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As I wrote in my last post, being organized may be the most important advice we can give for traveling with small children. So what does it mean to be organized while traveling with you little ones? Here are some examples for what we learnt on our many back-and-forth trips to Europe and other parts of the world:
· Pack your hand luggage in a way that you know exactly where everything is when en route. Thus, when going through security control you won’t have to search through everything to find those liquids that you are supposed to put into separate bins when going through security control (remember to put them in little clear plastic bags!) and you will be able to quickly clarify questions like “do you have anything in there with a battery”. Trust me - security control is much faster and much less embarrassing this way! And once on the plane, it is tremendously helpful to know exactly where the formula is when your baby is hungry, where the pacifier is if needed for take-off and landing, where the wipes are for the little accidents that are bound to happen, where your cell phone is when you have to turn it off, and so on and so on. Being quick because you and your hand luggage are organized is helpful beyond words because I have yet to meet a child that suddenly displays a hidden talent for being patient when out and about. At this point allow me a few words about our Baggino Diaper Bags (www.baggino.com/CombinationDiaperBagChangingBelt/): they are the result of our struggles to be as organized as possible on our trips and they are specifically designed to make it much easier to find things fast and easily.
· Make a list of all you need for your trip - carefully separated by what you need at your destination and what you need on the trip itself - well before you leave so that you have enough time to get and pack everything. Update the list with things you forgot or would change after your trip so that you don’t have to start all over again the next time around.
· Minimize the number of carry-on luggage pieces as much as possible but be able to take them apart into more bags on the plane or train. For long air travel trips we often put separate smaller bags into one or two bigger bags so that we can take the smaller “units” out during the trip and put it all back together when in transit. Smaller bags on board mean you can find and pull out everything easily without having to unload everything (which can be tedious and embarrassing) to find the toys, the food, the diaper utensils, the… that you need just now. Pack toys and food and (…) into separate cotton tote bags and put all into a bigger carry-on bag together with our Junior Diaper bag (if you don’t want to carry a full-size diaper bag) which will include all you need for diapering (www.baggino.com/JuniorCombinationDiaperBagChangingBelt/). And then don’t forget what you put into which bag...
· Pack an emergency kit with things like band-aids, disinfectant, fever-reducing medicine, nose drops (!), clinical thermometer (remember Fahrenheit versus Celsius…), etc. into your carry-on luggage. You should always have this kit handy while you travel and it may also serve you well at your destination where you might not immediately find a nearby (and 24 hour) pharmacy or might not be able to properly express what you need in a foreign language. Buy travel-size things where necessary or helpful. And put the kit into a clear plastic zip bag when traveling by plane.
· Have a plastic bag with you (think stinky diapers, your child’s clothing should he throw up, etc.) as well as an extra shirt/sweater for you to change into should baby’s mess make you messy. Our Learner’s Bibs (www.baggino.com/LearnersBibs/) are also very helpful for trips because they cover your child’s clothing much better than conventional bibs.
· Especially with a small baby, have disinfectant wipes with you for the plane, the train, public restrooms, etc.. They are good against germs and for your piece of mind. And of course always take your Baggino Diaper Bag (www.baggino.com/CombinationDiaperBagChangingBelt/): so that you can convert it into a waist belt when in airplane restrooms (see my previous post J) or any other type of public restrooms. Who knows how clean it is in there and how thoughtful the previous users were of moms and babies using the space after them when cleaning up any mishaps. Trust me, it is helpful in such situations to not have to put your diaper bag down and to have a large changing pad with you as part of your diaper bag. Also make sure to have a bag that easily attaches to or fits into your stroller so that you don’t have to carry it over your shoulder when in transit.
· Know what to expect at your destination with regard to baby food. It surely doesn’t hurt to have your child’s favorite food with you to be prepared for different tastes of baby food in different countries… How much depends on how flexible your child is with her diet.
· Make sure to take care of seating arrangements on the plane as early as possible. We prefer bulkhead seating and so do many other parents so time can be of the essence…
These are just some insights from our travel experience which I hope are helpful to you. Enjoy your travels wherever you go! There are so many exciting places to visit and things to see for you and your children…
. Next time around we will elaborate on what being organized means for air travel with small children..jpg)
