New to traveling with children? Looking for recommendations for family travel gear and accessories? You’re in the right place!
Make sure to also check out our in-depth guide to international travel with children for more tips.
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Airport and other on-the-go transportation essentials
Carry-on sized travel suitcase + a small backpack
For packing light while traveling, we highly recommend versatile items that serve multiple purposes. For kids, we recommend a fun carry-on like a Trunki so they can pack their clothes in it, AND ride it throughout the airport. We recommend it for kids 3-7, depending on how tall your child is. Starting from 1.5 years old, our son would sit on his, but we didn’t trust him hanging on without falling off as he was still too short to reach his feet to the ground to support himself. We mostly carried him and let him play with the trunki during layovers. There is a strong leash that you can attach to the front of the trunki. Once attached, you can pull your child throughout the airport while they ride it!
Our daughter is now 6, and she still loves riding on hers. We can fit several weeks of clothes (our longest trip was 3 weeks) including a medium weight jacket. They come in multiple designs and colors. We got the yellow bee**, orange tiger** and blue unicorn models with matching paddlepak lightweight backpack like this pirate themed set**.
For adults, or kids who have outgrown the Trunki, we recommend a lightweight, soft case like the it luggage World’s Lightest New York Softside Carry-On 22-Inch**. It’s one of the lightest 360 carry-on 22 inch suitcases we’ve ever seen (coming in at 4.07lbs!). Hey, if you’re not going to check anything in, you want to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck! If you happen to be in Europe, there are many more colors and options to choose from.
Sure, there are more expensive options like Samsonsite but it luggage is high quality, sturdy and affordable and if they last us years and years and years for <$60-$70, why would you spend 4x on a Samsonite?
If you have your eye on a higher end brand, check out luggage liquidations that happen every year in your local department stores. When there are big sales at Macy’s, the Atlantic Infinity Lite, soft sided 21” expandable 360 spinner suitcases, has been our go-to for years (They are similiar to the Travelpro style but are lighter).
These beauties weigh in at about 5.5 lbs, but as you can see with the it luggage option above, you can shave off 1.5 pounds just by selecting a different carry on. 1 pound may not sound like much, but when you get used to traveling, any extra space or weight you can eliminate is worth its value in gold! These Atlantics often come in the standard colors (black, blue etc) but each year, they also offer a few in beautiful colorful patterns like this one** (I have a similar one in turquoise!). They usually run up to $200 but during big sales like at the time of publishing, you can snag one for less than $50 (I haven’t linked to it here because Macy’s keeps changing the links but you can search for it. The models change every year).
Check-in luggage
If you need to check in luggage, consider the it luggage Checked-X-Large 32-Inch**, one of the World’s Lightest Softside 8 Wheel Spinner. At the time of publishing, this was going for less than $68!! It has a fiberglass frame that is lightweight but durable – it weighs a mere 5.29lbs! You’d be hard pressed to find a lightweight carryon at that price or weight!
If you don’t have a way to mark or secure your checked luggage, we recommend something like the Travelkin tsa-approved cross luggage straps They are colorful and easy to see from a distance (especially when you have annoying little children trying to get your attention or trying to run off) and protect your baggage with a tsa approved lock that keeps unscrupulous bag handlers from checking if you have anything worth swiping.
Compact, carry-on stroller
If your child still needs help and isn’t used to walking much on their own and you don’t want to use a carrier, we suggest taking a carry-on stroller as it is lightweight and folds up small enough to fit in the overhead bin and is easy to lug around in taxis and other public transportation when needed. Important to note, this is different from a stroller that you gate-check because it is too large to store in the overhead bin.
It’s nice to be able to put your little one into the stroller right after exiting the plane and carting them to the next flight for a connection. If you haven’t done it before, believe me, it’s a bit of a nightmare, especially if you have more than one child and you’re traveling alone though a large international airport with a connection that takes 30 minutes+ to walk without a partner to help. This is a true story – we’ve been through a few airports like this e.g Madrid.
We recommend the Baby Jogger City Tour stroller** (at the time of publishing, it was going for only $139.99!). We got it in the cobalt color when it was available. Looks like it also comes in a beautiful deep red and green (Garnet and Juniper). It also comes with a carry bag to put your stroller in before putting it into the overhead compartment.
There’s also an updated version, the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 stroller** (I’ve linked to the seacrest color which looks like the beautiful cobalt color we have). It looks like there were only a few minor updates, so I’d pick up the older, discounted Baby Jogger City Tour stroller** instead.
