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You can do it, mom!
Traveling with toddlers can be daunting. But with proper preparation and realistic expectations (and armed with some key toddler travel tips), it is such an enriching experience for the whole family. If you’re looking for someone to discourage you from traveling with a toddler, you are in the wrong place my friend.
At Mango Tree Travel, we are passionate about family travel as a key piece of a life well lived – and traveling with toddlers is truly a practiced art. The earlier you begin traveling with your kids, the easier it gets, for them and also for you.
Yes, some days traveling with a toddler will be HARD. So are some days at home. But we promise you this: You will never regret the overall experience of traveling with toddlers. We’re here to be your support system to make it possible, beginning with our best expert tips for traveling with a toddler in tow.
Let’s tackle the most common questions parents ask about taking toddlers on trips both near and far, and help put your mind at ease so you can book that trip with confidence!
1. Is Toddler Travel Worth It?
Absolutely! We cannot stress this enough. It may not be a walk in the park. It may not be the easiest trip you’ve ever taken. But traveling with a toddler on a plane sets the foundation for many other milestones and behaviors you absolutely want in your kids.
Let’s not forget: Traveling with toddlers means that you get to keep traveling when you become a parent. Family travel is about the kids, of course, but it’s also about letting you continue to pursue your passion in this new phase of life as a parent.
One of the main reasons toddler travel is worth it, in our books, is because it provides opportunities for bonding without the noise of the daily routine.
While it requires extra effort, traveling with toddlers also provides invaluable opportunities to let your kids explore new environments – from white sand beaches to colorful villages — that help them make sense of the world. You’ll also start exposing your toddlers to different cultures from an early age.
It’s no secret that travel helps adults become better world citizens – and with children it’s no different. The memories created (for you, even if not for them at a young age) and the lessons learned for all family members make the challenges worthwhile.
RELATED POST: Need more inspiration to take that trip? Start by reminding yourself of the importance of family vacations.
2. Is It Safe to Travel with Toddlers and Young Children?
Again, our answer is absolutely. Safety should be a top priority when traveling with toddlers, but there is no inherent danger in traveling with young children.
The situations in which we feel safe are very personal, and you should travel within your safety comfort zone when you’re with your kids. And there are ways to make travel situations more safe overall for small children – including some top toddler travel tips for safety that we’ve picked up over the years.
Here are some top tips for prioritizing safety on your next family vacation with toddlers:
- Research your destinations thoroughly, both in terms of your specific location and also at the national level. The US State Department will list travel advisories for locations worldwide, but these should be taken as guidance for how to approach your trip, and not as rule of law that a destination should be avoided. There are ways to travel safely to many countries with travel advisories.
- If you plan to spend time driving around a new country with a toddler, bring your own car seat so you don’t have to worry about whether the requested car seat in the airport transfer will actually be provided, or will be safe. It’s free to check a car seat bag, and you can fill that bag with toddler travel accessories like diapers, sippy cups, floaties, and travel toys.
- Pack a first aid kit with basic pain relievers and band-aids and the like. The last thing you want to do in a foreign destination is go on a hunt for age-appropriate medication.
- Pick your hotel wisely. Think about the hotel footprint, whether the pool has a safe shallow end for kids, and whether your room looks like it has toddler traps (like spiral stairs). Our Find a Hotel page can help you find the perfect toddler-friendly hotel match. Book with us to score some VIP amenities like free breakfast (which adds up!) – a complimentary service we offer for families.
RELATED POST: Learn how to pick a family-friendly hotel you’ll actually enjoy.
Taking your first international trip with a toddler?
3. What Is the Best Age to Travel with a Toddler?
There’s no definitive “best” age to travel with toddlers, as every child is different, and there are definitely pros and cons to each age range.
Generally speaking, the most challenging age to travel with a toddler is between 1-2. That’s because they have short attention spans, like to touch everything, and can’t typically be persuaded to sit still with the bribe of an iPad or movie. Plus, you’re still dealing with diapers, and small toddlers are more susceptible to being thrown off by schedule changes.
BUT, on the flip side, their plane ticket is free for toddlers under 2! And your little one at this age will be entertained by the smallest of things – like throwing rocks in a river – meaning you can prioritize your own travel preferences and don’t yet need to focus on kid-centered activities.
