Tips for Travelling with a Six Year-Old

As you can see from our other posts, we are experienced travellers with a small child. 

(To scroll through our other tips posts, click here. We have specific posts for babies 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, 18-24 months, and 2 year old kids). 

Then, there's a big gap of time that's missing due to COVID-19. That really put a damper on our travel! We did lots of little local getaways but nothing that felt big enough to start our blog back up for. And really, who had the time?

So this trip felt like an entire new era of travel for us. We said goodbye to SO much gear (we are notorious over-packers). We strapped a backpack on our kid, and off we went!

How to Prepare

We started talking about the trip a few months before we left. We took out books on Spain from the local library and read them together so that Adventure Girl had an idea of what the country would be like and what there was to do there. 

We involved her in the planning by asking her what she was most interested in seeing and doing. We showed her pictures of places that we were considering going to and got her input. It helped that we had very little itinerary. When F said that she was excited to see a castle, we made sure to put that in our plans. (We also curbed expectations by ensuring she knew it wasn't a working castle like in a book!).

We'd been given a MEC backpack that seemed like an appropriate size for her. We made sure it try it on with things inside of it to test for a proper fit.  We taught Adventure Girl how to fit the straps properly. She was already used to walking/hiking/biking with a fairly heavy backpack so we weren't too concerned about the weight. It would be ideal to take that backpack for a spin a few times to make sure kiddo feels comfortable. 

When it got closer to our departure, Adventure Girl and I packed her stuff together. I showed her how to roll her clothes so they'd fit tightly in her bag. We talked about how the more things you brought, they heavier the bag would be. We expected her to carry all of her clothes, her cosmetics (toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, hair elastics) and her small stuffed animal. We would help with the car seat and activities. 

Our kiddo has lots of experience with airports and plane travel. If yours doesn't, I'd highly recommend showing your child the TSA video on youtube for kids. It prepares them for the different steps you'll need to take: lining up to check bags, going through security, etc. Even with her experience, we review what she should expect before every travel day: we'll take a cab to the airport, then we'll line up to check our bags, then we'll go through security. Next, we'll find a place to fill our water bottles, stop at the bathroom, grab some food, and find our gate. Those reminders really help her feel confident in what to expect. If your child is impatient, those little "check marks" once each task is completed, might help break up the long time there actually is between arriving at the airport and the plane taking off.

Travel Day! (we had a lot of groceries we were bringing onwards)

Accommodation 

We continue to like the Air BnB route for our family. It gives us a private space with a kitchen for self-catering. This keeps costs down and ensures we can prepare healthy food that we know we'll all like and will feel like home. We try to find a place with a view whenever possible, or choose a location that's within walking distance of things we'll want to see/do. We don't have to worry about a nap schedule anymore but it is nice to have a balcony to sit out on with a view to admire so that we can enjoy the evening after putting F to bed. 

At some places, we contacted them ahead of time and were able to get an early check-in, which helped cut down on the length of time for a travel day. At one place, we even booked the night before our arrival so that we could check right in when we arrived (that was after our very long journey to get to Europe and we knew our flight would arrive at 8 am). It was worth it to us to be able to check in right away and start relaxing. Depending on how long your journey is, what the time change is, and your own family's needs, you can decide if any of these tips would work well for you. 

Food

We tend to bring extra snacks because of dietary issues (F can't have lactose; Erin can't have gluten or lactose). It can also be nice to have a taste of home when on the midst of a long hike or travel day. We brought one item for each day of the trip, plus 3 things for each long plane ride). These were things like granola bars, cracker packages, and fruit sticks. All items that F likes, and all light-weight. It was hardly any space in our bags and provided a comfort for her and us. 

For this trip, our routine became: breakfast and dinner at home, lunch at a restaurant. Adventure Girl is very good at trying new foods. With only one meal out a day, she was very willing to test out new flavours and eat things that maybe weren't her preference. She knew that we'd be making dinner ourselves so I think that helped her be more easy-going with the lunch spots. We made exceptions on long travel days and let her get a hamburger. We didn't feel the need to push it when we were all jet-lagged or starving.

Toys

Together, we chose a few small books, blank paper, a notebook, and a few writing utensils to bring. I added in a sticker book, an activity book, a Chirp magazine, and some fun pencil crayons that she'd never seen before just in case. It's always nice to have something novel to present when you want a moment of peace like when trying to recover from jet lag. :) We also brought her headphones for the plane and a small tablet that was essentially just for her for on big travel days and to use for Skyping with our families while we were away. Remember to download a few shows ahead of time for the plane ride!

When we arrived in San Sebastian, we found a dollar store and bought some basic sand castle building toys. These were used once. ONCE! All she really wanted and needed at the beach was a shovel. At six years-old, Adventure Girl is very into imaginative play. She wanted to dig giant holes, be buried under sand, make a car in the sand and pretend to taxi us around, make a bakery/coffeeshop that sold hot mud drinks...It was a really good reminder for us that with some very basic supplies, her imagination will do the rest. We brought masking tape as a basic emergency item and she used it to make nametags and put on shows for us. We easily could have left almost all of the sticker books and activity books at home. 

