic years, I think we all felt a bit apprehensive about travelling again. Regardless as to whether that was a weekend in Margate or two weeks in the Caribbean, we’d all forgotten how to do it, right? Add on to that the fact that lots of us now have a different situation than before COVID. Some people had kids in lockdown and are now facing what travel looks like with a family. And even those of us who had kids pre-2020, we still have very different aged kids. For example, I struggled writing the title of this blog post. I immediately wrote “Toddler”, then realised I don’t really have a toddler anymore? Weird.
So I thought I would share some of my tips for travelling with toddlers and young kids. I recently went to Valencia with my 3 and a half year old and it was actually SO much easier than I thought it would be. Like WAY better than when we took her away as a baby. So if you take away anything from this post, please take that. Travel with kids can be totally painless.
(FYI – I’ve used a few affiliate links below. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but if you buy it I get a very small commission. Don’t worry, I only recommend products I really believe in!!)
Travelling with Kids
Go for early flights.
I am no longer subject to whichever flights are the cheapest, I really think about how my kid will operate at different flight times. For example, there’s no way I would try an evening flight when she’s cranky and it’s past her bedtime. We went for early morning flights on my recent trip and I wasn’t entirely sure how that would go down. But It was actually perfect. We left the house at 3.30am and transferred my girl into the car, still asleep. She slept the whole drive then was up and ready for action when we arrived at the airport at 5am. I actually pre-prepared for this by putting her to sleep the night before in leggings and a t-shirt instead of PJs (comfy ones, obvs) and it meant I didn’t have to worry about getting her changed into we were through security and into departures.
Make it easy for yourself with all the extras.
Of course this is budget-dependant, but I opted for meet-and-greet car parking, which meant we could walk from the car to departures without trying to haul everything onto a shuttle bus or having a really long walk. (It was about £20 more expensive.) I also paid an extra £8 per person to get fast-track at security (straight through, no waiting, no tantrums) and priority boarding. Like I said, not everyone can afford these extras and would rather spend it on the actual holiday. But I personally am a convert and will definitely do it again next time.
Take the pram.
I don’t know the upper age limit on this one because I’m not there yet. But my 3 year old daughter doesn’t use a pram in everyday life. She is an independent kid and wants to walk everywhere. But I borrowed my mother-in-law’s fold up pram and it was essential. On the actual holiday, it meant that we could walk everywhere – to the beach, around the aquarium, etc – without complaints of needing to be carried. Little legs can only go so far after all. But it’s actually great for the airport too. On the way to Valencia, we checked in the pram straight away and used a Trunki suitcase around the airport, but on the return, we kept the pram up until we boarded, and it was way better. Not least because if the kid wants to walk, you can chuck all your luggage in the pram!
Trunki is overrated.
Speaking of Trunki suitcases… I feel a bit mean with this one because I think they’re a cool concept and I know my daughter really liked her Trunki. For anyone not in the know, they are little kids’ suitcases that have wheels so that little ones can sit on them and you pull them along. But the truth is you can’t actually steer them… So a couple of times my daughter fell off or we had to keep stopping to shuffle it around. It’s a cute idea and they come in cute colours/designs. But the pram is better in my humble opinion.
Tablet time for the win.
I’m pro-screens. There, I said it. They are a wonderful piece of technology that when used in moderation can let you fold the washing in peace or get an extra half an hour in bed. But on holidays, they are an essential bit of kit. Download a few episodes of their favourite show, or a Disney film, and it will secure you a lovely break on the plane. Tablets are also great for quiet time in the hotel or if there are any travel delays. Download more than you think you will need just in case. We have the Kids Kindle Fire 7 tablet as well as the wireless bluetooth Buddyphones and they are just perfect.
Bring activities for the plane.
This feels like a no-brainer but bring stuff for kids to do on the plane. Even if they have a tablet, kids always get bored and need something new to do. I always think it’s a good idea to bring something brand new that they haven’t seen before, just so it’s more likely they’re interested in it. When we went to Valencia I brought an Airport Sticker Book and this Sparkly Sticker Book and my girl loved them. Top tip: don’t bring anything with pens – they will keep dropping them and you will go crazy.
Oh and another big tip – peel off the backgrounds on the sticker pages, that way kids can peel off stickers themselves! It’s a game changer. (See below.)
AND LOTS OF SNACKS.
I mean, it’s essential, right?
Get a foam bumper for young kids.
There’s a couple of years between getting a travel cot in your hotel room and them being totally ok in a single bed. And the best thing for those years is a foam bed bumper. You put in under the bottom sheet at the edge, and it stops them from rolling out of bed. It’s obviously super bulky so it’s only if you have room in checked luggage (I mostly use ours for UK trips that we go on via car). If not, my stop-gap is to take a hotel towel and roll it up into a sausage shape. Works just as well under the sheet to get little ones in the bed.
Ok lads, they’re my tips for travelling with toddlers and young kids. Hit me up if you think I’ve missed anything, I’d love to know any tips you have!