Tips for Traveling Internationally with Toddlers
Traveling internationally with toddlers can be a challenge, but it can also be a wonderful, rewarding experience for the entire family.
I’m sharing my best tips for international travel with toddlers below, all of which have come out of my own experiences traveling with my two children.
Ultimately, taking little ones out of their element at home can be scary for them and intimidating for the parents, but with strategy and some pre-planning, traveling internationally isn’t much more difficult than heading for a long weekend away.
Here’s everything you need to know, buy, and do before you take your toddler overseas.
My daughter looks at our plane at the airport terminal
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International Travel with a Toddler: What to Know, Do, and Buy
In a flight of fancy before our 10 days in Germany road trip, I applied for and got my daughter’s first passport, purchased her plane ticket, and ordered a car seat for our rental vehicle.
The trip would require her to fly on five different planes, deal with a six-hour time difference, and travel several hundred miles across Germany.
I was nervous about taking her once everything was in place, but I was excited to share this time with her.
So, how did she do?
For the most part, she was a champion traveler!
Our second child, who came along a couple of years after we took our daughter to Germany, has also spent a significant time in his young life traveling.
While there are the usual sibling rivalries and tantrums, we’ve noticed that both of our kids were delighted by the experience of going abroad even as little ones.
If you’re thinking about traveling long distance with your toddler, here’s what you need to know.
Get their passport ASAP.
If you think you have any chance that you’ll be traveling with a toddler, go ahead and get that baby passport early.
PIN ME!
Unlike U.S. adult passports, which last for 10 years before renewal, children’s passports only last 5. To make the most of the cost and trouble of getting one, apply for your baby’s passport as soon as you get settled.
We found that the worst part of getting a toddler passport was getting a photo of our children at those ages. Passport photos—even for babies and toddlers—have specific requirements, and it might take multiple tries to get them facing the camera while not smiling.
Some U.S. passport offices will bother with those details for you, and I’d suggest looking for one that offers a photo service near you. We went that route for our daughter’s passport after trying without luck to get a qualifying photo at home.
You can also try the photo services at pharmacies: many CVS and Walgreen’s also will take your child’s passport photo for a small fee.
Wherever you take the photo, make sure to go on a day that your toddler is agreeable—and we all know that’s not everyday!
Aim for a time after breakfast but so late that your kiddo is feeling tired or hungry.
Make an appointment if at all possible, so you’re not having to wrangle a toddler in line at the post office or pharmacy while you wait.
Finally, take something your toddler loves to help them look at the camera. I look a favorite stuffed animal of my daughter’s and jumped up and down behind the camera man at the post office in Isle of Palms, South Carolina to get her photo.
I looked like an idiot, but we got the picture!
Gather all necessary paperwork.
If you’re traveling solo with your child, you will need to have a signed, notarized minor travel consent form from your child’s other parent.
This paper could be requested at any point during your travels from the ticketing desk to TSA check, and it is important that you have it on you at all times.
I took my daughter to Germany without her dad when she was about 2.5 since his work schedule didn’t align with the trip dates, and I made sure to have this paper in hand. Ultimately, no one gave it more than a cursory glance, but you’ll need it regardless.
Additionally, you should carry a copy of your child’s birth certificate with you. While this establishes parentage—and the fact that you have a right to be traveling with this child if anything comes up—it also entitles you bring your 0-2 year old on the plane without a charge.
Known as a “lap infant seat,” this seating arrangement is a great way to save on costs when traveling internationally with a toddler.
You may be asked to prove that your child is less than 2 years old, and that’s where the birth certificate comes in.
Lay the groundwork before you leave.
Even if your child has traveled on a plane or overseas before, it’s always a good idea to prepare them for what they’re about to go through each time.
This was my child’s first plane experience and her first time abroad, so we talked a lot about what she’d see and do on the airplane before we even stepped foot in the airport.
With my son, we pretended that we were at an airport, we were checking our bags, getting into our seats on the plane, and buckling in.
I’d often pretend that our car was an airplane, and that we were boarding to go to the store or somewhere local.
This ended up being one of his favorite games to the point where my kids still ask to fly on “Mama Airlines” from time to time.
Also, make the abstract as real as possible before you leave on your trip.