The sweet spot for toddler travel is probably 2-4 years of age. By now, kids are more flexible, and better equipped to handle schedule disruptions. They can also communicate more clearly with you. They might also be potty trained which is a huge bonus.
Siblings play a huge role in how your toddler handles everything from long haul flights to new experiences. If your toddler has older siblings, they love to follow their lead and be like them. If your older kids are great travelers, this will be a big help in getting your toddler excited and game to try things.
We see a lot of families travel with toddlers sooner when they’ve already been through it with one older child – us included!
How To Handle Criticism From Family Members About Toddler Travel:
If you’re new to traveling with a toddler or with young kids in general, you will be encouraged by some family members but be met with criticism and resistance from others.
Armchair expert opinions from family is virtually guaranteed when you venture away from the inclusive typical locations that many people feel “comfortable” with. But know that YOU are the experts in your kids and in your family. You are the best person to decide what they can and can’t handle. If travel is important to you, our top toddler travel tip is to stick to your guns and do it. And reach out to us if you need someone in your corner to remind you it’s the right choice.
4. How Do I Keep a Toddler Busy on a Plane?
When you search for tips for traveling with a toddler, so many of these tips revolve around one topic: Flights! The ultimate stress point for family travel, as it requires hours on end of sitting still.
One approach that has worked well for some Mango Tree families (again, me included) is to try to book flights around a naptime – usually a bit before.
The white noise of the plane plus a stuffy or blanket from home is enough to get a toddler to nap the whole way on a shorter flight.
If you have a longer flight, tackle your flight with a well-stocked carry-on with new toys, books, coloring supplies, and a tablet preloaded with downloaded age-appropriate games/movies.
We also can’t stress enough the importance of UNLIMITED SNACKS – especially snacks like lollipops that take a while to eat. Ask your toddler to help you “get ready” and pack their backpacks with some toys and items they want to bring along.
There is so much gear you can buy for toddler travel, but we generally prefer to keep it simple.Think a travel blanket that’s compact and cozy along with a kid-sized set of big headphones for listening to music or movies, and a few toys.
Earbuds don’t work with toddlers, but please don’t be the parent that lets your toddler watch a screen without headphone on a full airplane. We beg you. Buy this one.
Mango Tree Opinion: The Caribbean With Toddlers Is Always A Win
Ready to launch into traveling with a toddler but not sure where to start? We started Mango Tree as a Caribbean-focused family travel company because the islands are a great place to get your feet wet and start traveling with toddlers and little kids. (See what I did there?)
We know the ins and outs of all the Caribbean islands with kids and we love nothing more than sharing our expertise to make your life just a little bit easier. Check out our Best Carribean Islands with Kids post to start planning your next Caribbean vacation with your toddler.
There’s also a download you can grab to help if you have kids of multiple ages as well!
5. How to Keep a Toddler Calm on an Airplane?
Not only do you want to keep your toddler busy on the airplane, you want to find ways to keep them calm. No parent dreams of a long haul flight with an amped up or unsettled toddler. In terms of tips for traveling with toddlers on this front, prioritize comfort and familiarity — especially if your toddler is new to air travel.
Bring a beloved stuffed animal or blanket, and dress them in comfortable clothes. No one is able to relax and take a nap in a too tight jumpsuit. I also like to dress them in layers and clothes with easy access for diaper changes as well. Anything to keep it easy! A too cold or too hot kid is not what we need.
This is a good place to flag one of our other top travel toddler tips: Spend a little more money to address your big pain points when traveling with little kids, because comfort and ease makes a huge difference.
For long flights with a toddler, go for Comfort+ or semi-premium seats with more leg room. The extra space really makes a difference when you’re juggling the carry on, diaper bag, purse, etc. We need those extra inches!
6. How Do I Keep My Toddler Safe at the Hotel or Toddler-Proof a Hotel Room?
It’s always a good idea to do a thorough safety check upon arrival in your hotel room with toddlers. Here’s a quick rundown of things I like to check as I survey the room and settle in upon arrival.
- Secure loose furniture as some chairs can topple if someone decides to hang on an arm!
