5 Essential Steps for Travelling Solo with Kids

Baby & Toddler Edition

Please raise your hand if the idea of international air travel, with young children, ALONE, fills you with unparalleled terror? One toddler, one baby, and you? The toddler in the seat beside you and the baby on your lap. Are you asking ‘how does that even work?’.

Or ‘why would I subject myself to something so horrifying?’.

When you live overseas, or interstate, from your family, and you have a family of your own, you discover the stark reality – there will be a lot of air travel in your future. Not because you have a travel bug or wish to see the world (you might, but that’s not why), but because it is necessary to keep your children connected to their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the people you grew up with. Any travel with young children can be a daunting prospect – never mind a long-haul international journey, alone, with a baby and a toddler.

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Well, there’s good news! Solo long-haul travel with young children doesn't have to be the nightmare you fear it to be. With the right preparation and with the five steps below, you will be able to set yourself up for a successful trip. And it will not require you to resort to expensive gadgets. Or put travel 'on hold' until the kids are older.

I cannot guarantee you will get a lot of sleep, but if you follow these steps you will feel ready for any challenges that come your way!

Download our complete list of what to bring and what not to bring on the plane when you are travelling solo with a baby and a toddler HERE (Coming soon! Contact us to express your interest).  And we will walk you through how to use it right now in this blog post. When complete, you’ll feel empowered to know what to do to prepare for your long-haul journey. Ready? Let’s dive in.

5 Steps to Travelling Solo with Kids:
The Baby & Toddler Edition

Booking your flight

Before you hop online and book your family’s flight, you need to consider a few things. Just like you did before travelling with children, you want to cover all your bases and make sure no detail is left unaddressed. However now, your focus is going to be less about finding the cheapest flight, and more about flight departure times, arrival times, and layovers.

Keep in mind that how you travel to your destination can set up your first few days or even entire first week. While night flights might seem a bit daunting, there are some definite advantages. Like adults, children are more likely to sleep during their regular sleep schedule, and at night. The fear of a screaming baby (or toddler. Or both) might deter you from the night flight option, and if so remember this; the plane is a lot noisier then you think, and everyone is wearing headphones.

When considering flight departure and arrival times, also consider any layovers. Travelling as adults, we always opted for the quickest route. It allowed us to maximize our time at our destination. However, when booking flights for children, a layover of 8 hours or more has some distinct advantages. If they have not slept well on the plane, they can get some rest at a hotel. Also, if they are distressed, having tantrums, or needing to eat something other than snacks and plane food; a hotel can provide the privacy your family needs to relax and get ready for the next leg of the journey.

Something to note here. Children under the age of two who will be travelling on your lap are not, in fact, free, as is frequently described. They generally cost between 15-20% of the full price of the adult ticket at the time of booking dependant on the airline. It is relevant because if you book tickets before a baby is born and get an early bird discount, be prepared for the ticket price and therefore the cost of the baby’s far to rise.

 

Know what the airline provides

After selecting your flight and itinerary, consider what the specific airline (or airlines) has to offer. It will impact both what you bring as well as what you still need to book.  If your plan includes a layover, find out what your airline’s policy is on providing accommodation. Our recent trip from Perth to Toronto included a 10-hour stop-over which included a hotel room.

Also, something to consider is what they will be provided on the plane. Is their onboard entertainment? Do they have activity kits for the kids? Do they provide additional snacks? Are there meal options to accommodate what your child will eat? Vegetarian meals and fruit plats are popular items. Confirming if you have a bassinet seat might impact what you bring or do not bring.

Bring as little as you can

Next, once you have confirmed what the airline provides, you can start removing items from your intended list of carry-on items. Whatever you plan to bring, consider decreasing it by half. At least. If you are reading this post, you have probably been doing your research. And over its course, you likely found the same articles I did. Some of which discuss formulas like having a different activity for every 15 minutes of travel time. Every 15 minutes!! While to me that sounds absolutely crazy, please remember this post is about flying SOLO with two or more children, one of which is a baby on your lap. So advice designed for short flights, or assuming there will be two adult caregivers is not much help when you are on your own.

