I was recently talking to a friend who was about to travel with her baby for the first time. I remember that first trip like it was yesterday, how much we over-packed, and how daunting it seemed to take a tiny human on an airplane for a few hours. Since we now have a few years and many airplane rides behind us, I want to share my top five tips for making air travel with kids a bit easier.

1. Time your flights well and favor direct flights (when at all possible).

We’ve tried it all when it comes to scheduling flights, and I’ll be honest, budget is a huge factor for us when booking flights. Pre-kids, I rarely booked anything except the least expensive option. Yet, I’m now practiced enough to realize the value added for having a shorter total travel time (usually meaning a direct flight) and/or choosing the optimal times for travel when we are flying with the kids, and I’m willing to spend a little bit more to have a better travel experience.

When we fly to New England to see some of our family, there are limited options in and out of the small Albany airport that is most convenient to their home. There is only one direct flight per day, and it gets in late at night (we’re talking midnight). One of the first times I did this trip solo with the kids, my son (four at the time), fell asleep more the majority of the flight (which was the goal!). The problem, however, came when we landed; I had the baby strapped in a baby carrier and I couldn’t wake up the four-year-old. There was no way I could carry both of them off the plane, and when I finally did wake the four-year-old he teetered on the edge of a huge, exhausted tantrum. Luckily, I was on the same flight as a colleague who works at a neighboring school, also traveling with her kids, and she offered to carry my moody kid off the plane. I’m not quite sure how I would have handled that situation without her (I love moms helping moms stories!). Needless to say, I won’t be booking any more late night flights unless Kaili is with me.

My ideal time to fly is the morning (yes, even if it’s extra early). I find that the kids are much less grumpy, and they are excited to get right to our trip. The bonus of this scenario is when we get to our destination it’s usually close to nap time. Often, there is a longish drive from the airport to our destination, which typically means that one or both of our kids will get a decent nap in in the car.

2. Invest in the right travel gear.

I don’t think there is a one-size fits all list of the best travel gear necessarily, but I think it’s worth doing your research and figuring out what works best for your family size, kids’ ages, and type of travel/destination. Our personal hands-down favorite gear to have on hand are:

A stroller…for the kids (and the gear). We own four(!) strollers, and have traveled with all of them (except our double Bob *these have recently been linked to injury so please do your research before you purchase.). Since our 5-year-old doesn’t need to catch a ride anymore, we’ve been using our Chicco Liteway Plus stroller for air travel. This stroller was a travel system back when our daughter was in the infant car seat (her Chicco Key Fit car seat clicked right in), and easily converts to a toddler umbrella stroller. While there are certainly nicer travel strollers that I totally crush on (like this one by UPPAbaby), I love that our Chicco Liteway Plus converted to do double duty, so it’s felt like a great value. There is also nothing wrong with traveling with your full-size stroller, as long as you know your car will fit everything at your destination (this is usually why we opt for the umbrella stroller).
We use our stroller in the airport and then gate check it (that way it’s waiting for us on the other side, and we can roll quickly through the airport no matter the toddler’s mood). We use one of these stroller bags most of the time to keep the dirt/rain/snow off during the transition underneath the plane and back (but I’ll be honest: when I’m traveling solo I skip it; it’s just an added step when I’m already managing a lot).
When our kids were aged zero to 2.5, I didn’t go anywhere without a baby carrier. Our kids loved being worn, and it made me feel more mobile and confident knowing that I had an almost guaranteed way to make the baby happy and content on the go. The one that had the most longevity was our Ergo (we have an older version, which has lasted beautifully thought both kids), but I was also a huge fan of our Solly Baby wrap (these are lightweight and stretchy, and so much better than other wraps I’ve tried!) and our Sakura Bloom ring sling (I found the Wild Bird brand too late for myself, but these equally well-made, more affordable, and mom-small-business-owned slings are amazing, and my go-to for new baby gifts).
Good car seat bags to easily check car seats to your final destination. We always bring car seats with us as I don’t want to pay the expensive daily fee that rental car companies charge, and I would rather use our own. I don’t trust that their car seats are going to work well for my kids, and I also worry that they might be out of them when we arrive (and then what?). We really like this one with the backpack straps (because we figured both my husband and I would already have a roller suitcase), but if you’d prefer a roller version, they also make this one!

3. Speaking of car seats, consider investing in lightweight car seats for travel, so you can leave the heavy beasts at home. We traveled with our Britax Boulevard (which we love!) a total of once, before Kaili said he was never lugging that again. We invested in a couple lightweight, inexpensive car seats by Evenflo (this convertible one for the toddler and this harnessed booster for the 5-year-old) that we use for travel, and the lighter weight makes a world of difference! Bonus: we have these extra car seats on hand for times when the grandparents come to town, or our babysitter needs to drive them.

4. Travel is a great time to be lax on the snacks and screen time.

I’m all for limiting screen time and snacks on a regular day. But when we travel, all bets are off and the kids get a more permissive mama for a little while. Want to watch two movies in a row?…go for it!

You can never have too many snacks (I like to have a combination of healthy ones, as well as “treats” that can be used in a pinch. I like to throw in these Trader Joes lollipops (they’re organic!) because sometimes I need a good bribe (and a lollipop ensures about five minutes of peace!). My kids love cheese sticks, apple slices, cuties, nuts, Fig Bars, and Z Bars.

We bought a couple used iPads and some sturdy cases for them. We love these kids headphones that don’t let the volume get too loud for their little ears. They can also link together so they can watch the same movie on one device. It’s key to download some movies and shows so you aren’t internet dependent!

5. Have some novelty toys and books as well as old standbys.

When we are traveling I like to pull out books from our collection we haven’t seen in a while. I also try to grab lightweight and small books (like the cheaper paperback ones that I won’t be sad about if they go missing). My kids love to write, draw and color, so I always make sure to have a notepad for both of them, and an array of crayons, markers and pencils. Card games (like Go Fish!) are also great for preschoolers and the elementary aged crew. I also love these Melissa and Doug Water Wow paint with water pads. You actually fill up the paint brush with water so it’s fairly mess-free and fabulous at keeping toddlers busy for a while. Getting something new, no matter how small, seems to add to the novelty of traveling, and will surely entertain them for a bit.

Well, there you have it…my top tips for traveling with the 5 and under cohort. I don’t know about you, but this is making me want to plan another trip!

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