Travel Early and Travel Often
It is easier to travel without kids, duh, but don't use kids as an excuse to not travel or to stop traveling if you liked traveling before kids. Just like anything else the more you do something the better you are at it. If I want to be a great piano player I can't expect to sit down once a year and play flawlessly. The same goes for traveling. In my experience, it is significantly easier to fly with a baby (0-6 months) that can't move and is content sitting on your lap than a toddler who just figured out how to walk. The more trips you can take while the baby is content just people watching the more practice you will have with traveling and you can get your systems figured out so when the baby turns into a toddler you are a more seasoned traveler and aren't as nervous about traveling.
Linnea getting on her first flight!
Linnea at 3 months old.
Linnea at 3.5 years old.
She has now flown internationally 12 times at 3.5 years old. Stella has 6 international flights under her belt before she turned 12 months old. Stella's first flight was also a 9-hour flight to Chicago. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that for your first flight but it seems to be our family tradition. If our family had to choose a long plane ride or car ride we would take a plane ride any day because we have our routines and know what to expect. My girls are not good in the car because they/we don't do it often which goes back to my point about practicing to get good at it.
General Travel Tips
Expect Delays and Hiccups
I don't like change and I really like things to go according to plan. I've realized I have a tendency to overreact to small things and underreact to big things. Jake jokes that he wishes 'travel Kara' would make more appearances than just on traveling days. Ha! Me too! Sure we have had flights without a single hiccup and we've even been upgraded to business class for free 3 times on our international leg! That is not the norm. Thankfully we've been through enough really long/rough flight delays and cancellations by ourselves that once we started traveling with kids we knew to expect them. One trip, in particular, our flight itinerary changed 5 times (numbers of flights, countries we were supposed to fly through, etc) before we finally got home. You cannot control delays or cancellations but you can control how you react even if you are frustrated.
Canceled or Delayed Flights - Go to the Check-In Desk
If your flight is canceled or delayed and that effects flights later on the airlines will rebook you (if your flights are connected which brings me back to being thoughtful about cheap tickets). We have had more weather delays going out of KC through Chicago than we can count so when that happens we've learned to leave the gate and go to the check-in counter. There are usually significantly more agents there than at the gate (which usually has one and a line of 10-15 people waiting). I usually leave Jake with all of our luggage and I leave the secured area and go back to the check-in counter with agents who handle rebooking more often and tend to be more helpful. Then if needed I can go back through security pretty quickly by myself without bags because they are with Jake.
Chocolate Bar
Always have chocolate on hand. Instant mood booster for when you are delayed yet again or just tried from traveling. Plus then you can try chocolate from around the world and it saves you from buying expensive desserts that look way better than they taste.
Packing Cubes
We heard about packing cubes and thought they were gimmicky. That is an incorrect assumption. Packing cubes are life-changing. We use them for everything. Yes, you can go on a trip without them but hear me out, they make organizing your stuff so much easier. If you need something in your bag you can quickly empty your bag or backpack and then open the one packing cube get out the item, close up the packing cube and then repack the backpack within seconds. You can also easily identify if you are missing something since everything has a place in your packing cube and backpack/bag.
This is what I packed for 9 days in Italy. 2 pairs of shoes, 1 medium packing cube (grey one) and a small packing cube (green one) plus a cardigan, rain jacket, and a scarf. It did get pretty cool a few nights and I borrowed my mother-in-law's fleece which was great. The red roll next to my backpack is an inflatable camping pillow. I used to travel with a full sized pillow so switching to this was a major space saver. Now I'm able to sleep on whatever pillow is provided. There is a chance I'm a little princess and the pea, just maybe.
This is what I packed for 8 days when we went to France and Spain.
We do pack one small packing cube for the first night we land after an international flight. That way we aren't opening all the packing cubes looking for pajamas. We pack everything we need for that night (or if we get stranded in a city on the way to our destination) in one packing cube which is in a carry on bag so we are good to go.
We use a packing cube for Stella's diaper bag (and have been using this set up since Linnea was born).
Changing pad, 5 diapers plus diaper cream in the white and pink mesh bag, wipes, roll of plastic bags for dirty diapers or dirty clothes, plastic bag with medicine, bandaids and suckers, extra clothes for both girls and a toy strap which I also use to hold Stella into a high chair if the strap is missing. We will travel with this packing cube daily until Stella is out of diapers.