- Close blinds/curtains and also place the cords out of reach of little hands.
- Bring a little stash of outlet covers and cover electrical outlets that are within reach.
- Place housekeeping toiletries out of reach, and make sure any snacks and beverages are also not at grabbing level for them.
- Move coffee tables with sharp edges into a corner to get them out of the way.
- Pack a roll of duct tape to secure drawers/cabinets so fingers don’t get smashed! Just watch for the finishes on painted furniture.
7. How to Take a Road Trip with a Toddler?
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk a little bit about road trips. We love the islands, almost all of which require some plane travel (unless you want to take a road trip through the Florida Keys to Key West!). But road trips come with their own sets of challenges.
Road trips require adjusting to long periods confined in the car. But you also can stop at will, which can be nice. We always prepare with the car with plenty of entertainment, similar to a plane. Pack novel snacks, juice boxes and toys/games that are new to them and that they haven’t seen yet.
Also, as much as you want to get there, schedule stops every 2-3 hours to burn off energy. Walk around the rest station, grab some coffee on the Turnpike, have a picnic lunch outside. Take short 20-30 minute stops for food and bathroom breaks helps and it doesn’t add too much time overall.
I have neck pillows for the younger kids to easily help them nap in their car seats and also have travel blankets to cozy up in the AC. I like to play audiobooks for the older kids and this usually bores the little one to tears and they easily conk out for a nap during these usually.
You don’t need a fancy van with TVs mounted to headrests, but over the seat organizers that have a spot to plop a tablet in can be a game-changer to get you through the last hundred miles.
Most importantly, as with many aspects of toddler travel, our best tip is to embrace a slower pace and pack your patience when embarking on a road trip with toddlers.
8. Where Will My Toddler Sleep on Vacation?
This is one of our favorite toddler travel questions, as we have lots of opinions here at Mango Tree about room setups and sleeping gear when traveling with a toddler.
First, many hotels offer cribs or pack-n-plays (sometimes included, sometimes for a fee) but you’ll want to secure these when booking, as availability is limited. But, as you’ll see in our guide about staying in a hotel with toddlers, we really recommend bringing your own, because the variety in hotel-provided cribs or pack-n-plays is just too great. If you do want to use the one provided by the crib, always ask if the hotel is providing an actual crib or a pack-n-play, and how big it is, so you know what to expect.
Mango Tree Gear Tip:
The best travel gear for toddler sleep, in our opinion, is the Baby Bjorn Travel crib. It’s so simple to set up and take down, is MUCH more padded than any other crib on the market, and most of all it’s super lightweight. Most pack and plays are literally like having your toddler sleep on cardboard, which means no one sleeps well. Plus, you can slide your toddler travel sheet and some extra clothes down the side of the crib in the carrying case to save suitcase space.
If sharing a room with a toddler, you need separation. You do not want to spend your “relaxing evening” on the floor of a hotel bathroom because you need a light to read a book. At Mango Tree, room configuration is a huge part of the research we do when selecting our recommended family hotels so you don’t have to!
Here are our top travel tips for setting up your hotel room with a toddler to maximize the chances of sleep:
- Get the suite! Get a one bedroom suite with a door so you can put your toddler to bed and then have a living room to hang out in after bed.
- Get a Slumber Pod to go over your toddler’s crib, and put a white noise machine in it. This completely blocks out light, and prevents toddlers from peering at you in the middle of the night.
- Put them in the bathrooms! If a suite’s not in the cards for you, look for a hotel room with an oversized bathroom (just make sure the AC flows to the bathroom if you’re in a warm weather location) and stash the travel crib in there.
Some older toddlers might be in a big kid bed already! In this case, we have two recommended options: bring an inflatable toddler bed or by pack inflatable bed rails that can turn a pull-out or hotel bed into a toddler bed.
Final Thoughts on Traveling with Toddlers
Traveling with toddlers is undoubtedly harder than kid-free trips, but embracing a flexible mindset and being prepared makes it so rewarding. With every trip you take you’ll gain more and more confidence!
We’ve all had those tough travel days and once they’re over with you are left with the mindset of: “well, if we can handle that, we can probably do anything!” and that friends, is pretty priceless.
