From timings and logistics, to snacks and important documents, my tips for travelling to the airport will help make your day run smoothly.
Travelling to the airport with a baby or toddler can feel like an expedition in itself. Gone are those easy, breezy mornings leaving the house with a small carry-on case to catch public transport. Now, we have numerous suitcases, hand luggage, buggies and car seats. Oh, and two kids – a baby and a toddler! Our days of travelling to the airport using public transport are long gone. We simply have too much to manage, so we usually catch a taxi or drive.
Airport travel makes me anxious. I’ve usually spent most of the day before packing, then the morning centres around getting kids ready and out of the house, without forgetting anything. I get nervous about traffic, about where we’re parking if we’re taking our car, and all sorts of other things!
However, after so many trips as a family, I’ve got a process that works well. In this guide I’m ready to share what can make the day run smoothly and how to remove some of the travel stress.
Tips for travelling to the airport with Children
Allow plenty of extra time
When you’re travelling solo, you can easily manage little extra stops or changes to your day. However, I’ve found that when I travel with my kids, time can just disappear.
The security queue can take a very long time. At the moment, we travel with baby milk and medicine, so we’re always destined to have our bags rifled through! If we travel during peak holidays, these queues can be long.
If my son suddenly needs to be taken to the toilet or we need to do a nappy change for our baby, we can easily lose 20 minutes. Suddenly, that’s the difference between arriving at the gate in a relaxed state or sprinting there with moments to spare!
I like to add around 30 minutes of extra buffer time to whatever arrival time the airport or airline recommends, and then sometimes a little more! This should allow for toilet stops, buying food and feeding kids. Plus, I always like to give my son a bit of time to run around and let off steam before being cooped up in the plane. Doing this usually makes the rest of the journey a lot easier.
Choose the best way to get to the airport
How you travel to the airport can make a surprisingly big difference to the start of your holiday. We usually drive and use airport parking or meet and greet parking, or we take a taxi. Well, it’s easy to say what I prefer! A taxi to the airport is the best way to travel!
On our last trip to Italy, we booked with 1st Airport Taxis. A large taxi turned up at 5.30am (perfectly on time) and the driver put us at ease immediately. He helped load all of our luggage, while I helped get the kids settled in their seats.
The best bit? 1st Airport Taxis provides car seats for children, so you can leave yours at home, all while having the peace of mind that that your little ones are safe. There’s something so relaxing about having a driver take care of the driving, the logistics and the timings. Plus, you’ll be dropped right at the terminal, so you don’t have to think about parking.
If you’re interested in finding out more, read my review of 1st Airport Taxis.
Pack a separate airport bag (or two!)
I always think about accessibility when I’m packing the bags we’ll take on our flight. I don’t want to be rummaging through an entire backpack to find baby wipes or look for a snack.
At the moment, to cover my baby and toddler’s needs, I pack two bags for the flight. One is a changing bag, with nappies, wipes, spare clothes and some entertainment for the flight (toys, games). The other is a food bag, with baby milk, water bottles, toddler meals and snacks. That way, I know exactly where everything is.
I also make sure everything I might need during the journey is at the top rather than buried at the bottom.
Always pack spare clothes
We’ve had a few clothing disasters while flying with our little ones! Poo-namis can strike at any time, and wow are they terrifying, especially when you’re about to catch a flight! We always pack a few spare outfits for both kids, just to be on the safe side.
Even though our three-year-old is reasonably tidy, it’s still easy for a bottle to leak on him or for him to drop food down his t-shirt. So, it’s good to have options ready for him too.
Many parents recommend taking spare clothes for themselves too. Personally, I’ve never needed to do this, but I can see if you have a baby who is very refluxy, it might be more comfortable to change into fresh clothes near your destination.
Pack more snacks than you think you’ll need!
Rather than arriving at the airport with hungry travellers, take away some stress and pack your own food.
We usually take a packed lunch for our toddler. Airport food is ruinously expensive, and he often says he doesn’t like it after a mouthful. These days, we take a reliable meal from home, like a pot of pesto pasta. Then, we make a big bag of snacks, including fruit, breadsticks, crisps and raisins. It’s great, as if there are any delays, you know you’re all set with enough to get through it. I don’t just look at snacks as food, they’re entertainment too! Anything to keep those little people busy will buy you a bit more time!