Pack At Least 2 Nights Ahead
I struggle with packing ahead of time but I noticed if I stayed up late the night before our trip packing then I'd go to bed late AND once I'm in bed my brain wouldn't shut down because it would keep going through the checklist. I'd rather stay up late 2 nights before the trip so the night before we leave I can go to bed at a reasonable time with a brain that isn't in overdrive. I'd also highly recommend a week before your trip to set aside the clothes you want to wear so you don't wear them that week and end up doing laundry last minute waiting for clothes to dry.
If you know me at all you know that I love a good spreadsheet. We have a travel spreadsheet with a packing list, our itinerary and several other useful sheets. It is nice not having to reinvent the packing list with each trip. This helps us remember what to bring as well as where to put them in our backpacks.
Pack Light
This is SO hard for me. I am an over-packer and I love to be the person that everyone can count on to have that 'thing' they forgot. You know what else might have that thing? A store in the city you are visiting. Only pack the essentials that you need with the exception of medicine for kids (because no one wants to need ibuprofen and not have it at 1 am). Anything else you can get wherever you are traveling. And it is a great way to experience a city if you go to a local grocery store to buy everyday items.
Layers Are Your Friend
I typically bring 2 pairs of pants (or shorts, skirt, etc) and then several tops that go well together (some people re-wear tops but I just can't/don't like to do that) plus a cardigan and then a rain jacket. If we are traveling to a colder place I might bring a fleece and then a jacket to layer together for more warm plus gloves and a scarf.
Travel Day Outfit + Carryon Clothes
I pretty much wear the same thing for our travel days which includes slip-on shoes, short socks (because I don't like being hot but I have long socks in my bag in case I get cold on the plane) jeans, a t-shirt with a cardigan and a lightweight scarf (which I used more when I wasn't traveling with kids - I tend to be warmer than I used to probably from dealing with the girls and extra luggage). It can be a workout getting everyone to the gate with all of your stuff and I'd prefer to not be dripping in sweat before starting the flight so I definitely underdress on travel days.
I prefer jeans over black leggings/yoga pants because I want pockets for my phone, chapstick and boarding passes plus whatever else I'm trying to carry. I did buy a travel skirt a while back which has 5 pockets, built in shorts underneath and packs so well. That is my go-to when we are traveling (or just in general) in warmer months. I can't say enough great things about it! Always pack extra clothes for you and your kids in your carryon. If you get pooped on (which happens more when babywearing) or thrown up on you don't want to wear those clothes the whole flight especially on an international flight.
Pack Similar Colored Clothing & Laundry While Traveling
This one might sound weird but if you are going on a long trip, several weeks, I'd recommend packing 5-7 outfits that all wash well together so when you do laundry you don't have to do as many small loads. We did this our last trip to Kansas and only packed darks and pinks, no white or cream clothes, and it definitely helped with the laundry loads.
An added tip is to use a lingerie bag to wash your kids' socks in especially if you are traveling around a bit because losing one sock when you only bring 2-3 pairs is a pain.
One more tip about laundry while traveling is we have a designated laundry bag (a reusable Baggu bag) that all of our dirty laundry goes in until it is time to wash it. This helps keep the piles of clean vs dirty clothes that end up all over the floor a little more organized.
Unpack the Day You Land
Unpacking isn't fun but it usually doesn't take long. We now have a rule we have to unpack before we go to bed that night. If you don't it can sit around for a week or longer.
Jet Lag
Follow Timezones
As soon as you land start following your normal schedule according to that timezone. Do not play mind games by adding or subtracting time to figure out what time your body thinks it is. If it is 11:30 and you normally each lunch around then try to each some lunch even if you aren't hungry.
Linnea is on the jet lag struggle bus. We flew to Stockholm when she had roseola (3 days of a high fever that finally broke on the airplane when her body started developing a rash).
Sleep In/Nap TrapDon't sleep in too late or take a 5-hour nap during the day. This is SO HARD not to do but the goal is to get your body adjusted so delayed gratification is your friend.
Discourage Playtime and Lights at Sleep Time
You/Your child will most likely wake up in the middle of the night for the first 3-4 days. You will be tempted to turn on the light to let them play and then go back to bed after a few hours, we try hard to treat bedtime just like we normally would especially while getting over jet lag. We do let Linnea look at books in the middle of the night the first few nights especially if we are all in the same room getting over jetlag. This helps her to not get frustrated that she can't play but it also keeps her quiet and reading helps her stay relaxed.
Pro tip - If your child can't actually read then make sure the books are ones they are familiar with. We made the mistake once of having Grandma bring books for her which was great but we wanted her to independently look at the books so we could keep sleeping but she didn't know any of the stories. Now we know better.
