Here’s a link to blog posts answering the most common questions you might have about traveling with babies and children. Articles are added regularly, so please check back or suggest your ideas for new ones.
Planning Your Trip & Booking Your Flights
- Best (and Worst) Ages to Fly With Your Child
- Bring vs. Rent: Carseats
- Bring vs. Buy: Large Baby Gear
- Ship Items Ahead to Your Destination
- ID for Children
- Non-stop vs. Connecting Flights with Kids
- How Alternate Airports Can Help Traveling Families
- Redeye With Kids: Do you Dare?
At the Airport
- Getting To & From the Airport With Children
- Navigating TSA Lines Strategically
- Baggage Fees
- Pre-Boarding Kids: Which Airlines Still Offer It?
- Coping with a Flight Delay or Cancellation
On the Plane
Car Rentals
At Your Destination
Hotels
Frequent Flyer Miles & Points
Miscellaneous Other Tips
sparklythings
Friday 2nd of May 2014
Hey, I'm also a lawyer! I quit that, though...and law school was too long ago for me to still have my backpack, darn it.
I'm going to email you...I do have a couple of questions! Thank you!
~j
tripswithtykes
Friday 2nd of May 2014
Small world and congrats on being a recovering lawyer! Please feel free to email -- in the meantime, I looked at my old backpack and it is an Eastpack. More than a decade old now, but the closest model offered these days to what I have is probably this:
sparklythings
Wednesday 30th of April 2014
I am having decision paralysis about - my carry on!! I am flying with my almost 3 year old son for the first time, and we're going it alone! The flight is 5 hours, non-stop, LAX to Austin. I know I will need a LOT of food. Anyway, I know what STUFF I need to take, but I need to figure out what bag will really hold a crap-ton of stuff, not be too heavy though, with easy access to contents, sippy cup holder, etc. I want one bag! I am checking luggage, and taking car seat and stroller in the airport, gate checking the stroller. Advice?!? I don't see this particular info on your FANTASTICALLY helpful blog...if it is here some where, please direct me! Thanks!!
tripswithtykes
Thursday 1st of May 2014
Hi sparklythings! Glad the blog has been able to help with some things so far. As for the carry on, I think you are really best using a single backpack with the amount of luggage you will have and what you are taking through the airport. You are going to need some hands free. I just usually use my old backpack from law school... it has a laptop sleeve where I can put our iPad, side pouch for a sippy cup or water bottle, two small front pouches for smaller items and two bigger compartments for food, toys, etc. I'd recommend looking around your house and seeing what you have already. If you need to buy something new, you can't go wrong with LLBean or Eagle Creek products for being comfortable and also roomy.
For what it's worth, if I were in your shoes, I'd leave the car seat behind if you can (assuming you can rent one at your destination from a rental car company or borrow one from family/friends). You could get a CARES harness to strap your three year old in on the plane or even just use the regular seat belt. I found that car seats are really hard on planes with three year olds -- they are a lot to carry when you are by yourself plus they position toddlers and preschoolers perfectly to be able to kick the seat in front of them. I quit using them on planes before my daughter hit her second birthday. They caused me more stress than they helped, but of course everyone has different opinions on this!
Feel free to email at tripswithtykes@gmail.com or post here if you have more questions.