I think it’s essential to know you’ve got everything your kids need with you, rather than worrying that you can’t find anything suitable at the airport. I’d also recommend taking a few things for yourself. Plus, try not to take overly messy foods. Our son loves rice, but after seeing how much ended up on the floor recently, I decided it wasn’t a travel-friendly food!
Bring compact toys and entertainment
No matter where you’re travelling to, you won’t want your hand luggage to be heavy from big toys. It’s best to keep things as compact as possible. I usually take a couple of small, familiar toys, along with something new to add a bit of excitement.
At the age of three, our son is now loving colouring and drawing, so a new colouring book is a great idea. When he was younger, he loved stickers. There are lots that are reusable, so you can stick them on the back of the plane seat, then peel them off to take with you. A busy board like this is great too, as it’s compact with lots of activities inside.
Small spinners are great for keeping babies entertained. We save all our toys for the plane itself. Our kids have always loved the buzz of the airport, especially if we can find a window with a great view of the runway.
Decide what baby items you actually need
Now we have two kids, we have to decide what we need for travelling. We have several different strollers at home, including a double buggy. Plus, we have a baby carrier, a toddler carrier and a hammock-style attachment.
At the moment, our best setup is to pop our baby in a baby carrier then our toddler in the stroller. This keeps both of them strapped in for the airport check-in process, and settles my nerves about our older kid running off!
We have a buggy that can go in the overhead locker, meaning we can use it right up until the moment board.
Dress your children for comfort
Travel days aren’t the time for pretty new outfits or awkward poppers or zips! I always dress my kids for comfort and convenience. Think about changing nappies or going to the toilet, and how you might be a) short on time or b) short on space (in the plane toilet). It sounds obvious, but when you’re changing a baby in a tiny plane toilet, you’ll be glad you didn’t dress them in awkward dungarees with a million poppers!
Temperatures might fluctuate a lot throughout your travel day, particularly if you’re travelling from somewhere cold to somewhere hot. Plan for light layers you can add or remove.
Check the airport and airline rules before you travel
If you’re travelling with young children, there will be a few key items you’re likely to want to bring. Perhaps you need a stroller, car seat or travel cot. Maybe you have a baby who needs formula made on the go? Or you need to take essential medication for your kids.
Rules can vary between airlines and airports, so it’s worth checking what you can take through security, whether your stroller can be taken to the gate, and whether there are any requirements for travelling with medicines or baby food.
Our stroller is a Yoyo, which is a name universally known by most airlines as being approved for going in the overhead lockers. Others may be similar dimensions, but you might have to convince the airline you’re allowed to travel with it! I’ve also found some budget airlines reserve these spaces for luggage, so it’s worth double checking.
Don’t worry about what other people think
This is one of the most important things I’ve learnt. It’s about attitude. Travel days can bring out heightened emotions in everyone. Whether that’s your little ones having tantrums, or you feeling stressed. While I could say ‘stay calm’, that’s often easier said than done. So my final tip is to not worry about what other people think of you or your family.
You might have moments where your kids are acting up. You might be slow in queues as you’re juggling children and baggage. Or, you might have a baby who seems to cry for most of the flight.
Just try to think about your own little bubble, and don’t worry what others are thinking. Most people have been in your situation before if they have kids, and you’ll often find people are a lot kinder than you expect!
Airport travel checklist with a baby or toddler
- Passports and travel documents
- Nappies and wipes
- Spare clothes
- Milk/formula/bottles
- Water
- Snacks and toddler food
- Medication
- Comforter/dummy
- Compact toys
- Baby carrier
- Buggy
- Car seat, if needed
- Chargers
- Any documents required for medication or special items
Travelling with kids certainly takes a lot more preparation than it used to, but I’ve finally found a process that works! A little forward planning, a relaxed journey, a well-packed bag and plenty of extra time can make a huge difference.
Are you travelling as a family soon? Don’t miss my other helpful guides: