Traveling with a Baby or Toddler: Everything you need to know (from a mom of three)

Updated: July 2026

Written by Meg — mom of three (ages 5, 4, and 1.5) in Atlanta. We've done countless road trips and flights with babies and toddlers across three kids. Here's everything I wish I'd known for the first trip. 🫶

Wondering what you actually need when traveling with a baby or toddler for the first time? This covers everything — flying with a baby, road trips with a newborn, what to pack in your diaper bag for travel, car seat and stroller decisions, and how we survive travel days with toddlers. Whether you're flying for the first time with a baby or about to tackle a road trip with multiple kids, this is the guide I wish I'd had.

I'm a big believer in taking the first 2 months PP commonly known as the "fourth trimester" to recover and bond with baby at home, but I know inevitably things come up that require travel. If and when you are comfortable traveling with baby, here are a few things I'd recommend for your first trip.

All of these links can be found on my Amazon Storefront as well if that's an easier experience.

Flying with baby

• Baby carriers are a must. I always babywore our boys through the airport and on the flight using our Ergo baby carrier. Super easy, encourages baby to sleep, and you'll get to have your hands free. You have to take baby out during takeoff and landing but that is a good time to feed baby anyway (helps with ear pressure!).

  • If you have not done much babywearing, take time BEFORE the trip to practice. It's so important that baby is in the carrier correctly and that you're both comfortable.

  • A friend got me a Mabē carrier for baby #3 (pictured above!) - I'll try to get a discount code, it's an Artipoppe dupe and worked really well for us!

• Decide how you'll travel with your carseat and stroller.

  • No matter where you're going, you'll need a carseat when you arrive. If you are planning to bring a stroller, think about if you want to use it through the airport and gate check it, or check it upfront.

    • Travel bags - I would recommend getting a travel bag for your carseat if you are going to check it, and make sure it is labelled distinctly. There are tons on Amazon, and many have straps to wear as a backpack, like this one. Same with your stroller, get a travel bag so it doesn't get banged up.

  • My biggest recommendation for travel is the Doona. I've never seen anything like it, it's both a carseat and a stroller all in one and it can easily go into any car. I can't say enough good things about it. It is pricey but you could look into getting a gently used one. We bought one for Tripp and have used it more times than I can count between the two boys, and plan to have future babes use it, too. Highly recommend if this is in your budget.

  • Another great travel car seat option is the Cosco Scenera Next - this is what our toddlers used once they outgrew the Doona. It's super lightweight, has great safety ratings and can be used for babies from 5-40 lbs!

  • You can also of course travel with your usual carseat! If it's heavy, you may just want to check it right away so you don't have to lug it through the airport.

  • Carseats do not count as a luggage item for most airlines - worth confirming for your flight

• Packing the diaper bag. Do yourself a favor and pull out a few diapers, a pack of wipes and a clean outfit and put it into a big Ziplock bag at the top of your diaper bag. Changing a baby in flight is tricky business and the last thing you want to deal with is digging in a big bag to find what you need.

  • Diaper bags do not count as a carry on item for most flights - worth confirming for your flight

  • Bring more diapers and changes of clothes than you think you'll need. My son Brooks had a tendency to blow out the second we took off so I started strapping one of my older son's bigger diapers over the outside of baby's outfit to protect the babycarrier. It's a *lewk*.

  • Sometimes there is a changing table in one or more of the airplane restrooms, but not always. Ask a flight attendant!

  • Bring some wipes for hands as well as the seat, tray table, window, etc.

  • Disposable diaper pails - a must

• How we do it. What works for my family is to carry on a small rolling suitcase, with our toddler's travel carseat strapped to it so we can easily wheel it through the airport. He's over 2 now, so he sits in his carseat on the plane.

  • In the suitcase is all of our essentials - basically anything we would need if our checked luggage gets lost or if our flight gets canceled and we have to stay in a hotel overnight.