Erin's Swimming Report Card  LoL

We got to that castle F wanted to see

Three bags and lots of groceries!

Gear

The only items we brought that we consider to be kid "gear" was our travel booster seat for the car and a set of inflatable water wings. (We use this travel booster seat by Cosco). Boy, did it feel good for us all to be hands-free. 

We also brought along a collapsible snack bag and cooler to use for trips to the beach and in the car. The dollar store sells collapsible hampers that are another non-essential but incredibly helpful item especially when you're going to be travelling by car and can just toss all of your dirty laundry in. 

Our last item that provides comfort for everyone is laundry detergent. This was essential when Adventure Girl was a baby: things smelling like home makes for a good night's sleep! For this trip, we found that Spanish detergent was very chemical-smelling. We were thankful to keep our clothes unscented!

The last few trips for us felt like we were building an enjoyment of travel and really catering to what our kiddo liked, while squeezing in some things for ourselves. With Adventure Girl as a six year-old, it felt like all of that hard work had paid off. We felt like a team. We woke up in the morning and each picked something we wanted to do. It was a very liberating and exciting feeling. We had so much family fun!

You know your family best so we're sure that you can find the strategies that will be successful for you and ignore the rest! Happy Travelling! 

xoxo the High Five Adventurerers

Tips for Travelling with a Two Year-Old

Lac La Biche

We pretty much blew our travel budget for the next couple of years during our mat leave so we decided to lay low this summer and play closer to home. Thanks to Alberta Provincial Parks and Air BnB, we found some cool spots to relax at, while also getting the chance to explore parts of the province we hadn't seen before.

During an 11-day stretch, we ventured up to Edmonton, Lac La Biche, back through Edmonton, then down to Stettler. So four different accommodations in under two weeks. Although Adventure Baby is a fantastic sleeper, this definitely put some stress on her. Ways we kept this trip as calm as possible are listed below. We hope you'll find some of our tips helpful for your own getaway!

The Hi-Level Streetcar in Edmonton was a huge hit!

How to Prepare
Our daughter is very verbal and she likes to know the plan ahead of time. So we started talking about our road trip the week before. We used vocabulary she could understood and laid out the plan for her a day in advance while travelling so she knew what to expect. We'd say things like, "Today we're going to play at the playground, pack up the car, then do a big car ride. It will be a sleep in the car day. Then after nap, we'll get to ____ house. We'll set up your bed, and the potty, and have a snack." She knows how to count sleeps so we'd keep track of how many sleeps until we moved on to another location or until it was a "big car ride" day. We gave each place we stayed an easy name for her to use, such as "Lake House" or "Farm House."

If you're travelling by plane, we'd recommend showing your child the TSA video on Youtube. It prepares them for the different phases of airplane travel such as checking in your bags, going through security, and then finding your plane.

Watching the harvest in Stettler

Car Rides
We kept our driving days to a maximum of 2.5 hours. We always left at her usual nap time, put on our sleep sounds app, and were off. Adventure Baby has never been a big sleeper in cars but she slept every time for roughly an hour (not great, considering she normally sleeps 1 hour 45 min, but it was manageable). Then we had some activities on-hand in case she got antsy once awake, such as Water Wows, tablet games, and CDs with kid songs.

Stettler

Accommodation
By contacting the hosts ahead of time, we were able to have late check-outs and early check-ins to work around her nap schedule/our driving time as best as possible. Hosts were super accommodating when they knew we had a small child. Upon arriving at each place, we immediately set up the potty and show her where that is, find her room and set it up with the pack-n-play, her owl (sleep sounds), the monitor, and lay out her books and clothes on her bed. Then, we show her where our room is and that is enough to settler her in. We try to find places with two bedrooms so she has her own sleeping space and where we can have nice views to enjoy after bedtime. Lac La Biche and Stettler were both great for this!

Food
The great thing about a road trip is that you have the space to bring a cooler in the car. We pre-made most of our meals at home and brought them along with us frozen in the cooler. That really helped cut down on the time we spent on vacation grocery shopping, preparing food, and cleaning up so instead, we could just enjoy the location! It also meant that we were confident we'd have food on hand that Adventure Baby would eat. For us, that meant spaghetti and meat sauce, ramen, chili, corn on the cob...all easy-to-cook items that are kid-friendly. A little comfort food on the road can go a long way.

We also packed some of her favourite snacks to have when we were out-and-about in each city. She learned the words "special treat" pretty quickly on this trip and some crackers, a granola bar, or a pouch became a bit of an expectation. But for us, we've found that it can make transitions back into the car or stroller a lot easier!

Toys
Since we had the space in the car to pack a few toys, we brought whatever we could that was compact and had longevity in terms of entertainment. The magna-blocks turned out to be a great hit and really helped keep her occupied when we were packing up our bags. Colouring supplies with lots of new stickers went a long way. We let Adventure Baby choose one stuffed animal to bring, along with her doll, and those plus a few diapers are always a big hit.

