Traveling with Kids: Tips & Tricks to Get You There (and back!)

If you are planing a family trip or a trip to travel with your kids you found the right post as today I will be sharing my best tips and tricks for Traveling with Kids, from packing to getting to your destination.

If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you know that we travel quite a bit as a family. Since we travel a lot as a family, that means that our kiddos tag right along with us.

If you are currently traveling with Kids or have traveled at all with kids, you know that it can feel like a really daunting occasion.

Both of my kids are pretty good travelers. We’ve been traveling with them since they were babies and because of that, we’ve picked up some really helpful tips and tricks along the way.

If you are a new mama, or just traveling with kids for the first time, I wanted to share some of those helpful tips to serve as a helpful resource for you! From packing to getting around the airport to the actual flight, I’m hoping I can cover all the bases for you so you feel as prepared as possible!

Pre-Trip & Packing Tips For Traveling With Kids….

Call the hotel where you are staying and find out if they provide cribs or pack n’ plays:

Personally, my kids always slept better in a crib than in a pack n’ play. If your hotel doesn’t provide those things, I absolutely recommend renting one!

Most cities have a baby equipment rental service nearby. My favorite place to rent from is The Traveling Baby Company. They are super easy to work with and they rent out a huge variety of baby gear for super affordable prices.

Another great resource for renting baby equipment is BabyQuip. This site is chock-full of third-party providers who rent out gear. Their prices are a little higher but these are real parents, real people who care about parents’ needs.

Pack bedding from home When Traveling With Kids!

Lots of babies and kids have trouble falling asleep in an unfamiliar place. Furthermore, if they are sleeping on bedding that doesn’t smell or feel like home, that just adds to the struggle. Packing crib sheets and blankets/stuffed animals/lovies from home can be really helpful in making your child feel more comfortable.

If you can swing it, try to get your child a seat of their own on the flight.

I totally understand that tickets can be costly so this is definitely only if you can swing it but if you can, I definitely recommend doing so. I’ve traveled with my kids as a lap child and I’ve traveled with them in their own seat. Our flights have always been more enjoyable and relaxing for everyone when they’ve been in their own seat.

If you are headed on a vacation, getting it started on the right foot is so immensely helpful and if you can start that from the plane ride getting there, it is so worth it!

Remember that most airlines will allow you to check both a stroller AND a car seat free of charge! Also, you are allowed to carry your own personal item as well as a diaper bag that is meant for your child. So, don’t worry about trying to fit everything for your child and for yourself into one bag.

Pack ALL the snacks!

I have gotten myself into so many annoying ruts where I haven’t packed enough snacks and then you deal with grumpy and hangry kiddos. That is a recipe for disaster.

Getting through the airport

If you are bringing your child’s car seat along on your trip, and don’t want to check it along with your other bags, I can’t recommend this product enough. It’s basically a cart for your car seat that doubles as a stroller of sorts. It eliminates the need for a stroller because you can strap the seat to this cart, and put your child in their seat to be pulled through the airport. Then, if your child has their own seat, you can take the seat off of this cart and put it into the plane seat and pop the cart into the over-head compartment. Easy-peezy!

I also highly recommend a travel stroller if you don’t want to get one of those car seat carts. The one I really love is the Maxi-Cosi Lara. It’s super lightweight, folds up with one hand and can just be checked right that the gate (it’s supposed to fit into the overhead bin but I’ve honestly never had it work out that way. Checking it at the gate is a million times easier!).

My kids are fabulous travelers and we’ve been so lucky to be able to do lots of travel with kids to be able to learn the ropes on what to do and definitely what not to do. I hope this has been helpful for any of you mamas that might be facing travel with kids for the first time.

What is your best tip for travel with kids that has been helpful for your adventures?