We have traveled with our toddler to multiple countries and states across the US since he was a 3 month old baby, and now we are doing the same with our 3 month old second baby. Our 2 year old already has several stamps on his passport and you should not be intimidated to travel with your little ones! If anything I highly encourage you to start traveling when your baby is young! (Once you have a toddler, you realize traveling with a baby is actually easier in my opinion – because they can’t go anywhere yet!). I have even travelled SOLO to EUROPE with a CARRYON ONLY when my son was 8 months old!! It was an amazing trip and I was so glad to do it so efficiently because it made it so much easier and simpler!! I also cover everything we packed for our trip with a baby and toddler in this youtube video you can watch too to see it all in action!

We did our very first trip as a family of 4 this summer to Europe, with a 2.5 year old and a 3 month old. I’ll go over everything we pack for traveling with a baby and traveling with a toddler in this post so you can be fully prepared, but also travel as light as possible!

We also want to maximize the general rule of infants flying for free on your lap as a lap child for as long as we can! (up until 2 years old!). So this also means we have to be more mindful of our belongings and carryons. But good news! As a lap child / infant on your lap when traveling with your baby, even though they are “free” (I say “free” because if you are traveling internationally, you’ll still usually need to pay an infant tax – but theres no additional cost flying domestically in the United States or within the EU – just international flights). But your infant in lap is generally allowed a diaper bag and a milk bag that doesn’t count toward your carryon items! So if you are allowed 1 carryon for your ticket, you usually can also bring a small diaper bag and small milk/pumping bag in addition to that.

Let’s cover a few common airline allowances though.

Things you can typically gate check for free or check at the main airline checkin for free:

• car seats
• stroller

Things you can typically bring as a carryon that DO NOT COUNT as your carryon

• diaper bag
• milk / pumping bag / mini cooler

Our travel baby car seat + stroller

We LOVE the Doona car seat + stroller combo. We traveled for almost 2 years with our son with this, and now with our daughter! I LOVE that it is ONE PIECE. I don’t need to worry separately about a stroller attachment. It makes it SO easy to move around with the car seat and stroller as one. The only downside is there’s not any storage, but personally if I’m traveling, I WANT TO KEEP THINGS MINIMAL anyways – so we just have our diaper backpack on the go! I love that you don’t need a base to use it, so it makes it easy if getting in and out of ubers or taxis at your destination as well. Because it is also a stroller, it is heavier than your typical infant car seat, but I’m pretty much always pushing it as a stroller, so I don’t have to carry it as a car seat generally.

Our toddler car seat + car seat travel bag

We personally like bringing our regular toddler Maxi Cosi Max Convertible carseat with us so that our son is comfortable and has something he is familiar with. I haven’t heard the most positive stories from friends who have rented toddler car seats, so I just feel better about bringing our own. We love our toddler car seat (that does work for an infant with an insert and also becomes a booster eventually!).

We have this easy car seat and stroller travel bag that can work for even a double stroller! It has great handles that make it easy to carry and keep your car seat or stroller safe on transport!

Our travel toddler stroller

Honestly with a toddler, especially with bringing a car seat, you want a toddler stroller to be AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE!!!! Just super easy to fold up small, very light and easy to carry. So it’s a no-brainer to have a good umbrella stroller – but don’t just get ANY umbrella stroller. Oh no, the traditional ones, yes they are light and packable, but that’s ALL they are. You basically want a HYBRID umbrella stroller that is atleast tall enough for a comfortable stroll, SOME sort of storage, and a shade cover for traveling anywhere sunny! (bonus with the option to lay back for a nap on the go!)

This is why we love our Jeep Umbrella Stroller – its like a better version of an umbrella stroller with the perks of lightness but benefits of a regular stroller

• reclines back for naps
• small storage
• bigger wheels for smoother stroll
• great height
• folds up small
• very light
• shade covering
• cup holder

My baby and toddler travel packing strategy

First, my strategy is to pack as LIGHT/MINIMALLY as possible, and with the least number of pieces as possible. For Instance, I’d rather pack everything into one GIANT suitcase to check, instead of 2 small suitcases. With a baby and toddler, the TOTAL number of items you need to carry or roll matters more in my opinion. That’s total number of things to keep track of (in addition to the kids!) So it’s worth it in my opinion to check 2 large suitcases than a bunch of carryons.

What you’ll need to get started packing for baby

• Suitcase/s
• Diaper bag
• Milk/Pumping bag

Here is what we used to pack as a family of 4 with a baby and toddler. Our 2.5 year old has his own ticket so he’s also allowed his own bag & carryon

• 1 large checked suitcase
• 1 carryon suitcase
• 1 toddler car seat (with car seat travel cover case! I use this one from amazon)
• 1 infant car seat/stroller combo (we use and love our Doona – we have used for both kids!)
• 1 Toddler backpack carryon
• 1 Diaper backpack (that slides over a suitcase handle!)
• 1 Regular backpack (that also slides over a suitcase handle! this is critical!)
• 1 Duffle carryon bag

So we checked 1 large suitcase and 1 toddler car seat, and then each had our carryon backpacks, 1 carryon suitcase, and our Doona carseat stroller through the airport. This still sounds like a lot because in our pre-kid days, we usually just traveled with 1 backpack and 1 carryon suitcase!!! I also do NOT like renting a car seat for our toddler when traveling because its 1 more thing to worry about and I have not heard positive reviews from close friends who have done this. I also think its beneficial for our toddler to have something he’s familiar with when traveling, because it can be overwhelming. It’s a great peace of mind to know we have with us our own car seat that we trust.