Lastly, make sure you trade off and plan some time to yourself. Living out of a suitcase can be stressful and kids pick up on that. By giving yourself a break, you'll be more relaxed and so will your child. I don't think we could have managed a trip that was longer than 12 days at the pace we were going, so we know for the future that three nights is what we need in one location if we're going to be on the road for a while. Happy Travelling, Everyone!

Tips for Travelling with a Baby (18-24 Months)

This is it. Our last set of free flights with Adventure Baby. We really maximized our opportunities over the past two years and are staggered by the numbers she's accumulated:

Flights: 28
Airports: 19
Countries: 8
Continents: 4

Thank goodness we didn't have to pay for any of those!

Our Thanksgiving trip this year, coming in a month before her second birthday, was quick and filled with good-quality family time. There are only a few things we wanted to share that may be helpful if you're travelling with a little one who falls in this age gap.

Before Your Trip
We spent a fair bit of time in the two weeks leading up to our trip talking about planes. We enthusiastically pointed them out in the sky, we read books about planes, and we talked through exactly what would happen on our trip from leaving our house to arriving at Erin's parents' place. This book: Hello, Airplane! by Martha Day Zschock was especially helpful. We talked about how Baby would have her own backpack that would go through the security scanner like a train (choo choo!) including Bunny. We even described the exact snacks she'd have on the plane...She was super prepped for the experience. The airport was an absolute breeze. It was the first time we didn't take a stroller. She wore her own backpack and walked herself to the gate. Craig boarded first with our bags and Erin and Baby waited until the very end, running around, watching the planes, and significantly cutting down the time aboard waiting before the plane took off (what we always find is the worst part of the journey).

During the Flight
We found this to be the EASIEST flight we've taken so far with Baby. She was so much easier to entertain and she understood that us being on the plane was a temporary situation. She also understood that we were going on the plane to see Grandma, Grandpa, and her cousins, so that really motivated her through the journey. Having her on our laps was no problem at all. One of the biggest challenges we find with a lap infant is how difficult it is to access your stuff. But at 22 months, Baby could hop down, crawl under the seat and pull out things we asked for. It was super handy!

We did a short play when we first got on before the plane started to move, then watched out the window for take-off and said "up, up, up!" as we rose into the air, which she loved. We had a snack with lots of food that takes a while to eat like Cheerios and blueberries. Then she played some more with her toys. This was the first time we had downloaded a couple of tv shows on our tablet so we cuddled and watched a bit of t.v. Then we changed her into her pj's at her normal bedtime, read a few stories and told her she'd have a short sleep on the plane before we got there. There was a little protesting but she eventually got to sleep for about 45 minutes before landing. We used our usual Sleep Sounds app to help her fall asleep.

What We Took
Her backpack held:
- Bunny
- 2 small board books and 2 small bath books
- Munch Mitt bag filled with tiny Robert Munsch stories
- Paper and washable crayons
- Buckle Toy
- 2 small bath toys (on the way home she also had the 3 Boon ducks her cousins had given her)

We also had a couple of games downloaded on our tablet which she played on the flight home instead of watching t.v.





The quality family time we got was priceless. We're so glad that we were able to squeeze in this last trip "home" before we have to start paying for Baby's seats. We'll see you all on the "other side."

Tips for Travelling with a Baby (18 Months Short-Haul)

We've been around the world and back with our daughter but it's time for a trip a little closer to home. For our 17-day trip to Eastern Canada, we decided to fly with only carry-on items, so we felt it was worth a post to share our packing list and any tips we accumulated as we went. As half of this trip included a stay with family, we opted to bring limited clothes and toys, and did laundry every 5 days.

For more information on our long-haul flight with a 12-18 month old, click here.


Packing List
The great thing about packing for this trip was that we could look at the 14 day forecast and have a really good idea of the weather we were going to get. In all four of our destinations, it was looking hot! hot! hot! So we planned for sunshine and brought a couple of layers just in case. In the end, we had just enough space to pack some comfort foods for our week of travel in Quebec. That saved us from having to leave the touristy area to find a proper supermarket or drug store. Ditto for diapers.

Enjoying a Mom-and-Daughter
Crepe Date!

Clothes
3 short-sleeved onesies, 1 tshirt
2 long-sleeved onesies
1 sweater
1 rain coat
3 pairs of pants of varying weights
1 dress, 1 romper, 2 skirts
3 pairs of socks
1 pair of runners, 1 pair of soft soled sandals
1 sunhat

Gear
1 washable Kushies bib
4 wash cloths
2 sheets for the pack n play
1 change pad
1 travel wipes container
35 diapers (this got us to Erin's parents' place so we didn't have to find her size while travelling in Quebec)
Pack n Play
Stroller (which we also used as a high chair)
Hand sanitizer
2 cloth cooler bags
1 small baby bowl, 1 spoon, 1 fork
1 stainless steel milk cup, 1 water cup
Medical supplies (D-drops, Baby Tylenol, nail clippers, saline drops, baby Polysporn, etc)

Food
7 pouches in varying flavours (1 for each day of travel in Quebec)
1/2 bag of Love Child Ducks
1 tiny tupperware full of Love Child Owlies, 1 of Toodle O's
7 Love Child Oaty Chomps in varying flavours
5 Mum Mums

Toys
With such little space and time planned in the AirBnB, we brought only toys that could be used as entertainment on the plane and train. In Quebec, we supplemented by everyday household items like coasters, a travel toothbrush holder, tupperware containers, and the occassional Youtube video of trains on our tablet, as well as watching for dogs and buses out the window. :)

2 small board books, 1 small bath book
2 Little People
1 buckle toy
1 Munch Mitt bag filled with 6 tiny books
and yes, the Valentine's Day card from Gram that has now travelled to Asia and back with us!


