“We’re going to Hawaii,” my husband and I squealed with excitement. A few seconds later the fear hit. How in the world was my busy-bee going to sit on my lap for 10+ hours and handle three timezone changes?

I am here to tell you that my fear was justified. What saved me were the hours I spent researching how to easily travel with a toddler. Sure every moment wasn’t a breeze, especially when we had to make an unexpected visit to urgent care on the way home. But the joy on our little man’s face while digging in the sand at a tucked-away beach made all the extra work worth it.

Below are a handful of tips I found helpful when traveling a long-distance with a toddler.

Break up the trip.

• If possible, find a midway point that you would like to explore and spend a couple of days there before hopping on a second long flight. We spent a few days in Los Angeles exploring, plus Disneyland, before heading to our final destination. The break gave our bodies a chance to adjust to the new timezone and gave the little man a break from being confined in a small space.

Pay a little extra for more room.

• Having a separate living and sleeping room was crucial on our trip. It gave us a chance to have adult-time. I recommend looking for a place that has separate rooms instead of booking a traditional hotel room. We found our gem on VRBO.com at a great price. Regarding flights, I highly recommend upgrading to extra-comfort seats. The front one was our sweet spot. A tip shared with me was to ask at the gate if there was an empty three-seat row available.

Invest in a car seat stroller cart.

• A stroller cart allows you to transport your little one around. I heard one mom comment to her six-year-old, “Man, I wish I had that when you were little!” Not only does it save you having to haul around a stroller, but it also enables you to easily transport your car seat with or without the child in it. Once you get to the gate, the crew checks it under the plane. And its waiting when you deboard. Here is a link to our car seat stroller cart: https://amzn.to/36m3XoX

Leave the stroller at home. Opt for a baby carrier if possible.

• Traveling across the country means moving your stuff from place to place a lot. You will want to minimize the amount of stuff. A stroller (in many cases) is a bulky item. Opt instead for good quality, flexible baby carrier. Our go-to has been the Ergobaby 360. If your child is too big for a carrier, I suggest bringing a lightweight foldable stroller.

Take a lightweight portable crib.

• Again, do everything in your power to reduce the number of items you have to transport. Find solutions that make transporting big items more manageable. Did you know some companies make pack-n-plays that convert into lightweight backpacks? That’s right! And did you know you can carry on a backpack on a plane ride? You probably knew that. Here is a link to the portable crib we use: https://amzn.to/36o0V3A

Accept that you’re traveling with a toddler.

• That’s right. It’s better to accept early the fact that traveling with a toddler is going to be a bit challenging at times. It took my husband awhile. It wasn’t until we were on the trip that he fully embraced the experience of traveling with a toddler. I will never forget sitting on the porch of the B&B and him leaning in to say he was so happy we brought our son with us.

Best of luck on your next adventure! I would love to hear where you are off to in the comments below.

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