If you’re going to Germany like we did, for example, show your kids pictures of the castles, the Alps, and Munich before you leave.
Watch YouTube videos together, or, if you know of a kid’s movie set in the location you’re visiting, watch that together.
Show them a globe and point out Germany. (I know that, at 2 or 3, they’re unlikely to grasp this concept, but we’re just trying to create some sort of tangible connection between the abstract idea of a foreign country and what they’re able to do.)
My daughter and me at Schloss Linderhof, Ettal, Germany
Catching up on some safety reading before take-off
Someone is so excited to be on the plane!
Be prepared to work on the plane.
And by “work,” I mean get yourself in a frenzy as you try to keep a toddler quiet-ish and still-ish for the duration of the flight.
Of all of the components of toddler travel, I found the plane rides the most stressful.
The space each passenger is given is tiny and not truly suited for someone who’s main goal in life is to move as much as possible as often as possible.
We walked up and down the aisles as much as possible. For this reason, I highly recommend getting an aisle seat so you’ve got more freedom of movement.
When we were confined to our seats during turbulence, my daughter was allowed to watch some of her favorite movies, including "Frozen" and "Paddington Bear" (both of which were in the Delta Sky Kids movie lineup).
A few other tips for the plane:
Order the kid's meal before you board.
My older kid is pretty adventurous when it comes to eating, but she still loves the kid standards. My younger kid, on the other hand, is picky and wants to know ahead of time exactly what he will be eating.
By ordering the meals beforehand, I could tell them what they could look forward to during meal times, and pack extra snacks where necessary.
The kid's meals that we’ve gotten over the years are usually great with fresh fruit, biscuits, cheese sticks, ravioli, juice, chocolate pudding, and finger sandwiches.
When you book your international flight, you’ll be able to select your meal. Many airlines now have many options for a meal, including kosher, halal, and children’s meals.
Bring noise-reducing headphones.
My kids loved messing with knobs and buttons, and I didn't want to run the risk of them turning up the movie audio too much.
Instead, we bring along our own headphones so the kids can still watch the movies without having to mess with those tiny, free in-ear headphones that never stay in.
On my daughter’s first trip abroad, she was still deep into her obsession with Queen Esla, so we purchased a pair of kids' Frozen headphones, which went over really well.
When we flew with my son for the first time, I took him to our local big box store and let him pick out a pair that was all his and just for our travels.
Pack some cheap toys.
If you get a handful of small toys at the dollar store, your child can play with them without worrying about losing them.
If one does get left behind or broken, it's no big deal.
I also don’t give these to the kids all at once, but rather space them out to help me get through the flight.
For example, I might have a little stuffed animal that they get while we’re waiting to board, and a coloring pad with crayons once we’re seated and in the air.
We also would give them a piece of candy as a reward for taking off, since that’s one place where my kids tended to get frightened on the flight.
Between these little tokens, meal time, and walking around the cabin, your time on the plane is then divided into a bunch of smaller spans. Approaching a stressful, long, international flight this way helped me so much, and it makes the experience so much more engaging for the little ones.
Get them to sleep (if possible).
My daughter using the First Class Kid Travel Pillow to get to sleep on the plane
Keeping your toddler on some sort of regular sleep schedule is important in helping them transition to their new time zone.
I like to set my watch to the new time zone for my vacation as soon as I get onto the plane. This helps me know when I should try to go to sleep.
Likewise, try to get your toddler to calm down long enough to rest on the plane.
They will likely be very excited and/or terrified when you first board the plane, so let them get that out of their systems first.
Walk around the plane, have your dinner, and then watch a movie. You can even help them get into their pajamas, brush their teeth, and have a glass of water, just like at home.
We used the First Class Kid Travel Pillow when our kids were little, and it is a lifesaver on a plane. It’s essentially a little blow up square that you can use to fill the space between your child’s seat and the seat in front of them.
You’ve then created a space that is the size of a small cot, where your child can lay down on.
>> Read my full review of the First Class Kid Travel Pillow here. <<
When we used this on our Las Vegas to Denver road trip flights, our daughter was out like a light as soon as she lay down on it. Add a comforting, familiar blanket for even more coziness.
Consider doing self-guided or privately guide tours.
Those little legs and little attention spans aren’t often made for a traditional 2+ hour walking tour.
