We did limited travel before having or first (surprise!!) child at age 25. We were busy getting started in our early careers and also running our own business on nights and weekends. Once we had our first child, we started prioritizing family vacations to spend quality time together.
Why Staying at a Hotel with Kids Sucks
It only took one night in a hotel to realize that staying in a hotel room with kids was hell. It turns out that kids don’t follow the same hotel protocols as I do, such as not sticking the TV remote in your mouth or avoiding rolling around on the bed comforter because you have no idea when they washed it last. Also, when your toddler goes to bed at 7:30pm, what in the world are you going to silently do for 3 hours until it’s time to go to bed? That’s when we realized that renting a home is the ideal way to travel with children!! Think how fortunate we are to live in a time where you are able to go to do a quick online search and secure an entire home for your trip!
We found that nap time and evenings after the kids are tucked into bed is when the vacation begins when traveling with kids! Instead of tip toeing around a dark hotel room so you don’t wake up your kids, imagine having a mimosa while reading a book in your own private pool during nap time or soaking in the hot tub at night! Game changer!
We LOVE traveling with ours kids and taking them on adventures to explore new places. It is amazing quality time for our family and is great for them to experience new places and try new things.
We understand that it can seem overwhelming for new parents or families that haven’t traveled much in the past (or haven’t had the best experience with their first attempts). We share our experiences in an effort to help people overcome the feeling of being completely overwhelmed when it comes to the thought of planning a family vacation. Believe us, we’ve felt like that too, but are always so glad when we make the commitment to travel and spend quality time together.
Travel Must-Haves
Diaper Bag Backpack: We had a traditional diaper bag with our oldest child, but switched to a backpack style with our second and we were better off. This one has all the pockets, making it easy to separate items for easy access: A bottle and wipes can be stored on the side pockets, we use the big pocket for diapers, mat and change of clothes (for all three kids, just in case!); the middle pocket is for snacks; the front upper pocket for hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes; and the front is for medicines and creams.
Disposable Placemats: These go against our sustainability efforts, but are so helpful for small children that aren’t qualified to eat off a glass plate at a restaurant and also save the restaurant staff from having to clean up a huge mess. Let’s be real, kids can be embarrassing to take to restaurants due to the mess they leave behind.
Fold-Up Jumper: This may be a bit dramatic, but this has been a life changing purchase for us. Imagine being able to go to a beach, family picnic, bonfire, pool, etc… and be able to actually sit and enjoy yourself while your curious baby can’t escape. Just let baby jump around and play with some of the fun activities on it instead! When all else fails, just hand them a cup of cheerios to snack on while they’re hanging out.
Hiking backpack: This thing is the real deal! We’ve hiked up several mountains with it. It’s comfortable for the kids and parents, and affordable. There’s storage underneath the “seat” for snacks, water, diapers, etc. You’ll want to check with your airline, but we’ve been able to use it as a carry-on item and put it into the plane’s overhead storage.
Baby Carrier: This is a simpler baby carrier that is easy to travel with. It rolls up nice, so we leave room for it in our diaper bag or backpack, then wear the baby onto the plane so we have our hands free when boarding. It grows with your child – where them on the front or the back!
Car seat bags: We’ve tried out several car seat bags over the years and these have been the best. Keep your car seats clean and prevent them from getting beat up when flying. We’ve found these also work great for a little extra storage, too (wink, wink). We may have even put the fold up jumper above in this bag along with a car seat a few times so that we could bring it on trips with us.
Sippy Cups: It’s crazy how many restaurants don’t have children’s cups with a lid. And if they do, a lot of times they have a straw, which are not super leak proof when you have a toddler who wants to tip the cup up. If you’re renting an Airbnb, they may not have sippy cups either, so we always pack one just in case.
Sippy Cup Tether: Is there anything funnier to a baby or toddler than throwing their cup on the floor? Don’t worry about losing cups while traveling with this simple tether that fastens to the stroller (or high chair!) Shown in action below!
Traveling High Chair: Most of the places we’ve stayed have had high chairs, but this is an easy roll-up one that can be used if needed. We’ve found that stacking a few books underneath helps with taller chairs. We also have this Pop ‘N Sit booster chair for our vacation rental property.
Child Locks for Cupboards: Don’t let your guard down when it comes to safety when you’re traveling. Chances are, if you are renting a house or a condo, it won’t be child proofed like your own home is. Keep little ones out of cabinets with detergent, cleaning supplies, etc.
Carbon monoxide detector: We’ve all seen the tragic stories on the news with carbon monoxide poisoning. In our opinion, bringing one with you is a low effort, high impact way to help keep you and your family safe when traveling. (Sites like AirBNB will now tell you if there’s a CO2 detector on the property).
Pack n’ Play sheet (we’ve stayed at places that provided a pack n’ play, but realize as we’re getting setup to put everyone down to bed the first night that they didn’t provide a sheet! This is an easy thing to bring along to potentially save yourself some trouble)
Double Stroller: Our trusty double stroller has been all over the U.S. with us. Strollers can be gate-checked free of charge, so we wheel the kids right down the jetway. It folds up easy and has storage underneath. Some double jogging strollers can be up to $700, but we’ve found this affordable one to be very reliable.
Stroller Wheel Pump: Nothing is worse than pushing a stroller with a flat tire through the airport…or up a hill. Be prepared for leaky tires by carrying a tire pump with you! We usually stick this one in the car seat bag. We also bring a spare tire – like this one – just in case (we have had to change tires on trips before!) There is plenty of “pokey” stuff in the desert to puncture small holes. Make sure you check and get the correct size.
Kids Dramamine: Our oldest daughter went through a phase where she would get motion sickness pretty bad in the car (especially on curvy mountain roads, but also even just on the highway occasionally). We had to clean up a few icky messes before checking in with our doctor, who recommended Kids Dramamine, and it worked like a charm! She would take one about 30 minutes before we left (although, if she had one right when she left, she was usually okay, too). She has seemingly grown out of this now (knock on wood), but it was super helpful during that stage. Of course, this was our experience – be sure to talk with your doctor before giving your child any medication!
Go make some memories! Safe travels!!
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What essential gear suggestions do you have for traveling with little ones?
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