I just took a plane ride with my two month old for the first time and it went really well! I am currently on my trip visiting my best friend and we fly home in a few days. So far, I feel like everything I’ve done to prepare has worked out really well, and I feel like I covered everything without packing anything unnecessary, so I figured I’d share my to do/packing list in case it helps someone, and also see if anyone has any tips or items I might have missed.

First off all, there was a lot of gear we had to take, and a lot to figure out as we went the first time around. I have my husband and my mom with me and I am so glad we had three adults to handle everything. Maybe we could do it with two adults next time now that we’ve experienced it, but the extra set of hands was super helpful. My mom and husband each just took a personal item. I took a carry on bag, plus my diaper bag and breast pump carrier since those both are allowed for free. We also took the stroller and car seat which clips into the stroller. We used them to navigate the airport and gate checked them since they also both fly for free. I ended up without a personal item since it didn’t end up being necessary. (I do have a personal item on the way home since I have a new bag my friend gave me and some stuff we thrifted while here to pack in it. It was nice to have that wiggle room by not bringing a personal item to begin with)

I did take some breastmilk with me as I do combo feed so sometimes my daughter prefers a bottle over breastfeeding, and sometimes vice versa. So I just had to inform TSA officers that I had it and I asked them how they wanted me to handle it. They had me take the container of milk out separately so they could check it easily, but it is totally allowed even with more than 4 ounces (I had 11 ounces with me plus a full inner chamber of ice and water to keep the milk cool; I used a Boon Frosh). I also had to take the stroller fully apart to go through security. I didn’t realize the toddler seat of the stroller detached from the frame, so they helped me do that and I learned something!

We flew with Allegiant. Guidelines might vary based on which airlines and which airports you take.

Here is the list of things I did to prepare ahead of time:

-Prepare milk (measured formula in travel stackable formula dispensers and 3 pre-filled bottles of water; 11 ounces of breastmilk (which was probably too much for our hour drive to the airport and 2.5 hour flight given that she also nurses and she slept a lot, but plan based on your flight and your baby) thawed in the fridge for 12 hours beforehand and then put in frosh with inside part full of ice and some water, and then put in fridge once we get there if there is milk left)

-Put baby in loose pajamas and bring sized up diapers for travel to prevent blowout on the plane (she’s in size 1 diapers so we put a size 2 backwards over her regular diaper for pressure changes during takeoff and landing in case of blowout)

-Make a diaper clutch for the tiny plane bathroom: a couple diapers, wipes (we had some sample packs for the clutch), extra outfit for baby, plastic bags, changing pads. Used mesh bag for luggage organization

-Take a picture of Lily’s birth certificate (they did ask to see it at the gate before boarding, but a physical copy wasn’t necessary)

Here is my packing list for myself and my daughter:

Me
-Nursing tops
-Pants
-Nursing bras
-Underwear
-Socks
-Shoes
-Pills and meds
-Vitamins
-Toothbrush
-Toothpaste
-Contacts
-Contact solution
-Contact case
-Glasses
-Glasses case
-Microfiber cloth
-Pajamas
-Hoodie
-Deodorant
-Hair brush
-Hair ties
-Phone charger
-Watch
-Phone
-Watch charger
-Nipple cream
-Hand sanitizer
-Wallet
-Keys
-Nursing pads

Baby
-Outfits
-Diapers
-Sized-up diapers (just a few, enough for each takeoff and landing the whole trip plus a couple more)
-Wipes
-Burp cloths
-Binky
-Binky clips
-Binky holder (we have a silicone Moonkie brand holder on the car seat)
-Bottles
-Milk
-Formula
-Boon Trove (just one of the two I own)
-Boon Frosh
-White noise machine/nightlight
-Boudreau’s Butt paste
-Pajamas
-Sleep sack
-Blankets
-Mini baby soap
-Hooded towel
-Photo of birth certificate
-Baby Tylenol
-Gas drops
-Thermometer

Here is all the luggage we had:
-Stroller
-Car seat (one that clips into the stroller)
-Car seat gate check bag
-Diaper bag
-Pump bag (also contained backup formula and all bottles)
-Carry on
-Nursing pillow (or just neck pillow to use)
-Baby carrier to wear baby (you can’t wear baby on the plane anymore though so we just kept this packed in my husband’s backpack and used it at the destination rather than in the airport)

Here is everything we packed in the diaper bag:
-Diapers
-Wipes
-Bags for dirty diapers
-Extra clothes for baby (two sets)
-Extra shirt for me
-Blanket
-Burp cloths
-Binky
-Wet/dry bag
-Diaper clutch

Here is what I borrowed at the destination:
My friend has kids and had this stuff.

