13 Proven Tips for Effortless International Travel with Kids

little boy with snorkel mask on holding up a starfish in the ocean

“You took 4 kids on an airplane?! Are you crazy?!”

I’ve heard this question enough times to know that international travel with kids on an airplane is not at the top of most people’s bucket lists.

But I’m here to tell you that, when done right, it is not just possible – it’s completely worth it!

Here are my top tips for having a great trip when doing international travel with kids on an airplane.

Booking Tips: What To Think About Before Booking Flights

It is important to plan ahead for these things before booking your upcoming trip:

1. Seat Selection Is Often An Added Cost

When budgeting for your trip, keep in mind that selecting seats together will likely be an additional cost.

New policies are being put in place to keep children beside their parents for no extra fee. However, many airlines are still not able to guarantee this. They claim they will place you close together, but their policies don’t guarantee that you will be seated beside your child. They may be in a separate seat, in a separate row.

boy looking out airplane window

This means that if you want to sit beside your child, you will probably need to pay the extra cost for seat selection (at least for now).

Be sure to look closely at the specific airline’s policy before booking your flights.

2. Pros and Cons of Direct Flights and Indirect Flights

Direct flights are often more expensive but they are extremely convenient when travelling with a family.

If you have to book a connection, look carefully at how long the layovers will be on indirect flights.

If you have ever seen someone running through an airport trying to catch their connection, you know how valuable those minutes can be.

Factor in the extra time it will take to get your kids off the plane, stopping for the bathroom, walking to the next terminal etc… and then add an extra hour or two!

 

toddler sleeping on a suitcase as father pulls it through the airport

3. Leg Room For Longer Flights

baby girl sitting in a plane bassinet in front of her parents on flight

Photo from Turkish Airlines

For most international travel with kids, you can often book specific seats that allow for a small bassinet provided by the airline.

These seats are usually the bulkhead seats, or the seats with extra legroom.

This can be a great option for your baby! The extra legroom can also be a handy place for a toddler to sleep on a long flight.

A lot of parents dread that their child won’t sleep on the plane but the “white noise” of the airplane actually provides some quality hours of sleep for the kids!

Tips For Luggage: What Is The Best Way To Pack For International Travel With Kids?

1. Research How Much Luggage/Carryon Bags Are Allowed

It’s important to know exactly what your airline will allow you to take on the plane with you. It is no

longer a guarantee that you will have free checked bags when you fly, even on international flights.

Some low-cost airlines may not even allow for a carry-on, so it’s very important to figure out what you are allowed to bring if you don’t want to be charged extra at the airport.

2. Decide the Number of Bags/Suitcases Needed For Your Whole Family Before Packing

child sitting on suitcase with head tucked under his parents sweater, while being pulled behind with another suitcase

Consider how many “willing hands” will be able to carry or roll luggage through the airports.

Our 6-year-olds were thrilled to wheel a mini suitcase through the airport which opened up the possibility to travel with carry-on bags.

However, if you have a mini stroller to push, and more than one child to wrangle, it will absolutely be worth the extra money to NOT have carry-on bags to worry about.

If you do choose to reduce cost and travel with carry-on luggage, see if you can have it checked in at the gate as you board the plane, rather than looking for overhead space after you board.

3. Use Packing Cubes

The goal of limiting bags means that each child having their own small backpack isn’t the best option.

So to keep yourself from tearing apart your suitcases when you arrive looking for each child’s pyjamas, toothbrush and ‘can’t-live-without-it-lovey’, use packing cubes!

9 packing cubes being put into a suitcaseWith packing cubes, you can group together a family set of pyjamas and bedtime items in one cube to quickly grab when you arrive at your destination.

Have a separate cube packed for each day (rather than for each kid), with every child’s clothing, socks, undies etc needed for that day.

Or if your kids are independent enough to keep their own cube organized, you could pack each child’s clothing in their own packing cube.

These packing cubes are amazing because they can be zipped to compact everything and save you tons of space in your suitcases!

 

a large and small turquoise set of packing cubes

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Tips for Car Seats and Strollers: How To Travel With A Car Seat And Stroller

For international travel with young kids, car seats and boosters can become a big hassle to get to your destination. They are big, cumbersome, unstackable and often heavy! Not ideal – especially if you have to carry more than one!

1. How To Travel With A Baby (With and Without A Car Seat)

In general, your regular stroller/car seat system will have to be checked at the baggage desk with the checked luggage (usually free of charge). If your baby will be sitting on your lap during the flight, umbrella strollers or baby-wearing carriers (👈 my fave) are the best options for cruising through the airport because they can be checked at the gate before boarding.

2. How To Travel With A Toddler Car Seat

If you are renting a vehicle at your destination, many car rental agencies offer car seat rentals for younger children – just be sure to reserve these in advance. This is a great option if you do not want to carry your child’s car seat with all of your additional luggage. If you are planning to use your kid’s car seat on the airplane, these car seat bags work well because allow you to carry the seat as a backpack.

3. How To Travel With Booster Seats for Older Children

For our older kids (over 4), we found these awesome mini travel boosters that became a lifesaver! The idea behind them is that they lower the seatbelt to the child’s height, rather than boosting the child up to the seatbelt – brilliant. They are so compact that you can easily throw them into your carry-on bag without taking up a ton of space.  Just be sure to measure out the straps and adjustments before you travel so that when you arrive, you can be on the road quickly.

Airport Activities: How To Keep Kids Happy At The Airport

  1. Pack snacks

    We use a rolling picnic bag which makes it easy to get snacks for everyone while waiting at our gate. Before each flight I pick a few snacks out for each kid to take on the plane with them in a mini cinch bag. Our favourite healthy snacks for the flights are mini granola bars, fruit-to-go bars, trail mix packs and raisins. Squeezable baby food pouches are also a hit (for all the kids!) and they don’t explode on the flight (but we pack them in ziplocks just in case!)

