MotherhoodSo you want to travel with babies & toddlers… but don't know where to start?
If you've ever thought "I want to travel, but not until the kids are older" — this one is for you. Six steps to your first trip.
New here? Start here
Your first trip with a baby or toddler, step by step.
If you've ever thought 'I want to travel, but not until the kids are older' — this page is for you. Here's the order I'd do it in.
The honest version
It's not easy. It's a lot more doable than you think.
This isn't about putting a toddler on a ten-hour flight next month. It's about building confidence one trip at a time until travel is just something your family does.
Start smaller than you think
Two or three nights. Minimal time change. Somewhere walkable or resort-style where the logistics are already solved. The first trip only has to prove one thing: we can do this.
Build your travel systems
A stroller you actually like using. A packing setup that doesn’t stress you out. Snacks and entertainment within reach. A loose plan instead of a rigid one. Organization is what turns luck into a repeatable trip.
Plan one big thing a day
This is where most trips fall apart. One anchor activity, built-in downtime, and room for naps and mood swings. You’ll see less per day and enjoy far more of it.
Pick a place that fits this season
Hills, cobblestones and stairs are hard with a stroller. Some places bend over backwards for families. Choose the destination that works with the stage you’re in, not against it.
Expect the hard moments, go anyway
There will be meltdowns, missed naps and one truly chaotic travel day. Those happen at home too — the difference is you’re not at home, and they’re seeing something new.
Read these three first
The posts I'd send a friend
Start with the getting-started guide, then the flight, then the beach day that makes it all feel manageable.
Motherhood
Flying with kidsSurviving air travel with a crying baby
Three years and more than a hundred flights with babies later, this is the post I wish someone had handed me before that first takeoff.
Beach weeksBeach day hacks every parent needs to know
The diaper trick, the sand trick, and the snack trick that have saved more beach days than I can count. Learned the hard way, mostly.
Trip one
What actually earns its suitcase space
Not a full packing list — just the things that change how a trip feels with a baby or a toddler along.
- Lightweight stroller that folds into an overhead bin
- Carrier for stairs, cobblestones and airports
- Diaper over the swimsuit on the walk to the pool
- More snacks than seems reasonable, in a bag you can reach
- A small bag of toys they haven’t seen yet
- Layers — planes and coastal weather swing hard
Pick where you're going
Five destinations, sorted by what they ask of you and what they give back.
The sunday postcard
One short letter a week, from wherever we are
Where we've been, what actually worked, and the little-years stuff nobody warns you about. Sunday mornings, with your coffee.
No spam, no 40-email funnels. Unsubscribe any time.