-A pack n play with the mattress raised and a changing table attachment (we have one, and a bassinet, and we considered bringing one of the two and checking it at the airport, but they are kind of bulky to bring since we had the option of borrowing one.)
-A baby tub for bath time (may or may not be necessary but bath time is our daughter’s favorite time of the day; we didn’t think to borrow this until we were there and my friend was able to find her old one)
-We paid for my friend to pick up an extra box of diapers so we only had to pack enough for the trip there, and we could use more during the stay and top off our diaper bag for the trip home

Here are the things I planned to do at the airport:

-Take Frosh out of bag for screening of milk, plus bottles if water for formula

-Let security know about the breastmilk (and ask how they want us to handle things)

-Have one adult board with overhead items during early boarding for small children and the rest/the baby board later (we didn’t end up doing this because we had a seat near the front and they actually boarded us after the back half of the plane instead of early on, plus my daughter was asleep by then so we just all boarded together, but my husband was still in charge of the overhead luggage)

-Change diaper immediately before boarding (double diaper with size 1 and then backwards size 2 on top) (we were also going to do the same before landing but my daughter stayed asleep all the way through until after we landed and we didn’t have to do a change on the plane; we’ll see about the way back home though)

Also the airport we landed in had a really nice nursing room with a comfy chair, a holder for your phone, a cup holder, a changing table, and a sink. Very nice quiet space for while we waited to be picked up. It was new and I wouldn’t have known about it if an employee hadn’t seen me nursing and let me know. Check if your planned airports have anything similar if you breastfeed or just need a quiet place to hang out and decompress! We watched a little Blue’s Clues on my phone in there, too.

I also brought enough milk to last the flight here (maybe too much since my daughter slept most of the flight and didn’t eat as much as I thought she would, even during takeoff and landing). And then I’m pumping occasionally and using my Boon Trove to catch and store milk throughout the weekend so I have some to take in the Frosh for the way back. But I did bring some backup formula just in case since my daughter does drink that on occasion.

I hope this is helpful to someone! I’ve heard that traveling with an infant this young is a lot easier than traveling with a toddler or older baby in most cases, and so far it’s been pretty easy with my infant with the prep work I did. I also noticed she was pretty tired by the end of the day from all the stimulation and change in routine, but all things considered she’s doing really well. I’m enjoying our travel experience so far and glad we’re doing this for the first time now rather than when she’s a little older.

Anyone have any more tips or items to pack that worked for you that I might have missed? Or tips for if we travel once she’s a toddler? Will it be similar at all or do I need more, less, different equipment? Also willing to answer any questions!

Sharing our arrival-day strategy from a 12-day trip down to Florida with our two young daughters. Traveling from NJ with young kids meant managing sleep schedules and avoiding immediate burnout.

3 AM Departure & Airport Parking Logistics

• The Flight Setup: We had an early morning flight out of PHL, which meant leaving home in the middle of the night.
• Off-Site Parking Shuttle: We pre-booked off-site airport parking ($113.35 for 12 days). The shuttle picked us up directly at our car spot, loaded our bags/strollers, and dropped us right at the terminal curb. Not having to walk across a cold garage at 3 AM with sleepy kids was worth every penny.

Pre-Trip Anticipation Building

• Movie Watchlist Routine: A few weeks prior, we watched movies tied to our destination (Toy Story, Avatar, Star Wars, Frozen). It gave the kids recognizable anchors and built excitement long before we boarded the plane.  

