Traveling with kids can be daunting. I’m here to walk you through it and to promise you… it is so worth it. All you need is to make sure you have a couple key things to keep your littles comfortable. Let me explain.
Don’t overthink the flights. You know your kid, you know what will help keep them occupied. Expect some moments and know you’ll get through them. Load up on your favorite snacks and shows - this is the time to loosen up on those parameters.
The most important thing to focus on is transportation when you get to your destination. This is the category that can have the biggest impact on the luggage, literally what you are lugging around, and peace of mind. I looked at all of the options out there and poured over the details, here is where I landed for my toddler. We bought two travel car seats for our last trip, where we spent half the time in a big city, relying on taxi or Ubers and the other half in the country with a car rental.
For the city the RideSafer Travel Vest was perfect, most of the strapping in happens before you get into the car, so you can quickly hop into a cab or Uber and move on to the next place. The vest can fold up super small and fit under a stroller, even the smaller travel strollers. I drew the line at using this on the highways, or longer trips like from the airport to city center. In those cases we opted for a car service that had a full car seat option and used the vest for shorter trips around the city. If you are planning to rent a car opt for the WAYB Pico Car Seat, this is the best for a lightweight, foldable, but still fully secure seat. The bonus is that this is the perfect backup carseat for someone who might occasionally need something safe to transport the kids around back home after your travels. If you are traveling with a baby, there is no better choice than the Doona it has on-the-go carseat and stroller all wrapped up in one easy to use option.
Speaking of strollers, if you’re past the Doona phase but still need something to help your little one roll around, I can’t recommend Bugaboo’s travel strollers more. We have the Ant which is discontinued, but I only wish the Bugaboo Dragonfly was available when we first bought. These strollers fold down easily and quickly, they are light, you can carry it with a shoulder strap, and best of all they can both roll down an airplane aisle and fit in the overhead. Don’t forget to ask for early boarding!
For the hotel, it’s all about sleeping arrangements. If your little is still using a crib, most hotels will have a crib you can request, which allows you to leave the pack-n-play at home. If that is not an option and you don’t want to lug a pack-n-play, there are equipment rental services like BabyQuip that are great (especially if you use a SNOO at home - we’ve rented through them for shorter trips). If you’re looking for an option between pack-n-play and a full size bed - go for the Cloudsleeper by JetKids. This folds up nice and small, is lightweight, and is very easy to blow up. My daughter has loved having her own little special bed, and it’s a very convenient option for sharing a smaller hotel room - you can easily flip it up or deflate it to move around the room easier in the day. Don’t forget to pack your own sheets, whatever option you choose!
