It’s no secret that we travel a lot. Some long trips, some short ones, some by plane and others in the car. Either way, traveling can be stressful, especially with a toddler in tow. So I’ve rounded up some of the things that I do every time we travel that makes our experience just a tad easier and more enjoyable.

I don’t know the exact count, but we’ve been on about 26 flight and countless road trips with our now two-and-a-half-year-old. While we’ve been pretty blessed with a decent traveler most of the time, making sure that I’m prepared with the necessary travel tools is always a must, because let’s be honest, long hours of traveling isn’t really that fun for anybody, toddlers or adults.

my beautiful family in Lucca, Italy — April 2018

my top toddler travel tips.

[1] pack snacks.

lots and lots of snacks. It’s important to have simple, easy to eat snacks that are also healthy. Some of my favorite go-tos include:

• easy to eat/not too messy fruit like: bananas, apples, grapes, mini oranges, blueberries
• vegetables that your child likes: Hallie loves cucumbers so I usually pack a few mini cucumbers that are super easy to eat and don’t make a mess
• packaged snacks: I found a brand of organic, whole grain cookies here in the Netherlands that Hallie really likes so I always have those on hand. Other ideas include crackers, squeezable fruit packets, raisins or other dried fruit.
• homemade snacks: I absolutely love having a plethora of homemade snacks on hand. I usually make all or a combination of the following snacks: homemade granola bars, chia seed donuts [not a recipe on my blog, but let me know if you want the recipe.], homemade banana muffins, homemade whole wheat flax crackers, homemade trail mix [including raw nuts and/or seeds, dark chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut, unsweetened dried fruit].

[2] have options of “things to do.”

What are you kiddos current interests? For Hallie, it’s coloring, specific cartoons on the iPad, stickers and snacking. So I always have a big bag of markers and colored pencils with paper. My mom recently gave us something called a Boogie Board which is a mess free coloring pad. And it’s amazing!  I also download some of Hallie’s favorite shows on the iPad so she can watch them without having to have access to wifi. In addition, I usually bring a couple of books and some sort of small toy[s] that entertain her [not any super noisy toys though because we don’t want everyone around us to get annoyed!].

[3] once you arrive, stock up on some healthy foods and snacks at a local market or grocery store.

When we arrive at a hotel or Airbnb, it’s imperative for us to have a few things stocked in the kitchen [even though we eat out for most meals when we’re vacationing]. It all depends on what you and your toddler like, but some examples of things that we typically fill our fridge with are fresh berries, bananas, oranges, whole organic yogurt, local meats and cheeses, a loaf of bread and always bottled water.

 

afternoon snacks in Lucca, Italy — April 2018

[4] be patient.

Patience is one of those things that many of us lose when we’ve been traveling, we’re tired and out of our normal routine. But I’ve slowly learned that having patience with your little one can make a big difference. Just think about it. How do you feel after a long flight or a short night of sleep. On edge? Cranky? Toddlers feel the same way, and usually that feeling is magnified. So it’s best to try and have as much patience as you can with them while traveling, both while actually traveling to your destination and when you arrive there and begin your vacation.

 

[5] be flexible.

As a nutritionist, feeding my daughter the highest quality food that I can is very important to me. When we travel it’s very difficult to make sure she’s eating her veggies and not snacking on sugary foods. Just as it can be difficult for adults to eat a balanced diet on vacation, the same goes with kids. And I’m starting to learn to be okay with that. I’m going to be completely honest and say that my daughter does not eat well when we travel — she also doesn’t eat that much. We pack healthy snacks and try to order things that she typically likes off the menu, but if she doesn’t want something, that’s okay. And she gets her fair share of gelato, french fries and other not-so-healthy snacks. But at the end of the day, she’s doing just fine. She’s happy and healthy, and that’s all that matters to me.

 

healthy, kid-friendly lunch in Montecarlo, Italy.

 

Also while traveling, naps are usually skipped and bedtimes are pushed back. When we can we try and make an afternoon pitstop to our accommodations to lay Hallie down for a nap, but most of the time we are out and about exploring, and there’s no time to put her down for a formal nap. And again, this is okay. A few days of skipped naps and late bedtimes is not going to ruin your normal routine, but it will make for a very tired kiddo — so patience is key!

cat-nap on mama while wine tasting.

[6] bring any convenience items that work for your family.

Hallie used to really love her stroller, so it was something we always brought on trips with us. Now she doesn’t take to the stroller as well so we typically don’t bring it because it’s just another thing we have to travel with and lug around town — but it was a great thing to have when she used it. A baby carrier like an Ergo can make traveling much easier if your little one enjoys being carried. It’s easy to travel with and is light weight which is always a plus.

We always bring things that make sleeping feel the most like home. Sometimes we bring a pack-and-play if our accommodations don’t provide a crib, but we always bring her sound machine, her sleep sack and a few of her favorite crib stuffed animals and blankets. We feel it has helped her sleep fairly well while we are in an unfamiliar, new place.

 Hallie girl exploring Lucca, Italy.

plane tips.

shorter domestic flights.

Depending on the airport, some planes you load from both the front and back of the plane. When this is the case we always try and pick the last seats on the plane so we don’t have anyone behind us, we’re super close to the bathrooms, and close to the exit when the plane lands. Getting off and on the plane quickly and easily has been so helpful for us. Also, when our daughter turned two, airlines required that she now have her own seat [rather than sitting on my lap from age 0-2],  and that has been amazing for us! There’s so much more room to move around and for Hallie to get comfortable. Plus, she always has the option of sitting on my lap and snuggling when the plane is in the air.

 

longer international flights.

Request the seat location right behind the bulkhead area. This means that there is no seat in front of you, you are closer to the bathrooms and you have much more leg room! This row isn’t available to book ahead of time so you have to just book seats and then ask to be relocated [if the seats are available] at the check-in desk when you arrive at your gate. This row is reserved for people with service animals, for people with injures that require more leg room, and for people with children. I’ve had luck snagging these seats on each of my international flights from Amsterdam to the USA and it has been a life changer! Hallie can get up and walk around and not be in the way, and it’s just amazing having all of the extra room without having to worry about bothering people in front of us.

 

 

Hopefully some of these tips will help on your next trip! Also, don’t forget to check out my 10 Totally Doable Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling.

Happy traveling!

 

xoxo,

Angela