Traveling has always been something that Justin and I have been passionate about. Now we enjoy traveling with Remy, and experiencing things and making memories with him.
Traveling with a toddler can be very overwhelming, and I know lots of people try to avoid it. So, I wanted to share some tips and tricks that have worked well for us over the past few months. Just because you have a baby doesn’t mean that you can’t travel with them. I hope this helps put some of your minds at ease.
Remy is currently 17 months old. In the past month and a half we traveled to Beaver Creek, Colorado with him, as well as to Orlando, twice. Once to go to Disney, and another time to visit friends and family.
Prior to that Remy had flown to West Palm Beach, Mexico, New York City and Naples, FL. So, he had been on a good amount of flights. I actually did a blog post last year on traveling with him. This is a great read for someone with a younger baby. Once he started becoming more mobile, flying definitely got more challenging.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the strollers we use, traveling with a carseat, etc. So, I’ll break it down by product.
Mesa Car seat – this is the car seat that we had for Remy until we recently switched to a bigger one. This car seat is great because when they are very little it can clip directly into the stroller. It makes traveling with it super easy. When Remy was about 5 months old we started putting him in the stroller seat. Our most recent trip to Orlando was the last time we will use this car seat and travel bag because he is too big for it now. So, we’ll have to rent a car with a car seat moving forward.
Cruz Stroller – this is the stroller that we have primarily traveled with. Starting at about 5 months when we were flying we would check the carseat, push Remy in the stroller to the gate, and then check the stroller at the gate. We have travel bags for both the car seat and the stroller, which I highly recommend investing in to protect them. This stroller is so nice because you have some storage space underneath the seat. It was definitely the best choice for our Disney trip, however, now we’re starting to travel more with the G-Luxe (linked below).
If you have the Vista Stroller – I’v also linked that travel bag.
G-Luxe Umbrella Stroller – we have now travelled with this stroller twice. It is by far the easiest to fold up at the gate. We don’t currently have a bag for it, and I don’t think we need one since it’s so much smaller/lightweight. I’d saying having this stroller for flying is a must.
Another thing that I’ve gotten a lot of questions about is how we keep Remy entertained on the plane. There is really no special trick that I have up my sleeve on this one. I feel like you just have to be overly prepared. I always pack lots of snacks, and a small backpack that I throw in my big purse filled with as many toys as I can fit. Linking the one that we have here. Interactive toys are great. Books are great, etc. We also got Remy a pair of headphones to watch a movie on the TV screen. So far he isn’t a big fan and takes them off, but he will sit on my lap and watch some of the movie. We try and plan flights (as best as possible – always seems easier on the flight out than on the flight home) around his nap time. So, we try and get him fed and full so that he’ll nap on the plane. When we flew to Beaver Creek (3 1/2 hour flight) he took an hour nap. That was amazing! On the two flights to Orlando he didn’t nap, but they are shorter flights (a little over an hour). I usually put on a Disney movie. He LOVES dogs, so he has been into and will sit and watch Lady and the Tramp.
Okay, something that has really worked for us during take off is giving Remy a banana. haha! If your baby will eat bananas, I recommend trying it. I think because they are a lot in the mouth to chew at once it helps with the ears popping during take off. It also keeps him entertained for a few minutes. That has been working for us, and I don’t plan to stop doing it!
Personally I think the flying and packing part is the hardest part of traveling with a toddler. But, I’ve started to feel so much more calm now, and everyone seems to love Remy. Even the pilots let him look up in the cockpit on our flight home from Orlando last weekend. I hope some of the above ideas will help with any upcoming trips, or convince you that you CAN travel with your toddler.
Okay, last product that I wanted to share that we love is the SlumberPod. Often times, if your baby is traveling with you, they are sleeping in the same room as you. Which we all know can be challenging. This pod creates a blackout sleeping space for them. It’s super easy to set up, and doesn’t take up too much room in the suitcase. We’ve only used it with a Pack N Play, but it says that it is compatible with cribs too. That along with our Sound Machine makes for a great night’s sleep when traveling.
As always, please reach out with any questions.
xx,
Lauren
All of our travel essentials can be found here.
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In NYC everyone swears by the Cosco Scenera Next car seat after they outgrow their infant car seat. It’s super lightweight and can be secured with seatbelt for easy in and out of taxis or rental cars (or on the airplane). It’s only $50 or $60 so cheaper than the fee from rental car company. And that way you’ll know it’s clean and hasn’t been in an accident!
That is so great to hear, thank you so much! I’ll have to look into this!!