    • Pajamas and change of clothes for each person (including socks and underwear)

    • Extra change of clothes for baby and toddler

    • Diapers and wipes

    • Medicine for adults and babes

    • Toiletries for adults and babes

    • Toys/books

    • White noise machine, crib sheet

  • What's really nice about this approach is that if you get to your destination late at night, all you need to do is open one bag and you have everything everyone needs to go to bed instead of rifling through all of the separate bags.

Driving with baby

• Travel at NIGHT if at all possible. Once baby is sleeping better, you will get to your final destination SO much faster if you travel at night while they are sleeping and there's less traffic on the road.

  • If you do this, make sure the driver is ready and able to be awake that long and I'd map out your stops in advance for safety

  • I'm usually the Passenger Princess so I always look for exits that have Starbucks on them (even if they'll be closed when we'd stop there) - it's a good indication that it's probably a nicer area and the gas stations nearby should feel safer.

  • We usually listen to an audiobook or podcast together or play games (I'll read out the questions for Jeopardy or similar trivia games) - anything to keep us both alert, awake and in a good mood while kiddos are sleeping.

  • And for really long drives, my husband will drive as long as he can and we'll stop somewhere along the way. We try to get breakfast and check out something fun in the morning before we get back on the road.

• Give yourself extra time to get there. We drove to a funeral about 10 hours away when my oldest was 2 months old and as much as we tried to maximize each stop, it still took MUCH longer than expected. Try to be realistic about the fact that it will take you longer than the GPS says.

  • Every time you stop to feed the baby try to get gas, use the bathroom, eat, etc. so you don't have to stop again for those things later

  • For a full stop, we would typically get gas first and I would use the bathroom while we filled up, then we'd go through a drive thru, park the car and I'd feed Tripp while eating my food

• Things to have in case baby gets fussy on the road.

  • Extra portable white noise machines and make sure they're charged up! Will help baby sleep more soundly

  • Portable chargers - we have two of these and have been using for years. Absolutely love.

  • Vibrating mattress pad

  • Extra pacis (if baby takes one)

  • Window shades for your car

    • These are great when it's sunny but we would often pop ours off so we could crack the window and bring in some fresh air when baby started crying - it weirdly helps!

• Consider climbing in the backseat. For the first trip, I sat in the backseat on and off so I could give baby his paci and help when he got fussy. I will say that for me personally it actually made it harder to be sitting right by him and not be able to hold him or breastfeed him when he got upset, so I opted to sit in the front for the most part. See what works for you!

• Tinker with your car's audio settings. Especially with newer cars, you should be able to set your settings to have the music come out only from your front most speakers, so it's not as loud for sleeping baby.

• Pack the car strategically. If you can, leave the entire backseat open so you can sit in the back to feed and change the baby more comfortably

  • In reach of this area you will want: extra disposable changing pads, disposable diaper bags, diapers, wipes, and a few extra changes of clothes

  • Good idea to bring some extra blankets in case bub gets cold

  • When driving, it is tempting to bring everything you could possibly need. Especially for this first trip, that is okay and somewhat unavoidable but try to pare down where you can!

    • Depending on where you're going, it may be better to get most of your diapers, wipes, etc. once you arrive

  • Big IKEA bags are a lifesaver for roadtrips. I use these around the house all the time to put away clean laundry or toys, but they're amazing for travel too. They hold SO much!!

No matter how we get there, I ALWAYS travel with my baby in a zip up cotton pajama. I find this to be most comfortable for baby and easiest for us to deal with with blowouts and diaper changes. And feet are covered so I'm not worried about baby socks or shoes getting lost.

Traveling with TODDLERS

Okay I'm going to be honest — there are fewer tips for traveling with toddlers because it mostly just comes down to snacks, iPads, and distractions on distractions. But here's what actually works for us:

• Carseats on the plane — we always have both boys in their car seats on flights. After everything that's happened with turbulence incidents in recent years, I'll never not have my kids properly buckled. We use the Cosco Scenera Next— super lightweight, great safety ratings, works from 5-40 lbs and fits in an airplane seat.