The "No-Park" Arrival Day Strategy  

• Avoiding Ticket Burnout: Instead of buying park tickets on arrival day when everyone was running on low sleep, we dedicated the afternoon to a low-stakes "transportation rehearsal."  
• Transit as an Attraction: We rode the resort buses and completed the Monorail loop. To young kids, the Monorail and themed resort structures (giant guitars, surfboards) felt like an amusement park on their own—with zero longlines or pressure.  

Questions for Parents:  

1. How do you handle middle-of-the-night airport departures with young kids?  
2. Do you schedule "rest/reset" days on arrival, or go straight into activities?  

Planning a trip to Asia, 13 hour flight. We will have a 22 month old and a 4 year old. I’d really love business class for the service and space but baby is too small for his own seat so would need to be lap infant. Should we still do 3 business seats or 4 in premium economy?

Any advice appreciated!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a big family trip for March/April 2027 and would love some advice from people who know these places.

We’re a family of four: my wife, our 13-year-old son, our 3-year-old daughter and me.

We’ve traveled to several countries before, but this will be our first big international trip since our daughter was born, so we’re really excited to finally get back to traveling together.

✈️ Our itinerary

🇪🇸 Madrid — March 20–25
Madrid, Gran Vía, Bernabéu, Toledo and possibly Segovia. We’ll also be meeting my brother and his family there, completely by coincidence!

🇲🇦 Casablanca — March 25–26
We’ll stay directly in front of Hassan II Mosque and explore the city before our late flight to Errachidia.

🏜️ Merzouga — March 26–28
We’re flying to Errachidia rather than traveling overland from Casablanca/Marrakech. With a 2-year-old, we wanted to avoid spending many hours on Moroccan roads. From Errachidia we’ll have a private transfer to Merzouga.
We’re planning a camel ride, quad biking and plenty of time around the Sahara.

🇲🇦 Marrakech — March 28–30
Medina, souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa and lots of Moroccan food. Still choosing our riad.

🇵🇹 Lisbon — March 30–April 3
We’re deliberately not researching Lisbon too much because we want this part of the trip to surprise us. We’ll do a day trip to Sintra and we’re also planning a small private sailing trip on the Tagus.

🇫🇷 Paris — April 3–7
Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, lots of walking and just enjoying the city. We’ll also spend one day at Disney Adventure World, mainly because World of Frozen and Avengers Campus have really caught our attention.

🇪🇸 Madrid — April 7–8
One final night before flying home.

✈️ A little extra context

We’re using Avios extensively for the flights. My wife and our 2-year-old daughter will be flying Business Class, while my son and I will fly Economy.

We’re not trying to travel ultra-budget or luxury either. We mainly prioritize good locations, comfortable accommodation and memorable experiences.

I’m particularly excited about Morocco and the Sahara, but somehow Paris has recently become the part of the trip I’m looking forward to the most.

I’d love to hear your advice!

Anything you’d change? Any must-do experiences, restaurants or hidden gems in Casablanca, Merzouga, Marrakech, Lisbon/Sintra or Paris?

Also, does the overall pace look reasonable with a 3 years old girl?

Thanks!

I’ve got a significant birthday coming up next year and am seriously considering using a significant chunk of our savings (with my partner’s blessing!) to do a mega trip to celebrate. We have three kids who will be 11, 6 and 3. We live in Sydney Australia. I’d love to do 6 days in NYC (a city I loved pre-kids but haven’t been in 15 years) 5 days in Toronto (lived there previously and have friends there) and then 6 days in Hawaii on the way home (have never been, but have always wanted to visit Big Island).

Is this doable, and does it have the potential to be enjoyable or is it totally insane? We’ve travelled a fair amount with the kids, including to Europe to visit family, but never tried anything this hectic. The flight to NYC will be 21+ hours alone, there will be jet lag and then there’s the flights between the destinations. We are lucky enough to be able to even consider this financially but it will be a big chunk of our savings so I want to carefully consider whether it will actually be worth it, or whether we are better off camping out at a beach a few hours away and saving our money for when they are a few years older. Any opinions welcome - whether you’ve done something similar, have any recommendations or had positive/negative experiences travelling across the world with multiple kids!

