Traveling in Europe: with toddlers

After a global pandemic, lockdowns, 2 pregnancies & babies (now the toddlers), we FINALLY got back to Europe. We traveled through central Italy in late spring with my in-laws, and we had a lovely time. Our last trip was January 2019 to Spain sans any children. When it was just us in 2019, we packed light, traveled fast, and experienced as much as we possibly could! This time around was A BIT DIFFERENT. 2 little kids throw a pretty big curveball into the international travel game - so I consulted some experienced friends, did a ton of research, and put together a packing list and travel plan that set us all up for success & a good time.

My 3yr old Henry loved the Italian sheep dogs at the monastery in Norcia.

The itinerary:

1st - schedule in naps & bedtimes into your days, and plan your reservations around that.

Even if you plan on getting childcare while you are there, planning your days around the kids normal schedules will make everyone feel calmer & happier. This will mean going at a slower pace, but hey, sometimes that is so much better!!! And, yes, even if you aren’t traveling with family who can stay a the hotel with a sleeping baby, many quality hotels offer concierge childcare/babysitting (ask for credentialing & background checks before booking their service) you can book for a date night or adult activity. I’ve heard of some darling preschool programs & daycares at several ski resorts, beach resorts - you just have to ask & find out what is offered!

You can also pack a stroller (and your child’s lovie - I linked straps below you can connect to your child & their lovie so you don’t loose them) and plan around naps in the stroller - totally depends on the kid! Maybe try road-testing the stroller nap idea, and see how your little one handles it beforehand.

*FYI - you can rent strollers & carseat at your destination - totally your preference! We chose to bring our big double stroller (Contour Options Elite double aka The Beast) for maximum durability over cobblestones, and we were very glad we did! Though my husband did get quite a workout pushing it up steep roads, our boys did spend most of the time in it, and the stroller held up extremely well to the cobblestones. We did rent carseats through our rental car company at our destination though. If you aren’t renting a car at your destination, I highly recommend the Doona Travel System for both stroller & carseat in one! My SIL uses one for my nephew, and its a dream come true.

2nd - PLAN WAYS FOR YOUR KIDS TO BLOW OFF STEAM.

Weither its packing a coloring pad, or a toy car in your go-bag (my SIL’s genius idea) for those moments of boredom in yet another church or monument, planning ways for your kids to be kids on the trip is a major key to success! You can research in advance where parks & playgrounds are, and weave those little stops throughout your big tourist sites itinerary. You might just discover a hidden gem! Many of the international airports around the world have top notch playgrounds inside now - JFK in NYC, USA has a to-scale airplane playground for kids to climb around in!

*the airplane playground at JFK in in the Jet Blue Terminal 5, so plan to go through security to get to it if you are not flying JetBlue! Every JFK terminal is separate, so you probably are going through security anyway on a connecting flight. Otherwise, check your airline’s terminal - American Airlines Captain’s lounge has a lovely playground for a daypass fee access.

Packing list:

The flight:

The biggest challenge on long international flights with littles is sleep & entertainment in a cramped space. I found a blow up leg-space filler that extended the length of the airline seat to create a toddler bed set up (both boys chose to use the blow-up end as a pillow - win/win) - worked amazing, linked below! Otherwise, bring their blanket, lovies, and PJs in a carryon bag for easy access to do bedtime routine. I found that the more “normal” bedtime went, the better they felt about going to sleep in, what is admittedly, a pretty “un-cozy” environment. The hostesses decided to do a 2hr dinner service at 9pm on our flight, will all the lights on until 11pm. Good luck putting exhausted, discombobulated kids to sleep with that! Preparing & planning ahead as much as you can will help the whole experience go much easier.

ENTERTAINMENT:

For entertainment, I packed each boy a backpack full of fun little toys or activities - most of which was new, so it was more exciting! There are lots of options out there for older children as far as crafts & games, but for little kids its more difficult figuring out what will be fun, but make minimal mess. Sharing what I brought below! We also made full use of the in-flight TVs - which carry plenty of standard Disney & Dreamworks cartoons. I’ll link our children’s headphones below. These headphones also doubled as noise-canceling headphones as well - 10/10 recommend.

TOILETRIES:

If you are traveling to a 1st world country, know that they will have local high quality diapers in every convenience store (and Amazon delivery to your hotel or rental home). However if you feel better bringing your own diapers & wipes from home (or just having a little backup supply), you can always breakdown your package and stuff the diapers around the edges of your luggage to save space! As for baby soaps & lotions, if you notify the hotel you are bringing a baby they will provide you with complimentary local infant products (no different than the adult complimentary soaps).