Accommodation
There isn't much new to say about where we stayed. We continue to enjoy AirBnBs for their separate sleeping space for Baby and kitchen facilities. What absolutely amazes us is how quickly our daughter adjusts to new living situations. Within less than 24 hours, she knows the geography of our neighbourhood and can identify our building and unit as "home." She knows which room is hers and where Mama and Dada sleep (tours upon arrival of a new accommodation continue to be very important in establishing comfort and an understanding of where we will be while she's sleeping).  It's comforting to realize that babies adjust quickly, and adapt to their surroundings. Hopefully that helps quell some reservations of the dreaded "change in routine."

Travelling
We will reiterate once again that timing is of upmost importance to our child when planning a travel day. It all comes down to her nap (yes, we are FINALLY on a one-nap schedule, folks!). We left for the Quebec City airport hours before we needed to be there because that's what worked best with her routine. We arrived, checked in early, got through security, and played in their Family Zone. We had enough time to attempt a nap in the stroller at her usual time before boarding, which meant that we could use food and toys as entertainment on the plane. Much better than us trying to convince her to nap on our way here! You know your child best so work with your regular daily routine as much as you can to make it a smooth travel day.

As always, our favourite part of travelling is the time we get to spend as a family. This trip included sharing some old memories but also building new ones together. All the feels here!

Tips for Travelling with a Baby (12-18 months)

We are firm believers (and proof!) in the fact that it IS possible to travel internationally and adventuredly with a baby, and we are here to help. We've now travelled extensively within Canada and abroad with our daughter at virtually every age from birth to eighteen months.

To read our tips for travel with a 0-6 month old, click here.
To read our tips for travel with a 6-12 month old, click here.
To read what we learned this time around travelling with a babe at 15-16 months old, keep reading below!

Also, feel free to send us a message if you have a specific question or are looking for a recommendation. Whether your trip is small or big, there are ways to help it go more smoothly. And, as always, every baby is different so we've outlined what works for us. Take what's helpful and ignore what you know won't work for you and your family.

Posing with the tulips in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park

Packing List

Hoofing it to the train station in Tokyo
with all of our stuff

We truly tried our best this time around to cut down on how much we brought. But it is definitely possible to do it with less. We bring a little extra to help ensure Baby has some of her comforts from home and because we keep a quick enough pace that we don't want to have to go out and get something we need. If you're planning on staying in one place for a while, we'd highly recommend looking into a rental service for big items like a crib, stroller, high chair, etc., or if you're staying in hotels (and even other vacation rentals), check ahead of time to see if they have something on site. We've even had AirBnB owners offer us pack n plays or books and toys for Baby, which can really cut down on the amount of luggage you have to carry.



Clothes

Heavy rain won't stop us!

This list will always vary in size depending on climate at your destination, how messy your child is, and how frequently you plan on doing laundry. For this trip we did laundry every 5-7 days. We brought a bit of laundry detergent with us so that things stayed smelling like home. This tiny bit of extra weight is worth it to us because it provides Baby with some much needed comfort, especially in the realm of sleeping. She will literally pick up Mom's pajama shirt and take a deep sniff if she's feeling unsettled. On this trip for her we brought:

2 short sleeve onesies
2 tshirts
3 long sleeve onesies
3 long sleeve shirts
1 sweater
1 dress, 1 summer romper
4 pairs of pants of varying weights
2 sleepers
1 bathing suit and swim diaper
4 pairs of socks
1 raincoat, 1 splash suit (because we knew it would rain a lot!)
1 pair of runners, 1 pair of sandals that can get wet, 1 pair of rain boots
1 sunhat

Making friends on the ferry!

Gear
2 washable Kushies bibs
5 washcloths
2 sheets for the pack n play
1 change pad
1 travel wipes container, 1 double package of wipes
Diapers!!! (as many as we could fit in our bags after they were packed)
Pack n play
Stroller (Summer Infant 3D Flip)
Carrier
Travel high chair (Summer Pop n Sit)
Wet/dry bag
Hand sanitizer
Cloth collapsible cooler bag
2 small baby bowls, 2 spoons, 1 fork, 1 cup for milk
Collapsible hamper
Medical supplies: baby Tylenol, D-drops, saline drops, nail clippers, baby polysporin, etc.
Simple baby-proofing supplies like silicone twist ties, elastic bands, outlet covers for the country you're going to, etc.
Inflatable bathtub and pump (this was completely unnecessary because everywhere we stayed in Japan had a bathtub, but all three of us love the froggie bath so it was another "comfort" item we were happy to lug along)

Food
Our daughter is an adventurous eater in that she tries lots of different foods, but she likes variety and gets most of her calories from a select group of staple items. (She's also WAY behind on the tooth count so there's a lot that she just can't eat). Erring on the side of caution, we brought some basics with us so that if we had a long travel day or were staying in accommodations without kitchens in small mountainous towns off-season with no grocery stores or restaurants open (I'm talking about you, Hirayu!), we'd have something. This definitely added weight to our bags and we wouldn't have done it if we were travelling in U.S. or Canada, but we used every single thing we brought and would've used more if we'd had it. I would recommend bringing at least a few emergency items with you that you know your baby will eat in case you're stuck on a plane longer than expected, miss a connection, get into a town too late to find something, etc. Remember to check country entry requirements so it's not food that's banned or necessary to declare. For our 30 day trip, we brought:

20 Love Child pouches in a variety of her favourite flavours
2 boxes of Love Child Oaty Chomps
1 mixed box of Love Child Teefies
1 bag of Love Child Owlies
1 bag of Love Child Love Ducks
1 box of assorted Mum Mums

Overlooking the Cherry Blossom Festival in Tokyo

Toys
At this age, we found our baby is most into: books, balls, cars, stacking and nesting, organizing/sorting, and imaginative play. As tempting as it was to bring our entire library and play kitchen along, we felt that we nailed it this trip with the two small bags of toys we put together. Everything is fairly lightweight, small, and diverse in type of play. Nearly everything can be washed easily or even go into the bath. We kept them organized in two small mesh bags so that we could alternate which toys we had out at each accommodation (meaning that she had "new" things to play with every 5 days or so).

Above: Making toys
out of what we have

Below: Concentrating
on buckles and zippers

These were supplemented by everyday items we'd brought that she enjoys playing with. She got endless pleasure from pulling her little tupperware containers out of the collapsible cooler bag and organizing them, along with "taking care" of her stuffed bunny by cleaning her with a washcloth, brushing her teeth, "dressing" her in Baby's own clothes, putting a diaper on her, etc. This was such great play because it required no additional "toys." Then there is always something new and interesting at each accommodation for her to discover, like a different type of doorknob to learn how to open, a bag of clothes-pegs to explore, or in Japan, indoor slippers to pull off a shoe rack. Traditional Japanese style rooms were great for playing in because of the soft bamboo mats on the floor and futon mattresses for climbing on. They made for great family cuddle spots.



When heading out, we never took any toys with us. People watching (along with bird and dog-watching), and food were the main activities. If necessary, we could pick up a subway guide for her to fold and unfold, or Baby could pull things out from underneath the stroller.

Toy Bag One

1 tiny Boon pull-back car, 1 tiny Boon wooden car
1 set of 5 small stacking cups
1 super small board book, 1 super small bath book, 2 cloth story books
2 bath squirt toys
2 thin cloth hand puppets
1 beloved Jellycat Bunny ring rattle

Toy Bag Two

1 set of Oball Flex and Stack balls (3) - these were SO awesome for travelling with! They smoosh up small, nest, stack, are easy to throw or kick, and can go in the bath.
6 super small story books that fit perfectly in the bag for our Munch Mitt (This was a GENIUS idea of mine...Baby loves to pull them out and put them back in. It was great for on the plane)
2 bath squirt toys
1 buckle toy with zipper
and a Happy Valentine's Day card my mom gave her that has pictures of dogs and cats on it that she still loves
1 beloved Jellycat Bunny ring rattle (shh! Don't tell Baby that we actually have two identical ones!)

Posing in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Accommodation and Pace

Exploring the nearby playground in Tokyo

Please take a look at our 6-12 month tips post for our recommendations. The biggest thing we suggest is staying in a rental property where Baby can have her own room. This means that we have our own space to relax in after she goes to sleep at night and for her naps. We opt for places close to sites we want to see whenever possible, meaning we cut down on travel time each day. We build in an extra two days at the beginning to allow for jet lag.

A note about jet lag: some people try to adjust ahead of their trip to the new time zone. We believe that the journey itself is the most tiring and challenging part of the trip so it's best to be as well-rested as possible going in. Babies recover quite quickly from jet lag because they are more used to sleeping for long stretches during the day. Follow normal recommendations of getting lots of water, sunlight, and eating at local mealtimes to help adjust more quickly.

This trip admitedly included
much more playground time
than our usual travels :)

The other benefit to rental properties is having your own kitchen. Children at this age may not be adventurous enough to gain all of their calories from local food at restaurants. Our baby also likes to eat a huge variety of food during a day so having a fridge is key in cutting down cost and food waste. We also like having a fridge to keep have milk on hand for her.

The Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto

Travelling

Plane travel with a 12-18 month old can be a little daunting. This is commonly referred to as the most difficult age group to travel with because kids this age want to MOVE, yet they are too young to understand why their world is being turned upside down. So keep that in mind as you plan your itinerary.

We still gate-check our stroller wherever possible so that we can dump our stuff in it and have it in case she gets tired or fussy. When going through security, remember that you'll need to empty the stroller fully and either put it through the scanner or give it to a guard to pat down (this depends on the protocol at your airport). If you have your child in a carrier, you will need to take them out of the carrier to go through security.

To make security easier, put all of your luggage/laptops/liquids, etc up in bins and be totally ready to walk through the scanner before taking your baby out of the stroller or carrier. Pack liquids at the top so they are ready to hand over. Most airlines allow you to bring on as much liquid as you need for your baby but containers over 100 mL need to be swabbed and checked. For long-haul flights we each carry a small backpack with things for the plane and we carry a small collapsible cooler bag packed with all the food we'll need for the plane, plus a little extra for Baby just in case. It's not unheard of to be stuck on a plane for a few extra hours because of maintenance or bad weather. Be prepared! In the cooler bag we have smaller cloth cooler bags with meals and snacks designated out. This makes it easier to leave most of the food in the overhead compartment and only bring down a meal at a time. (I don't know about you, but if our baby saw all the food we'd packed for an entire 15 hour travel day at once, she'd want to empty everything out and then refuse to eat anything that's not an absolute favourite). The standard rule is to bring one diaper for every hour that you'll be travelling, again just in case your plans go awry.

You know your baby best so plan your travel day in whatever way you think will be best for her. Ours won't sleep unless she's in her crib so we try to travel between her naps whenever possible. With her at this age, we board separately so she can run around til the very end while one of us collapses the stroller and gets things set up on the plane. If you can, book a seat with extra leg room so that Baby has a place to play or you are at least more comfortable while you have someone climbing all over you.

Climbing the steps at the Nanzen-ji Temple in Kyoto

Enjoying the blossoms at Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto

Travelling with a Baby in Japan
We'd been told by many people that Tokyo is fairly inaccessible with lots of stairs. We didn't find this to be the case at all; we found an elevator in every one. There is a large cycling community in Tokyo, so the city has made accommodations like ramps built into staircases and elevators to cross bridges...you might just need to do a little extra walking.

On the bullet train, we booked seats in the last row so that we could tuck the stroller in behind our seats. If you're deciding between Tokyo station and Shinagawa station to board the shinkansen (bullet train), we found Tokyo station (the train terminus) to be easier because there was more space for our bags near our seats. (A baby at this age does not need a subway or train ticket). The bullet trains were surprisingly spacious with tons of legroom and even seat room across two seats. We were able to comfortably have her sit between us or play at our feet while we were stopped. The sway was quite strong when moving because you are travelling at such a high speed so make sure Babe is secure and safe.

Walking amongst the torii
at Fushimi-Inari Taisha

Public washrooms are easy to find (and don't require a fee). At major locations there are family washrooms or nursing rooms, otherwise change tables are normally found in the women's washrooms. Many stalls also have a little chair that you can set your baby in while you use the toilet (it's indicated that these are for children between 5 and 24 months of age).

For us tall people, we fondly referred to Japan as "the country where we hit our heads and Baby can reach everything." Be prepared that what your child might not be able to do at home (reach doorknobs, tops of kitchen counters, stove elements, etc), may be easier in a tight space. We had a few close calls where we hadn't realized she could reach a sharp knife from her high chair, for instance, because accommodations are so cramped.

It was very difficult to find public garbage cans in Japan. Be sure to carry some small bags for dirty diapers, banana peels, etc.

Enjoying the blossoms at the
Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima

We've heard the phrase frequently: "it's too bad Baby won't remember any of this." Of course it's true that she won't remember specific places we went to or things we did. But each of our travels has impacted our baby in significant ways. The resiliency she is building by being on the road is by far more than we could expect to gain at home. By the time she reaches 19 months of age, Baby will have slept in 49 different places overnight, and countless different places for naps! It's no wonder she's a confident, independent sleeper.

The bond she has with both of us is so strong. We are so fortunate to have had this time as a family. And there's a big difference in our day-to-day life on the road compared to at home. Baby's seeing us discover and try new things, which she is surely picking up on. The pure joy you exhibit when encountering a new wonder is infectious. We hope that by her witnessing us being vulnerable and courageous, she will be encouraged to live in a similar way.


If you find the right pace and destination for your family, you will surely have an unforgettable and positive experience. The days fly by with a child, so you've got to make the most of your time together.

Tips for Travelling with a Baby (6-12 months)

Mostar, Bosnia

We were so excited to embark on another family adventure and to introduce Adventure Baby to Europe. We spent four weeks travelling internationally with our 9.5-10.5 month old. Here are some things we learned that were different from our previous trip with her as a non-mover (for our 0-6 month-old tips, click here). We'll once again note that every baby is different and every couple has their own unique travel style, parenting philosophy, and and priorities. This is what worked for us on the road, so we hope you find something useful that fits with your adventures! Happy Travelling!

Tough critic...unimpressed with the falls in Krka

Packing List for Baby
We are notorious over-packers. For our previous trip with Baby, we took WAY too many clothes and toys. We promised ourselves that we were going to pair things down especially since we wanted our load to be hands-free for this journey (big backpacks, here we come!). For the most part, we accomplished our goal, and were thankful with our decision come travel days.