  2. Plan for downtime

    There’s often a lot of waiting around in airports, especially if you have a connecting flight. Stock up on a few new “fidget toys” before you travel. These are great because they take up very little luggage space/weight, yet they can keep kids entertained for a good chunk of time! I also grabbed some “new to them” activity books at the dollar store, as well as some mini-games, whiteboards/markers, and a few magnetic tiles to keep them entertained for a few hours. Between these and the onboard screens, the kids were well-entertained. Just bring headphones for them if you plan to let them use their seat screens.

  3. Explore the airport

    Many airports have play areas, nursing pods, and kid-friendly perks and exhibits. It’s worth a quick google search to see if the airport you are traveling to has them nearby! Also, check out your credit card benefits to see if you qualify for lounge access (which often includes free food and drinks!).

    Seattle:

    kids playing at seattle airport play area on play equipmentCascadia Kids

    Houston:

    houston children's play area including slideHouston Airport System

    Chicago:

    children playing in chicago play areaNBC News

  4. Bring a tablet or e-reader

    If you have long-haul flights or a long layover, bringing your own tablets or e-readers is worth it. You can load them up with movies, TV shows, books, and games in advance to bring out when your kids have reached their limit (you’ll know.)

Going Through Security: Tips And Tricks

  1. Wear slip-on shoes. Often, children do not need to take off their shoes when going through security. Adults definitely will. So grab something easy to get on and off!
  2. Baby-wearing. If you choose to carry your infant in a baby-carrier, many security screeners will allow you to keep your baby in the carrier as you go through the scanner.
  3. Have one parent walk through security ahead of the children, and one follow behind. The parent-sandwich is key for navigating through most of the airport!
  4. Pack your electronics in one bag if possible so you don’t need to open all bags when you reach security.
  5. Don’t forget to empty the kid’s water bottles before getting to security or you will be chugging a lot of water in line!

What should I pack for international travel with kids?

In addition to the snacks, games, etc already mentioned, here are a few more things to remember to pack when going on an airplane with kids:

  1. Gum (or a bottle/pacifier to suck for babies) for air pressure release in their ears
  2. Wipes
  3. Kleenex
  4. Tylenol/Advil (kid’s version and adult version)
  5. Passports and travel documents
  6. Travel pillow if your flight is near nap time or at night to help them fall asleep easier.
  7. Headphones for the kids (flight attendants can be gracious but it’s good to be prepared!)

Brilliant Space-Saving Tips For Traveling With Kids

  1. For shampoo/conditioner, go for travel-size!
  2. Leave your body wash at home. These microfiber body cloths leave your kids (and you) totally clean by just adding water. They are perfect for bathing your kid when a bath is not an option. (and to be honest, they are all we use at home now too!)
  3. Resist the urge to overpack clothing. While it’s fun dreaming of family vacation pictures in all of your favourite outfits, choose items that pair with multiple outfits. Like those black leggings instead of the pink and orange flower ones!
  4. Wear bulky items on the plane, rather than packing them. This includes bulky shoes, sweaters, jackets etc.
  5. Roll, roll, roll! You will be able to fit SO much more in your suitcase if you roll each item. Use packing cubes to keep organized, but definitely roll each item in your packing cube!

Best Foldable Strollers For Traveling With Kids

As we’ve already covered, space is a very valuable commodity when traveling as a family. If you are looking for a space-saving stroller that will make international travel with kids easier, here are some great options!

  1. Baby Jogger City Tour 2: This lightweight stroller folds up compactly and can fit in the overhead compartment of most airlines. It also has a UV 50+ canopy to protect your child from the sun.
  2. gb Pockit+: This stroller is the smallest in the world when folded up and can fit in a backpack or handbag. It’s perfect for families who want to travel light.
  3. Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller: This stroller is lightweight and has a one-handed fold, making it easy to store in tight spaces. It also has a large canopy to keep your child shaded and a storage basket to hold your essentials.
  4. Mountain Buggy Nano: This stroller folds up small enough to fit in an overhead compartment and comes with a travel bag for easy transportation. It also has a full recline for napping and a sun canopy for protection.
  5. Joovy Caboose Too Ultralight Graphite Stroller: This stroller is perfect for families with multiple kids, as it can hold an infant car seat and has a standing platform for older children. It’s also lightweight and folds up easily for travel.

These strollers are just a few examples of the many great options available for traveling internationally with kids. When choosing a stroller, it’s important to consider factors such as weight, size, and features that will be useful for your specific travel needs.

I hope these family travel tips have been valuable!

With some early planning, a few of these tricks up your sleeve, and an exciting destination….it is absolutely worth it!

Your kids may surprise you and be completely enthralled with the excitement of the airport and airplane itself!

So go on! Plan that family trip you have been putting off.

Happy travels!!

Resources To Help You and Your Kids Thrive

📌 Reading Rescue Blueprint 

Reading Rescue Blueprint on laptopTake these reading lessons with you on your travels! The entire platform is digital and can be accessed on any device. Imagine your child learning to read on your next layover! Check it out!

📌 Monthly Meal Planning That’s ACTUALLY Easy! 

In this post, I share how I plan our family’s meals out one month in advance. There is even a free template that you can customize for your own family’s taste preferences! It comes together exceptionally easily – so head on over if you want to take the stress away from knowing “What’s for dinner?!” before 4pm.

 

Photo credit:

Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Photo by Tommaso Pecchioli on Unsplash

Photo by Frank Wit on Unsplash

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