Note on laundry: In the case of the inevitable blowout diaper or muddy escapade, ask if your hotel can provide curtesy laundry service. This is probably not the most affordable service for all of your dirty clothes, but for that one poopy outfit, it will save it being ruined in a pinch!

Snacks & Food:

I did bring a stash of US dry snacks for my kids, which we barely touched except for on the flight. So my advice is to plan on needing granola bars & fruit gummy packets to dole out on the flight, but otherwise not needed on arrival (save for some bribery for good behavior!). There are little affordable cafes everywhere or markets with loads of fresh fruit, so your child will definitely not go hungry! In fact, some of these small snack stops might introduce you to the best affordable daily fare in the country you are visiting (think, 6in prosciutto sandwich for 3 euro, or mountains of ripe apricots for 4 euro/liter, or French yogurt pots for 1.50 euro in the gas station) However, you know your child best, and I recommend thinking through how they eat normally at home, and accommodate that (especially if they have dietary needs). I did just make an effort for mine that we had the same balanced meals we have at home: Carb + fruit + dairy for breakfast, vegetables for lunch, protein + carb + vegetables for dinner - however that worked out throughout the day!

Note on baby formula: I suggest doing some research and seeing if there is a local brand that you are comfortable with using. There are many amazing European & British formula brands with reviews online, or your US brand might be stocked locally. However, you can easily pack your US brand in your luggage by removing the bag of formula powder from the container and sealing it in a ziplock for extra security!

THE HOTEL:

As I’ve mentioned already, if you notify your hotel that you are bringing a baby/children, and state that you will need accommodations for them, they will look after your needs. Europeans are AMAZING to children. They have cribs (with lovely crib linens btw) & highchairs on hand, can remove fragile items from your room, and can provide you with infant towels & toiletries. Both of our hotels provided us with a crib for Louis, and a twin bed for Henry in our rooms when we arrived. I have heard of cases in France where the hotel provided local french diapers in room, but I did not see that in Italy personally (However, if you are planning on buying diapers in country, you could probably ask your hotel if they can have their staff pick some up maybe … totally depends on the hotel). Across the board though, Europeans are absolutely lovely to kids, especially in the smaller cities and countryside. We were blown away by how sweet everyone was to our kids, and how truly understanding they were of children’s behavior. This is where you will have a waiter make it his personal mission to entertain your child so you can eat your meal, and his manager will fully approve! The loveliest, most accepting experience as parents & as a family, and an experience you won’t find stateside unfortunately.

CLOTHING:

I did get advice to pack 1/4 more clothing than my children would normally need for the trip (Ex. you are traveling for 7 days, pack 11 outfits) - and that was excellent advice! Think blowouts, bathroom accidents, food spills, muddy escapades - the list of ways a child could dirty an outfit beyond wearability is endless, so plan for it to happen, and give yourself plenty of backups. The great news is, kids clothes are tiny, and take up next to no space at all, so it won’t be too difficult to accommodate in your luggage. Worst case, you go shopping locally, and bring home a darling little outfit from Europe that you will probably treasure! I had a darling little dress from the UK when I was little, that felt that little bit extra special because of where it was from.

Style suggestion for children traveling:

Europeans and Brits do still dress semi-formally on a daily basis. You don’t find moms at the market in their workout gear like you do in the States. Even everyday items like jeans & tees are not normal to wear out of your house (maybe in the UK, but definitely not in the EU) in nicer areas.

This semi-formal approach to dressing extends to children as well, especially if you are going into museums or churches. So here is my advice:

Girls:

• Woven fabric Dresses or Pants/Jumpsuit (not jersey knit!)

• Cute Blouses and/or pullover sweaters or cardigans

• Dress sandals or flat shoe (ex. Mary Janes)

• Simple classic sneakers (if you are doing a lot of outdoor casual activities, like going to a festival)

Boys:

• Collared shirts ideally in a woven material

• And/or pullover sweaters

• Dress shorts for boys under age 8, or slacks

• Simple classic dress shoe ex. Chelsea boot, loafer, or fisherman sandals

• Simple classic sneaker or leather boat shoe for outside activities

Babies:

• Simple one-piece outfits

  • The Europeans typically keep babies clothes subdued & simple, so following suit will help your family blend in.

  • Also, Europeans worry about babies being cold. It’s a cultural thing - so a one-piece outfit will keep grandmothers from constantly offering you blankets for your baby!

  • Knit material is very appropriate for babies.