Our 10-day trip to Europe with a very busy 15-month-old was a success. It wasn’t without hiccups, of course, but after around a dozen flights around the U.S., we were able to be sufficiently prepared for his first international trip. 

In this post you'll find sections on my favorite travel stroller and carseat, flying tips for babies and toddlers (as well as how to reduce restless leg if you're prone to that), winter travel tips, child sleeping/nap tips, and other travel essentials / light packing tips. Feel free to skip ahead! 

I acknowledge that this trip would have looked so different with multiple children or older children, but these are my recommendations after all our travels with Beckham!  

Travel Stroller:

My research led me to the Mountain Buggy Nano stroller. I love this stroller because it: 

• is compatible with most infant and toddler carseats, which makes airport travel infinitely easier
• is compact (designed to fit in most overhead compartments) and didn't take up too much space in the car trunk with all the luggage
• sits up high and reclines down low for on-the-go naps
• did well on cobblestone streets
• has a storage basket, if small

The stroller got us through 10 days in Europe and 3 days in California and held up great.  I can't speak to its durability beyond that, but so far so good.

Note that you don't need to break the bank buying travel strollers! Go to sites like RebelStork, StorkExchange, or other sites that have overstock, open box and lightly used items for a significant discount. Amazon also frequently has open box and gently used buying options. Scour Facebook Marketplace.  See about public auctions in your area (for example the Nellis Auction in the Phoenix and Vegas areas).  

Stroller Attachments

I bought the Mountain Buggy grab bar / tray attachment, which was very important for my little snacker baby. I also attached this universal side mesh pocket for additional storage and this universal cupholder / stroller organizer. Also, these straps are great for keeping sippy cups, toys, etc. attached to the stroller.

Travel Carseat:

We got the Safety 1st TriFit All-in-One. We had considered the Cosco Scenera, but after reading some reviews saying that its not very comfortable, I decided to opt for the TriFit because, though it's a few pounds heavier, it's still very slim and was cushioned enough to be comfortable for my kid on two international flights and several long drives. ***Edit February 2025: Beckham broke the headpiece and handed the foam piece to me while I was driving.***

We brought a carseat locking clip, which ended up being necessary in our German rental car. 

Make sure you know where to locate the carseat's proof of airline approval.  Usually it should be on the sticker on the side of the carseat, but you can also download the carseat's user manual on your phone. I've had flight attendants ask me for this proof. 

Flight Tips: 

Checking a carseat and/or stroller

For both the carseat and stroller, if you are checking it, check it at the gate rather than with the rest of your luggage on the conveyor belt. This significantly minimizes the risk of damage. The gate agent will have you sign a tag for special handling, and you DO NOT have to check the box that absolves the airline of responsibility for damages. I also put my carseats/strollers in a travel bag to reduce any scratches, but since it is quite a popular brand where I live, I put a big ribbon on it and wrote my name all over the bag.   

Security with a small child

At least at U.S. airports, you are able to bring fresh, frozen, or powered milk for your child, as well as water for formula, ice packs, toddler drinks and puree pouches without worrying about the 3.4 oz (100 mL) rule! Just let the agent know and have the items out.  They will screen the items. Your child will need to be out of their carseat/stroller and you will carry them through the scanner. The agent will tell you where they want you to put the carseat and stroller.  If you travel a lot, paying for TSA PreCheck is so worth it! You have a significantly shorter line, don't have to take off your shoes and don't have to remove electronics from your bag (which is especially nice when you're holding a child).

A family passport organizer is great for keeping essential documents such as passports and international driving permits in one safe place. 

Boarding and flight

For longer flights, if you are able, I highly recommend buying your lap child their own seat because it will make the whole flight 100x easier.  If you have to install a carseat, take advantage of pre-boarding, which they usually allow for families with small children.  If you don't have a carseat to install, board last so that your child can be free for a bit longer!

****When flying with a baby or toddler, plan for the worst.  Plan for your family's carryon luggage to be inaccessible, scattered in various overhead bins across the entire plane. Plan for your child to want tons of bottles. Plan for your child to get raging poops and need multiple outfit changes, tons of wipes, tons of diapers, and tons of diaper rash cream (and put a barrier cream on their bum before the flight even leaves). I had thought five diapers and two changes of clothes in the diaper bag at my feet was enough, but it was not. My child developed the first real diaper rash in his life, which was horrible. ****

When flying with an older baby / younger toddler

First off, get their energy out as much as possible before the flight! Our terminal wasn't very busy, so my husband ran Beckham up and down the moving walkway belt, which was empty but for the one other family doing the exact same thing with their toddler.

Beckham on a flight to Alaska with his CozyPhones, pop-up tray and Miss Rachel videos dowloaded with YouTube Premium.

