How to travel with a toddler

The above photo was taken by CHEMA PHOTO on Unsplash

I must admit that I have had a fair amount of grief on my solo travel days. Traveling with a toddler is a whole new beast, and it’s important to try not to compare experiences (though I definitely feel guilty about it). Even the thought of traveling with a toddler can feel unbelievable, and honestly, it’s tiring.

That said, you shouldn’t avoid travel at all costs. There are a few things you can do to prepare and make your travel experience the best it can be. Enter your vacation with low expectations and know that things won’t go exactly the way you want them to. I once heard the phrase “Traveling with young children is a trip, not a vacation” and thought it might be a useful approach. Have a flexible mindset and be ready to adjust when needed. It feels good to know that you are giving your child a new experience and memory to stick with (and for you).

Here are some tips and advice on how to travel with a toddler to make your next trip as fun and successful as possible. Please share your best suggestions in the comments!

How to travel with a toddler

Make a packing list

Packing for a toddler can be stressful and exhausting. There is so much going on! From diapers to pack n’ play to monitors and sound machines. The list goes on! Make an organized list to make sure you don’t miss anything. It might feel silly or ridiculous to pack so many things, but hugging their favorite stuffy stuff in their new surroundings might help them sleep through the night.

To make sure you don’t forget anything, make a detailed and organized list. Try to pack in an organized and efficient way so you can fit everything into a small space. Consider whether you’re driving or flying, and what you can and can’t bring.If you’re flying, there are companies like this baby one-liner For crib, stroller and car seat rentals to help lighten your load. Things are so convenient these days and there are so many resources. If you’re visiting family or friends, see if there are packs or strollers that you can borrow from a local friend.

Plan your travel day thoughtfully

Depending on whether you’re flying or driving, take into account airport traffic, flight times, travel routes, tolls, traffic, nap time, and more. To be honest, kids are unpredictable, so no matter how much we plan, they may decide not to take a nap or they may have explosive diarrhea during their trip. who knows? Try to be prepared for it all. For our last 7 hour drive, we went back and forth between first thing in the morning or leaving later in the day. We left first thing in the morning, luckily there was no traffic jam, our 15 month old is a rock star traveler. But his naps were irregular and I had to hop into the back seat several times to entertain him, give him snacks, and we stopped about every two hours to stretch, go to the bathroom and refuel. Many times we make things more complicated than they need to be. Sometimes our kids surprise us and exceed our expectations…and sometimes they don’t! Unfortunately, most of them are beyond our control, so we can only do our best to prepare and keep them happy.

Pack plenty of snacks and activities while flying

The first piece of advice all my friends who travel with toddlers give me is to pack plenty of snacks and activities. Practice with headphones on before you go so they get used to it. Bring surprises and something they can unwrap/unpack to keep the fun and pack all the treats.We borrowed Jesse’s my travel stroller Take a trip to California, it’s a game changer. highly recommended. Some useful things to bring when flying with a toddler:

lower expectations

It sounds negative, but what I mean is try not to set your expectations so high that you will only end up disappointed. You can make some plans, but know that planning with a toddler is always difficult and things can always change quickly. Back when you were traveling without a toddler, you could probably fit in so much in a day. I can see it now.. hiking first thing in the morning, breakfast at a sweet cafe, shopping in the village later in the morning, lunch at the brewery, then going to the beach, going for a swim in the afternoon, then Drink at the bar. Newsflash, this doesn’t happen to toddlers. Pick an activity of the day and you can start there anytime! Find fun in simple things and try not to compare to the past. Don’t worry, one day you’ll have your solo travel time again.

roll with it

Be aware that toddlers are unpredictable and things may not go as planned. You might have plans to go to the beach, but all they do is eat the sand, or you might have dinner booked and they’re completely melted. You may have to switch plans on the fly, and that’s okay. On our most recent vacation, we all got dressed and went out to dinner and our kids fell asleep in the car on the way there. He was totally stuck after a day at the beach and forcing him out to eat would be unfair to him and no fun for us. So we ordered takeout and went back to the house. After putting our kids to bed, we sat on the porch sipping cocktails and enjoying the tranquility. Ended up having a great night. Be flexible and go with the flow, don’t force things that don’t feel right. And try to maintain some kind of routine so your child can feel rested and fun around.

Finding humor in failure

There was a lot of laughs on our family trip this summer and honestly these are stories we will remember and tell year after year. My husband was determined to go to a new place and despite my warnings we went and things were a little hairy to say the least…in the end, all was well and now we laugh at his stubbornness and our wild adventures. Find humor in those silly moments that don’t go as planned, and try not to take it too seriously. It should be fun after all!

Find a babysitter and plan an evening

Everyone has a different level of comfort with a babysitter, especially when traveling, but if you have a trusted babysitter to recommend, I would 100% recommend that you plan to spend a night with your partner when you’re out and about. Being in a new place with a toddler is tiring. Often, rental homes or homes for family and friends are not child-proofed, and keeping children safe can be exhausting. Packing and preparing for a new event throughout the day is equally exhausting, and you’ll be shitting at the end of each day. Worth it, but yeah, exhausting, it’s just parenting for you! We were recommended a great babysitter on our trip and enjoyed an evening of cocktails, sunsets and ice cream by the bay which was absolutely perfect. The opportunity to go outside without kids will give you a taste of those days of traveling alone and re-energize your trips to come. You won’t regret it, I promise!

re-acquainted home

While it’s always sad to say goodbye while traveling, one of the best parts of traveling is coming home and re-appreciating all the comforts of home, the space you live in, your friends, family, and what’s in your life for you special all life. It sounds cheesy, I know, but when we got home from our recent trip, we lay together on the grass on the lawn, hugging each other, admiring the beauty of our Vermont home and what we were so grateful for. It’s really special. Absorb it all!

Do you have any tips and tricks for traveling with kids? Let us know in the comments below!