12 Stress-Free Travel Tips for Traveling Internationally with a Toddler

It might sound daunting to many parents who are envisioning all the things that can possibly go wrong when you add an unpredictable toddler into your travel plans.

But you can minimize the stress with some extra planning!

My husband and I have been to almost 30 countries before we had Lennon. Like most couples, we thought we would have to pause future international travel plans until he’s a bit older.  

Lennon is 3 years old and has had 3 international trips so far. If anything, we love and prefer traveling with our toddler and seeing things through his eyes.  

Here are 12 tips for a stress-free international family trip with a toddler in tow. 

1. Keep a flexible itinerary and leave room for spontaneity

Create an itinerary with a handful of things to do each day but leave plenty of room for impromptu breaks or change in plans.

We left open pockets of time to just wander and many times stumbled across a park or playground for Lennon to play at.

Flexibility ensures you can adapt to your toddlers needs and moods and keep the trip enjoyable and stress-free for everyone. Besides, what good is checking off a landmark on the itinerary with a grumpy toddler.   

2. Keep a tight packing list

Ensuring a smooth travel experience with a toddler means keeping the itinerary open and keeping the packing list tight. Pack wisely and pack light. Make sure you prioritize all the essential items you know for certain your toddler will need (you can find a toddler’s essential packing list here) but don’t overpack.

Overpacking sounds like a great idea until you’re slowed down and stressed by heavy suitcases during your travels- especially if your trip requires in-between flights. We spent almost 3 weeks in Europe and visited 4 countries with only a carry on and backpack per person – it was the best decision ever.   

3. Turn your travels Into an educational experience for your Toddler

Traveling is a great opportunity to broaden your child’s mind with new experiences and create lasting memories.  

International travel will expose your toddler to diversity and foster a sense of open-mindedness and cultural understanding early on. They will be able to experience new cultures, foods, languages and customs that will stimulate their curiosity and encourage a love for exploration.

Lennon met so many friends that spoke different languages and he understood there was a language barrier but that didn’t prevent him from still playing with them. He was able to learn basic hello/goodbye/thank you and loved asking us how do you say so and so in such language.

They will also have first-hand experience in geography. We kept Lennon interested by showing him where we were and where we were flying to next. He loved just watching where we were moving on Google maps. 

4. Travel during low season

If you have a toddler whose not in school, take advantage of traveling during off or shoulder season when it’s less crowded. Most families tend to travel during high season (spring, summer and winter break) because of their children’s school schedule. Avoid the crowd and travel while other kids are in school.

5. Be extra prepared during long flights

Have plenty of snacks and toys to keep them entertained on long flights. If you have an ipad, make sure to download their shows and movies in advance.  

6. Take advantage of priority treatment

Certain places tend to offer favorable treatment for families with young kids. For example, airplane boarding priority or public transportation seating. We were even able to cut in front of long lines at popular restaurants in Paris. So many people gave Lennon little freebies like treats, stickers, and even this cute bear at the Intercontinental hotel in Paris.

7. Buy more snacks abroad

Food and snacks seem to be more organic and healthier in Europe and Asia than in the US with more natural ingredients and less preservatives. We only packed enough snacks for the long flight, but for the remainder of the trip opted for more local, healthier snacks.  

8. Request a rollaway bed for your toddler

Instead of having your toddler sleep with you and risk sleepless nights with a toddler doing acrobats in their sleep – request the hotel for a rollaway bed. Most hotels usually provide cribs and rollaway beds for free, so always request in advance.   

9. Bring a compact lightweight stroller

Leave your heavy full-sized stroller at home. A compact and lightweight stroller is an absolute must when traveling abroad.

We love and highly recommend the GB Pockit stroller when traveling internationally with a toddler. It’s a super lightweight (only 10 pounds!) and compact (it folds down to fit in the overhead cabin). It’s also easy to open and close with just a click. It’s the perfect size and maneuvered easily through the cobblestone streets of France, Italy and Greece. We saw many parents traveling with this stroller. 

10. Be flexible with their sleep schedule

Your toddler’s sleep schedule will be thrown off while traveling no matter how much you try to get it under control. Between jetlag and being out and about, scheduled naps will be a bit hard. Toddlers tend to nap for hours so it can feel like you’re losing out on most of the days when they’re napping. Plan for naps to the extent possible. The good thing if you’re in Europe is that most places close for siesta, so try to coordinate their naps around that time.

Lennon napped during pockets of down time since we were constantly out of our hotel. He was able to nap on his stroller or during car rides. This might not work for you and your toddler so try different things to see what works so you can squeeze in their naps.

11. Pack them a scooter

If your toddler knows how to ride a scooter, we highly recommend packing one for them to scoot around during your travels (where safe and allowed). This is a great change from a stroller and it beats walking for a toddler any day. Lennon scooted throughout the South of France, Puglia, and Switzerland with this exact scooter and created so many memories with it. We cannot recommend this enough.

12. Bring them their own camera to take their own photos

Lennon loved taking photos of his travels with this mini children’s toy camera that actually works! It comes with 32gb card so you can even download their photos later! This is our next favorite essential – to capture these memories through his eyes and lens.

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