How much to bring is dependent a lot on your laundry plans. We stayed in rental properties, some of which had laundry facilities. We pre-booked all of our accommodation before our trip so we knew ahead of time that we would be doing laundry every 7 days. Our baby isn't very messy and rarely has a diaper explosion, so we didn't need a lot of clothes for her. We spent the first half of our trip in Croatia where it was warm (20-25 degrees most days) and the second half in Bosnia where it was cooler (12-20 degrees).

*A side note about laundry...we brought a little ziploc bag filled with our detergent from home. This way, all of Baby's clothes and crib sheets would smell like home, hopefully giving her more of a sense of security and comfort especially at night.

Clothes

Taking a dip outside Dubrovnik

3 short-sleeve onesies
1 t-shirt, 1 romper, 1 dress
3 long-sleeve onesies
2 long-sleeved shirts (one was a very lightweight white one that was good on hot days for sun protection)
1 lightweight sweater, 1 heavy sweater
3 pairs of pants
1 footless sleeper
2 sleepers with feet
1 fleece sleeper with feet
1 bathing suit and swim diaper
1 sun bonnet, 1 headscarf, 1 toque
3 pairs of socks
1 pair of watershoes (great for the pebbly beaches in Croatia)
1 pair of softsole shoes

Gear

Strolling the harbourfront of Korcula

2 bibs (Kushie's washables that dry quick)
8 washcloths
2 sheets for the Pack n Play
1 change pad
Travel wipes container
Pack n Play
Nursing Pillow
Inflatable bathtub & pump
Stroller
Baby carrier
Travel high chair (see review below)
Wet/dry bag
Hand sanitizer
Cloth collapsible cooler bag
Medical supplies: d-drops, Baby Tylenol, saline drops, nail clippers, etc.
Simple baby-proofing supplies: elastic bands, pipe cleaners, plug covers for the country you're going to, etc. (in practice there were too many hazards so we just kept a close eye on Baby constantly rather than use any of these supplies)
Diapers (we are big advocates of bringing as many diapers as you can from home that are the right size for your baby because when you travel internationally, you have to be prepared that diapers will fit differently even if the brands are the same as at home).

We did not take a car seat for this trip. When we rented a car, we rented a car seat with it. We were even able to request a car seat for our day trip to Montenegro from Dubrovnik, which was very awesome to have!

Loving her chair
(there is a tray that attaches)

For feeding baby, we used the Summer Infant Pop 'n' Sit. We really liked this chair for travelling because it folds up small, is lightweight, durable, and can easily be attached to the outside of your backpack in the space where sleeping bags are meant to go. It's made of a lightweight fabric that does absorb liquids and smells so it needed to be washed weekly (more than just a wipe-down). But it was very easy to give it a quick scrub with soapy water and leave to dry on a deck or balcony. You could probably also take the cover off and throw it in the washing machine but we never tried that.

Enjoying the view (and lunch!) in Mostar

Inside Sarajevo's City Hall

Toys

At this age we found that Baby's best entertainment came from two things: people and food. She was most interested and happy when given the opportunity to look at and interact with strangers. On the plane, that meant playing a lot of peek-a-boo with whomever in our vicinity was willing, walking up and down the aisles, and waving to flight attendants. We kept her preoccupied before flights by walking her around the airport visiting friendly travellers. On buses and in the stroller we would encourage waving at people, birds, cats, trees...anything. She learned the perfect pronunciation for both "hi" and "hey" and used them amply to charm people on the street. We rarely took toys with us when we went out.

Sharing a chacuterie plate with Mom and Dad
on our balcony in Lumbarda

What we did take was FOOD. Now, our baby loves to eat and she's young enough that it still takes her a really long time. We used this to our advantage and tried the best we could to plan travel days around her meal times. We kept her favourites on hand (bananas, cut fruit, mushrooms, yogurt, etc), tried to choose things that take a while to eat (peas, cherrios, halved blueberries, etc), and always carried an emergency pouch from home that we knew she liked, a small container of just-add-water oatmeal, a spoon, and a package of crackers. An easy go-to recipe we used countless times for travel meals for her were chia seed pancakes. They're 1 egg, 1 mashed banana, and 1 cup of chia seeds. You can add blueberries if you'd like, but that's the basic recipe. So easy, so simple to find those ingredients, and virtually mess-free when eating (and they are GREAT for alieviating constipation!). We fed her when we wanted to sit out at a restaurant and have a drink, when we did our walking tour...basically any time we wanted to keep her happy and non-moving.