We ended up doing some self-guided tours of Munich, Luxembourg City, and Trier, which was fantastic, since we could stop and start as necessary.
If you’re not as cheap as we are, you could consider hiring a private guide who would be willing to go at a slower pace.
Also consider taking a specifically kid-centric tour. Many cities also have shorter tours specifically for kids with points of interest aimed at children, activities, and dress-up!
Tailoring your experience also means that you can incorporate some learning time into your trip.
If you have an adventurous eater, find a market where your family can share small dishes of local food. We did this with my daughter in Munich, where she was able to try German mustard, pretzels, sauerkraut, and bratwurst.
With my parents and toddler on a self-guided tour of Munich
Leave free time in your schedule.
My daughter at the playground at Berghotel Kockelsberg
At several points in our international trips, we’d head back to the hotel in late afternoon to rest, take baths, watch a movie, or play.
Having some extra time at the end of the day allows toddlers to wind down and get used to their new schedule.
Look for playgrounds, parks, and other green spaces where kids can burn off steam.
When we travel, we try to find hotels with parks nearby, or pools onsite.
We lucked up and even had a playground at our hotel in Trier, Germany, (Berghotel Kockelsberg), which delighted my toddler.
In a new and everchanging environment like an overseas trip, little kids can easily get overwhelmed with the new sights, smells, and sounds.
Giving them some familiar ways to spend their time—like playing at a playground or running around a park—is a good balance to keeping everyone happy.
Bring a toddler backpack.
First off, I know these look ridiculous.
You look as if you’re walking your kid on a leash!
If you can get over the weird factor, this can be a lifesaver when you’re traveling with little kids. Carrying a 30 pound kid can quickly wear anyone out.
Plus, if you’ve ever lost your child for any amount of time, you know that feeling is something you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. We lost our older kid at Disney World when she was about 4, and I still get panicky thinking about those moments when we didn’t know where she was.
My daughter was way too independent for her good when she was a toddler, and was apt to dart off if she saw something that sparked her interest without looking or caring if I was behind her.
Knowing that my kid has some freedom of movement while also not being able to go any further than my line of sight takes away so much worry while traveling internationally with toddlers.
On our travelers, we always had a stroller, but, after a while, my kids would get tired of sitting, especially since everyone else around here had the ability to walk freely around.
We’d put on the backpack and leash (or “lush,” as my daughter called it when she was little), and our toddlers get to stretch their legs. It was particularly great when we were in museums, so we could keep the kids from touching everything in sight, or in crowds where a stroller wasn’t really feasible.
The backpack also served another purpose: it carried a small case of wipes, a few pull-ups, and some snacks.
I got to leave my heavy diaper bag back at home, and my kids liked being in charge of their snack stash.
We had the Brica Safety Harness Backpack, which isn’t available anymore. However, a cute little backpack harness like this one would work just the same.
Our toddler son in the gbPockit travel stroller
Also, bring a small stroller.
There will be times that your toddler gets tired of walking or needs to take a nap on the go.
Or, you might need to hurry through a crowded train station and need your child strapped in.
That’s when it’s time to bring out the travel stroller.
For years, we’ve used the gb Pockit, the best travel stroller out there, in my opinion.
This stroller is incredibly lightweight, and it’s small enough to be placed in the overhead bin when folded it.
We found that feature to be helpful instead of having to check our strollers.
I’ve taken it everywhere from Walt Disney World to Luxembourg, and it is still holding up beautifully after multiple years and 2 kids.
Pack snacks. Lots of snacks.
Even though the plane and the country you’re visiting will both have snacks, your toddler will still want what he or she is used to.
Having a box of their favorite snacks can be a lifesaver if your toddler decides to have a full-on meltdown at any point in your trip.
Offer up those snacks on a rotating basis between snacks from the country you’re visiting for a good mixture of comfort food and new items.
Know that that toddler jet lag is even worse than adult jet lag.
When I get jet lag, I force myself to stay awake as long as possible in order to try and get into some sort of new routine. If I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, I force myself to lay there in bed and just relax.
Toddlers have no concept of either of these coping mechanisms.
When they’re tired, they want to sleep. When they’re ready to get up, they climb out of bed.
