Traveling on a plane with young children. As the mother of a baby and a toddler, flying with young children can seem like a challenge. However, I have discovered that it is very doable. A while ago we went on holiday to Gran Canaria by plane. So what do you pay attention to? My daughter, who was a toddler at the time of 1.5 years, took the first steps while my 4-month-old son was still a baby. The journey would be quite an undertaking, as our son was a crybaby. But good preparation is half the battle, right? I put my creative brain to work and came up with some smart travel solutions. I would like to share them with you.
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You'll have an accident, but with these practical tips you can go a long way without having to take too much with you! All you have to do is figure out how to get to the airport and the holiday fun can begin.
First of all I come to the part of transport, because let's be honest, you prefer to take the Joolz or Bugaboo or in our case our Joolz duo buggy with you, it drives the best, right?
With many airlines you have to check in this buggy separately as extra luggage and pay extra and they often get damaged, you don't want that. How are you going to get all the stuff practically with you? What many parents don't think about is that you can often combine more than you think. The baby is often already in the Maxi-Cosi in the car. With many airlines you can simply take the Maxi-Cosi to the plane and drop it off there (just like umbrella buggies). This is useful if you are flying with young children. You often receive them immediately upon arrival or they come on a special buggy belt at the baggage belts.
Even more ideal, because with the Maxi-Cosi you already have a safe car seat for your baby. Now I hear you thinking:how are you going to carry that Maxi-Cosi along with all the other luggage? We took an umbrella buggy with us, practical and small foldable. We put this in a lying position (because our son could not sit up yet). At the front we had the Maxi-Cosi, my daughter could sit in it just fine. The joke is that it actually clamped itself between the sides of the buggy, we didn't even have to fasten it.
This is how we created our own duo car while traveling.
My son was in the buggy and my daughter could sit “in the front” of the Maxi-Cosi. This way we could also use the Maxi-Cosi as a car seat in the rental car while on holiday, but also as a bouncer. We also had a "duo car" that we could use on holiday. We had also thought carefully about the other luggage and hand luggage.
My husband and I are backpack fans. This way we both have our hands free and the baby can also be placed in the baby carrier on the stomach while you still carry your luggage on your back. We practically organize the backpacks. A backpack with:passports, travel documents, drinks, food, etc.
In the other backpack we often have clean diapers, wipes, spare clothes, a thermos with warm water, powder towers with food, food jars, etc. We have backpacks with several compartments so that we can quickly find what we need while travelling. I usually push the buggy with the baby in the carrier or lying in the buggy and my daughter sitting in the Maxi-Cosi and my husband takes 2 suitcases with him. We always opt for spacious suitcases so that we only need 2.
Unfortunately, you cannot avoid the longer wait at airports. Of course you often look at the planes flying in and out outside and all the people walking around airports. But how do you especially entertain the toddler while flying with young children and waiting in between?
I am a big fan of clay myself. One or two small pots of clay in your hand luggage are (I think) essential. At any time you can make clay biscuits, make a doll or any other creation. Nice detail:Kids sometimes also hand them out to fellow travelers as so-called baked cookies 😉 . So cozy!
Bringing an (empty) bottle of water is also a success. You can fill this after check-in and customs so that you also have some extra water for the children. If you take out a sticker sheet during the trip and they can put stickers on the bottle themselves, young children almost always like it.
Put your things in bags, that saves a lot of space in the bag:
These were actually our “emergency plans” in case we needed anything. Sometimes looking out the window is already a party during the trip.
Flying with young children can therefore offer many possibilities, if you are well prepared for your trip! It's a shame not to visit the beautiful places in the world because you have children, right? Try to think in possibilities in order to continue your passion for travelling. What could be better than sharing this passion with your family? Wealth is about making adventures and memories together that no one can take from you.
Soon we will start a new adventure. Not flying with young children, but traveling for a month with our 2 children with a caravan through different countries. Curious about our adventures? Keep following me.