We do let Linnea or ourselves get out of bed on the first day of jet lag if someone wakes up early (4 am or later) if they've tried to go back to sleep and can't because your body thinks it is 11 am. Then we will let them stay up for the day but then nap at the normal time according to the timezone you are in. The nice thing about experiencing jet lag together is that if your child's body thinks it should be awake yours probably does too.
Super pro tip - if you are getting over jetlag with friends or family pick the set that tends to wake up early to be with first then you'll get to spend extra time with them without feeling like you are waking the whole house up. We got over jet lag this last time with Jake's family who are early risers so they got lots of early morning fun in with the girls and we could also send them over and we could keep sleeping if we were able to go back to sleep.
Jetlag in Separate Rooms
I would highly recommend spreading out while getting over jetlag. Our first 2 trips back this year we were all in the same room and it ended up that I would nurse Stella back to sleep to keep everyone else asleep and that resulted in her unsleep training herself and waking up once or twice per night for a month. The last trip home both girls were in separate rooms and it was AMAZING!
Takes 3-4 Days
In our experience, it takes 3-4 days to get over jetlag. Have patience and grace but try not to develop any bad habits in those 3-4 days that you'll have to break (like letting your kid watch a movie at 2 am).
On The Plane
Never See the Other Passengers Again
I'm guessing most people are concerned about getting on a flight and their child screaming the whole way. That has not happened on any flight I've ever been on with my kids or any other kids. But the good news is the flight will eventually land and it won't last forever. And if your kid does scream the whole way you most likely won't see those other passengers again.
Since becoming a mom there has only been one flight when I was about to lose it on another parent. Her child screamed a lot but the problem was the mom seemed uninterested in helping her child not scream. We didn't see her offer him toys, snacks, candy, a screen, nothing. I get that you might have high parenting standards and that is great but for the love at least try something with your kid. If you are trying and they are still screaming then at least you tried. And if you are flying without kids and someone is screaming put in earplugs and be thankful you don't have to figure out how to get the kid quiet or worry about them keeping your kids awake.
Let Content Kids Be
Plan enough activities to get you through your flight or have an idea of what you will have your kids do. Depending on the age 10-30 minutes per activity but if after 30 minutes they are still into it DON'T ask them to switch to something else! Let them be. I'd start with the least engaging/special activity and save the more exciting ones for last.
Entertainment Bag
Our entertainment bag is a small packing cube with activities. We now have one for Linnea and one for Stella. Stella's had lift-the-flap board books, yogurt bites, cheerios, two or 3 toys she could chew on, and the toy strap. We have a toy strap that we used so that toys didn't constantly hit the airplane/restaurant floor and you can use it on the stroller so toys don't get tossed without your knowledge.
Small board books are the best because they take up less space and if you can get lift-the-flap ones then that give kids something extra to do. These are some of the things we brought on our last trip. Stacking cups are also great and don't take up much space but can roll around on an airplane.
The white piece of paper with dot stickers on it is made up on the spot. I can write letters on the paper and Linnea will match the dot sticker with the same letter (or capital and lower case) or I'll write numbers on the paper and dots on the dot sticker and she'll match them. Just get creative.
I personally like suckers because they last a long time and they stay in their mouths versus Linnea taking snacks out of a bowl and then touching things on the airplane and then grabbing snacks again. Plus all that sucking on the sucker keeps her quiet :) (which is also handy if parents need to talk/think and are at a store . . . ). A sucker could also be great in the security line when there is a lot of waiting around and you don't want kids pulling on the security ropes or running over people with your suitcase.
Screen Time
Some parents let kids have a free for all with screen time on a plane and my best advice is do what is best for your family. We definitely let Linnea have significantly more screen time on a plane than in real life but we don't start with screen time. She has to do other activities first. We've noticed her willingness to listen and her attitude gets worse the longer she is exposed to a screen so we don't let her have a free for all. On short flights (1-2 hours) we don't usually get it out unless it has been a long travel day. She does watch Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street and there is one educational app called Star Fall that she can play. She prefers to watch shows she has already seen. I'm guessing the loud airplane makes it kind of hard to hear the shows.
International flights typically have screens on the back of the seat in front of you but some long domestic flights to Hawaii from the US don't even though the flight is long, so check with the airline before flying. Several airlines nowadays let you watch shows if you have downloaded their app which you will need to do before you get up in the air.
Snacks
Bring lots of snacks. No one wants to get hungry while traveling and snacks are entertaining.
