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I was recently talking to a mom on the playground about a trip to Europe my husband and I just took with our almost-3-year-old. She has a kid the same age and claimed that she doesn’t want to travel for a few more years. It’s just too much hassle with a toddler. And I agree all the extra packing and a long flight can seem daunting. (Scroll down to get straight to the Europe packing list for your toddler!)
But many of us who love travel don’t want to give it up when we become parents. In fact, we’d like to share this passion with our children from a young age.
I’ve made a quite a few long-distance and international trips with my toddler, and I’ve previously written about travel with a newborn and traveling with a baby. But toddlers present a new set of challenges.
We’re often advertised a bunch of products that will make travel with a toddler less painful. And you can end up packing bags upon bags of entertainment and contraptions to make it more manageable.
But many of these products are frankly useless. And carrying around all that stuff makes the tip more stressful – not less.
I want to make travel more accessible for parents of small kids. So I’m sharing the minimal Europe packing list I’d recommend for a toddler based on personal experience.
Things to Know Before Traveling with a Toddler
I’ll dedicate a full post to tips for traveling with a toddler soon. But I want to quickly share some of my top ones here as you prepare for your trip.
- When buying tickets, consider the timing of the flight and your kid’s sleep/nap schedule. Delays happen. But you can try to optimize so your kid won’t be overtired at boarding time and might sleep on the plane.
- Get direct flights whenever possible. Yes, even when it means paying extra. Eliminating layovers reduces travel time and the chances of things going wrong. Consider valuing enjoyment of the trip over money.
- If you buy a basic economy fare, the airline has to sit the child with one parent. With basic economy, you can’t choose a seat. However, the airline will seat at least one parent with your toddler.
- You can use the priority lane at security and passport control in many airports. I made the mistake of standing in a one-hour passport control line while pregnant and with my toddler before I noticed the priority lane. Learn from my mistake!
- Strollers and car seats are free to check. Also, diaper bags also don’t count against your carry-on / personal item limit.
- Ask your hotel what they have before you start packing. Many hotels can provide cribs, sheets, beach toys, etc.
- Be strategic when selecting your airline seats. For example, we chose two aisles and one middle in the 4-seat row in the middle of the plane, hoping no one would want the middle. Of course, it’s not guaranteed to work. But if flight isn’t full, you’ll end up with an extra seat for your toddler to nap.
- You’re allowed to preboard if you have a small child. This is worth it to make sure you have overhead space. However, I’ve heard advice that one parent should board with the bags but leave the other parent and the toddler until the last minute.
- If you’re headed to Europe, you can almost certainly buy anything you forget at your destination. Don’t panic about packing.
- On the flight, don’t use a screen right away. Try to get your toddler to sleep first. When they wake up, they can pass the rest of the time with the screen if you choose. But introducing it first guarantees they’ll refuse to sleep.
- Consider your kid might not eat the food the airline serves. Airline food isn’t known for being great. If you have a picky eater, pack snacks to get them through the flight.
- Buy one new toy at the airport. Hide it and tell your little one they’ll earn it if they cooperate for boarding and takeoff. Then unwrap it. The novelty of something new will keep them busy for a surprising amount of time.
VIP Products for Travel to Europe with a Toddler
As I said above, I don’t recommend buying a bunch of gadgets and stuffing your suitcase with them. However, a few things are really worth it for me.
- Water Pen Activity Pad: Fill the “pen” with water to give your toddler the experience of painting with no mess. It’s also reusable. This kept my kid busy on the plane and in restaurants. And it takes up very little space in a bag.
- Interactive “Tap to Read” Books: These keep my son busy for quite a while on long car trips or at restaurant meals. They’re easy to pack in a backpack and there’s no mess.
- Full Coverage Swimsuit: A lifesaver for a beach vacation. Complete sun protection for your little one without constant sunscreen application.
- Toddler Milk Travel Packets: I thought these were a great way to get around packing milk. (And therefore carrying a heavier bag and spending more time at airport security.) But my kid refused to drink it! However, I don’t fault the product for this. We didn’t realize each packet requires 4 oz of milk. We mixed one with 8 oz. And he didn’t like the watered down version. I recommend trying this out at home first.
