How to travel abroad with kids
International travel with kids? Don’t do it. Hahaha just kidding. You’re in for a fantastic and worthwhile adventure!
Of course every kid and situation is different, but here are some tips and tricks I learned from taking our 3.5 year old to England last year. First, the best tip for traveling with kids that everyone must know:
Do not disturb a happy child.
If your kid is busy playing with the seatbelt, don’t offer snacks. If they are staring out the window, don’t turn on the iPad. You get the idea. Let your kid be, and stretch out those peaceful moments for as long as possible.
Okay, with that said, here are some other things I’ve learned along the way that could help some other road-weary parents:
Check your stroller with your luggage at check-in. Normally for domestic flights, we keep our stroller with us through the airport, then check it at the gate when we board the airplane. This isn’t standard service with international airlines though. We flew with British Airways and they had no idea what we were talking about when we tried to gate check our stroller. Then, it took us a couple of hours to find our stroller again once we arrived at Heathrow. It was so much hassle.
Don’t pack too much. I know, I know. It’s the golden rule of travel, but it’s soo easy to forget and pack too much for kids. Outfits for every possible occasion, toys, books, stuffed animals, diapers and creams, sippy cups, blankets and on and on. It’s raising my blood pressure just thinking about all that stuff. I try to cut down on clothes and toys. Especially if they’ll be receiving gifts during the trip or you plan to spoil them with some presents along the way.
Don’t bother with the inflatable airplane bed. I did so much research on those inflatable beds for kids, and in the end I didn’t buy any of them. Turns out lots of airlines ban them for safety reasons, including British Airways, but I don’t think we missed out on anything. It would’ve been just one more thing to carry around, plus kids are little and can curl up in their seat to sleep just fine.
The toddler airplane seatbelt works okay. We have used the CARES seatbelt in the past. It’s a good transition seatbelt when they are too big for infant in arms but not really big enough to sit in their own seat by themselves. We didn’t bring it on the UK trip though, she felt big enough at 3.5 years to use the regular airplane seatbelt as-is. Maybe not the absolute safest decision but there you have it.
An iPad and headphones are a lifesaver. We used the Disney app to download a bunch of her favorite shows, new episodes and a few movies so we didn’t have to worry about relying on WiFi. And we got some cute, cheap bluetooth headphones. They were great for the plane and helpful throughout the trip when she needed downtime in-between sightseeing and visiting friends and family. There’s no such thing as too much screen time when you’re traveling.
Organize a carry-on kid bag. Pack your kid a backpack for the plane with the emergency essentials: snacks, more snacks, water bottle, iPad and other distractions, and an extra change of clothes (because, kids). Life is easier if you keep it handy under the seat for constant long-haul travel snacking.
Bring a leakproof lunchbox. The thing I so wish we would’ve had was a kid’s lunchbox (like Bentgo or similar) for on-the-go meals. Hangry toddlers are no fun, and it’s hard to plan every meal when you’re out and about. We have a picky eater too, so it wasn’t easy to just grab snacks from any store. Live and learn!
Just go with the flow for naps and bedtimes. Keep your expectations low and you’ll never be disappointed. Maybe that’s my parenting motto haha. Sleep on the plane is obviously not a guarantee, then the jet lag can throw everything off even more. The best thing to do is just roll with it. We had naps, slept in, stayed up too late, had another nap or two. The schedule is totally thrown off, but it’s only temporary.
Get a carseat with your rental. If you plan to rent a car, it’s probably easier to book a car seat from the rental company. The carseat requirements are different between UK cars and US cars so there’s no guarantee your everyday car seat will work overseas. We were also doing train travel and didn’t want to be hauling a car seat all over the place.
Splurge on the airport lounge access. We have a credit card that gives us lounge access, but a lot of lounges also let you buy passes. I think it’s worth it - the airport lounges give you extra privacy and space to spread out, plus free food, drinks and snacks. It’s a nice escape, especially on your way home when the novelty of travel has worn off.
Don’t expect too much. You already know there’s no telling how kids will act or react. I was so excited to show my daughter the sites of London. Her favorite part of the day? Seeing a picture of Snow White on the side of a bus. Little kids are not going to appreciate the effort you’ve put into the trip, but like everything with parenting, it’s all more fun if you can roll with the punches and maintain your sense of humor.
