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Editorial Disclosure
The question I get most these days is how my wife and I make travel look easy with a nearly 2-year-old.
Truth is, we’ve been learning and adapting on the fly. There was even a four-month stretch when we decided flying with our daughter wasn’t worth it, because she couldn’t safely sit in her own seat for an entire flight.
We’re mostly past that now and are easing back in with short regional trips around the Northeast.
So I decided to compile nine of my favorite family travel hacks — most of which no one else is talking about — plus the gear that makes our trips smoother.
Don’t book one reservation
When it’s time to book flights, most people search for the total number of people in their party.
Airline pricing has gotten too sophisticated for that. If you’re a family of three, search in increments of one passenger: price it for one traveler, then two, then three.
I did this on a recent flight and noticed something odd: buying two tickets was cheaper per person than buying one or three.
So I put my wife and daughter on one reservation. Then I booked a second reservation for two — myself and my dad — to lock in the cheaper per-person fare. I canceled his ticket the next morning for a full refund under the 24-hour rule, and my fare stayed exactly the same.
Use the right stroller — and gear
So much of traveling with kids comes down to bringing the right gear.
I’ve tested my fair share over the past two years. Here’s what’s still in the rotation.
- Stroller: We travel exclusively with the Bugaboo Butterfly 2. It’s the best travel stroller I’ve tested. The Yoy03 is a more affordable alternative.
- Car seat: The Cosco Scenera is the most practical option for travel, and at $59, one of the cheapest. It’s bulky, so I bought this black canvas bag on Amazon that turns it into a backpack for lugging through the airport.
- Stroller/car seat combo: The Doona is the ultimate setup for the youngest travelers. It converts between a stroller and a car seat, and we used it constantly until our daughter outgrew it.
- Diaper bag: Dagne Dover’s neoprene diaper backpack is the right size and style.
- Sharing a hotel room: This blackout sleep tent lets you sleep in when you’re bunking with a kid.
- Easy-to-use pajamas: When we travel with our daughter, we try to time the flights over her naps or bedtime. We change her into pajamas that are easy to put on. Bonus points — this brand offers a really cool airplane-themed set.
Use the family plan for 50% off rooms
Space is perhaps the biggest luxury when traveling with kids.
When I can’t confirm a suite upgrade, I lean on Hyatt’s under-the-radar family plan, which offers up to 50% off a second room booked for kids. (The discount varies by property, and the second room has to be paid for in cash — even if you booked the first one with points.)
You need to call Hyatt to grab the rate, and it’s the only promotion of its kind. I wish the bigger chains had something similar.
Lie-flats double for two
You don’t need to buy a seat for your child until they turn 2.
I only flew with my daughter as a lap infant once before her second birthday. She flung herself everywhere, and it was stressful enough that I now buy her a seat regardless of her age.
The one exception is in a lie-flat seat. My daughter and I slept next to each other for an entire flight from Dallas to Argentina. (She was already too big for a bassinet at that stage.)
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Choose the ADA room
When you check in to your hotel, I suggest asking if an ADA-compliant room is available.
Obviously, don’t take it away from someone who actually needs it, but when one is open, I’ve found these rooms close to perfect for traveling with a young kid.
Case in point: we took the ADA room at Hilton’s Canopy in Portland, Maine. The bathroom had a tub-shower combo, ideal for her bath at night, and it was so oversized that we put the crib in there and shut the door — then kept using the rest of the room with the lights on without waking her.
If you can’t score the extra space, we’ve had good luck using the SlumberPod that basically acts as a blackout tent around the crib.
Board last, on purpose
In my experience, toddlers shouldn’t be on a plane any longer than they need to be.
That’s why my wife and I split up during boarding. One of us gets on early to organize the seating area with toys and snacks. The other walks our daughter down the jet bridge during final boarding.
Some boarding processes drag on for an hour, and entertaining a toddler is far easier in the terminal than in a crowded metal tube.
Bring new toys
Credit for this one goes to my wife, who packs new toys for every trip.
It prolongs our daughter’s fascination with them and expands her brain at the same time. A win-win.
Check your bags. All of them.
I know this one is controversial, but I always check bags when traveling with kids.
We get off the plane, stop at the bathroom, and change a diaper. By the time we reach baggage claim, the bags are waiting for us.
Lugging carry-ons while pushing a stroller isn’t for the faint of heart. I’ve done it plenty of times, and I’d still tell you to check. There are already enough stressors in the travel day, and lugging more bags is one that’s easily solvable.
Rent a car
In major cities, you might assume rideshares and public transit are the easiest way to get around with kids.
But I disagree.
If your child needs a car seat, I suggest renting a car. Finding (and paying for) parking can be a hassle, but being able to install the car seat once and leave it there has been priceless for our family.
What tips and tricks did I miss?
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