- Bluetooth Kids Headphones: These are comfortable for toddlers and have volume controls to protect their ears. They also have Bluetooth capability, so you can go wireless. (I’ll note that the Bluetooth did not pair properly with the screen on the plane, though. We should have packed the cord.)
- Collapsible Travel Stroller: I’ve recommended this before because it truly is the best. It folds up to take up almost no space in a car or overhead compartment.
- Travel Potty Training Seat: This thing is genius. We’ve been carrying it everywhere since potty training our kid a few months ago. It makes almost any public toilet accessible for a toddler. And it folds up to easily fit in a bag.
- Outlet Adapters: If you’re headed to Europe from another continent, you’ll need adapters to charge any electronics.
Complete Europe Packing List for a Toddler
All that aside, let’s get to the actual packing list! You should adapt this list to your kid’s needs as well as weather and activities at your destination. But it covers just about anything you’d need on a Europe packing list for a toddler.
Clothes – Choose from the following based on weather and activities:
*Like I suggest for adult packing lists, I recommend thinking in terms of outfits instead of individual pieces when packing clothes. (And bring extra for a toddler!)
- T-shirts
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Sweaters
- Shorts / skirts
- Pants
- Dresses
- Socks
- Shoes
- Underwear
- Pajamas
- Swimsuit
- Hat
- Coat
- Mittens
Food
- Sippy cup(s): Even if your toddler reliably uses a regular cup, these are good for avoiding mess on the plane and car rides
- Snacks: M kid’s favorite are Once Upon a Farm Organic Soft-Baked Bars.
- Optional: Milk Powder: This depends on how obsessed your toddler is with milk. But these packets can be handy for travel because they’re not liquids (can be brought on a plane) and not perishable. Just mix with water.
Hygiene / Bath
- If your toddler isn’t using the potty yet:
- Diapers: I recommend doing the math on how many you use per day rather than chucking a whole package in your suitcase.
- Diaper disposal bags
- Wipe-clean changing pad
- If they are potty trained: Travel potty training seat
- Bibs
- Toddler silverware
- Mini dish soap – useful for washing utensils, sippy cups, and bibs in a hotel room
- Baby wipes
- Antibacterial wipes
- Tissues
- Nail clipper
- Mini container of baby-safe soap
- Mini containers of shampoo / conditioner / hair products
- Comb or hairbrush
- Toothbrush
- Mini kid’s toothpaste
- Optional: Sunscreen
- Optional: Mosquito repellent
- Optional: Mini handwash laundry detergent: Toddlers tend to make a mess of their clothes. If you want to save space in your suitcase, you can plan to handwash clothes in the hotel room.
First Aid
- Thermometer
- Children’s Tylenol or Motrin
- 1 packet of Pedialyte powder: This can get you through an emergency. And you can buy more if needed.
- Band-aids
- Optional: Any medications your child usually takes
Sleep
- Optional: Your kid’s favorite blanket and/or stuffed animal. If they’re attached, a comfort item can help them sleep on the trip and in the hotel.
- Optional: Pack and play. Many parents just have their toddler sleep in the bed with them. And many hotels can provide cribs and cots.
- Optional: Mini sound machine. My kid goes to bed at 8. This helps him sleep through noise we make in the hotel room.
Entertainment
- A few light, softcover books
- 2-3 small toys
- Outlet adapters: If you’re headed to Europe from another continent, don’t forget you’ll need converters for any electronics.
- Optional: tablet with games and shows downloaded
- Optional: toddler headphones
Documents
- Passport
- Any other documents you may need
Getting Around
- Car seat in a car seat travel bag
- Backpack: To carry your toddler’s things on the plane and while touring your destination
- Optional: Collapsible stroller: Think about how much walking you’re planning on doing and whether the streets at your location will be even enough for a stroller.
- Optional: Hiking backpack: If you’re planning on hiking or doing a lot of walking/stairs
What Do You Think?
I’d love to hear from veteran parents and parents who have traveled with multiple small kids! What are your must-haves for a Europe packing list with a toddler?
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