Kid Tips
Hiccups with Kids Before Flights
I haven't had great luck with Linnea being healthy and flights but sometimes it is a blessing in disguise. If she doesn't feel good she often has less energy and falls asleep easier than she would normally which is great when traveling. At 12 months old, she got roseola days before our flight to Stockholm (3 days of high fever which then broke and she got a rash all over her body while we were in the air over the Atlantic ocean). But she also fell asleep before we took off and we woke her up when we landed. She slept the ENTIRE 9-hour flight. We got lots of compliments on that flight. She has also traveled with or right after croup, hand foot, and mouth and went to the ER the day before a flight because she 'swallowed' a rock. Make sure you have some travel health insurance as well just in case! Ours is covered in our rental insurance policy.
Early Boarding
Most airlines let families board early which is great but we realized that often means being in our seats longer than we should. So this last trip we decided Jake would board early with as many bags as he could while I stayed back with the girls. This allowed him to get settled and make sure our bags were close to our seats in the overhead bins. Then he would wipe down the armrests, trays, seats, etc with a disinfecting wipe before we got on board. I would encourage the girls to run (or crawl) and we would board as late as possible to minimize our time in our seats. We were worried the gate attendant wouldn't let Jake on without kids but so far that hasn't been an issue.
Baby Wearing
You can wear a baby in a carrier through security and then they will most likely swab your hands. If you carry a baby you can walk through without having your hands swabbed. No idea why there is a difference.
Before we bought our travel stroller we took a trip to California with our Ergo 360 baby carrier. It worked but it was definitely a workout carrying Linnea everywhere.
Daytime Vs Nighttime Flights
This is just personal preference but we prefer to fly internationally at night if possible. I would rather try to get my kids to sleep on a plane and hope that they do for 4-6 hours then entertain them during a daytime flight that lasts 9 hours. Do what you think is best for your family and if it doesn't go well then try it the other way next time.
Travel Stroller
We bought a travel stroller, BabyZen Yoyo, that came highly recommended by a friend. It is ridiculously expensive especially if you don't travel much. Do I regret our purchase? Nope. It is one of the only strollers on the market that you can carry onto an airplane so it doesn't get gate checked which means it doesn't get tossed around and potentially broken. It is also great if you need to run through an airport or if your luggage gets lost your stroller won't because it is with you. Some airlines will tell you that it won't fit onboard but it will. If it is a smaller airline we just pack it up before we get to the gate and then they don't even know it is a stroller.
Linnea figured out we actually have a 'double stroller'.
Our trip to Kansas this Christmas was the first time Linnea had her 'own' suitcase. It was a smaller rolling bag. We packed all of our back up clothes in that bag as well as all of the liquids that needed to be taken out at security which was Linnea's responsibility. Giving Linnea a job was one of the best decisions. She wanted to be included and to help and this was actually helpful. I put all of the food, formula, and medicine in one large gallon Ziploc bag in the front pocket of the rolling suitcase and Linnea could open it and put it in a bin when we went through security. This helped her feel like she was contributing (because she was) and gave us a few seconds to unload our backpacks.
Baby carrier, travel stroller, rolling kid suitcase, moving sidewalk entertainment.
Pack plenty of diapers, wipes and baby foods. You would think airports would have these items but they usually don't and you don't want to run out of any of them while traveling. We usually keep 5 diapers and extra clothes in the diaper packing cube and then more clothes and diapers in our rolling carryon bag and then more diapers in our checked back just in case we get really delayed.
I would definitely encourage you to pack light but I wouldn't travel without baby ibuprofen and a thermometer. If your child wakes up screaming in the middle of the night you'll most likely want one or both of those things. I always carry on some basic over the counter medicine for me (pain reliever, allergy meds) and I never leave home without nasal spray because trying to sleep or function with a stuffed up nose is just awful.
Talk through Expectations
When Linnea was really little (1 year old) we talked about flying on an airplane and sleeping on daddy for a few weeks before our trip. Then she knew what we expected. We still do this with her. We will talk about her playing with things in her entertainment bag before getting to watch a show. Or that if the flight is short she won't watch a show.
Linnea at 12 months old and she did a great job on the flights. The roseola 3-day fever definitely help her be more cuddly!
If you plan on traveling a lot invest in good baby gear. A good hiking backpack, a comfortable baby carrier, travel crib, travel stroller, etc. We also have something called In the Pocket Baby which is a travel 'high chair' that attaches to almost any chair and turns it into a high chair. We used it with Linnea when we traveled to California, Florida and a few other places when we weren't sure if they had a high chair. It is great and made in Sweden.