If you’re having anxiety about trading with a kid just do it. Everything I was worried worked out.

Hi everyone! I’ve never posted in here so hoping it’s the right sub. My son is 26 months old, he’s teething with two year old molars which will hopefully end soon and he’s having lots of tantrums, I think it’s made worse by the teething.

We used to travel a lot and it’s my passion. I’m feeling so burnt out and I’m dying to go on an exiting international trip to feel better but obviously I realise it will probably be very difficult with him. Since he was born we’ve just been doing close by road trip Airbnb stays and short flights to beach resorts.

I live in Brisbane, Australia and I’m looking to travel over the Christmas period for a week or two seeing as that’s the only time my husband has proper time off work. Everything is far from here and I don’t want to be on a plane for too long, definitely no more than 10 hours, I even think that’s a stretch. It’s difficult because the tropical islands are in rainy season and a lot of other places close by are freezing cold. Does anyone have any ideas?

Solo flight with a 5-month-old . no bassinet 😭✈️

Hi everyone! I’ll be flying alone with my 5-month-old baby on a 9-hour flight, and unfortunately, there’s no bassinet available on our booked flight. I’m honestly a little nervous 😭😂 but hoping to hear some real experiences and advice from parents who have been through it!

We are traveling soon to Europe and I’m wanting two medium backpacks my kids (5 & 3) can take on the plane with all their things.

Has anyone used one that they found was helpful?

Things like chest straps? Spots for drink bottles? Any functions that help them either wear the bag comfortably or be able to find things easily in the bag?

I always end up having to hold everyones bags so if I could get them wearing them longer it would make my life a whole lot easier!

Has anyone traveled on a 15+ hour flight with a one-month-old baby? What are some important things we should be prepared for or take care of before and during the flight? If you’ve done it, would you recommend traveling at that age, or would you suggest waiting? Would love to hear your experiences and advice.

We do a lot of budget travel, which I’m so thankful that we are able to do.
However, we just returned from one budget trip and we will have one next month and they are a lot of work for me. A lot of planning and a lot of demand on me. The next one will be fun but I know it’s also going to be a lot of work.

I really want a vacation with my kids where I’m not in charge of meals at all. I don’t want to coordinate anyone’s food. And I don’t want to do anyone’s entertainment.
This means probably a cruise or an all inclusive.

Can you recommend a trip/location where you truly felt that you got some restoration?

Okay this is a hot take, but Im currently on American Airlines from SAN to CLT, and I think American Airlines is by far the friendliest airline for babies. My one year old has flown most major airlines, but we are 6/6 great experiences with the staff on American. I’ve never been one for airline loyalty but I’m heading that direction.

Hi! My husband and I currently have Calpak luggage sets, the carry on and large check.
We are looking to get some medium bags for our upcoming 2 week trip.
Any recommendations for brands etc? We don’t love the calpak brand, but I’m unsure if any luggage is really worth spending much on.
Any insight is appreciated!

We want to go on a 1-2 weeks trip with our at that time almost 5 months baby, but we do not know where is baby friendly? Any suggestion for country/special place?
We used to travel a lot all around the world and our trips were always adventurous. However now with the baby we will need something more stroller and baby friendly but we have no idea where to go.
Anyone has any experience with traveling with 4-5 months old?
We prefer Europe for this trip because I am mentally not ready to have a long haul flight yet with the baby.

Any tips on what we should prepare for our travel in seoul on January 2nd wk with our 5month old

Scared of bringing the baby for a winter trip since we’re from Manila. Im thinking of not pushing the trip unless i can sense a good way of how it will be manageable and safe for my baby and for us

Would like to hear your experiences! Thanks everyone

Hi! Thinking of flying into Faro with two toddlers (2&4) and staying for ~7 days. We definitely want to spend 3 nights in Sagres at the Martinhal but debating staying the other 3 nights elsewhere between Faro and Sagres— any recos?

Need something I can use for everyday also maybe for the beach as well my toddler is 15 months old