What is YOUR best travel tip for taking flights with kids?
As an international family, it was always a given that my children would travel more than many other children, as they have family across three different countries.
However, when my first daughter was born, my partner had been accepted into a Master’s program in yet another country, so for the first two years of her life, I was travelling with her almost weekly between Norway, Ireland, the UK and France.
And when you add all that up, coupled with the fact that we also love travelling for leisure, it meant that by the time my daughter celebrated her third birthday, she already had 100 flights under her belt, the little globetrotter.
And because of all that travelling, I like to think I have become quite the expert when it comes to flying and travelling in general with both babies and kids – and have picked up a handy travel tip or two.
Interestingly, when I recently stumbled across an Instagram post by Terrie McEvoy, I could see that her top travel with for travelling with little ones is pretty much the same as mine – at least when it comes to packing and keeping things organised.
Travel tip for travelling with little ones
In a post shared to Instagram, the Irish influencer dished on her top travel tip for going on holidays with kids, and honestly, we love this list of hacks and tricks.
Captioning her post, this is the mum of two’s best travel tip:
‘Packing cubes. They keep everything together for each child, and they work even better when you label them.’
I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree with Terrie on this one – using packing cubes to keep kids’ clothes and toys and nappies and whatever else organised in their suitcase or carry-on is just the best travel tip all parents should be told about.
How to use packing cubes for kids
When I travelled with my daughter (and eventually my little boy, who joined the family when she was three), I would use packing cubes to sort out her pyjamas, her daytime clothes and use another packing cube for shoes/sandals and one for whatever nappies/wipes I brought with me just for the travel (as you can always buy more when you get to your destination).
I also used packing cubes for our carry-on bag, where I would have one clean and fresh change of clothes for both me and her in one, in case of spills/accidents, and another packing cube with one extra outfit for us both – in case luggage was delayed.
Toys we took onboard would also be kept in their own packing cubes, meaning it was easy to grab while in our seat, and likewise, I used one packing cube stashed with a couple of nappes, wipes, nappy rash cream and a fresh babygro, meaning if I needed to do a nappy change in the airport or onboard the plane, I could just grab this one little bag with me, and would not need to bring my entire handbag into the toilet with me.
I would also bring some empty packing cubes with me, so that as we used clothes while on holidays, we could put the laundry straight into these packing cubes, ready to take home and be washed.
Honestly, if you don’t own a set of packing cubes yet, you should get yourself to your nearest Penneys immediately.
As well as the packing cubes, Terrie also shared the following travel tips all parents should know:
2. A travel buggy that fits in the overhead locker: Travel buggies we recommend (and we’ve tried a few!) are the Silver Cross Nia and the Cybex Eezy Twist. Both lie flat, which is non-negotiable for me.
3. On the plane: Pack plenty of snacks, toys they’ve never seen before, colouring books, ready made formula, a book, and movies, shows or games downloaded in advance. We only ever give Sydney an iPad when we travel, so it’s a real novelty for her.
4. Top tip: Don’t give them everything at once. Bring out one thing at a time so you always have something new when they get fed up. Rotate your ammunition!
5. Bring a meal for your baby. Airports can be tricky when you’re trying to find something suitable for them to eat.
6. Don’t book the front row on the plane. On some aircraft, the armrests are fixed, so you can’t lift them up for naps. Also, don’t be one of the last people to board. You want to make sure there’s space in the overhead locker for your bags and stroller.
7. Travel as light as possible. Avoid bringing a carry on suitcase if you can. It’s just one more thing to carry. Check it in instead.
8. Pack two changes of clothes. Trust me… 👀🤣 I always strip the baby down to a nappy and vest for the flight, especially in summer, as planes can get really warm.
9. Bring a plug in steriliser. The NUK one is perfect. It’s lightweight and easy to travel with.
10. Always have antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser with you.