• New small toys or activities they've never seen before — the novelty buys you SO much time. Dollar section at Target is your best friend the week before a trip.

• Snacks they love plus a few special treats you don't normally give them at home — travel is not the time for the healthy snack rules.

• Download shows and movies ahead of time — do not rely on airplane wifi. It will let you down every single time.

• Headphones — these are the ones we use for our boys and they fit well and stay on.

• Give them a job. My boys love being "in charge" of their own little backpack with their snacks and activities in it. It makes them feel important and keeps their stuff contained. "I need a helper to go fill up the water bottles" helps avoid a wrestling match in the middle of the airport.

• Divide and conquer: usually whoever has the baby also has our oldest, and we sit together in a plane situation. The other parent has our 3 year old who needs more help and attention. Whoever has the three year old has his extra clothes and pullups in their bag, the other person has 5 & 1 year olds things. We usually sit in consecutive rows on the plane so we can hand things (or kids) back and forth to each other more easily!

  
  

All our favorite toddler travel items are linked in my Amazon Storefront if you want to see exactly what we use.

Above all, when traveling with littles my biggest advice is to embrace the chaos. Go in with a realistic attitude and give yourself, your partner and your baby grace. Remember that you and your partner are on the SAME TEAM. Do whatever you need to do to get through the craziness of a travel day and know that things WILL go back to normal after the trip.

Good luck and Godspeed.

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FAQ

When can you travel with a newborn? Most pediatricians give the green light for flying after 2 months when babies have had their first round of vaccines. For road trips, you can go sooner — just plan around feeding schedules and bring everything you need within arm's reach. I'm a big believer in honoring the fourth trimester at home for the first 2 months if you can, but I also know that life happens and sometimes travel is unavoidable.

What is the best stroller for travel with a baby? The Doona is my top recommendation — it goes from car seat to stroller in literally seconds with no extra parts to carry. We used it as our primary stroller for babies #2 and #3 and took it on every trip. If you're in a city or Uber a lot it's especially incredible. For a budget-friendly travel car seat, the Cosco Scenera Next is lightweight, well-rated and works from 5-40 lbs.

Do you need a car seat on a plane with a baby? You don't have to, but I always recommend it — both for safety and because it gives baby a familiar, comfortable place to sit and sleep. FAA-approved car seats can be used on planes and car seats don't count as a luggage item on most airlines.

How do you pack a diaper bag for a flight? Pull out a few diapers, a pack of wipes and a clean outfit and put them in a big Ziplock bag at the very top of your bag before you leave for the airport. Changing a baby on a plane is chaotic enough without digging through your whole bag. Bring more diapers and outfit changes than you think you need — blowouts have terrible timing. Also bring wipes for the seat, tray table and window.

What do you do if baby cries on a plane? Feed during takeoff and landing — the sucking motion helps with ear pressure and usually calms them. Baby carrier through the airport and on the flight is a game changer — it encourages sleep and keeps your hands free. If they're fussy mid-flight, walk the aisle, try a pacifier, and give yourself grace. Every parent on that plane has been there or will be.

What's the best way to road trip with a baby? Travel at night if you can — once baby is sleeping on a schedule, a night drive means they sleep the whole way and you hit less traffic. Pack the car so the backseat is accessible for feeding and changes. Batch your stops — every time you stop to feed, also get gas, use the bathroom and grab food so you're not stopping again in 20 minutes.

What should toddlers wear on a plane? Same as babies — I always put mine in zip-up cotton pajamas for travel days regardless of the time. It's comfortable for them, easy for diaper changes, and you don't have to stress about losing socks or shoes. Comfortable and practical wins every time on travel days.

→ See my full baby registry checklist — including all my stroller and car seat recommendations here

→ See my tips for protecting your newborn when traveling with older kids here

→ See all my current discount codes and affiliate links here

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Your friendly reminder that this blog is not medical advice! This blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if they seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment for you or your family.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you click through and purchase — at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own and I only share products I genuinely use with my own family.