We don’t have personal experience with it but our friends swear by the Mountain Buggy Nano stroller** which also fits in overhead compartments**.
We’ve also heard good things about the gb pocket air all-terrain**. If you want to splurge, you can also consider the high end BabyZen YoYo compact stroller**.
Baby carrier
We highly recommend the Boba Air carrier** for short trips or those willing to sacrifice a little comfort to reduce gear weight and size. It stuffs into itself and zips up into a small rectangular package. I easily and comfortably carried our youngest for hours, even at age 2-3, but I would not recommend it if you have back problems or are not accustomed to child carrying or require more cushion.
If you need something more comfortable, we recommend the Ergo 360 carrier** (at the time of publishing, this model was going for less than $98!) , as it is more comfortable and allows you to hold the baby in any position, including facing out. This particular model starts from 12 pounds through 45 pounds. My husband found this one the most practical as it was comfortable and wasn’t so big that it was unmanageable while traveling. That being said, it doesn’t fold up into itself like the boba air! If you want to start wearing the baby in this Ergo carrier from 7 pounds, check out this model** (normally goes for $179, but the specific model I’ve linked to is going for $115 at the time of publishing).
Although bigger, I found that the Onya baby carrier** (7-45 pounds) gave us more bang for the buck. It feels more like a breathable soft hiking carrier that includes a soft baby booster adapter for little ones and has a fold out baby chair harness to convert a chair into a safe seat for your child (very convenient when a high chair isn’t available!). We bought it in a beautiful olive green but this particular model we’ve linked to on Amazon is the cream colored one** (with baby insert) and at the time of publishing was going for only $70!
Kids travel pillow
We recommend a baby/child travel pillow that has velcro or a snap button so that you can attach it to a backpack or suitcase when your child no longer wants to use it. We’ve had our Fehn baby neck pillow** for 6 years and it’s still going strong. It comes with an attached little stuffy so the kids love playing with the little guy. Check out the trunki version** with magnets or this one** with a snap button.
Sleeping eye masks
Ok, so I can’t guarantee that it will work with your kids but it worked with ours. You don’t need to even buy any – the ones I used to get for free while traveling for work did the job well! The kids get FOMO and often refuse to sleep. So we’d have them put on their sleeping masks in the plane or while on the road when we KNEW they were exhausted and needed rest. Within a few minutes, they’d be conked out!
It also worked wonders when we still wanted to do things in the hotel room (e.g. prep and plan for the following day) after the kids went to bed. Instead of having to turn out the light, we just had the kids pull on their sleep masks!
Travel friendly carseat
If you purchased your child their own seat on the plane, you are allowed to bring on an approved carseat, though due to our travel style, we only recommend this if you have a baby, you have an easy way to storage it/ travel with it AND there’s no way you can get one to use while in your destination (airport transfers and car rental companies can provide you with one in advance upon request). If you absolutely need or want to bring your own, we recommend looking into carseat travel carts like the Chicco keyfit caddy frame stroller** (needs a compatible Chicco key fit carseat) or this Britax one** that also fits in the overhead bin and is compatible with many carseat brands.
If you don’t need the carseat for where you’re going, you could also opt for a convertible backpack like the Trunki booster seat** (this goes to the Amazon UK website since it’s not available on Amazon US. It’s the only portable seat officially approved for use as a proper carseat booster in the EU). Though it says it’s for children 3 and up, we found it was a bit big for our 3 year old to carry on his own, but it fit our 5 year old well. We still use it even when not traveling as a spare third child seat in our car in case we need to transport a friend.
For an even lighter, travel friendly option for children aged 1 and up, consider an officially approved Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES) harness** to help make sure your child is securely fastened to his/her seat. For set up, it requires looping behind the seat so we recommend setting this up as soon as you get on the plane (you can always buckle in the child later). We’ve found that it required us to pop down the food/drink tray belonging to the passenger seated behind your child.
Though this has been approved for use by children up to 44 pounds or 40” in height, now at age 4 and 6, we are comfortable with our children using the regular seat belt along with the Trunki booster seat** so they can better see their screens on long international flights (otherwise, at the angle they are at, the screen appears dark/black).
Portable potty seat
Oxo Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty travel seat**. Amazing little contraption for potty training that folds up nice and flat with its own sturdy carry bag when little ones aren’t yet able to hold it until you can get to a toilet. You can get the official 30-refill bags** (they come with an absorption pad inside). We’ve just brought along old plastic grocery bags and threw in some tissue or napkins and has worked great for us! We even use this right outside our tent when camping in case one of the little ones needs to do a wee in the night 🙂
Waterbottle
We recommend getting your child a waterbottle that allows them to drink out of it even in moving vehicles, without spilling water. For little ones, we recommend one with a folding straw. We are huge fans of the BPA free Skip hop bottles** since they have cute designs, are super durable (we’ve only broke one over the last 5 years), they include an extra straw replacement, and it’s dishwasher safe! We have about 8 bottles lying around the house and in our cars at any given time.