Despite our best efforts to readjust my daughter’s schedule on her first trip abroad as a toddler, we still ended up having a very tired, very grumpy toddler on our hands the first day.
The first three nights of our trip included a wonderful little break around 3 AM, where she decided that she needed a snack and playtime. It felt like 8 AM to her since she hadn’t fully adjusted to the new time zone, which made for some very long days for me.
While you might not be able to avoid this situation completely, keeping your child on local time as much as possible is key to switching over those internal clocks.
Stretch out the times between naps, keep the naps short, and stick to bedtime at the new time zone to help establish that new routine quickly.
Next to the plane rides, the readjustment period was the toughest part of traveling with a little one.
Take a travel cot.
When you’re traveling in other parts of the world, the hotel rooms just aren’t made to be as large as the ones here in the U.S.
That means that you’ll often be staying in hotel rooms that say they fit 4 adults, but that means putting 2 of you on a pull-out couch.
Instead, we opt to bring along a travel cot for our toddlers—and this is something that’s lasted well into their elementary school years as they freaking love their own little beds when we travel.
For my daughter’s first trip abroad, we decided to purchase a toddler travel cot. After a lot of research, I settled on the Regalo My Cot Deluxe, which I can't say enough good things about.
At less than $40, this was an awesome investment, and she loved her special bed on that trip, even if she did try to get out of it at 3 AM.
Since it has such a small profile, you can put it next to your hotel bed, so your toddler will feel safe and secure in an otherwise unfamiliar room.
Having a cot low to the ground means you don’t have to bring along a bigger, more unwieldy bed rail if your toddler tends to roll out of bed.
I liked that the was soft and comfortable, it only weighed a few pounds, it collapsed easily, and it came with an attached pillow and sleeping bag.
We’ve since used it with both of our children across the globe. It’s also one of my must-have tips when visiting Disney World with a toddler!
Don’t forget some basic medical supplies.
My toddlers were into everything, and they were masters of being able to tear something up in the 3 seconds I had my back turned.
Along with that innate curiosity comes the inevitable scrape or bruise when things go wrong.
I always carry a small first aid kit with me when I travel, but it was an absolute necessity when my kids were toddlers.
Don’t wait until your toddler scrapes a knee to have to find a pharmacy in a foreign country. Instead, pack a Ziploc bag or little packing cube with the basics: infants’ Tylenol, band-aids, Pepto-Bismol for kids, a thermometer, and Neosporin.
It’s also not the worst idea to get travel insurance just in case your child get sick and you’re unable to complete the trip as planned.
Get a quote here:
Work some teaching moments into your trip.
At 2-4, your child isn’t going to remember everything about the trip—and that’s okay. This age is all about living in the moment and appreciating what’s directly in front of you.
However, this age group is amazing in that they are constantly soaking up what they’re seeing, hearing, and doing. While in Germany, my daughter was in love with the castles that we visited, probably because they reminded her of Walt Disney World.
Even after she realized that Mickey Mouse wasn’t popping out of the castle door, she still liked learning about King Ludwig, who lived at three of the castles we visited: Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof.
We found her a free pamphlet at Linderhof with his picture on it and told her a little bit about King Ludwig.
By the time we’d visited all three places, she was able to tell us that King Ludwig lived in three castles. We heard, “I love King Ludwig!” more than once on the trip!
She was also amazed at the Glockenspiel, which she still calls the “Clock-and-spell”, and told us regularly that it goes “ding dong!” months after we returned from the trip.
These types of experiences excited our toddler so much that, even years after we’ve returned home, she talks about her time in Germany regularly.
Final Thoughts on Traveling Internationally with a Toddler
Traveling with an active, curious toddler is quite different than traveling with a baby, so be prepared.
You, thankfully, don’t have to carry as much stuff when traveling with a toddler since you can leave behind bottles, formula, and the like.
However, those toddlers have a mind of their own, which means that no one is like the last, and you’re constantly on your toes.
Use their natural curiosity to your favor when traveling internationally by pointing out all of the new things they’re seeing and doing.
Ultimately, be flexible in your plans and daily itineraries as you may need to shuffle things around as your toddler’s needs change.
Take more pictures that you think you need, as they’ll be grown up and carrying their own suitcases before you know it!
Have you traveled internationally with a toddler before? What’s your best travel tip for keeping everyone happy?
