If I had a nickel for every time I was asked why I would travel with young kids . . . well, let’s just say it could have paid for another trip. I get it, travel with young kids—especially babies and toddlers—might not seem like a vacation right off the bat. It might even seem downright scary the first time you do it. I once thought this too.
Then I actually took that first trip with my baby and toddler. I learned a lot from that trip, and a few months later I got the courage to do it again. Some of my favorite family memories are from those first trips, as well as some of my bravest parenting moments.
“Traveling effectively” is a life skill we have to teach our kids like any other. So if you’re waiting to travel when they’re older, you’re starting from a blank slate with your older kids. It’s not going to be a smooth vacation when they’re older if they never had any vacation experiences when they were younger.
If you’re on the fence, I can prove why it’s a great idea to take that trip with young kids. And, you might actually get excited about it!
1. It’s more cost effective to travel with young kids.
Pretty much any vacation you take will always be less expensive the younger your kids are. Most travel destinations will usually ask for your kids’ ages and your older ones will usually cost you more. That’s not a coincidence. Think about it logistically: the older your kids are the more they can do, the more they can eat, they’ll need bigger spots to sleep in, etc.
Going on a cruise? Your baby will probably cost less than a couple hundred dollars for a week’s voyage. Flying somewhere? If under age two, you can carry them as a lap baby, saving you on airfare. Going to a theme park? Babies and toddlers under three years old are usually free—even in Disney parks!
Booking a hotel? It’s usually more cost effective to book a king-sized room with one bed and one sofabed or crib than a double queen room. Reserving dining? Young kids, toddlers, and babies are usually either free, or majorly discounted.
Checking your luggage? Younger kids’ clothing takes up less space so you’ll have to pack less bags. Plus car seats and strollers are free to check on most airlines, regardless of their luggage policy. You can pop anything you want inside the car seat and stroller bags, saving you more money on luggage fees.
2. Less opinions means more of what you want to do.
I love exploring the world with my older kids and hearing all that they have to say about it. The conversations about our upcoming travels make my heart absolutely giddy. What doesn’t make me so giddy are the arguments that can ensue over which destination we should visit, whose turn it is to pick a destination, the complaining and opinions about the hotel we chose, arguments over sleeping arrangements, etc.
Sometimes—not very often, but sometimes—I long for the days when they were babies and toddlers and I got to pick the destination and hotel without any opinions at all.
Again, don’t get me wrong: I value my kids’ opinions. I take it as a mark of my good parenting that they’re turning into citizens with valuable opinions. But sometimes, I just don’t want to hear the complaints about the hotel chain, rental car, airline, restaurant, or activity. I would just like to enjoy the trip that I planned and paid for.
3. Your vacations are calmer + more relaxing.
I know you might think I’m lying here as you imagine your crying baby, but hear me out. Think about “nap time,” for instance. I actually miss my young children’s afternoon nap on vacation. It was truly my favorite time of my vacation day.
Yes, we would sometimes be confined to our room while they napped. But this meant that we usually would also nap with them—which is not something I can do now that my kids are older. (Have you ever tried napping in a hotel room where your bed and your older kids’ beds are side-by-side? It’s not exactly a scenario fit for a relaxing afternoon deep sleep.)
Some other things I would do during these long afternoon nap times are spend a good hour getting ready, reading, putting on makeup, or trying a hairstyle I never have time to do at home. I would take a relaxing bath, order room service, and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee and an afternoon treat.
Nap time doesn’t always mean “room confinement” either. My younger kids have napped in strollers everywhere—which equated to leisure time for us adults. We’d lay on the beach or poolside spending time together, walk around a theme park and do what we wanted to do, shop, eat, etc. Nowadays with my older kids, these leisure activities for just us adults can only happen when I have a babysitter or family member to watch them.
4. Younger kids are easier to pack for.
I know you think I’m lying again, but I promise I’m not. The first time I traveled with my babies, my biggest fear was packing diapers and baby food. Back then, grocery delivery wasn’t a thing, so easy shopping options were less accessible. Nowadays, unless you’re boarding a cruise ship immediately after your arrival to your destination or you’re visiting some remote location, almost anything can be delivered right to your hotel room or rental location. Plus, on that first trip, we actually were going on a cruise ship and, again, I didn’t have the option of shipping or picking up diapers.
Since we’re on the subject I’ll also give you one of my favorite diaper packing hacks if you’re in a pinch: vacuum seal them! I quickly realized after solving this diaper dilemma that baby food and formula were the other things that would take up space in my luggage. (And had I been breastfeeding at the time, that would have been even easier because my physical body is literally housing their food.)
What didn’t take up space in my suitcase, however? Their clothes and shoes because they’re so tiny! I didn’t have to worry about packing multiple suitcases for my kids. Their stuff was so small and could easily fit in either our adult suitcases, or in a smaller one for them.
I can tell you with certainty as a mom of older kids now, that packing their clothes back then was so much easier! Nowadays, each child almost always needs their own suitcase and their items take up so much space. Plus, they’ll have those opinions again, so they’ll want their two favorite stuffed animals, three pairs of shoes they favor, purses for each outfit, hair accessories they prefer, toiletries, etc.
So, the moral here is this: you can have their essentials like food, diapers, and wipes shipped to your hotel so you don’t have to worry about packing them. And, their clothes and items can literally probably fit inside your own shoes in your luggage, so you’ll have to pack less bags.
5. You’re almost always first for everything.
Did you know that there are special stroller lines at almost every travel destination? Or that most airlines allow families of small children to board first, regardless of their boarding group number? These are just some of the perks you get when traveling with younger kids. And true, these perks exist because it does take longer to strap in younger kids on an airplane seat while also strapping yourself in. But after a couple trips, you’ll get the hang of this and it won’t seem hard at all.
In fact, some security checkpoints even have special stroller lines! My husband once hilariously told me after we bypassed a long Customs Checkpoint line that we should keep our kids in strollers for as long as possible due to this perk. (Obviously he was joking. But I remember thinking back then that if I’m lugging these kids in this stroller all day, at least it has its merits.)
Another perk is that travel personnel, and sometimes even kind strangers, are usually always willing to help you when you need, usually without you even offering. I have never been in a situation with my younger kids where my hands were full and someone didn’t step in or wait patiently for me to finish strapping them, etc. (Think about it: if you saw a struggling mom, wouldn’t you step in?)
Bonus tip: there are tools and resources for every travel aspect now!
These tools and resources include:
- Strollers that can actually fit in your purse and in airplane overhead bins—no, I’m not lying again and yes, it also happened to be my favorite travel stroller for my younger kids
- Diaper bags that can clip onto strollers, which helps to keep your hands free
- Carry-on luggage that double as roll-around toddler carriers
- Airplane harnesses that are actually FAA approved and act as a five-point harness for your toddler, keeping them from roaming around the airplane
- Car seat caddies for road trips
- Window cling toys
- Mess-free paint brushes for on-the-go
- Inflatable toddler airplane beds
- Travel games and puzzles that are magnetic so pieces won’t get lost underneath car and airplane seats
There are all types of travel gadgets that get the job done so much easier! You can find a solution for almost every travel woe and worry for younger kids now. They’re a complete lifesaver and helped build my confidence when traveling with my younger kids, as they should with yours.
Take the trip!
I hope that now, you’re a little bit more confident about traveling with your younger kids. I get it, it’s always scary to venture out with them—whether across the street or across the country. But if you don’t take the risk, you’re going to miss out on a lot of beautiful parenting memories.
So go ahead and book that trip even though your kids are young. You’re going to find that the memories you make will be some of the best of your parenting career!