That being said, the downside of using the dishwasher is eventually the cute mascot you’ve chosen wears off. The bottle remains colorful though! I’ve listed the Camelbak eddy** as well since we have a couple of these and they come in an array of adorable designs. These were great when the kids were younger but I’m no longer a big fan of their bite valve straws (my 4 yr old son now has a habit of biting all straws when he drinks and destroys the new ecofriendly paper straws before he can finish his drink!)
If your child is older, or even for yourself, I recommend an ecofriendly BPA free bottle with a smaller opening like the Bubba Flow** so if the kids need a sip/chug out of yours, the water doesn’t come pouring out too fast for their little mouths and shoot up their nose, a la the wide mouth nalgene bottles (true story – happens all the time with our kids!). Here’s an insulated stainless steel option**.
Snack pack
Keep snacks handy and organized in your carry-on backpack in a lightweight, sturdy neoprene bag** or an insulated bag like Wildkin’s zip up** or velcro bag**. If you want more ecofriendly ziplock packaging, use clear, reusable storage bags**, colorful reusable storage bags** or Stash food grade silicone bags** (dishwasher and boiling water safe!) or bring along a couple toddler bowls with lids for leftovers. We personally love and still use the Munchkin love-a-bowls** but the Nuk Essentials bunch-a-bowls** and The First Years Take & Toss bowls look comparable.
Portable games you can play at home AND take with you while traveling
Uno (age 7+)**
If you’ve never heard of Uno, you’ve been living under a rock! Fun, fast paced game of cards with colors, numbers and wildcards that can even switch the direction a game goes. Although it’s rated for 7+, our daughter started playing when she was 4. For any younger than that, I think they can learn the concept, but may struggle to keep up with the fast pace of the game.
There are also tons of variations on this very popular card game like Harry Potter Uno**, Pixar Uno**, Dare Uno**, Minecraft Uno** Super Mario Brothers Uno**!
Story cubes**
It’s amazing how creative your children can get when storytelling with random items. When we first started playing, we had voted our 3 year old’s story as the winner! These Story cubes come in lots of themed variations like voyages**. You can mix and match sets or play them separately. We have a couple sets and like to mix and match, including the batman set**. If your child is a fan of Star Wars, check out this set.**
Math Dice Jr (Age 6+)**
Our daughter received this as a gift for her 6th birthday and it was perfect for her age. She loves finding different combinations of numbers using addition and subtraction but is already pushing herself with multiplication combinations as well. The great thing about this is you can alter the rules for older kids and adults to use multiplication and division or you can also grab the variation Math Dice for 8 and up**, or Math Dice Chase** which is like math hot potato (ages 7-15)
Travel – Games you can play even in moving cars
These have been a life-send. They have magnets or use some other ingenious way to ensure the pieces don’t fall while on the move. These are great for car trips and even for entertainment in a restaurant! We always have a few in our car.
Smart Game Travel Series (ages 5+)
As you can tell from above, we love Smart Games. Here are some travel friendly options we own and recommend. These three are like a book with a snap button close and use magnetic puzzle pieces: Brain Cheeser** (age 6+), Penguins parade** (age 5-10), Noah’s ark** (age 5+)
The below travel series (ages 6+ and 8+) are encased within a plastic cover that you open and becomes the playing board. We have played with 3 different sets and we love that they all have easier to difficult levels to challenge anyone.
Other Entertainment
Fire 7 Kids edition tablet**
Normally the Amazon Fire 7 Kids tablet** is priced at $99.99 but you can get it a few times a year on sale (e.g. black friday, prime day etc) for only $59.99 (you can upgrade for an 8″ or 10″ Fire Kids tablet as well though the 7″ has been fine for our kids). This includes the Kid-proof case (you can choose between bright blue, bright pink or purple) with fold-out stand, a 2 year worry-free guarantee, and 1 year of Amazon Kids FreeTime Unlimited which allows you to create a profile with age appropriate access to games and programming for your child.
Our son’s tablet has been fine but our daughter has used the worry-free guarantee 2x (once because it wasn’t charging properly and once because somehow she put a thin crack in the screen). It was super easy to contact Amazon customer service to verify we still were under warranty and we got a replacement promptly. Although it may not be full featured or fast as an iPad, it comes no where near the price of one either. Our daughter’s is going on 3.5 years and still going strong. We’ve added an additional SD card for storage** though since the 16GB included isn’t enough if we want to download programs for offline usage.
Kid safe Headphones
Make sure to also grab your child a pair of kid-safe headphones like this** or this** with volume limits to protect your little one’s eardrums.
Pocket-sized toys and figurines
Be forewarned – these likely will be misplaced or lost so don’t bring your prized Shleich animals** (they’re heavy anyway!). We recommend a set of hot wheel cars**, toy figurines like Daniel Tiger**, super heroes**, mini super heroes**, or animals** – whatever you have lying around in the kids’ toy room. Even if it’s just 1-2 figurines to entertain them while you peacefully eat your meal 🙂
Drawing pads
Our kids have tried different types of drawing boards and the ones that seem to work best in terms of length of time they’ll spend and durability are the magnetic drawing pads and their dry erase trays. The downside to most of the magnetic drawing boards made today are that they are very cheaply made. We’ve been gifted several. One was a hand me down Fisher-price Winnie the Pooh one that must be 10+ years old but it’s very sturdy and still draws amazingly details with its fine point pen.
We’ve had two gifted that broke within a few days and the only one we purchased that has survived is the Paw Patrol drawing board** we got for our son. It’s not as fine tipped (it draws broader strokes) but we are happy that it’s still going strong after 2 years of use!
This magnetic drawing board looks like a good option.
We also recommend these drawing trays** that serve as a toy/snack tray as well. It has pockets to store and organize supplies like pens and water bottle and has an adjustable strap that helps secure the tray around the child’s waist so that the tray doesn’t slide off while traveling. It also includes a tablet holder for screen time.
Journal
It’s never too young to keep a journal, especially to keep track of an exciting trip. For kids 5+, check out this bright orange Lonely Planet kids journal**, fun blue kids activity journal**, or enjoy Wee Society’s whimsical Go! Travel Journal in red or blue.
For younger ones, we suggest just getting a simple notebook like this** with a plastic cover and elastic band, or this** and they can decorate the kraft cover themselves. At age 3, our daughter loved drawing animals and things she saw in her journal and at age 4, she asked us to spell out the names of the cities and places we went so she could write them down. We bought her a simple lined notebook with a sturdy plastic cover to protect from potential water damage.
Or if a journal isn’t up your child’s alley, try a small accordion file organizer**. Encourage him/her to start a traveler’s collection. You could collect things like transportation/attraction tickets, sugar packets or stamps.
Whatever option you choose, it’s fun to go through the contents together at the end of a trip, a few weeks, months or even years later!
Clothing and accessories
This is not a complete packing list. What we’ve listed below are several major categories of items that we can’t live without while traveling and recommend you consider while preparing for your trip.
Zipoff synthetic pants
Why are Zip-off synthetic pants a required travel clothing item?? They’re easy to clean, quick to dry, and double as shorts. Here are a few examples of what we mean.
- Columbia Men’s Ridge Convertible Pants**
- Toomett Women’s Quick Dry Convertible Hiking Pants**
- Columbia Girls Silver Ridge Convertible Pants**
- Toomett Hiking pants for Youth**
- Kids UPF 50+ convertible Cargo pants or style 2**
Lightweight synthetic caps
Especially if you’re headed somewhere hot and sunny, make sure to bring a synthetic hat that can be easily washed and hung dry when needed. Here are a few examples of cap styles (regular**, with wide brim**, with neck cover**). The i-play solid color**, i-play pattern**, and Sunday afternoon** caps are ones we personally love for our kids (we’ve had to purchase multiple since some of them have been lost along the way!).
Lightweight tops
For hot / warm weather, consider UPF 50+ synthetic short sleeves** to protect your shoulders (we’ve even purchased lightweight UPF 50+ rashguards** for the kids that worked well for keeping them protected and cool while lounging around/hiking/getting around town), or for cold weather, consider natural fibers like merino wool (we’re big fans of Smartwool** and Icebreaker**)
Thin fleece or hoodie
We recommend something that zips up so that it’s easier to take on and off to add or remove layers as needed.
Lightweight rain resistant jacket
There are lots to choose from. The important features it must have is that it’s water resistant, lightweight and packable. Buying a cheap poncho/umbrella at the destination is an option if you don’t want to pack one for that trip. My husband and I scored Arc’teryx jackets on deep discount at an REI store many years ago and it’s our go-to. They are super pricey though when not on sales, so consider a Columbia one like this men’s one**, or this women’s one**.