Our travel bags

‘We love our Dagne Dover backpacks and duffles – they are so lightweight and hold up so well for travel with so many compartments.

Our baby diaper backpack

We also love our Beis baby diaper backpack (I’ve had for almost 3 years now with both kids, so the quality is amazing its held up sooo well). Everything also slides over suitcase handles which is SO important!!! All my travel bags must also always be able to slide over a suitcase handle securely because especially with kids, you want to easily have multiple configurations to get around easily.

I also LOVE my Dagne Dover baby diaper back pack – I use BOTH now – so I have 2 great recommendations for you to try out!

Our suitcases & packing organization

For my packing strategy, I pack everything loosely first, so then you can review everything and edit it down. Once you do that, then I try and REMOVE at least 1 item per person (bonus if you can do more! Usually for me this is an outfit or pair of shoes, for baby or toddler, this is an outfit and a toy) and then I pack everything into categorized packing cubes. Packing in packing cubes is the most important because it helps condense down the size of your clothes and keeps your suitcase super organized (especially when packing with multiple people/children). I also color code the packing cubes so when I open the suitcase, I know which color belongs to whom (which results in less shuffling around). Using packing cubes also keeps you from having to continually “repack” your suitcases throughout your trip.

So now that we have our bags and packing cubes to pack in and our non-negotiables of the car seats & stroller, let’s dive into our packing list!! I like to use packing cubes in different colors like these packing cubes and these packing cubes for each family member to make our suitcase color coded and easy to spot things! We also have these packing cubes too!

Travel Plane Neck Pillow

Okay, so I know you might say, why do I NEED to have a travel neck pillow when traveling with a baby? TRUST ME – if you don’t use it for yourself, this is the PERFECT swap for a nursing pillow!!! Especially if you’re on a long flight, even just holding baby to have the extra support for your arms just like at home! Plus the travel neck pillows clip to your baggage easily! Trust me, its SUCH A HACK. I have 2 kinds, a smaller/microbead type travel neck pillow and then a more supportive memory foam travel neck pillow!

Baby Wraps & Baby Carriers

I personally prefer baby wearing as the ultimate form of carrying baby around. It’s MUCH better for them (it’s not good for them to spend hours in a car seat – it’s recommended only around 2 hours under 6 months because they are constantly growing!). Plus, baby wearing helps with your milk supply and calming baby down faster/napping more easily. Your baby wants to be close to you constantly and I have found it to make my life (and travel days) so seamless.

Now, I prefer to wear the tie baby wraps, my favorite are the solly baby wraps, because of soooo many reasons!

• light weight
• breathable fabric
• can block the light better for them to nap (while still having opening for airflow!)
• size flexes with babies growth
• matches/coordinates with my outfits
• more packable than carriers

I love the baby wraps because I can pack multiple since they pack so small and are light so they can match with all my outfits!

I do however still always travel with a structured carrier! I have been loving mine from Chekoh this year! This brand has a VERY light weight and breathable carrier that is so much lighter weight than other brands with a great fabric and even a little pocket to pop a pacifier or burp cloth in. I also love to use a structured carrier when I’m going to take baby in and out very frequently when we do outdoor activities.

Baby wearing is in my opinion the best on the planes too, because it helps calm your baby while flying and more easily nap on the flight! (you just have to take them out for takeoff and landing).

Young Baby (newborn-6 months) Equipment/items:

I ALWAYS bring my baby lounger with us! It has been soooo helpful to have something safe to put baby in when at our destination! I just LOVE our organic snuggle me baby lounger for both my babies – its so light weight and can fold up small so it’s GREATTT to travel with!! We use it at home but also for travel!! It’s perfect for those naps next to us by the pool, in the hotel room next to me while we hang, or just set baby down for a few minutes while I shower in the hotel room! Even when I have traveled internationally with CARRY ON ONLY with both my babies, I can pack this in my carryon suitcase with everything I need!

Baby/Toddler Equipment: Pack n Plays & High Chairs

We generally try to book accomodations that provide pack n plays/cribs and high chairs so that we don’t have to worry about this! I have found almost all hotels have these things! We also look for airbnbs that have these as well! But if you are traveling somewhere that doesn’t, this little portable chair we LOVEEE and used so much with Dune is great for baby and also just a great little chair for the beach too!

You can shop/look at everything I pack when traveling with a baby and/or toddler on my Amazon storefront here in this list!

Baby + Toddler + Family Packing List:

• Baby Items
  • Baby Clothing: Outfits, Hats/Bows, Onesies, Socks,
  • Blankets/Swaddles
  • Teething Rings/Light Weight Sensory Toys like a crinkle book or stuffy
  • Baby lounger
  • baby wraps
  • baby carrier
  • diaper & wipes & diaper cream
  • portable sound machine (we love our HATCH GO)
• Toddler
  • toddler outfits and shoes
  • a few small toys (we chose this travel magnatiles set, small block set, and remote control)
  • toddler tablet & headphones
  • toddler toothbrush & travel tooth paste
• Our Outfits
• Toiletries
• Makeup/Hair toiletries
• Jewelry
• First Aid/ Medicine (childrens benedryll/allergy , bandaids,
• Electronics/ Laptop/Camera Gear/Charging Cords & Cables
• International converters and plugs
• Any Specialty items (for us it was wedding outfits!)
• Supportive Neck Pillow – doubles as a nursing pillow!!
• Miscellaneous Carryon items & Snacks for the airplane!

What I pack for the plane in our diaper backpack for baby

Extra onesies

2 Baby Blankets/Swaddles

2 Baby Wraps

Extra Pacifiers

1 Baby Bottle

Reusable Water Bottle

Snacks for mom

Diapers & Wipes

Diaper Cream

Hand Sanitizer

Clear Bag Organizers

Extra Outfit & Nursing Bra for Mom

Hair clip

What I pack for the plane for my toddler

Extra outfit

Toddler Tablet & Toddler Headphones

1 Book or Coloring/Sticker Book

1 Toy

Diaper + Wipes

Snacks

Breastmilk & Pumping when traveling

With my first, I always brought a pump on our trips (because I generally needed to pump milk for him since I would be leaving him for some bits during our travels so he would have milk). I also liked having a bottle of milk or 2 for the plane for him. But second time around, I am way more comfortable and confident, so I don’t even travel with a pump this time or with milk (I DO HOWEVER always bring 1 baby bottle & a small bit of formula!! JUST IN CASE because you just NEVER KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN! no need to worry, I just like to be prepared for an emergency!)

You are allowed to bring breast milk through security (even frozen), just let the agents know and they usually do a quick swab after to make sure its for certain breast milk (I’ve never been capped on a limit to bring! If I’m bringing frozen breast milk, I keep it in a small cooler with ice blocks and I top it up with ice once I’m through security at a Starbucks or something (and ask flight attendants for extra ice if needed!)

I personally love the wearable breast pumps especially for traveling – I used the Willow. It is wayyyy easier to pump on the plane this way!! Before I tried Willow, I used both the Ameda Mya Joy Plus for travel which was wayyy easier to travel with than my Medela breast pump that came with my health insurance (but I have traveled with this as well!). I find a lot of airplanes have an outlet on the plane at your seat to plug into, but a lot don’t, so it’s a gamble if you’ll be able to plug into pump or not. So If you are going to travel and need to pump, I highly recommend getting a pump that has a battery operated or chargeable option, or just get a wearable pump like the Willow! Pumping on the plane is honestly so awkward (especially trying to pour your milk into storage after? or take your pieces apart?). This is another reason why I do prefer the wearable pumps because I can just remove it as one piece and worry about pouring the milk out when I land (unless I was on a long flight!). But in general I tried to just pump between flights on layover and make sure I had enough time on my layover.

But this is also why I just don’t bring my pump now with 2 little ones. You can watch my videos all about my best breastfeeding tips if you need support (I struggled a lot my first time). As a traveler, it has been INVALUABLE for me to breast feed!!! It has made traveling WAY EASIER to not have to worry about running out of formula on long travel days, have the extra hauling around of bottles and pumping equipment, and just knowing as long as my baby is with me, she will be fed <3 But I definitely needed all the travel pumping tips when traveling WITHOUT baby to bring milk back and not lose supply.

What I pack for pumping while traveling

• cooler bag
• ice pack
• travel breast pump kit (like the Willow wearable or Ameda Joy Plus)
• pumping bra (my favorite pumping bras are from Bodily!)
• breastmilk storage bags
• sharpie for labeling storage bags
• travel size bottle cleaning dish soap
• travel size bottle cleaning brush + drying rack
• breast heating/cooling pad (in case I get engorged/clogged ducts)

View everything for pumping in my favorites for traveling on my amazon storefront here.

Shop my baby & toddler travel essentials

You can shop my baby & toddler travel essentials on my Amazon storefront in this list here.

That wraps up our packing list with a baby and toddler! It really is not as overwhelming as you think and it’s SO WORTH it to travel with your little ones and make the memories of a lifetime. I always say, why have a sleepless night at home when you could have it in paradise in stead? Parenting can be hard, so atleast you can do some epic things while doing it anyways!! I also love traveling with my kids because it gives us the best 1-1 time than we can ever have at home because we are distraction-free from all the day-to-day life, work, and house needs. And not to mention all the FUN we have exploring the world together and getting to see it through their eyes!