Here is the In The Pocket baby on a chair at a restaurant.
We have used a pop-up tent a few times for the girls to sleep in when we didn't have a pack n play available because it packs up small enough to fit in our suitcase. You can also use it on the beach.
I bought all of these on Amazon and personally, I liked the white and blue one best. It had the most room and the most mesh so it didn't get as hot but a friend who let us borrow one ended up giving us theirs so that is what Linnea is sleeping in below.
They fold up nice and small and then you can either put blankets under the tent to make it soft or bring an inflatable camping mattress to use for padding.
Linnea was 8 months old in this picture. She did roll the tent but it still kept her contained.
Long Flight Tip
If possible, make your long flight as long as you can so your other flight is as short as it can be. We prefer to fly Stockholm to Chicago (9 hours) and then Chicago to KC (1:30). We've also done Stockholm to Newark (8:30) and then Newark to KC (3:00). So the long flight is 30 minutes shorter but then you have a 3-hour flight instead of an hour and a half. A 3-hour flight feels significantly longer than a 1:30 flight.
Long Flight Schedules
Here is the typical schedule on a long flight. After taking off you'll be served beverages and then 'dinner' which is your biggest meal. That whole process takes 1.5-2 hours so if your flight is 9 hours total the first 2 hours is dinner which leaves you 7 hours for the rest of the flight to sleep . . . except for 1-1.5 hours, before you land, they will serve you breakfast. So the actual 'night time' when you can sleep on a 9-hour international flight is actually 5.5 hours if you are super focused but still choose to eat. Some people board and sleep right away and don't eat dinner or breakfast. So in the scenario from above, if your long flight is only 8:30 the 30 minutes less is actually less sleep time.
If you are flying internationally ask your airline what perks they might have for kids and babies. We only fly SAS back to the US if possible so I know their perks best. They offer a baby bassinet which is a bed that hooks into the bulkhead so you can lay the baby down and free up your lap and arms. It is free but you do have to request it because there are only 2 in economy available. Stella used one at 10 weeks, 14 weeks, 6 months (two ways) and 11 months (which she barely fit). There is a weight limit and a height limit.
Here is the bassinet which is on the bulkhead and out of the way.
Fly Tot, Plane Pal, Inflatable Pillow
There are different inflatable pillows you can buy that extend the seat so your child can lay down flat to sleep on the flight. We've never used one until our last trip to the US. Linnea was 3.5 and we used a fly tot. There are some airlines that don't allow them and the ones that do have rules (like you can't block the aisle). It was great. It definitely takes up space in the carryon bag but it was nice to not have her sleeping on one of us.
Plane Configurations Matter
A plane with seat configurations of 2 seats by 4 seats by 2 seats (two aisles to walk up and down) feels SO MUCH bigger than 3 seats by 3 seats. We will not fly on a 3 seats by 3 seats international flight if we can help it.
Sometimes people find a great deal where they can fly to Europe for $250 roundtrip but it is out of Dallas or some other city that is an 8-hour drive from where they live. That's great but remember you have to get there either by driving or another plane ticket. And if you have separate tickets that aren't all linked and there is a delay or issue with one leg of the journey you won't be automatically rebooked. Plus add in extra costs like driving 8 hours, a possible hotel stay, etc and pretty soon you are at $500-700 for the ticket and doing a lot of extra work. The cheapest flight we've gotten to and from Stockholm was $450 roundtrip per ticket. I'd say our average price is $600-700 but can be $2200 over Christmas if you don't book early.
Your Time is also Worth Money and Sanity
This last trip to the US we flew into Wichita which added $400 to our expenses but coming in at Christmas time and schedules being tight we didn't want to fly in to KC and then waste time driving that day (after a LONG travel day) or the next day when we'd be jet lagged. We did opt to fly out of KC on the way home to save $400 and as we were making our way back up to KC from Wichita for the flight we both kind of wished we would have just paid $400 to not have to pack up our stuff AGAIN to stay one more night before flying back to Stockholm.
I just recently brought a neck pillow for overnight flights. It is helpful but it isn't 100% necessary. You have to decide if lugging it around and having it take up space in your bag is worth it. I see lots of people with neck pillows and I used to think it wasn't worth it. Now that we travel as much as we do I'm ready to give it a try but only on international flights. You won't see me traveling with one on a short flight.
I hope these tips were helpful. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy traveling!
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