Comfortable shoes for walking + a pair of water-friendly shoes
If you don’t already own a pair of comfortable walking shoes, we recommend trying on several pairs before heading out on a trip with a new pair of shoes. You can try on different styles in-store or with free shipping and returns, I’ve ordered 6 different pairs from Zappos to try on at home and shipped back the ones I didn’t want at no extra cost. This is a great option for people like me who don’t like spending time getting to and from stores, trying things on and like specific styles that often require visiting multiple stores.
Remember, you don’t need to spend a fortune. You just need one pair that hopefully pairs well with all your clothes and can comfortable get you through miles and miles of diverse terrain, depending on where you’re going and what activities you’ll be doing.
I personally don’t like socks and avoid wearing them and closed toed shoes for as long as weather permits. So I love finding comfortable Teva Hurricanes**, Merrell**, Keens**, Chacos** and Crocs**, especially if the model is also water-friendly for beach/pool/camping showers.
I know, not everyone is a fan of Crocs**, but I sure am! They are comfortable, come in a variety of styles and models and are super easy to clean. You can even throw them in the wash (and the drier to get a more custom fit!) I’ve been buying them since 2005 in Hawaii and my kids always have two pairs at any given time, and we pass them on as hand-me-downs 🙂 Alternatively, you could also just bring a pair of flip-flops – we are big fans of Havaianas** as they are high quality, and durable and ours have lasted years.
Due to an error on my part (I didn’t try my new custom orthotics with my hiking boots), I ended up hiking the entire Salkantay Inca Trail in Smartwool socks and my Chacos. I’ve also hiked a rocky river trail with a 2.5 year old in a Deuter child carrier with my Merrell sandals and I regularly hike in Chacos or Tevas** for day to day trails with little elevation gain and/or without rocks and skree.
This goes to show that specialized shoes aren’t absolutely necessary. Plan ahead based on your particular needs and the terrain. Focus on comfort first and if possible, pick something lightweight.
Here are some Teva** options to check out. We recommend the Hurricane model as they are sturdier and have more traction.
Here are different style Merrell sandals to check out. My husband loves the lightweight, slip on Merrell gloves or the loafers that he can also dress up.
Here are some Chaco** options to check out.
Here are some Keen** options to check out.
Here are some Havaianas** to check out.
Here are Crocs** to check out. I spent practically a whole vacation and summer in the cute Mary Jane version which can also be dressed up for a night out! They come in a variety of colors, styles and designs. Since I love vivid colors, I recommend bright colors, at least for the kids. We’ve purchased orange, bright blue, teal, neon green.
Waterproof cellphone carrier
If you’re traveling with children somewhere hot, you likely will be going somewhere with some kind of body of water, whether that be the ocean, a lake, the sea, a pool, etc. Make sure to get a waterproof sleeve** to protect your phone, which you can also use capture under the sea animals (I got a fantastic one of a sea turtle!).
Optional accessories
Muslin blanket
Ok, I know this sounds like a very weird one, but if you have little ones, bring at least one large muslin blanket for each child. We love the Hudson baby set as they are super soft and cozy, have adorable designs and are large (46″x46″). If you decide on a different set, just make sure it’s not smaller as it won’t perform as well in various capacities. These little suckers are great multi-taskers and are perfect make-shift picnic blankets, scarves, sling bags, sun shades (car windows, bus windows, while hiking), etc.
Money storage and organization
Crossbody bags
I personally have been a big fan of Fossil and Sakroots crossbody bags for a long time. They are made of quality materials, are colorful and have a boho inspired design like this**:
I don’t like purchasing things that can only be used for one thing so like that I can use it on a regular basis at home as well. One Fossil bag I like to use for traveling has accompanied me on trips for the past 10 years and though the canvas is faded, it’s still going strong!
For something bigger, check out this option that comes in an array of colors. The advantage of this is you can also use it as a backpack for hiking or out and about city adventures when you want to carry more (e.g. snacks, sweater, water bottle, etc).
For a more discreet and anti-theft option, check out these Travelon cross body bags, the courier** and the heritage**:
Waist belts
Or if you prefer a low profile waist belt/fanny pack like my husband (don’t worry, it’s not like the bulging 80’s fanny packs we used way back when), check out these RFID, anti-theft options, the AlphaKeeper** and Peak Gear**. We love the thin profile of these travel waist belts that can be worn over or under your clothing.
What are essential family travel items you can’t live without? Share your recommendations with us in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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