Travel tips from 100+ flights with kids
8 years, two kids, and hundreds of flights, road trips and hotel stays later... this is everything I've learned the hard way, so you don't have to.
Watch my long-haul flight tips on Global →
Before you go
Pack smart once, then never think about it again.
Build a flight health kit
Electrolytes, immune support and a kids' throat spray. Dry plane air and airport germs are real.
9 travel health essentials →Keep a kids' go-bag packed
Night light, sound machine, chargers. It lives packed, so nothing gets forgotten at 5am.
5 hotel hacks →Pick one cross-body bag
Passports, snacks and wipes in one spot means two free hands for the kids.
14 travel essentials →Go carry-on only
We did 6 weeks in Europe with two kids and no checked bags. No lost luggage, no baggage carousel.
Carry-on packing list →At the airport
Get from the curb to the gate without carrying everyone.
A stroller that fits overhead
The Bugaboo Butterfly folds in one second and goes in the overhead bin. Add the buggy board for a tired big kid.
14 travel essentials →Bring a toddler sling
For the moment little legs give up between security and the gate.
14 travel essentials →Carry a toddler car seat that folds
The WAYB Pico and RideSafer vest make taxis and rentals easy.
14 travel essentials →Pack toilet seat covers
Airport bathrooms with a newly potty-trained kid, solved.
14 travel essentials →Bring balloons
A few deflated balloons weigh nothing. Blow one up at an empty gate and let them burn off energy before boarding.
Our pre-flight ritual →On the plane
Screen-free wins that buy you whole hours.
Bring "non-toys"
Magnetic cable ties, a tally counter, post-its, a retractable tape measure. Kids want the real stuff.
Best "non-toys" →Inflate a footrest
Turns an economy seat into a mini bed so naps actually happen.
14 travel essentials →Make your own audio cards
A Yoto Mini with homemade cards means their own stories, no screen needed.
14 travel essentials →Use a travel tray
Snacks and toys stay put on the tray table instead of rolling under row 23.
See the tray →At the hotel
Make a strange room feel like their room.
The pillow bumper trick
Tuck spare pillows lengthwise under the fitted sheet. A firm bed rail, free.
5 hotel hacks →A magnetic night light
Not pitch black, not blinding. Just enough glow for little ones to feel safe.
5 hotel hacks →Never skip the sound machine
Loud hallways and early housekeeping won't wreck bedtime.
5 hotel hacks →Hang activity bags
Hang them on the closet door so the morning play is ready before you're awake.
5 hotel hacks →Always pack S hooks
Hang wet swimsuits, toiletry bags, jackets and towels. There are never enough hooks!
30+ hotel room hacks →Eating out
Restaurants with kids, minus the meltdown.
Feed them before dinner out
A snack or early meal before the restaurant means calmer kids and a dinner you actually get to enjoy.
Bring a portable booster
The OmniBoost turns any restaurant chair into a high chair.
See the booster →Ask me on Instagram
Nap schedules, layovers, car seats abroad. Send me a DM, I'd love to chat!