When on your own with a baby and a toddler, you have to plan to have the baby on your lap for the entire flight. You might get the coveted bulkhead bassinet, which is fantastic. However, if the seat belt sign comes on for any reason, you have to remove the baby from the bassinet, even if they are asleep! For this reason, having an arsenal of toys in several large carry-on bags in the overhead compartment is not helpful as you will struggle to reach them. Try and limit what you will need on the plane to one small bag for you and one little bag for the kids. Their pack will include all of their toys and snacks, as well as their change of clothing and diapers. Yours will consist of all of the documentation and tickets, your change of clothes, and other essential items like medication, phone charges, and nutritional support.

An item that takes up a lot of carry-on real estate is diaper/nappy bag. Check and see if your airline provides them. We were surprised to find that on our last flight they did!

 

Decide if you are going to bring a stroller

After you have the items you will be taking on the plane sorted; you need to decide how you will carry your kids in the airport and between flights. This is the to-bring-a-stroller-or-not decision. I personally always bring a baby carrier, one that is able to be used for older children as well if necessary. There is no right answer here, so families love to travel with a stroller, and others never do. When you are making your decision, there are a few things you need to consider.

Not all airports/airlines allow you to take a stroller to the gate or the plane. We had that experience in Germany, where they insisted we check our travel stroller. Valuable information such as this you can find out in advance by contacting the airport.

If you do plan to take the stroller to plane and have it ‘sky-checked’ you are gambling a bit that you will have it when you get off your flight. In our experience, we have about a 50% success rate for our stroller getting off the plane with us for a layover. The rest of the time it either continues to the destination or is lost in transit.
On the occasions it does disembark when you do, our experience had us almost always waiting a considerable amount of time for it, or it is damaged.
Whatever you decide, I would strongly recommend not travelling with an expensive stroller unless you plan to check it as fragile or like sporting equipment. Additionally, be ready for it not to arrive, like any checked-luggage. This might mean accessing a free stroller at the airport or carrying both your kids. I always assume I might have to hold both of them and make sure I can do so. Or you can get a carry-on stroller - just remember those count as part of your hand luggage allowance.

This final step is the most important

Now you have booked your flight, scheduled your layover, planned for what the airline has to offer, and discarded as many unnecessary items as you can, and decided to bring or not to bring a stroller.   You’re ready to go! The final step is for the entirety of your journey. Whenever you need it, or even if you think you probably don’t - ask for help. ASK FOR HELP! For some reason, parents,  have created this environment where to ask for help is a sign of weakness or lack of competency. Reality could not be further from the truth. Travelling alone with babies and toddlers is hard work, even if there are two parents on hand. If there is only one of you, it can be a monumental task. But that should not scare or dishearten you. The great thing about air travel is that there are so many people around you, every step of the way! There are other passengers, both in the airport and on the plane. There is airline personnel, and staff at the airport. I even once had an Australian customs official transport all of my hand luggage to the baggage carousel as I was carrying both my baby and toddler. A bit like having a porter!

Travelling with small children is putting your parenting on display in a very public way. It is stressful at the best of times, let alone in an airport or on an aeroplane. But remember that although some people might be staring, the majority of them probably just want to help but are not sure how. Don’t be afraid to ask. Or accept help when offered.

On a final note, let me leave you with this. While it might not seem like much fun at the time, the crazier the experience, the better the story. That is the theory my husband and I live by - and I tell you, we have started our speech for our son’s 21st already. It’s going to be epic. EPIC.

Would you like more information about travelling with babies and children, but don't want to spend hours online sifting through websites and blogs? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Click HERE for our list of 10 family travel blogs with useful actionable and easy to access information for travelling with babies and young children.