Staying entertained on long flights:

2. I would highly recommend this pop-up tray for the tray table on flights that are more than a few hours if the child is not in a carseat (which will block the tray). If they are a lap child or have their own seat without a carseat, this slip-on tray is a great way to keep toys and snacks a little better contained. The product comes with pockets that can be attached to the seat back to hold toys or a device.   

3. We brought tons of fun toys Beckham had never seen before and rotated them for the duration of the flight. Unfortunately most did not keep him entertained for more than a few minutes, but he was also pretty happy most of the flight, so maybe it wasn't all for nothing? I also learned the hard way that pull-apart toys are really hard to get off the floor of the airplane when the child chucks them.

Toys/books I would bring again on a flight:

• Indestructibles, books that take up approximately 0 space in your luggage and are designed to be baby-proof
• Busy board, and just unzip and remove any pages with little pieces your child might throw
• Spinny pop-it toys 
• One of these little $3 light-up pop-it suction squishy toys from Target

4. Bring tons of snacks. Savory snacks, sweet snacks, new snacks, and familiar favorites. 

When flying with a young baby

 Reduce stimulus as much as possible before and during the flight.  Keep them in their stroller with a cover over it for as long as possible, and even see if they'll sleep before the flight so that they are calm and happy. Keep an eye out for nursing lounges at the airport to have some quiet feeding/changing time.  During ascent and descent, have them drink milk to keep their ear pressure equalized (a binkie works too). You also don't want to have them comfort feeding for the entire flight and therefore risk throwing everything up on you (it's happened to me). If your child is prone to blow-outs and spit-ups, pack an extra outfit for yourself in your personal item as well. If you nurse and prefer to be covered, wear a loose, flowy shirt that baby can easily nurse under (on his first flight, my 3-month-old became so upset and overstimulated by his usual stretchy nursing cover that he forgot how to breastfeed and would only take his bottle!). I found that tons of toys weren't necessary for a little baby (at least on shorter flights); my baby was content to play with a silicone teether and one of my fabric hair scrunchies attached to a binkie clip. It was entertaining enough to him without adding to the overstimulation of the flight. 

• I took this magnesium drink powder for the weeks leading up to the trip. Note that taking magnesium, especially in pill form, when your body is not used to it can cause major stomachache (I made that mistake before my flight to Germany 2 years ago). 
• I also brought a bottle of supplemental Restful Leg pills, which can be used even after the onset of restless leg. 
• I used this inflatable as a footrest because my legs are too short to rest my feet comfortably on the ground, which is a frequent cause of my restless leg. In the future, this same inflatable would work wonderfully to make a little child bed on the plane!
• I wore compression stockings, but again because of my short legs I had to adapt and wear these ones so that I wouldn't have the compression stockings going over my knees and causing even more discomfort. I generally can't stand wearing anything tight, but the compression stockings surprisingly did not bother me.

Winter Travel Tips:

• Use roll-up compression packing bags to pack bulky winter clothes. It saves substantial amounts of space in your suitcase! 
• We loved this universal stroller / carseat / baby carrier winter cover.  It's very warm and water/wind-proof.
• I used large instant hot packs (leftover from my time at the labor and delivery unit) which I put on baby's lap to keep him warm. 

Pack lots of layers for you and your child! For our December trip to Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, my son consistently wore:

1. a thin cotton under-layer of pants and shirt (short sleeve or long sleeve depending on weather) and longer socks
2. "the outfit" including a thick pullover and jeans or overalls 
3. a good winter coat, possibly in a size up to fit the other layers
4. boots, hats, gloves.  I like these cute beanies because they don't have a puffball and can therefore be worn under the coat hood. We brought traditional baby mittens as well as these gloves with fingers...  but good luck trying to keep gloves on a toddler.

I preferred to dress Beckham in layers like this than in a full snowsuit because it was easier to just take off his coat when we went into restaurants or museums. A snowsuit also would have taken up a good amount of space in the suitcase. Of course, it just depends on how cold and wet the place is that you're visiting. 

Save money for the trip by thrifting! I bought most of my baby winter outfits at Kid to Kid and my own winter outfits at Uptown Cheapskate and Plato's Closet. 

asleep in his stroller with his winter cover and holding a heat pack

Sleep Considerations (including naps)

We spent four nights in Ghent, Belgium. Ghent was one of the most enchanting cities I have ever visited, astoundingly beautiful with its collage of medieval and modern architecture and its latticework of waterways.  Like we had the rest of our trip, we spent most of our days exploring by foot and stopping frequently for food at the Christmas markets.

We ended our trip with a tour around the 800-year-old Castle of the Count (Gravensteen) and dinner beneath its ancient pillars.