Our ever-growing list of A – Z Travel Tips. Please let us know of anything you’d like to add!
Accommodation
A self contained apartment or holiday house can be preferable to a hotel room. It means being able to get kids to sleep in a separate room, being able to prepare small meals (even spaghetti on toast) and do a load of washing. Being able to wash means less packing and that’s not such a bad thing.
Hire or borrow what you can from the accommodation, having a cot and highchair at your accommodation can be helpful.
Bibs
Disposable bibs can be a help during trips, as you can throw them out with your rubbish. Also try some sticky fingers wipes for easy mess free clean ups. If you can wash at your destination a stock of regular bibs will work when you get there.
Bottle Feeding
At home the steam sterilizers work great, but lugging it on the road? I recommend an old plastic ice cream container and a packet of sterilizing tablets. Set up when you get there and remember to change the water within the specified time. When packing, fit as much as you can in the container so as not to take up space (when you’re packing up to come home you can leave it). On route for longer trips you may like to take some of the UHT ready-made formulas already available in the supermarkets. For shorter trips, your regular boiled water and formula dispensers may be all you need.
Breast Feeding Blanket
A Breast Feeding Blanket can be reassuring when you’re caught somewhere you wouldn’t normally breast feed (like sitting next to a smelly man on a plane). Some of them are made from UV fabric, which makes it a handy cover for breastfeeding outdoors or even can be used as a stroller cover.
Cushie Traveller
The Cushie Traveller is a kids size portable toilet seat. It easily folds up into a compact, easily washable unit and can be stored in its own draw-string bag. It is also ideal to ensure there is always a clean toilet on hand in dirty public bathrooms.
Kids aged close together? We had one who preferred a potty and another who preferred a toilet seat. They also like to go together, so both the Cushie traveller and a Potette folding travel potty suit us when we’re travelling. Normally we leave one in the hotel room and take one out with us. The potette Plus is great as it is a standing potty AND a toilet seat (but can only work as one at a time)!
Delays?
Be ready. I once had a short plane trip with my daughter and she had eaten all our snacks and was desperate to get out of her seat before the plane had even began taxiing! Take plenty of snacks and hand them out sparingly. I had another instance where I had plenty of snacks, my daughter ate them all and was sick once we reached our destination!
Disposable Bibs
For catching and easily discarding the unwanted bits! Great teamed up with baby wipes.
Disposable ID
There are many forms of wearable ID on the market. The disposable ID is adjustable and difficult to remove for the child (other clip on IDs may not be considered as secure). Ideally the ID should always contain accurate info. They’re great as they’re waterproof and the personal details on the inside of the tag cannot be seen by the wrong eyes. We generally put them on our toddler’s wrists and babies ankle.
Disposable ID’s are being used more regularly now. Most recently we have seen them used at a baby show and at the pool.
Potette vs. Cushie Traveller?
The great travel potty debate! The original Potette folding Travel potty is a great design and a great price. It allows for a fold out potty to be used on the go. The potty is lined with a bag that is then removed and discarded. The Potette Plus also has fold down legs, so it doubles as a toilet seat. The Cushie Traveller is a fold out toilet seat, so depending on your child’s routines/preferences/age there should be a portable toilet solution to suit.
Sunscreen
Try and get one that is easy to apply. Some kids are good with applying their own roll on (with a little help).
Stroller
Because we travel regularly we have a compact travel stroller which we love. It fits into a great bag and is easily checked in with the other luggage.
Stairs
In your accommodation, go ground floor if you can – lugging kids and strollers up and down stairs on holidays is a great thing to avoid if you can. Or at least check if there’s a lift and try and get a room close to it. But, if you’re ground floor – check security. If you have a wanderer, will they be able to unlock doors and get about easily?
Television
If your kids are old enough and allowed some quiet time in front of the TV, check what will be available at your destination. Will there be cable TV with kids channels, or a video or DVD player? If so, take 1 or 2 popular videos or DVDs from home.
View
If you’re travelling with toddlers then you may find yourself staying in after 7.30, when they’re finally bedded down for the night. It may be the perfect time to appreciate a room with a view!