We went for small, lightweight, and diverse

So for actual toys, we did bring along a few things that came in handy. We tried to set up a little play area at each place we stayed with a few comfort items from home and things she hadn't seen before. What we hadn't thought of in advance is that most rental properties have tile or hardwood floors to enhance the noise of every toy dropped, thrown, or used in an impromptu drum solo. We wished we'd brought a few more softer toys and a few less hard plastic ones when considering our downstairs neighbours. The best choices were the three building blocks we found that we could squish down and elastic tightly together to save space when travelling, a couple of squirt toys that squished and she loved playing with outside of the bath, and the 1-2-3 Baby Einstein keyboard that she hadn't seen before. She spent the entire four weeks figuring out how to work it and was so pleased with herself when she finally did. :) We also brought a handful of thin paperback story books for bedtime (not pictured) including Sleep Tight Little Mouse, her before bed book since she was born, and her stuffed bunny who she sleeps with. (Shh..don't tell her but we also brought a back-up bunny just in case Bunny got lost somewhere!)

Walking along the sandbar in Lumbarda

People told us ahead of time not to worry about taking any toys at all and we'd probably pass along the same advice. At this age, the babies we know seem most interested in playing with the things you use. So cups, wooden spoons and pots, clothespegs, java jackets, water bottles, cell phones...all those everyday items that you'll find in your surroundings became her favourite toys. If you want to have some back-up items for the plane, a common idea is to get a bunch of little dollar-store items and wrap them individually ahead of time. Hand one out each hour on your flight or as needed and hope that the fun of unwrapping each thing draws out the enjoyment of the toy. Long haul flight can admittedly be stressful. Just remind yourself that the flight will end eventually. Nowadays, people are so plugged in to their devices that a crying baby isn't as annoying as it used to be. Planes are noisy...it's really only the immediate people around you who will notice if your baby is being fussy and nearly everyone is understandable.

Accommodation & Pace

Adventure Baby takes over Split!

We loved our trip to New Zealand and Australia when Baby was 3.5-5.5 months old but it was tiring! We spent a lot of time on the road, saw a lot from the car, and stayed in many beautiful locations. This worked because she was still young enough that she spent a lot of time sleeping and was happy to sleep in the car seat or stroller. Going into the trip we knew we were going to have to plan our days around her two naps as ever since sleep training our baby only wants to sleep in her crib.  We KNOW... "don't plan your life around your baby." But her sleeping well is crutial to us enjoying ourselves so except for a few special occassions, we trudged ourselves back to our accomodations for each of her naps.

Early morning walks in Sarajevo's Stari Grad

What this meant was that we needed to stay in places that were central to the sites we wanted to visit. We chose to pay a little bit more so that it was easy to just pop out the door and do something for an hour or two. We also chose to stay exclusively in rental properties (mainly AirBnBs). This meant that we had enough space to feel comfortable for the few days we would be there. We found 2 bedroom places if we could so that Baby could have her own room but we at least had one bedroom so that she could sleep undisturbed for her nap times and at night without cramping our style. We had much more freedom for doing our own thing than if we were in a hotel room.

For this trip we chose to stay in places longer and keep travel to a minimum. It worked really well for us with her at this age. She wanted to be crawling and moving around, not stuck in a car seat, carrier, or stroller. It's all about knowing your baby and what they are capable of. If they're unhappy, you're probably going to be unhappy, too.

A huge advantage to off-season travel is that places aren't booked up solid. At every place we stayed, we asked our host if we could have a late check-out and were granted it with no extra charge. That made our travel days so much easier because Baby could nap in her crib and then we'd get up and go. It never hurts to ask!

Travelling

We outlined the basics of air and car travel on our 0-6 month post, so for a recap, click here.

What we'll add is that we really recommend paying in advance to get a bulkhead seat. Ideally, your baby will sleep in the bassinet provided. If not, you at least have more leg room, which is especially helpful if your baby isn't sleeping and wants to move around. We found this to be essential at this age.

The hottest topic on travelling with children blogs is jet lag. There are two camps: try to adjust your child's schedule to the time change before you fly or wait until you arrive at your destination. We are firm believers in waiting. For us, the journey is the hardest part. We want to be as well-rested going into it as possible (baby, too!) so that it's easier to survive. We have found that our child adjusts to the new time zone way faster than us. Maybe babies have an easier time because they are used to sleeping more throughout the day? Or maybe our baby is just a super-star international jet-setter. Whatever the reason it took her less than 48 hours both there and back (6 hour difference there, 8 hour difference back) to get back to her regular sleep routine. We feel that the number one thing you can do to help yourselves get onto the correct time, no matter how far your journey or how many time zones you leap over, is to arrive at your destination in the late afternoon. Our baby usually goes to bed around 6 pm. Landing at 4 pm local time was perfect. By the time we got our bags, cleared customs, transfered from the airport to our accommodation, set up her crib, gave her some food, ran through her bedtime routine, it was 6:00 pm local time. That meant we had a moment to shower, eat some take-out, and go to bed at 7:30 pm local time. You will be tired from the journey and you'll sleep. You might not wake up at exactly the right time, but with some water, exercise, sunlight, and hearty meals the next day at local meal times, it won't take you long to get back on track.

Selfie attempt at the top of Dubrovnik's old town walls

Above all, enjoy this amazing opportunity to spend time together as a family. Your baby might not remember the sites you saw or the borders you crossed, but she will hold on to the feeling of being with parents who are happy and excited by new places and experiences.